Once you successfully recruit and sign a new driver – congratulations! The real work has just begun. While this isn’t as daunting as it sounds, onboarding new drivers is an essential task that is often overlooked by recruiting teams who direct the majority of their focus to the application and recruiting processes.
Onboarding new drivers sets the tone for the ongoing relationship between a driver and carrier, not as prospects but as employees. This stage is critical for training, setting expectations, and making your driver feel comfortable and excited about their new career.
Here are a few considerations to keep in mind during this time:
- Consideration #1: Set the tone
More often than not, carriers struggle to engage with drivers on the road, get their feedback, or share new initiatives with them regularly. The onboarding stage is where recruiting teams can set the tone for how engagement and communication will work with your drivers. Sharing engagement efforts, including social channels, forums, newsletters, and more, can give them the tools to feel connected from day one. Ensure your drivers know who to contact depending on the topic, and give them the information they need to succeed.
- Consideration #2: Train effectively
This is also when you will be training your drivers on any unique technology or processes your team uses. If you have sophisticated technology in your trucks, drivers must be able to use this while on the road confidently. Go through the employee handbook and make sure your drivers are comfortable with your corporate policies and any on-road requirements.
- Consideration #3: Ensure safety and compliance
Modern CDL driving is rife with compliance and regulations. From properly completing the Driver Qualification (DQ) file, including the Clearinghouse, drug-test, and DOT physical, your drivers require multiple compliance steps before hitting the road. One of the best uses of the onboarding time is to ensure these regulations are handled quickly and correctly to allow for a seamless experience and ongoing DQ file maintenance.
Onboarding new drivers? Start here.
As a driver transitions from recruiting to retention, the onboarding process can be full of many moving parts. Keeping things organized and reducing the risk of details falling through the cracks is critical. With DriverReach, your team can stay organized, share and access driver data internally, and ensure drives are compliant on a real-time basis.
Stay up to date on CDL trucking trends! Be sure to check out the DriverReach blog for other relevant articles and head over to our webinars page for an up-to-date list of upcoming events and on-demand recordings.
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