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The Ultimate 7-Step Plan to Recruit Truck Drivers Online

Welcome Carriers,

Truck Driver Recruiting… plenty of so-called “experts” will claim that they’re good at it, but very few have a track record of consistent success. Lucky for you, we do.

This guide is going to fill you in on what you need to know if you want to bulk up your driver recruiting savvy. It’s time to say “Hasta la vista” to money-wasting recruiting and FINALLY grow your fleet each month.

If you go to any truck show and ask 100 people what they think is the best approach for driver recruiting, you’ll probably get just as many different answers about what works best. But let’s be clear about one thing…

While driver recruiting encompasses a massive number of possibilities, to achieve massive results online you only need to master three important areas:
  • Social Media
  • Online Ads
  • Email Marketing
While this guide will give some great tips on how to take your knowledge on these topics to the next level, it’s not exactly about teaching you “skills”. This proven 7-step methodology is all about helping you maximize your results, whether it is you doing the work, or someone else.

So, before you set the recruiting world on fire, let’s first agree on some cold hard facts...

FACT #1
EFFECTIVE ONLINE ADVERTISING IS THE MOST CERTAIN WAY TO GENERATE DRIVERS.

It is no secret where your drivers are. Virtually every single one of your existing and potential drivers uses sites like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. There is not a driver you can’t reach if you know how to do it, no matter what lanes you are recruiting for. 

Of all the ways to market your position online, advertising is by far the biggest potential. If (and only if) you’ve got a position that drivers want, then you literally can scale your trucking company to any level with effective ads. It all comes down to putting the right message, in front of the right driver, at the right time.

FACT #2
SOCIAL MEDIA AND CONTENT MARKETING CAN MASSIVELY BOOST YOUR DRIVER ROSTER.

While ads give you a way to reach drivers quickly, if you’re willing to pay, social platforms give you the ability to make real connections with your drivers. Billions of people use social media around the globe, so no matter what kind of trucking you’re in, there are drivers who resonate with your company… if you know how to share your message.

The thing to remember is that you personally do not need to love any platform to utilize it for recruiting. Think like a driver, not like a recruiter. It is also worth noting that while specific platforms might change over time, social media is clearly not going anywhere. That’s why we’ll focus all our time on the most important platforms.

FACT #3
EMAIL MARKETING IS FAR FROM DEAD. (THE MONEY IS ON YOUR LIST!)

Of all the ways you can educate, build relationships, and get your drivers to come to drive for you, email marketing is arguably the ROI King. Email earns an estimated $42 for every $1 spent!

While email marketing has taken its share of criticism over the years, it is safe to say that it is alive and well. In fact, 9 out of 10 carriers rate email as strategically important to their day-to-day operations.

While most trucking companies see value in email, most also fail to get the desired results. That is why this features email marketing tips, tactics, and strategies so you can...
  • ✓ Craft better, more driver-centric emails
  • ✓ Improve your email performance stats.
  • ✓ Generate more driver conversions.
  • ✓ Grow your driver email list every month.
Finding sustainable driver recruiting success online is made a lot easier with a plan. We hope you’ll find this proven, 7-Step method useful for helping you get drivers and fill your trucks with online marketing.

Enjoy!
Richard
Founder of Fortress Fleet Solutions 


STEP 1 -REVIEW
Successes and Failures

Nobody likes to fail (ESPECIALLY Good Driver Recruiters) but it’s a necessary part of learning and getting better, especially as you begin to discover what exactly works best for your company in the four key areas, we’ll be focusing on… social media, Online Ads, Job Boards, and Email Marketing.

The truth is that most carriers have more failures than successes with recruiting (because very few have a 7-step plan like this!) If that sounds like you, remember that failure breeds success and therefore shouldn’t be viewed as a negative. It may sound cliché, but these are learning opportunities. You are truly “failing forward”. That said, to learn from failures, you must be willing to revisit them.

Here are a few questions to help you reflect…

• What platform (if any) has produced the most drivers?

• Which specific content (if any) has gotten the most engagement?

• Which specific content (if any) has gotten the least engagement?

• What type of recruiting activities give the best ROI (return on investment)?

