Hiring and training a skilled trucking team is essential for a successful startup trucking company. When you prioritize professionalism and safety, few things can go wrong. To begin your journey the right way, here are some steps to consider when hiring and training your trucking team.
Define Job Roles and Requirements Clearly
To appeal to the suitable candidates for the job roles that you wish to fill within your trucking company, you should clearly define the positions available and the responsibilities that come with them. It’s important to accurately determine the necessary skills, experience, and qualifications for each role. Among the most important requirements should be driving experience, a valid commercial driver’s license, and knowledge of regulations applicable to the trucking industry.
Recruitment and Screening Tips
You should advertise your job openings through various channels to find the best candidates for your trucking team. This includes industry publications, online job boards, and trucking associations. With a greater pool of candidates, you are more likely to find proper employees for your project and fill the needed roles.
It’s important to define your job roles clearly and screen applicants carefully. Review applicant’s resumes and driving records, and conduct interviews to assess their experience, qualifications, and if they fit your company and vision.
Conduct Background Checks and Verify Credentials
It’s important to conduct thorough background checks and check the credentials of potential hires. If you hire the wrong person and they make mistakes, it can result in very costly penalties and other issues that you might not be able to recover from.
The candidate’s CDL, driving history, and every other certification should be analyzed thoroughly, and you should make sure that their driving records are clean and they do not have a criminal history.
Driver Training and Orientation
When you select the proper candidates for your team, you must provide them with comprehensive training and orientation programs. Familiarize your drivers with company policies, safety procedures, and equipment operation. Train your new trucking team on applicable regulations, HOS requirements, cargo handling, and defensive driving techniques.
If you already have experienced or skilled drivers within your company, you can assign them to coach or mentor the new hires. Always prioritize safety training for accident prevention, emergency procedures, specialized cargo handling, and other relevant techniques necessary to conduct your trucking operations safely.
Ongoing Training for Professional Development
Regulations change constantly in the trucking industry, so you should offer ongoing training to keep your new team updated on the best practices, regulatory changes, and new technologies available that can increase work safety.
Performance Monitoring
To get the best out of your new trucking team, consider regularly monitoring their performance. Don’t focus only on driver evaluations and route analysis. Consider customer feedback as well. Provide feedback to your new team to ensure that they keep developing. Establish performance metrics clearly and reward your team to maintain their high performance, but keep continuing to enforce safe driving practices.
