The Complete Guide To A Career In Trucking
How should I deal with company recruiters?
Your initial point-of-contact with any trucking company will be with their recruiters.
The recruiters job is to convince you to choose that company, and handle the initial paperwork and groundwork involved.
Recruiters will play an instrumental part in your choice of company, and there are plenty of questions that you should ask them before deciding.
What do company recruiters actually do?
The recruiter is a salesperson, who's job is to sell you on the idea of working for the company. Their job is to get you in the door, and is usually commission-based.
Article - The Biggest Mistake New Drivers Make When Speaking With Recruiters
First of all you have to understand that the primary job of a recruiter in the trucking industry is to "sell you" on their school or company, exactly the same way any salesperson sells a product or service for their company.
Forum - Had a chat with a recruiter yesterday!
The drivers lounge was way too loud. When all of a sudden one of the recruiters came up to me and asked me a question. He asked me "what speed are the trucks governed at?" I told him "57". Then he quickly ran back to his phone to assist the applicant.
Contacting Trucking Company Recruiters:
Generally, your method of contact for recruiters, at least at first, will be over the phone. Most communication will probably then be handled by email. Recruiters are usually extremely busy, and can be extremely hard to get a hold of. Don't get discouraged if the recruiter(s) at the company you're talking to aren't immediately responsive to your calls or emails.
When I applied for Prime it took my recruiter a month to respond to everything. Go after what you want. You call them. Yes they are busy. Some companies more than others. My biggest turn off when I called a company was stupid recruiters. If you cant answer simple questions and don't know about the company your trying to sell me thats just a no go for me.
Forum - How long to get a call from recruiter
Be persistent - check with them once a day, but do it first thing in the morning. You are more likely to get through at that time of day.
What questions should I ask company recruiters?
Wiki - Questions To Ask Trucking Company Recruiters
It is generally considered good practice for drivers to get trucking company information (recruiter promises) in writing, whenever possible. A recruiter's job usually ends when they get you signed up, and normally will not have any further contact with the driver.
Forum - List of Questions to ask a Recruiter
Please don't cross companies off your list because they don't give you responses to these questions in writing or verbally. It is just a list to help you gather information. Recruiters are busy just like everyone else. I think the biggest reason they won't respond with an email with answers is because they are busy and it takes extra time.
Do I need to get a recruiters promises in writing?
If possible, you should ALWAYS get things in writing, especially promises.
Article - Choosing A Truck Driving Job Part VIII: Talking With The Right People
A recruiter's job at any trucking company is to get you in the door, period. Once you've gotten hired at a company their job is done. Some of them will lie their brains out if it gets them paid...like a used car salesman.
Forum - Question about communicating with recruiters
To be honest with you it is pretty hard to get a recruiter to give you anything in writing. Some times you can, and it is great to ask them for it. But if you are talking about home time, then things can happen very easily to mess that up. So you have to be a little flexible in this job. By the way, an e-mail is just as good as having it on paper.
Will my recruiter be any help to me after he signs me up with the company?
Generally, no. The recruiter's job is to get the new drivers to sign up and get them in the door. After that, you generally will never hear from them again.
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