New Driver Hiring and Onboarding
Hiring new drivers.
Just like a Formula 1 racecar needs a driver, so does your truck. And with an average
turnover rate around 100% per quarter, you’re always going to be hiring new drivers.
You know what that means: You’ll need a standardized procedure for hiring new drivers so
that you can be confident you’ve got the best ones on the road.
Hiring process.
Every business’ hiring process will look slightly different, but there are a few items you need
to check off your list before you can formally introduce a driver to your team. Here’s an
example SOP for hiring new truck drivers:
1. Put out a job listing. This should include essential information like base
payment, driver expectations, your expectations, and any perks you offer.
2. Have applicants fill out a driver employment application. This is especially
important because you’ll need it for their Driver Qualification File — more
on that later.
3. Conduct an interview. This is when you’ll determine whether your applicant
has the qualities to be a responsible driver for your business.
4. Send their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to your insurance
company. Not all insurance companies were created equal, so you need to
make sure that your insurance company will actually add your prospective
driver to your policy.
5. Do a background check. You want qualified and safe drivers on your team,
so it’s crucial that you do a background check before moving forward
(make sure to get their signed consent before doing the background
check). That includes:
a. The FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse check.
b. License check.
c. Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check.
d. Employment verification.
6. Sign your candidate up for a pre-employment drug test. Assuming
everything is looking good for your candidate, you’ll need to enroll them in
a random drug testing program. They’ll have to do a pre-employment test
before they can start driving for you.
7. Have drivers complete a road test. Passing a road test (guidelines provided
by the FMCSA) means your driver is finally ready to get on the road.
It’s important to follow the standards set by the FMCSA — failure to do so could be seen as
non-compliance.
Driver Qualification File.
Motor carriers are required to have a qualification file for every driver they employ. It will
include documents such as their driver employment application (as mentioned above) and
their road test certificate. The FMCSA provides a checklist for everything you need to have
in your driver qualification file.
The file is made up of both documents collected at the start of your driver’s employment and
those updated annually. You should look to create a process where you collect all initial
documents as soon as your driver has completed their road test and set reminders for when
you need to update the file with annual reviews and certifications.
Onboarding new drivers.
Your new driver has passed every test, checked every box on your list, and is pumped to
get started — congratulations! But before you can set them up with a truck and send them
on their way, there’s one last thing you need to do: onboarding.
Onboarding introduces your drivers to who you are as a business and what you’re trying to
accomplish. This time sets them up for success by giving them all the information they need
to know to do their jobs confidently.
A bad onboarding means your drivers won’t be prepared for what they might encounter on
the road. And a bad onboarding comes from a lack of standardized processes that your
drivers can rely on.
According to Adam, “there are no standards for installing procedures and understanding
what that needs to look like. It ultimately impacts the driver experience. I can attribute some
of the turnover we see in the industry to that.”
So, you can build a good onboarding process by documenting the training that your drivers
need to be successful in their roles. For the best onboarding experience, you’ll want to
compile all your material in a system like Trainual — one that will be easy for your new
drivers to use while also keeping them accountable for their training.
That being said, onboarding at a small carrier is going to look a little different from what you
might expect at a typical business. That means the SOPs that you need to document are
going to be different, too.
Conducting pre-trip inspections.
Before the start of every trip, your driver should conduct a pre-trip inspection of their truck.
Not only will this help you with preventative maintenance, but it also ensures driver safety.
You can develop your own pre-trip inspection checklist, but as with everything else in the
trucking industry, the FMCSA has certain regulations for the inspection. So, check your own
list against the FMCSA’s to ensure you remain compliant.
When documenting the process for your carrier’s pre-trip inspection, your checklist should
include (but not necessarily be limited to) the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Tire pressure.
Tread depth.
Lights.
Windshield wipers.
Cabin temperature.
Emergency kit.
7. Windshield.
8. Mirrors with swivel mounts.
Note that drivers only need to log one inspection in their hours of service (HOS) each day.