• What type of recruiting activities have you not tried yet?

Spend some good time going through your accounts for social media, online ads, job boards, and email. Dive into these 4 areas of analytics with your team, OR you can lace up the boots and do it yourself if you’re an owner-op or on your own. Plus, most platforms are very helpful if you ask for help, so don’t be afraid to reach out.

The idea is to understand as much as possible about how drivers have engaged with your company in these 4 critical areas so you can make improvements across the board.

Looking at a list of your previous wins and failures can be both exciting and discouraging, depending on which side you’re focusing on. That’s why it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each individual outcome. You do this by starting at the end results and working your way backward until you find the disconnect or point those things veered away from your original driver recruiting plan (if you had one!)

TIP: Driver Recruiting takes a LOT of trial and error. You’ve got 2 options: go through the pain of making all the errors yourself OR hire somebody (hint hint...) who’s already made the errors and knows how to actually get drivers.

In many cases, it’s more important to focus on what causes a loss over a win. Granted, winning rarely happens by accident, but losses are never intentional. Once you reverse engineer your successes AND failures, you’ll have more insight on what to do next (or not to do next).

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you’re reading this and your trucking company has no previous experience with social media, online advertising, job boards, or email marketing, don’t worry. The reality is many carriers we speak with have little to no significant track record. You’re right where you need to be!

STEP 2 -RESEARCH
Audience and Competitors

Market research is one of those things that carriers rarely get around to. While the idea of conducting research on your competitors can sound daunting, if done right, it can actually save you a lot of time and money.

As we mentioned in the last chapter, there is a lot of trial and error involved in driver recruiting. Even professionals like us don’t get it right every time. This is exactly why real professionals spend time on research. There are plenty of other carriers in your space that are currently investing time and money into recruiting research. You can gain invaluable insight by seeing what is working and what is not.

How do you go about conducting such research?

While recruiting agencies like ours do use special tools to get more advanced insights, the good news is you can get started quickly and easily. It’s not rocket science…

1. Make a list of companies

These can be local and national carriers, both direct competitors and indirect. Google is your best friend here.

2. Find their profiles on social

Create a list of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn profiles. Make sure to find at least a few good examples.

3. Scroll through and observe

Look to see how they are recruiting on all the platforms. How often do they post, what works, etc.

4. Document as you go

When we do research, we keep track of all notable competitor profiles and posts in a simple spreadsheet.


The most important thing is to get crystal clear on the DRIVERS you want.

When you know who you’re recruiting, you can figure out why they want to drive. Having knowledge of your target drivers helps you determine how to approach your market and what triggers them to drive. Information like 
(H)ometime, 
(E)quipment, 
(L)anes 
(P)ay 

This will help you create a more effective strategy to acquire them.

This also allows you to target specific drivers rather than firing at every driver in the USA and hoping a driver responds. If you direct something at everyone, nobody is going to pay attention. Always imagine that you’re speaking to specific drivers with specific needs. YOU want to H.E.L.P. a driver. This way you can offer them the specific results they’re looking for. At Fortress Fleet Solutions, H.E.L.P. is one of our many core strategies.

FAIR WARNING:

You’ll likely find a lot more carriers doing recruiting wrong than doing recruiting right. The reality is that very few have much of a strategy. That is a good thing for you! This is why we recommend looking for a few carriers outside of your specific niche that is great at online marketing.

TIP: Use The Ultimate Online Ad “Spy Hack”
Did you know there’s a way to see all the ads other carriers are currently running on Facebook?

Simply go to any Facebook Business Page and look on the left-hand side of the screen. Scroll down a bit and find the “Page Transparency” section.

Click on “See All,” then find “Go to Ad Library” to access a live view of all the Facebook ads currently running in that page’s ad account.

This is a great way to keep a close eye on what your competitors are doing in the distance or to get some great ideas for your own ads.

As you conduct your research keep in mind that your goal isn’t just to copy what works. Your goal is to incorporate what you learn into your larger game plan. While you’re doing your research don’t only look at what your competitors are saying, but how drivers are reacting to it. Most carriers fail to connect because they fail to even recognize who they are speaking to.


