Today, hiring truck drivers is harder than ever, as the national truck driver shortage continues unabated. This, however, doesn’t change a fundamental truth. There are things you must know before hiring any truck driver. Here’s a look at four such facts.

Maintenance

As any truck driver will tell you, the maintenance performed is absolutely critical to the success or failure of a job. Any truck driver must be able to perform at least basic maintenance on their truck in order to keep it in good working order. As an employer, your job will be two-fold. First, what can you teach your driver in terms of how to operate their truck? Second, what systems do you have to create in order to put them in a position where they can responsibly do that?

Job Requirements

Before you even consider hiring, you have to ask yourself this key question: What are the requirements of the job? How many miles will someone have to do? What sort of expectations are there in terms of time away from home? What are your local, state or federal trucking requirements, and how will they interact with your ultimate hiring decision? What sort of background check do your drivers have to pass? These questions must be answered, as they can dramatically expand or limit the type of person you hire.

Accidents

It’s reported that the number of truck accidents is increasing. Because of this, you must be extra careful when hiring someone that they have a clean record and know what to do in the event they get into an accident. Your training materials should be very clear in steps that all drivers should take to avoid accidents. You also must make sure that drivers know what to do when the inevitable happens.

Pay

Because the truck driver shortage has been such a problem in the United States of late, salary has shot through the roof. This, of course, can have a major impact on your bottom line. While the range is truly great, truck driver salaries are one of the biggest draws of the job today. Make sure you use caution before setting rates. Do your research to determine the average pay rate throughout the country.

Hiring in an industry like trucking can truly be a challenge, given the staff shortage the industry is facing. Nonetheless, if you take your time and do the research, you can make a good hire.

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