Whether you’re a seasoned trucker, or are just starting out, when you’re on the open road, there are bound to be surprises. Have you ever asked, “Why didn’t my trucking recruiter tell me that?”
Trucking recruiters are paid to get much-needed drivers to sign up with the company they represent. If you have a specific issue or question, it’s up to you to make sure you ask. What a recruiter thinks is important may or may not match what you want to know. That means an interview with a recruiter is a chance for you to ask questions too, not just the other way around.
Here are some helpful questions to ask when you interview with your trucking recruiter:
What Routes Are Best?
The answer to this will vary, different routes work best for different people based on where they are in life. If you’re looking for time with your family, a dedicated route might be best. A good question to ask your recruiter is how much experience do I need before I can take over a dedicated route with guaranteed home time? Are newbies eligible?
Another question is whether your routes are “no touch” loads or if unloading is involved? If there is unloading required? If so, is there additional pay for that?
What’s the Real Guaranteed Home Time?
Some companies, especially those with dedicated routes, offer “guaranteed home time.” But, what exactly does that mean? Ask, because different companies define the term differently. It could be weekly or more or less often depending on the route.
Pay and Benefits
Pay and benefits are two important factors in looking for trucking jobs, along with home time. So be sure to ask all the right questions when speaking with your recruiter:
What medical and dental plans are offered? How much will it cost to add your family or pay your share of the premium? Those things factor into whether it’s a job that will be good for you.
Another important question worth asking is what retirement accounts the company provides for employees. Most have a 401k, but ask how much the company matches. And how long do you have to work for them before you’re fully vested?
Make sure you understand their pay periods and methods so you can bridge any pay gap between jobs. Do they make electronic pay deposits and if so, will they cost you a fee? Other good questions are whether you’ll be paid per mile or by a flat fee. Is there any company history you can get when you might be eligible for raises?
Safety is Important
Truckers with experience on the road know safety is important. But, do you know what the company’s policy on safety is? How many miles do they usually put on a truck before they pull it from the fleet? What’s the average age of the company’s trucks? If you’re behind the wheel, the age of a vehicle matters.
It’s Your Interview, Too
Some people expect trucking recruiters to ask all the questions, but it’s really a time for you to ask about parts of the job that are most important to you. Be ready when the recruiter calls. Get a name and number so you can call back if additional questions come up.
There are plenty of other questions to ask based on the type of trucking job you’re looking for, but at CRST Dedicated Services, it’s been our experience that the topics above are among the most important.
If you have questions about our available dedicated routes, visit our jobs board to see what’s open in your area. Then, call our CRST Dedicated recruiting hotline: 866-325-2778.
