Welcome to Rig on Wheels’ blog journey to the Holy Trinity of Recruitment, Retention, and Development of drivers in the logistics industry. As a third-party recruiting company established in 2010 by Kameel Gaines, a recruiter who has a natural passion for recruitment and retention. This blog intends to leverage fulfilling our mission to decrease driver shortage while improving the U.S. economy.
At first glance, someone may think we are inflating the importance of our mission, but according to Statista, “In 2020, 732.3 billion U.S. dollars in revenue were [sic] generated by the U.S. freight trucking industry, down from 791.7 billion U.S. dollars in the previous year” (n.d.). Of course in the wake of the pandemic, there have been a variety of factors that contributed to goods not reaching the necessary recipients; however, “there were over 902,000 truck drivers employed in the U.S., which is less than the industry requires,” (Mazareanu 2021). Despite the large number of drivers employed in the U.S., the industry needs 80,000 more drivers (Dean 2021). Here is where Rig on Wheels Recruitment Services put our wheels to the pavement and lead the industry to recruit, retain, and develop drivers to fill the driver shortage gap. Newsflash: All of these components connect to retention!
Recruitment
Recruiters can be a third-party agency or an internal company recruiter. Each recruiter, third-party and internal, has a particular process when interacting with prospective truck drivers. Surprisingly, retention connects with the recruitment stage. Often, when the word retention is mentioned in the logistics industry, many think that it is just related to the carrier keeping a driver with its company for a period of time, but contrary to popular belief, for the recruiter, retention begins with the job advertisement. Truck drivers learn about the job opportunity through the advertisement, which stirs the interest of the truck driver, and therefore, the driver seeks to gain more background about the position. As a result of that sparked interest, the recruiter interacts with the truck driver. The recruiter ensures the driver is clear about the requirements and the intricate details possibly not outlined fully in the advertisement. At this point, the recruiter focuses on retaining the driver from the initial conversation to the application, qualifying the driver through pulling his 1st load. The internal recruiters & third-party recruiters, such as Rig on Wheels Recruitment Services, work together to support the truck drivers throughout the hiring process. Whether third-party or internal, we as recruiters have to remember we are recruiting people and not equipment. Building a rapport with the applicant assures the truck driver there is someone who has their interest in view and genuinely wants to see them secure employment.
Retention
Following the recruitment, the stage is the traditional focus of retention. After the driver secures employment with the carrier, the recruiter follows- up with the driver to gauge the driver’s experience with the position. During this stage of the process, a third-party recruiter learns more about the carrier, which will help future applicants applying to the same carrier or dedicated account. The internal recruiter should help with a 12-month on boarding process. Within this exchange, the truck driver describes driver pay and whether it is fair or unreasonably low. Additionally, the recruiter will ask if the driver is satisfied with the truck's condition, with the relationship with the dispatcher, the delivery setup, company culture, and the overall experience.
Why would a recruiter be concerned with the driver’s overall experience once placed? Because building a rapport with a driver further seals the professional relationship in a way that expresses that the recruiter will work for the truck driver until that driver reaches satisfaction. Moreover, the recruiter could provide possible solutions for issues while on the road for the driver and look for an alternative placement, resulting in the driver remaining within the industry, and decreasing driver shortage, which is a significant part of the global supply chain crisis. Rig on Wheels is invested in the industry and is actively putting in the sweat equity to transform the industry.
Development
Not only does Rig on Wheels exhibit its investment in the industry through monitoring drivers’ experiences, but presents opportunities for the driver to develop into a more vital & marketable driver. How are we involved in driver development? We are glad you asked. Rig on Wheels has created The CDL Partnering Program; the program is designed to help support and direct truck drivers to survive the challenges faced on the road, which is usually not taught during the CDL training process. Our program includes career planning, engaging in self-care, and managing finances. This is important because the average time a new driver stays in the industry before leaving is three months; our goal is to support drivers past the average threshold to 13 months to transform truck driving from just a job to a career.
Overall
Again, Rig on Wheels Recruitment Services would like to thank you for taking the time to find out about our mission and vision for truck drivers and the logistics industry. As a company, we understand that truck drivers are the backbone of the U.S. economy. To learn more about Rig on Wheels’ Consultation Services | Book Now
Applying | Driver Application
Company culture | www.rigonwheels.com
Email questions to recruiting@rigonwheels.com
To speak directly to Kameel Gaines, call 281-968-3100.
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