Address CDL Driver Objections During the Recruiting Process

Regardless of how you entered into the world of driver recruiting, it probably had something to do with connecting with people. Recruiters have an exceptional talent for helping and guiding people through their career journey, which gives them a lot of responsibility and accountability to applicants.

Over the past few years, it may seem as though the sheer number of questions, objections, and concerns from drivers has increased significantly. In reality, these objections and concerns were probably always there. The modern recruiting climate has provided new resources and educational tools for applicants, which means they know exactly what they want to ask and how to ask for it. As recruiters, it’s our responsibility to provide well-rounded, informative answers without steering applicants down the wrong path.

Here are a few tips and tricks when it comes to addressing CDL driver objections during the recruiting process:

1. Be clear and concise in your answers and skip the sugar-coating.
   Recruiters are often the ‘salespeople’ of the trucking industry, and while this isn’t entirely false, there can sometimes be a negative connotation with this comparison. Never try to talk your drivers into circles with your answers, talk over them or above them, or, worst case, lie to them if they come up with a valid objection. Be clear, concise, and to the point when answering their questions – and don’t sugar coat.
   
   
2. Get the facts (and numbers!) before responding.
   There will always be questions a driver asks that you might not know the answer to off the top of your head. Get the facts instead of scrambling to come up with something that you think a driver wants to hear. Tell the driver you’ll take the question back and conduct research to form a solid answer. Your driver will appreciate the effort put into the answer, especially if you pair it with recommendations or suggestions for moving forward.
   
   
3. Understand the trends in your driver objections to help inform your recruiting methods.
   If the same objections are coming from multiple drivers, there could be a trend. Why are your drivers asking the same questions or having the same issues? Work with your larger recruiting team to identify these trends and then do something about them. Is there more information you could be sharing upfront? Do you need to update your recruiting materials or build a new driver resource? These trends can help inform your overarching recruiting methods and lead to more applicants down the road.

How are you tackling the modern driver recruiting process?

Modern CDL drivers are looking for more than just a job. They’re looking for a fulfilling career with an organization that understands their goals and treats them as a valued employee. At DriverReach, we’ve built more than just the leading modern applicant tracking and compliance management solution. 

We also have one of the most prominent thought leadership libraries (spanning blogs, webinars, and podcast episodes) with informative, educational resources on everything CDL driver recruiting. Check out our resources now if you’re looking for more ways to communicate with drivers and build excellent driver recruiting processes.

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.

Listen to Taking the Hire Road podcast, hosted by Jeremy Reymer and in collaboration with FreightWaves, for timely conversations with industry experts. For more information, or to join a live group demo, visit www.driverreach.com/livedemo