The FMCSA no longer requires a pre-trip inspection report, unless drivers find a defect
during the inspection.
Using your electronic logging device (ELD).
As of 2015, electronic logging devices (ELD) are required for all commercial drivers for
accountability and road safety. Meaning, you should have an ELD in every truck you plan to
use — and teach your drivers how to use them.
While your drivers may have commercial driving experience, it’s unlikely that they’ve used
the exact same ELD that you have for your trucks. And while ELDs automatically record
data like engine hours and vehicle miles to provide your drivers’ records of duty status
(RODS), your drivers will still need to know how to operate these unique devices.
You’ll want to document processes for common ELD practices, such as editing or
annotating logs and displaying data for authorized safety officials. That way, your drivers
won’t have to resort to Google or YouTube to make their ELDs work.
What to do in case of an accident.
Accidents happen, but you don’t want to leave your driver stranded and frantic about what
needs to be done in case they’re involved in a collision.
The best way to ease their anxieties? Have the entire post-accident process documented so
they’re trained on what to do.
A post-accident process might look something like this:
1. Stop immediately and secure the vehicle.
2. Make sure everyone is safe, then contact the authorities.
3. Protect the area by placing appropriate emergency warning signs.
4. Check your cargo if it’s considered dangerous or could damage the
environment.
5. Exchange information with any involved parties. This should include your
name, company name, insurance policy information, and driver’s license.
6. Complete a preliminary accident report, making note of the conditions
surrounding the accident and taking pictures of the vehicles and scene.
7. Contact the motor carrier and insurance provider.
You’ll also want to create a process for what your responsibilities are post-accident. As the
carrier, you’ll need to access ELD documentation, retrieve and process dashcam footage,
and work with your driver in case they have to go through drug and alcohol test screenings.
Plus, you’ll have to work with your insurance provider to make sure your business is
covered.
4. Factoring submissions.
You’re not gonna get a slice of that trucking industry dough if you don’t have a system to get
paid. Having a systemized approach to your incoming payments is important for
establishing your business’ cash flow, maintaining your operations, and paying your drivers.
A disorganized system can lead to outstanding payments from your clients, which will
ultimately have a negative impact on your revenue.
While some carriers will invoice and receive payment from their clients directly, many
businesses find it more convenient to work with freight factoring companies. These
companies will take unpaid invoices from carriers and pay them upfront. That way, trucking
carriers don’t have to wait sixty or ninety days for a freight payment. Instead, they have their
working capital, and in exchange, the factoring companies take a small percentage of the
payment to deal with the process of collecting from clients.
But even with a factoring company making it simple, your business still needs a process for
submitting your invoices. An example of that process could look like this:
1. Create an invoice for the client, which should include information like the
amount owed, shipping date, shipping origin, and destination.
2. Give the invoice to the driver, who will have it signed upon delivery of the
shipment.
3. Have the driver scan the signed invoice with an app on their smartphone
and email it to a carrier admin.
4. The admin will submit the invoice, rate confirmation, and bill of lading to
their factoring company.
5. Within 24-48 hours, payment should be received from the factoring
company.
Again, this process may change depending on the resources you have available to you, as
well as the factoring company you choose to work with.
We get it — it’s a lot. But this list of processes just scratches the surface of what it takes to
run a successful carrier business. And by documenting these initial processes and putting
them together in a centralized place, you’re setting up the foundation for a strong system
that will have your business running like clockwork.
In the words of Adam Wingfield: “If you have processes and procedures in place, 100 trucks
might feel like one. But if you do not have those in place, running one truck will make you
feel like you’re running 100.” Couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
👉 Want pre-made trucking processes, policies, and procedures that you can implement in
your business? Well, you're in luck! Adam created over 15 policy, process, and procedure
templates that you can add into your trucking playbook. To get them, all you have to do
is click here to sign up for a free trial of Trainual and we'll add the templates to your
account within 24 business hours!