At the recent Drive Efficiency event, our founder, Jeremy Reymer, shared his vision for DriverReach and his insights into modern recruiting and compliance for today’s trucking industry. Here’s a recap of his presentation, highlighting how DriverReach is transforming the industry with forward-thinking technology and a focus on efficiency.
Roots in the Industry
With over 20 years of expertise in recruiting, retention, and compliance, Jeremy founded DriverReach in 2016 to address the inefficiencies he saw in the trucking industry. "Before DriverReach, I had a staffing company with about 500 full and part-time drivers, and all we did every day was recruit, qualify, and hire drivers," he recalled. This was during a time when trucking wasn’t the most progressive industry. Seeing a lack of effective technology solutions, Jeremy began building his own software to recruit and hire his own CDL drivers.
The Inception of DriverReach
Jeremy’s journey started with a realization: the technology options available were deficient. "I didn’t want to muddle through. I wanted to grow and scale with my drivers. If you can find the right people who can make it, then you can build almost anything you want," he said. He started creating technology for his own company and quickly realized that sharing it with the industry made sense. This led to him selling his staffing company to focus solely on DriverReach, bringing innovative, easy-to-use technology to the trucking industry for CDL driver hiring and compliance practices.
Key Takeaways
Jeremy highlighted several critical points for modern recruiting and compliance:
- Efficiency is Key: In today’s climate, driving efficiency in recruiting and compliance processes is crucial.
- Mobile Optimization: Nearly every driver has a smartphone, making mobile optimization essential for applications and communications.
- Human Interaction: Combining technology with human interaction creates a more impactful and positive experience for drivers.
- Recruiting is Sales: Recruiters must be able to sell the company to potential drivers, build trust and manage conversations effectively.
- Compliance: Ensuring compliance through technology can help reduce risks and improve safety and regulatory adherence.
Modern Recruiting and Compliance for Today
Recruitment Advertising/Marketing
Jeremy emphasized the importance of identifying and honing your brand. Attracting driver applicants involves highlighting strengths like better home time, equipment, or safety culture. On top of that, sharing your message effectively is crucial to drawing in potential drivers.
Applicant Experience
Have you ever completed your online application? How easy or cumbersome was it?
Jeremy discussed the need for a smooth and simple application process, especially on mobile devices being key. “The application process should be prominent and easy to navigate on your website, and every applicant's interaction should be treated with importance and empathy. These are critical components of a successful recruiting strategy,” Jeremy said.
Recruiting is Sales
Recruiting is, essentially, a sales process. Recruiters must be able to sell the company to potential drivers by building trust and managing conversations effectively. Here are some key points Jeremy covered:
- Human Interaction: Combining technology with human interaction creates a more impactful and positive experience for drivers.
- Empathy and Rapport: Focus on establishing a rapport with drivers. Be friendly, ask open-ended questions, and show empathy.
- Ease of Application: Make it easier for drivers to apply by sending the application link via email or text—not just simply directing them to your website. This allows them to apply quickly, increasing your chances of capturing their interest.
Jeremy also sent everyone at the event home with a copy of "Exactly What to Say - CDL Driver Recruiting Edition," which provides recruiters with the confidence and knowledge to lead conversations with driver applicants effectively. Jeremy and Phil Jones met at a conference many years ago and saw the opportunity to partner. Jeremy loves books, and what better way to bring insight into the industry than writing a book about it with Phil Jones?
Simple Recruiting and Compliance Technology
Implementing modern technology is essential to streamline the recruitment process. By leveraging Driver Relationship Systems or CRM’s and Applicant Tracking Systems, companies can manage leads efficiently and improve communication. Additionally, automating compliance documentation ensures thorough and consistent scrutiny of driver qualification files, further enhancing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the recruiting process.
VOE+: Streamlining Employment Verification
Another key feature highlighted in the presentation was Verifications of Employment. VOE+ is designed to improve the speed-to-hire process by automating previous employment verifications. Recruiters can find and verify previous employment records instantly, significantly reducing the administrative burden and time typically associated with this task. Additionally, VOE+ enables safety administrators to eliminate the manual aspects of verification, allowing them to focus on more critical safety and compliance tasks. This automation accelerates the hiring process and ensures that all necessary employment data is accurately collected and documented, further strengthening compliance efforts. During the presentation, Jason Douglass, from Stokes Trucking, added in, "You can now get a driver hired if you are waiting for the VOEs to come back in like a day and a half. It's awesome!"
As Jeremy pointed out, the growing VOE+ database translates to more instant employment verifications. But the real win lies in its automated integration with DriverReach's DQ file. Even if recruiters can't review an application immediately, VOE+ automatically kicks off the verification process, ensuring the applicant's file gets the necessary information – saving recruiters valuable time.
Compliance is Key
Before diving into the specifics of DQ compliance, Jeremy highlighted the critical issue of nuclear verdicts and the research conducted by ATRI (American Transportation Research Institute):
Nuclear Verdicts and ATRI Research:
- Jeremy expressed his appreciation for ATRI's work in the industry and his involvement in their Research Advisory Committee over the past years.
- During this time, ATRI identified the astronomic increase in nuclear verdicts and their significant impact on the trucking industry.
- In 2021, the industry saw the first settlement that exceeded a billion dollars, underscoring the importance of compliance and thorough documentation.
Compliance Focus: The DQ Checklist
One of the critical components of Jeremy’s presentation was the focus on compliance, particularly the Driver Qualification (DQ) Checklist. He shared, "It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble, it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so" - Mark Twain.
Here’s a closer look at how DriverReach simplifies compliance management:
- DQ File Checklist:
- The DQ Checklist includes clearly defined components and documents that make up a driver’s qualification file. Utilizing DriverReach’s platform helps ensure all these boxes are consistently checked with every driver.
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- This is vital not only for qualifying and hiring a driver but also for the ongoing maintenance of their DQ file throughout their tenure.
- Centralize and Automate Compliance Documentation:
- Simplify compliance management with per-application requirement breakdowns, real-time status updates, and user-friendly guidance.
- No extra effort needed to compile your DQ file; the qualification process automatically gathers the necessary documents into a digital DQ file.
- Stay on top of compliance with automated reminders sent via email and/or text to drivers with pending expirations.
- Access your records anytime, anywhere from any device connected to the internet.
Jeremy Reymer’s vision for DriverReach is clear: to help companies leverage technology to address their recruiting and compliance challenges efficiently. By focusing on modern solutions and maintaining a driver-centric approach, DriverReach aims to transform the trucking industry for the better.
As we move forward, let’s continue to embrace these innovations and make the second half of 2024 even more impactful together.
Ready to see how DriverReach can help your company achieve greater efficiency and compliance? Schedule a demo today!
Stay tuned for more updates and insights from DriverReach. Together, we can drive efficiency and excellence in the trucking industry.
About DriverReach
DriverReach is a cutting-edge recruiting and compliance management system designed for the transportation industry. By streamlining the recruiting process and simplifying compliance management, DriverReach helps companies quickly find qualified drivers while ensuring regulatory compliance, thereby improving operational efficiency and safety.