STEP #3 – STRATEGIZE.
Mission and Messaging

There are two main components to creating a solid recruiting strategy: your carrier identity (your Mission) and how you communicate that Mission (your Messaging). Your Messaging is what drivers are going to receive, and your Mission is what you want them to feel. Both require a certain level of cohesiveness to create momentum and avoid confusing your drivers.

In this day and age, it can take a lot of “touches” for a driver to decide to drive for you. Now more than ever, drivers know their worth. With each message, you want your drivers to understand what you’re all about so they can effectively decide that you are a good fit for them. The moment they’re uncertain about something (or they feel that you are) is the moment they will tune out.

So how do you determine your brand’s Mission and Messaging?

Ask yourself some basic questions...

• What is the purpose of your trucking company?

• What kind of personality does your trucking company have?

• What are your core values?

• Why does your trucking company even exist?

• What is your unique driver recruiting proposition?

If you’re unable to answer those questions, you can bet that your drivers won’t be able to make the connection either. While this exercise may seem a little cliché at first, please refer back to the fact that most carriers fail to recruit. Then realize that any carrier who has not taken the time to get this type of clarity is wasting their time creating ads.

When you’re clear on the drivers you serve, why you serve them, what makes you different, etc., you’ll find it so much easier to connect with your drivers.

  • TIP: There is actually a third “M” involved in creating your recruiting strategy. This third piece is likely the most important (because it is where the recruiting happens!). When you join your free driver recruiting strategy session, we’ll share this last piece and actually help you do it!

Your Messaging and Mission should be integrated into everything you do as a carrier to maintain congruence. This helps you be clear and concise about every move you make, and not just in your recruiting. You’ll appreciate how much easier having a clear vision makes everything, and your drivers will appreciate it too.


STEP #4 – GAME PLAN 
Metrics and Planning


It should go without saying, but if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re never going to get there. At this point you’re going to identify your specific goals, and once clear, start creating your plan to get there.

The obvious goal in driver recruiting is to hire more drivers. Beyond driver numbers, there are many different metrics you could track. When deciding what to track, make sure that anything worth tracking meets the following criteria.

It is a statistic that leads to getting a driver (even if indirectly)

Tracking the statistic will be an indicator for decision.

Some of the statistics will involve engagement on various platforms, others will be the tangible business results that your recruiting activity helped you produce. Here are a few examples...


EXAMPLE SOCIAL STATS: 

  • Post reactions (likes, hearts, etc.)
  • Social media shares
  • Post reach (how many viewed)
  • Video views and/or time

EXAMPLE RESULT STATS:

  • Recruit drivers
  • Driver referrals
  • New driver applications
  • Increased recruiting inquiries

TIP: While metrics such as “likes” and “shares” are often considered to be vanity metrics, you should not completely ignore them. While the end goal here is recruiting drivers, you’re going to gain a lot of insight from what drivers engage with. Social media is more than just a popularity contest, it is the world’s biggest test market!

Having consistent statistical reports in place gives you the ability to watch incremental results, good or bad. You can do this by using tools such as Tenstreet or by using good old-fashioned spreadsheets. We recommend using both!

FAIR WARNING:

Most carriers who struggle with recruiting do not track statistics. Even if your stats start at 0 you should still regularly report them.

Once you’ve identified your key metrics, it is time to start putting together your plan! While there is a much larger methodology for this that we can discuss later, you can start by answering these simple questions...

• What are your specific goals for each metric?

• What platforms will help you to achieve your goals?

• How often should you post on each platform?

• Who will oversee producing these results?

IMPORTANT NOTE:

While you may not have the answers to all of these questions now, you will have more clarity after our 30-minute driver recruiting strategy session. 


STEP #5 – CREATE
Content and Distribute


Your content is going to be the first thing drivers see when being introduced to your trucking company, and the last thing they see before they take action on your offer. For that reason, the substance and content of your content are far more important than a “like” or a “follow”.

There are different types of content and just as many mediums where it can be distributed. To create an omni-channel presence it’s important to curate content that compliments the platform or medium that you’re delivering it on. Let’s start by taking a top-down look at some platforms used to recruit drivers.


