Need Some Help 7

One of the things we try to teach people is to be careful about judging a company based on your recruiter's performance.

Big Red, check out this article about working with recruiters:

The Biggest Mistake New Drivers Make When Speaking With Recruiters

Good article, Brett. Unfortunately a lousy recruiter will put a sour taste in someone's mouth. First impressions are lasting ones. Recruiters get paid to be the first impression for the company. A failure on their part is a failure on the company's part. Just like when a driver fails to deliver in a timely manner. Thus is life.

I didn't give Western Express or U.S. Express a second thought because of bad recruiters. It is what it is.

Brett, thank you for that article it was a great read. I'm still going to go with my gut and just cancel out Knight Transportation. I might be missing out on a great opportunity, but maybe it will present itself again later on in the future. Right now it just isn't my calling. I decided to set up orientation with Werner out of Lakeland, FL. I like the company, I like the equipment. I wish they had a regional account for me that was not unloading the trailer, but all they have is the Family Dollar Account, and that's something that will drive me away from truck driving. I want to drive trucks, we all do and love it very much so. That's why I chose to go OTR. And the pay difference is really not that big. I mean for average salaries on both sides you are looking at a $3,000 difference a year. That's not enough to unload a trailer by myself. Would love to go with Schneider too, but the training pay is a little low but it could mean all the difference in the long run. I could switch divisions if I wanted and probably get a better account for regional runs. I've been in the military so I guess I can suck it up one more time to be in a hotel room with a stranger I don't know and accept that low pay which is only for just 18 days. I will be reaching out to Schneider tomorrow for further details. Just wanted to get some insight on those two companies as they are my top two companies. And wanted to see if you guys have any other companies you think I should check out. G-Town. thank you for the recommendation of Swift. I was actually working with Swift a while back and been back and forth emailing him and requesting him to call me several times. I know they pull Wal-Mart trailers all the time and that's what I was looking for. But once again no return calls or emails and simply just fell off the face of the earth. LOL so that put another sour taste in my mouth. Maybe this is a sign to not get into the business. lol just kidding. I wont stop and wont give up until I'm in that truck and running those miles like you guys and joining the million mile club along with you guys. So if you have any other suggestions let me know. I greatly appreciate it guys very much. You guys have helped attain my CDL and all endorsements, including my TWIC card. I love reading your posts about different stuff.

Big Red replied:

G-Town. thank you for the recommendation of Swift. I was actually working with Swift a while back and been back and forth emailing him and requesting him to call me several times. I know they pull Wal-Mart trailers all the time and that's what I was looking for. But once again no return calls or emails and simply just fell off the face of the earth. LOL so that put another sour taste in my mouth.

Sorry to hear that. At some point though, if a prospect doesn't complete an online application, "put some skin in the game", the recruiter will communicate up to a point and then cut their losses. They deal with hundreds of folks kicking tires. At least with Swift, filling out an application escalates the level of attention and focus they will give you.

Good luck with Werner Big Red. Sounds like it's a good fit for you.

Good article, Brett. Unfortunately a lousy recruiter will put a sour taste in someone's mouth. First impressions are lasting ones. Recruiters get paid to be the first impression for the company. A failure on their part is a failure on the company's part. Just like when a driver fails to deliver in a timely manner. Thus is life.

I didn't give Western Express or U.S. Express a second thought because of bad recruiters. It is what it is.

Well you're in great shape right now and things are working out well so no worries. But you know now that your decision to ignore those companies because of lousy recruiters makes no sense whatsoever on any level. You only hurt yourself by doing that. I mean, you wouldn't refuse to work for a company if one of their drivers hit a bridge, would you? You wouldn't refuse to work for a company if one of the people issuing permits was lazy and selfish would you? Or if one of their mechanics showed up late all the time?

So why would you refuse to work for a company if one of their recruiters didn't do a good job? What does that have to do with you driving their truck? In my 15 year career I don't recall ever once speaking to a recruiter for any company I worked for after they hired me. Once you're hired their job is done. You never need to speak with them again.

BTW, I worked for US Xpress for 6 years and they were the best company I ever worked for.

At least with Swift, filling out an application escalates the level of attention and focus they will give you.

Big Red, you have to apply to these companies if you want recruiter time. No question about it. Most recruiters will give you a call or two, or an email or two, but if at that point you're not willing to even apply for the job then they move on. They have a stack of applications in front of them they can work, and they get paid a commission to bring people on. So why would they sit and chit-chat on the phone for free with a prospect who won't even bother applying when they have thousands of applications they can work, ya know what I mean?

