If you are applying for a management position, you’ll carefully construct your resume and send it in. Your goal is to get noticed and get scheduled for an interview.
Depending on the position applied for, your first interview might be by phone. There may be one or more in-person interviews after that. Both you and the hiring decision makers will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn about each other before either side commits.
It’s different with truck driving.
How should you start the process?
Some drivers send resumes, but what a prospective employer really wants to see is the application.
Some start the process with a “mini-app” or “contact form,” but all of them eventually get to a full application. Much of what is recorded there is specified in the federal regulations, such as your residence address for at least three years, and all DOT-regulated jobs you’ve had for the past decade.
Often, however, the driver and recruiter communicate before the application is submitted. When that happens, recruiters have a set list of questions they’re required to ask. You should have a list, too. Too many applicants ask about pay, frequency of home time and often about the equipment they’ll be driving.
All too frequently, they leave after learning something in orientation that they don’t like and it’s often something they could have asked in the very first conversation.
With truck driving, the “interview” is in your conversations with your recruiter, even if they were conducted by message or email. It’s also in orientation, when you’ll be interacting with whoever works with new drivers. That interaction, however, is a two-way street. While the carrier is learning about you, you’re learning about the carrier.
Surprises can occur, but it’s best to have your questions answered before you invest the time to travel to orientation and spend time in the process.
Make your list of questions, check it twice
Before you call or submit an application, take the time to make a list of the things that are really important to you.
Here are some things to ask.
• Equipment. What brand(s) of truck does the carrier use? What’s the average age? How is it maintained, at a company maintenance facility or at vendors out on the road? What maintenance is the driver responsible for? Are the trucks speed-limited and, if so, at what speed? If you have a preference for engine size or transmission type, now is the time to ask. The same goes for sleeper berths. Some drivers need more room to stand up, others need lots of storage space and some want a bed large enough for themselves and a spouse. If it’s important, ask about it.
• Cameras. Are the trucks equipped with dash cameras? Is there a driver-facing camera? Whose is the recorded video, and when? How is your right to privacy protected?
• Time at home. How often can you expect to get home, and how much time will you spend there? If weekends are important, listen carefully to the answers. Drivers often assume “weekend” means all day Saturday and Sunday, but that isn’t always the case. Often, they make a delivery on Friday and then pick up another load to deliver on Monday before heading to the house. They may get home late on Friday, or maybe not until Saturday afternoon, and then leave on Sunday afternoon or evening for a Monday morning delivery.
• Pay. Some carriers advertise their exact pay scale. Others estimate the equivalent of their per-mile rate plus the value of any benefits offered. Some pay less, or not at all, for deadhead miles or other non-productive miles, such as when you go home without a load. Some carriers pay different amounts depending on the distance the load travels or the area driven in. Get the details. How long after delivery can you expect to be paid? Are there any fees for trailer rental, installation or use of communications equipment or other charges?
• Assessorial pay. What non-driving activities are compensated? If you are detained, how long before hourly pay starts and how much is it? What are you required to do, such as get signatures, send satellite messages, and so on? What are the conditions for layover pay, and is payment denied if you get a 34-hour restart? Does the carrier offer breakdown pay or pay for inclement weather? What about freight handling? Will you be required to unload? If so, what will you be paid? How are lumpers handled? Under what conditions are motel rooms compensated?
• Pay advances. How much are you allowed to draw from your pay each week? Is there a service charge? If you need more, what’s the process?
• Running area. Where are customers located? What areas will you run? Be sure to ask about areas you don’t like running.
• Fuel network. Which truck stop chains are in the network used by the carrier? Can you choose where to fuel or are fuel stops assigned at dispatch? Will you be required to pump a partial tank and then stop again to fill up later at a cheaper location? If assigned fuel stops don’t have available showers, will you be compensated if you pay for one elsewhere? What’s the process if you need oil, anti-freeze or windshield solvent while on the road?
• Routing. Does the carrier assign your route and are you allowed to deviate from it? What is the process if weather conditions, traffic or construction makes another route more desirable? Does the carrier pay for toll roads or route drivers to avoid them?
• Passengers and pets. What’s the carrier policy? Is there an additional charge for insurance or cleaning? Is there a pet size limit? Are certain breeds prohibited? Do you need to obtain permission each time?
Job satisfaction is important to everyone. You can improve the chances of satisfaction at your new job by seeking answers that are important to you. Remember that your spouse or others involved in your life might have questions, too. If it’s important to you, make sure you ask about it before you get to orientation.
Cliff Abbott is an experienced commercial vehicle driver and owner-operator who still holds a CDL in his home state of Alabama. In nearly 40 years in trucking, he’s been an instructor and trainer and has managed safety and recruiting operations for several carriers. Having never lost his love of the road, Cliff has written a book and hundreds of songs and has been writing for The Trucker for more than a decade.
