Truck Fleets will have a never-ending demand for drivers as long as consumers prefer instant gratification over the products they need.
Today, more than half of the population depends on online e-commerce portals to shop for the products they need on the daily run. The option to click and pick excites customers, bringing multiple opportunities in the Trucking Industry.
In addition, the express delivery concepts demand a good number of trucks and efficient drivers, bringing happiness with every load. Timely delivery and product safety are in the hands of efficient fleet drivers.
Also Read: What to Consider While leading an Airplane
Here are 15 Tips to Hire the Best Drivers for Your Truck Fleet:
1. Promising Safety
Self Safety and Fleet safety has been one of the biggest concern for drivers over these years.
Assure them instant help and guidance by empowering them with the knowledge of the Vehicle Tracking Systems and the other features of the Enterprise Fleet Management Software.
2. Experience
Experience counts a lot in the trucking industry, as they take chances on high valued products. Moreover, every Fleet is planned with extreme care, and hence checking the experience of the fleet drivers before hiring can add a whole new safety ring to them.
3. Smartphones Knowledge
If your truck fleet drivers have efficient knowledge of smartphones, they can actively gauge the fuel expenses, use the efficient routes possible and significantly reduce the operating costs. They can ask for help if they need, right away.
Also, the organization needs to be stern with the drivers not to lose their attention to smartphones, as they could be a potential source of distraction when in operation.
4. Physical Fitness
Irrespective of their age, they should be capable of balancing their health, fitness, and alertness during fleet operations. Truck drivers can very easily fall into obesity, sleep deprivation and expect a lower lifetime.
Therefore, they need to be conscious of eating and stretching to be vigilant during the drive.
5. Vehicles Knowledge
The drivers must know at least minimal information about the vehicles they drive and their features in action to plan and prepare themselves ahead of the journey and avoid any last-minute emergencies.
6. Being Multilingual
Multilingual people can handle any critical situation efficiently, and drivers can take any conditions on the road.
7. Medical Fitness
Drivers, in the long run, get subjected to physical pressure and strain. Your fleets are better safe in medically fit drivers’ hands. Check for their history of medical ailments and the treatment progress.
8. Retention/ Turnover rate
Surveys report drivers’ turnover rate has risen over 90% in the last year. Trucking Industries do invest a lot in hiring, upskilling, and retention of drivers, and hence it is better to check if the candidate has been consistent in their previous company. Ask their reasons for shifting.
9. Communication
The Success of the Fleeting Industry depends on their key persons – Drivers. Therefore, it is beneficial for the organization when their employees communicate well and maintain good friendships.
10. Passport Verification
Verifying their passports for any negative histories will help you in identifying their previous experience. Drivers with previous accident history can be a potent alarming factor to your carefully curated fleets.
11. Curating Performance-Based Incentives.
Instead of offering them fixed incentives around the year, show them overall performance-based incentives – testing their fuel consumption levels, energy-saving route optimizations, and fleet timely delivery speed.
Few companies mistake rewarding their truck fleet delivery speed alone, which often results in many unnecessary incidents.
Curating and rewarding them based on overall performance will result in developing their comprehensive action.
12. Family Background
Checking on the drivers’ family background will give the company a rough idea about their day-to-day situation and their pressure to do their job.
13. Test-Driven Selection
Hiring truck drivers should be based on intensive practical test-based interviews, as it will help the organization understand the skill set they have mastered. In addition, their knack to make simple decisions at the right moment will help them handle tricky situations with ease.
14. Assuring Employee Satisfaction
Satisfied employees prefer staying at one place rather than going in search of new places and offers. So make them give their best performance by making them feel loved and respected.
15. Smoking / Drinking Habits.
Check the drivers for smoking/ drinking habits, as they should not affect their work performance. Unfortunately, though, it is a common habit among long fleet drivers.
Yet, it is best to alert them about monitoring them through the dash cams in fleets. That will prevent them from making unnecessary mischief.
The organization can always follow their drivers’ performance through the Truck tracking system. So follow the above steps to employ the best drivers to your truck fleet today.
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