So apply to these companies and they'll be more willing to talk. But no one gets all the time they want to chit-chat. Life's too short and recruiters need drivers in the seats, not conversations on the phone. You're either ready to go for it, or you're not. When you're ready for them, they'll be ready for you.

I think I'm being misunderstood. I have applied to these companies. Not just have a recruiter contact me. Actually done both routes. And yes I will actually not drive for a company because of the recruiter. At the end of the day Brett we all have our own ways of handling life and and have our own beliefs. Just because you don't agree with the way someone chooses a company does not mean it's a bad way to go about things. You are just upset they are not doing it your way. I got it you have 15 years in the truck driving business and have a lot respect for veterans like yourself. But having a military background makes me a little different from civilians. If you went to a recruiter for the military and he or she didn't do a good job on selling you on that particular branch I guarantee that you will not be joining that branch. It's your life and family at stake.

Big Red wrote:

I think I'm being misunderstood. I have applied to these companies. Not just have a recruiter contact me. Actually done both routes. And yes I will actually not drive for a company because of the recruiter. At the end of the day Brett we all have our own ways of handling life and and have our own beliefs. Just because you don't agree with the way someone chooses a company does not mean it's a bad way to go about things. You are just upset they are not doing it your way. I got it you have 15 years in the truck driving business and have a lot respect for veterans like yourself. But having a military background makes me a little different from civilians. If you went to a recruiter for the military and he or she didn't do a good job on selling you on that particular branch I guarantee that you will not be joining that branch. It's your life and family at stake.

I clearly understood everything you wrote Big Red. I stand by what I wrote in reply to your post.

Many times recruiters are contractors and/or new just learning their company's process. They deal with hundreds of applicants weekly and need to focus on what they believe to be prospects who are serious and committed. Timing is a big factor. No idea what really happened...like any person in any job there are good and not so good. Brett and I shared our experience with you, we both know what works best and offers the path of least resistance for any new driver interacting with multiple prospective companies. He lived it and so did I.

There is nothing bad about what you did (he never said that), in the end you got the result you wanted, and did it your way which is what really matters anyway. Try to realize that we respond to posts with information that is relevant and best-practice to the forum as a whole, not necessarily the individual poster. So to reiterate; formally apply through a company's website and follow-up with a phone call. Might take two or three, that's just the way it is with every company; Swift, Prime, all of them...not a negative reflection at all, usually timing and where you happen to be in their queue.

Good luck, stay positive and expect there to be many challenges along the way...your attitude good or bad, will definitely affect the outcome.

And yes I will actually not drive for a company because of the recruiter.

Why? Explain the logic behind that. And your explanation will carry far more weight if you can back it up with facts and experiences that demonstrate how a lousy experience with a recruiter has led you to a lousy experience with a company. If your answer is simply, "Cuz that's how I feel about it" or "cuz the recruiter represents the company" then please don't even bother answering. It's of no value.

We're talking about how to make your way in the real world so people need real world facts and experiences. A list of feelings and perceptions without facts to back it up is of no value. I've backed my argument with all sorts of facts, personal experiences, and observations over an almost 25 year period. So let's hear yours.

At the end of the day Brett we all have our own ways of handling life and and have our own beliefs. Just because you don't agree with the way someone chooses a company does not mean it's a bad way to go about things. You are just upset they are not doing it your way

You could not be more wrong about that. I have said many, many times over the years that I will tell you what I know and you're free to do with it what you like. You're going to miss out on great opportunities with fantastic companies because you've decided that a ten minute conversation with some totally random recruiter should dictate the course of your life. I have 15 years of driving experience and 10 years of mentoring experience that tells me you're completely wrong about that, but don't think for a moment that I'll be upset in any way if you ignore my advice.

If you went to a recruiter for the military and he or she didn't do a good job on selling you on that particular branch I guarantee that you will not be joining that branch. It's your life and family at stake.

No, I guarantee that you wouldn't be joining that branch. But quite honestly most people understand the job of a recruiter. Their job is to sell you on the company, or in this case a branch of the military. But if you've done your research you should already know enough about the trucking company or that branch of the military to make that decision for yourself, on your own. Why would you require a polished and attentive recruiter to do what you want to do with your life? Or is it that you're insecure so you crave being coddled and courted? I really don't know. I can't make sense out of your approach so that's why I'm asking.

