Hiring highly qualified truck drivers in the USA has proven to be a challenge in the last several years. The demand for trucking services has seen a dramatic increase as e-commerce continues to boom. However, as more trucks need to be on the road, the number of available and competent drivers couldn’t keep up with the demand.
Drivers are a crucial part of any trucking business. So, the process of recruiting and hiring one should be done carefully and systematically. This is where commercial driver staffing services come in.
In this post, we’ll take a look at how using a driver staffing agency can benefit your trucking company.
1. Fast and Streamlined Hiring
Recruiting for a driver position is not always easy. You’ll have to interview candidates, check their background, and facilitate on-the-job skills testing. All of these steps need to be carefully and thoroughly done to make sure that you’re hiring nothing short of the best drivers in the area. After all, the success of your business depends largely on the reliability and performance of your drivers.
Working with a driver staffing firm means enlisting the professional recruiting skills and experience of an entire team. These companies specifically specialize in the search and recruitment of commercial truck drivers. They have existing resources that allow them to check the background of each applicant efficiently. What’s more, they may already have a pool of qualified drivers that they can deploy anytime. As a result, you can get drivers for your requirements more quickly than when you do the hiring yourself.
2. Flexible Hiring Capabilities
Driver staffing agencies don’t only function as recruitment firms. Aside from hiring new drivers for you, they can also help you fill in temporary and seasonal positions. With flexible hiring options, you can request a driver for immediate requirements, such as when your own drivers become unavailable for an already confirmed trip or when you need to fulfill a huge job. The agency can connect you with drivers they have already screened and pre-hired.
3. Outsource Driver Management
When you work with a specialized driver staffing company, you can also opt to have them handle day-to-day driver management. This way, the staffing agency can help you with everything from hiring to driver monitoring. Under such a service, the agency will take care of the drivers’ benefits and issues related to safety and compliance.
In this setup, you can focus on developing your company while still having control of your trucks. You will also dictate dispatch and routing and maintain any software that your fleet uses. Meanwhile, the agency will manage the drivers in collaboration with your company’s core team.
4. Minimized Risk
Being an employer comes with great legal responsibilities. You’ll have to take care of taxes, benefits, and insurance, among other things required by the law. You should also prepare for unexpected circumstances, such as when a driver goes on leave or resigns. When you use a staffing agency, you are freeing yourself from responsibilities and issues related to direct hiring because the agency employs the drivers.
The Key to Success is Finding the Right Commercial Driver Staffing Firm
Just like in any other business partnership, you have to choose which driver staffing agency to work with carefully. Take a look at the company’s track record to see whether they suit your needs and if their culture matches yours.