Smaller fleets have a lot to offer truck drivers, but without the marketing and advertising budget of the big fleets, competing for driver talent might seem like a hopeless uphill battle. So here’s the good news.
By being agile and quick to respond to applications, smaller fleets can stay competitive with the big ones. They can also emphasize the perks of driving for a smaller fleet that big fleets often are unable to offer, like daily home time. To level the playing field, smaller fields should use the right software to make all the of the above fast and easy for everyone.
Here’s how smaller fleets can compete with the big guys for top talent.
A quick note: what makes a smaller fleet a"smaller fleet"?
For the purpose of this article, a “smaller fleet” is one with 50 to 300 trucks. Sure, that might sound like a lot. When you consider that some big fleets have thousands of trucks, though, it’s definitely a smaller fleet!
Additionally, smaller fleets tend to be more regional, and only offer international deliveries if they’re located close to a border.
Emphasize the benefits of small fleet culture
Attracting top talent begins with your job postings. You can do that by ensuring the perks and benefits of small fleet life catch the eye of potential drivers.
As a general rule, small fleets have a lot to offer potential drivers. They’re also often things larger fleets can’t easily replicate:
- More flexible schedules
- Better hours and home time
- Better loads
- Trucks and equipment are more likely to be assigned
- A more human approach that makes drivers feel respected
These are the perks that make driving for a smaller fleet worthwhile. Put them at the top of every one of your job posts. That way, even drivers who are casually scrolling will be likely to notice… and much more likely to send in their application.
Leverage your equipment, too
For many drivers, top-tier trucks and trailers can make the difference. Also, they can be of the opinion that with fewer trucks to monitor and maintain, smaller fleets often have better trucks.
So if your smaller fleet does indeed have top-notch equipment, make sure drivers know. Your job postings should have near the top:
- The make, model and AGE of your trucks
- Deluxe sleepers, Sirius XM radio, and other additions that make the drive even better
- The make and age of your trailers and other equipment
- If drivers are assigned their own equipment, put that in as well!
Top drivers are always looking for fleets with top-tier equipment. Make sure drivers know if they drive for you, they’ll be behind the wheel of a really good truck.
Do the same thing for your routes
One of the biggest reasons drivers love smaller fleets: routes are often shorter, regional, and have better home time. If your small fleet fits that description, make sure drivers learn about it within seconds of reading your job posts.
- Emphasize your dedicated runs. If they’re local, emphasize that as well.
- If drivers have an assigned dispatcher, make that loud and clear.
- Most importantly, if you have great home time, make sure potential drivers know it. Daily home time and weekend home time are big selling points to many drivers!
These are the perks and benefits that smaller fleets typically have, and that larger fleets aren’t always able to offer, so show them off.
An enticing job application is just the start of the process, of course. To compete with the biggest fleets, your recruitment process needs to be easy and hassle-free as well. That brings us to our next point:
Make recruiting fast and nimble
We’ll say it again: if your recruitment strategy is an agile one, you can easily compete with the big fleets. This means need to be sure your fleet can respond early (within hours) and respond often. With the right tools and software, this can easily be accomplished.
Before you make any changes, though, think of the recruiting process the way drivers experience it. After your online application portal, drivers are expecting a thank you email, a follow-up message, and next steps. They also want to find out if they’ve made it to the next round sooner than later. And after they’ve received an offer, they want all communication with you to be easy as well.
This will help you choose the right strategies to accelerate recruitment at your fleet. The right software can help you with this, plus keep track of the progress of each application so no steps are overlooked.
Whatever technology you choose, ensure it is driver-friendly. This means to look for things like digital signatures and remote files which can be submitted from anywhere. The more intuitive your recruitment system is for drivers, the better.
Keep your recruitment fast, easy, and flexible, and you’ll be able to compete with the biggest fleets with no trouble.
Optimize technology at all stages
To compete with the biggest fleets for top driver talent, you need to leverage technology at all stages. Recruitment is just the first part of the onboarding process. A confusing and disorganized orientation process means drivers are more likely to jump ship before they ever haul one load for you. And as we’re fond of saying: onboarding never truly ends!
Technology has always been a great equalizer for smaller fleets. As long as you leverage the right software during the onboarding process, you’re more likely to keep drivers from having any regrets.
Here’s a few ways the right technology can create a great onboarding experience (and beyond that, too):
- Remote orientation sessions newly hired drivers can complete from anywhere
- Digital documents and e-signatures limit unneeded trips into terminal
- Streamlined information which are enabled by the right communication system
- Keep using all of the above to keep the lines of communication open, no matter where your drivers are
The right technology also makes it easier for a small team to do a job that normally requires a much larger one (or for one person to wear many hats). It can make your onboarding smooth, easy, and on level with the big guys.
Yes, smaller fleets can absolutely compete with the big guys for top talent. They just need the right strategies and tools to be swift and agile. TruckRight has helped fleets of all sizes speed up recruitment, make onboarding a snap, and maintain a high level of compliance while they’re at it. Get in touch with us and we’ll show you what TruckRight can do for fleets like yours.