When you go to buy a car, do you only buy the car if the salesperson does a good job by your standards? Or do you buy the car you want because you've already decided that it's the right one for you? I just bought a truck recently. Santa Claus, Mary Poppins, or the devil himself could have been the salesperson working that day and I still would have bought the same truck. I don't see what the salesperson has to do with it. Once I leave with that truck I'll likely never see that salesperson the rest of my life and the experience I had with them will have no bearing whatsoever on the experience I have with my truck.

One last point which I've also made many times. Say for instance you call US Xpress. When I worked there they had a gigantic room full of dozens of recruiters in a big cubicle farm. When a call or application comes in the software routes it to a recruiter based upon their availability.

Now in a room full of dozens of people doing the same job, what are the chances that every single one of them is either great at what they do, or terrible at what they do? The chances are zero. Some are gonna be great, some rather lousy, and most in the middle.

So here comes Big Red's call..........ring, ring, ring..........the software routes you randomly to the first available recruiter on the list that is not currently on the phone....."Thanks for calling US Xpress. How can we help you?"

Ok, so did you get a great recruiter, a lousy recruiter, or one that's somewhere in the middle? Well there's no way to know, right? You just started the conversation and you had no control over how the call was routed so there's no way to know the quality of the recruiter on the other end of the phone. And yet you're going to make your decision about whether or not to work for this company based upon how that call was routed?

If you were lucky and it was routed to a great recruiter you may very well go to work for the company. If you were unlucky and it went to a lousy recruiter, or a great recruiter who is having a bad day because her child is sick or because his girlfriend broke up with him two days ago, then you're certainly not going to work for the company.

Friend, what the hell kind of sense does that make? You're basically saying you're going to choose your company based upon the luck of your call routing in the system. Hey, if that's how you want to decide your life's fate then have at it. Throw it all to chance. I certainly won't mind a bit because I'm gonna be in great shape regardless of what you do. I'm making my decision based upon their pay, benefits, equipment, home time, regions of the country I'll be running, and the type of freight I'll be hauling. I couldn't care less who my call gets routed to. I just want my application processed by whatever recruiter is available so I can get my butt in the seat of the company I chose as my top pick and get to work.

You guys are a joke. You only see your way or the highway. You have what works for you and I have what works for me. Thankbyou guys and have a nice day. I see where this is going and I'm just going to simply end it here. Wish you guys the best of luck. Don't worry I'll delete myself from this forum. All I get is bashing and no insight on other companies. You so worried about what I choose to do with my decisions with a trucking company rather than give me some insight on other companies to check out. This one didn't work out for you so check this out. You say you have some years in mentoring but that's not what I call mentoring. Come to the military and Ill show you want mentoring is all about. You my friend are coddling these rookies. Wish you the best of luck. Goodbye

Thanks Big Red! That was exactly the response I expected. Right on the nose. It contains all of the hallmarks of someone who has nothing to offer on a subject:

• You insulted us
• You answered none of my questions
• You chose to walk away instead of having a genuine discussion that digs further into the topic
• You offered no facts
• You offered no experiences
• You put forth an air of indignation at having to stoop to our level and discuss this with us, as if we're beneath you
• You played the "poor me" card by claiming we were bashing you, when we clearly were not
• You brought up the fact that you're apparently a mentor in the military which has nothing whatsoever to do with our conversation

All of the hallmarks I look for when trying to determine if someone has anything helpful to offer.

You have what works for you and I have what works for me.

You have no experience in this industry so you have nothing that works for you.

You say you have some years in mentoring

That's actually a fact, but I'm not sure you do a lot of dealing in facts so I understand your confusion when presented with one. I am, in fact, a mentor. I promise.

You my friend are coddling these rookies.

Coddling? I disagree wholeheartedly. I would ask you to give me some examples or help me understand how to do it better from your experiences but you've yet to share a single fact or experience or example so that's going nowhere. But I will say that we do indeed fully support everyone in their efforts and we do all we can to help them be successful in this incredibly stressful and demanding career. If you call that coddling then we're coddlers and I'm damn proud of it.

You've been nothing but insulting and arrogant and you've refused to have any sort of genuine conversation based on facts or experience.

So I'm too nice to people and you're an arrogant know-it-all. It's settled then. I'm fine with that.