List Of Questions To Ask A Recruiter

Scott speaks Wisdom :

Everyone that reads this. Please do not go in to your cdl school or company expecting anything other then your cdl and or a job but even then you can't count on it cuz it all depends on how hard you work for it.....

Right on! Though there are a few "cushy" company schools I've heard of, this is correct: your tuition gets you training for your CDL and very little more than that. No catered Barbecue, very little drive/practice time in a truck. Your sole job is to learn the stuff and get ready for the CDL skills exam, A.S.A.P.

LOL Ok I had to re-read thru it all, it's just too funny not to !! Don't think anyone will forget the bad bar-b-que sauce!!

That was me with the list. Brett has a lot of information on the site as well, but I will post my list again for your pleasure. lol

Questions for Trucking Company Recruiters

Company Name:

Recruiter Name:

Phone Number:

Email:

1. Where is your orientation?

2. Is the orientation a controlled curriculum for subject matter and teaching points? Mileage? Time?

3. Do the trainers get graded by the students after completion or is there a feedback loop to make the training better? Team driving during training?

4. What is the pay during orientation and training?

5. What is the pay after training completion? List for each division please: tanker, dry van , reefer , etc. Please list if it is for ALL miles, or is a progressive (“tiered”) pay scale.

6. Any bonuses post completion? 6 months? 1 year?

7. Is there a 401k and how is it structured? Cap limits? How much does the company match?

8. During orientation are lodging and meals paid for by the company?

9. If the trainer takes home time does the newbie keep driving?

10. What electronics does your company furnish to make a more safe and efficient driver?

11. Where are the main hubs?

12. Does the company have any dedicated contracts? Divisions? Is the newbie eligible for them?

13. What medical and dental plans are offered? Details and pricing of each plan to include time with company?

14. Can you switch trainers if it doesn't work between the two of you for whatever reason?

15. Idling policy?

16. Inverter installation policy? APU in trucks?

17. Is per diem built into the pay?

18. Breakdown and layover pay? Detention pay?

19. Are they no touch or is unloading involved? Pay for unloading?

20. How many miles do they usually put on a truck before they pull it from the fleet?

21. How does the pay period work? Do they use TRANSFLO and does it cost you? Do bills have to be sent in by a certain day to get paid during a week?

22. General home-time policy and where they want the truck when you go home?

23. Slip seating or assigned trucks?

24. What speed are trucks governed at?

25. Vacation policy?

26. What miles are paid miles and what miles are not?

27. When am I working and not getting paid?

28. If weather, driver (sick) or road conditions are such that I feel it is unsafe to continue driving, will I be penalized for parking until it is safe?

29. What are the reasons I could be disciplined and or fired for?

30. What can I expect my first year earnings to be? 2nd year?

31. How many miles per week does a newbie average?

32. Is there a tuition reimbursement program? Explain how it works please.

33. How many of their recruits as a percentage remain past 90 days?

34. What is the number 1 reason new recruits quit or their biggest complaint when they're terminated?

Dry Van:

A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.

Per Diem:

Getting paid per diem means getting a portion of your salary paid to you without taxes taken out. It's technically classified as a meal and expense reimbursement.

Truck drivers and others who travel for a living get large tax deductions for meal expenses. The Government set up per diem pay as a way to reimburse some of the taxes you pay with each paycheck instead of making you wait until tax filing season.

Getting per diem pay means a driver will get a larger paycheck each week but a smaller tax return at tax time.

We have a ton of information on our wiki page on per diem pay

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Excellent thread and "side thread". I think I have a new appreciation for bbq. But seriously. Great threads. Thank you guys

Hey Daniel, I guess that these questions are going to have to be asked the hard way. Is there a way to contact the carrier directly, thereby bypassing the recruiter.

Chris Z asks?

Hey Daniel, I guess that these questions are going to have to be asked the hard way. Is there a way to contact the carrier directly, thereby bypassing the recruiter.

Not sure what the issue or concern is, but highly unlikely you can get past the recruiter. Besides what do you hope to gain by doing that?

Many of questions can be answered by thoroughly reviewing a carrier's website. You can also take a look at a list of Trucking Company Reviews compiled by Trucking Truth. Once you have a short list of candidates, reach out to the forum and/or search on archived links or threads by using the search bar in the upper left corner of the webpage. At some point you will be communicating with a recruiter. Part of the on-boarding process, unavoidable.

That is a nice list. I am going to copy them down and they will be in use tomorrow.

Hey Robert, we do have a comprehensive list of questions to ask a recruiter. You can find it here:

Questions To Ask Trucking Company Recruiters

My wife and I were just talking about this last night. Many thanks!

How did you make out?