The 3 Ps of Content Creation


PLATFORM

Here are a few sample platforms you could be using to market to drivers…This is not an exclusive list obviously. Fortress Fleet Solutions uses over 100 different platforms.

  • Facebook 
  • Craigslist
  • Facebook Messenger
  • Monster
  • WhatsApp
  • Instagram
  • GlassDoor
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • YouTube
  • Indeed 
  • Zip Recruiter
  
 
IMPORTANT NOTE:

While all major platforms have tremendous potential, that doesn’t mean you should use them all. In fact, trying to do too many things is a big reason carriers fail in recruiting. Instead, decide on 2-4 channels that best fit your company, and stick with them consistently until you get real results.

PROFILES

Each of these platforms will allow you to create a profile. Your profile will serve as your main page on the network and usually includes a profile picture, a short bio, and other information. Depending on the platform, you will not only want to spend time creating a well-designed profile, but you may want to update it regularly. You will always want to respond to driver reviews on your profiles, whether good or bad as well. 

POSTS

Each platform will allow you to post and distribute content in various ways. While some platforms are very simple, others have many features worth exploring. Even a platform like YouTube that is entirely video-based has multiple formats in which to post videos. To give you a specific example, here are just a few of the features and functionalities that are essential to success on Instagram…

Profile

Used to share your picture and a short bio. Your profile is the only place on Instagram where you can place an external list.


Stories

These are a quick-to-create shareable content format that makes Story photos and videos visible to an Instagram account’s followers for only 24 hours. Stories can be saved and arranged in the Highlights area of your Instagram profile, and they appear separately from your standard photo and video posts found in your main gallery.


When using Stories, make sure you leverage the “hidden” text, music, stickers, and GIFs to make your stories much more engaging for your audience.


Reels

This content type is essentially a string of up-to-30-second clips featuring music. Clips are made seamless using the Align feature, and speed can be adjusted for the video and audio.

Available customization tools for Reels include text, AR filters, and audio. Users also have the ability to “Remix” a Reel by combining their video content with someone else’s.


IGTVs

Instagram TV gives users the ability to post video content for up to an hour in length. Normal video posts are capped at 60 seconds, Reels and Stories can be up to 15 seconds long.


IGTV content can be placed into groups called “Series,” with multiple episodes organized inside of each Series. While regular posts use a square format, IGTV videos are full-screen and vertically oriented.


Inbox

This is your direct connection to your drivers. You can send messages, photos, and videos to your drivers, and you can also connect with your drivers with video chat. Think of your inbox as a great tool for recruiting and building relationships with your future drivers


Remember, those are just the features on Instagram! Every platform has its own unique qualities and quirks.


Regardless of the platform or post type, content always needs to be created with the end result in mind, HIRING A DRIVER! You can still create content that educates, entertains, or inspires. Regardless of the substance, it needs to be delivered in a way that the driver not only enjoys but wants to engage with.

 
TIP: To maximize results with as little effort as possible you should always repurpose your most successful posts. Always assume that drivers missed it the first time because most drivers do!

When developing your content, you should also aim to keep the same kind of congruence that we’ve been going over from the start. That said, your content can sway in different directions in order to “test the waters” a bit, so long as the foundation and mission are still intact.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Try not to be overwhelmed by the large number of platforms or features available. As they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” We’re happy to discuss which platforms you should focus on in our free 30-minute driver recruiting strategy session.

Whichever platforms you decide to utilize, approach each of them in a very logical way. Remember, your drivers will engage with the content on each platform differently. Always tailor your content accordingly.


STEP #6 – ENGAGE
Drivers and Recruit


Now that you’ve created and distributed the content, your job is done, right? Wrong. At least not if you want to turn your work into rolling drivers. You’ve got to go the extra mile to get drivers to engage your content to get them to hop in your truck.

How do you get drivers to engage? Well, it obviously starts with great content. Humans are visual creatures, and when you create images and videos that grab attention, it will help get the conversation going. Once someone shows an interest or leaves a comment that is just the beginning. Making the connection between content and recruitment is where most carriers fall short.

Remember that drivers online are people. Like you, they long for meaningful exchanges and relationships. They don’t like to feel like they are being marketed to or sold. Even when walking into a car lot looking for a new car to purchase, we still get the feeling of dread when the salesman approaches us.

Ask yourself...

  • How can you HELP them?
  • What can you do to make them feel special?
  • Why will they want to come to drive for you?

People love watching things that are entertaining and helpful, and when this is achieved, they don’t mind being offered something that will help improve the experience of the content they're absorbing. For example, if you created content that shows someone how to properly clean their carpet using a new technique, don’t be afraid to mention where to get the carpet cleaning tool at the end of the video. When it does come time to recruit someone to your positions, you should think along the lines of a suggestion rather than trying to be another recruiter.


Remember that it can take multiple posts and ads to recruit a driver, but only one post to turn them away. While this might seem daunting, you can find comfort in knowing that once you do have highly happy drivers, they will in turn help you get more. Value every driver interaction and it’s only a matter of time until you grow.


TIP: Never create your posts for everyone, or nobody will pay attention. Instead write for a specific audience, or even better, for a specific driver. Developing driver “personas” is a great exercise we highly recommend.


STEP #7 – OPTIMIZE.
Performance and Data


The final step is to track your metrics and make the right data-backed changes along the way. Optimization is what keeps your fleet growing. Some things will break, and others will need to be revised as you walk the path toward building a happy fleet of drivers.

Don’t forget that even the areas that seem to be working fine should still be improved upon. In fact, you should spend most of your time perfecting what works. Most carriers think the opposite, and as a result, rarely make significant progress. Let iteration be one of the main driving forces behind your recruiting success.

TIP: Recruiting is less about creativity than most people think. When you look at the numbers, both yours and your competitors, you will have much more clarity about what works. Let others do the experimenting while you hit the target!


Constantly refer to statistics and insights. If something isn’t working, stop it immediately. If something is working, replicate it and make it better. That’s what optimization is all about. To optimize your processes, you’re going to make small trackable changes and see how they perform against what you currently have in place.

This is what split testing is all about. The trick is to make small changes so that you know the change in driver numbers is coming from one variation or the other. Then once you find the more successful variant, you apply it as the default method and move to a new split test on a different process.

It all comes down to improving anything you can over time by tracking the data and making continual adjustments. Track, optimize, rinse, and repeat.
 
CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS


Regardless of what type of drivers you recruit, your drivers are online. The fact that you’ve read this far shows you’re ready to tap into this massive source of drivers.

While the potential is limitless, as you’ve learned in this free report, driver recruiting success doesn’t happen by accident. Truck driver recruiting done right requires planning, hard work, and persistence. This is why most carriers fail to get recruiting success. It is also why those that do succeed, fill trucks and scale.

That’s why our 7-Step Plan to Recruit Drivers Online is so unbelievably valuable. It is literally the difference between success and failure. When implemented correctly, the 7 steps help you connect with your drivers and convert them to your payroll with CONSISTENCY.

As you can see above, steps 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the process are everything we do before producing any content. These are the steps that most carriers skip, and a big part of why we’re so good at what we do. Without steps 1 through 4, the rest of the activity becomes a total waste of time (as you may have already experienced!).


Step 5 is where the day-to-day work begins. In fact, producing and distributing content (step 5) is where most carriers start and stop with their recruiting efforts. We know that creating content is useless without driver conversion. That’s our specialty.

Where do you go from here?

If after reading this report you decide to manage your own driver recruiting, we hope you’ve gotten a lot of value from this free report! While we’ve barely scratched the surface, having a clear method will help save you from the pain and agony of driver recruiting failure.

On the other hand, if you find yourself thinking, “These guys know what they’re talking about” or “This sounds like more work than I want to do,” then we can’t wait to speak with you!

When you join us on your free 30-minute driver recruiting strategy session, we’ll cover each of these steps in more detail. We’ll also start creating your strategy and plan, regardless of whether we work together or not.

Either way, you’re guaranteed to get a ton of value from our time together. Talk to you soon!

Fortress Fleet Solutions is a national truck driver recruiting agency that leverages digital marketing to achieve astounding results for hundreds of carriers across North America. 

Fortress Fleet Solutions 2024. All rights reserved.

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