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Hiring Truck Drivers: Top 3 Strategies from a Pro
Jun 17, 2021

Looking for how to hire truck drivers? The perfect recruitment strategy doesn’t exist. Instead, each company should mix and match hiring strategies until they find the right fit for them. For some, a staffing agency might be necessary. For others, their in-house team is equipped with the time and skills necessary to find CDL drivers. Here are a couple of avenues to keep in mind to get you started.

Have a Digital Presence

Hiring of all kinds in the modern age requires a robust digital presence, and learning how to hire truck drivers is no different. Your recruitment strategy should include a few basic components, including:

Posting to a job board

Go digital with your job post by adding your open position to free and paid job boards available on the internet. This is where your potential recruits will be looking, so this is how to hire truck drivers, too.

A social media presence

Post your job ads to your social media accounts. This allows your followers to spread the word about your job opening. Better yet? It’s free!

Paid social media campaigns

You can also go one step further and invest in pay-per-click ads. Google AdWords can get pricey, though it is an option. Alternatively, you can pay to sponsor your post on social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn.

Work with a Staffing Company

Plenty of staffing companies focus on the transportation industry, which means they have a roster of qualified, licensed professionals looking for a role at your company. Particularly if your company has a small HR department (or no HR department at all), a staffing agency might be the best fit for your recruitment efforts. If you decide to work with a staffing firm, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

Be specific about your qualifications

Outsourcing your recruitment efforts doesn’t mean you don’t get a say in who you hire. Write a careful, detailed job description so that you attract the right recruits.

Be part of the interview process

Once the staffing agency sends you possible drivers, it’s still your responsibility to vet them thoroughly. You’re looking for skilled drivers who will stick around, so keep that in mind while interviewing. Don’t just hire to fill the role; hire to find a lasting employee.

Don’t Skip the Background Check

Background checks are a required part of hiring truck drivers because the DOT mandates them for the trucking and transportation industry (link to “Your Guide to DOT Background Check Requirements for Drivers”). But the background screening process benefits you beyond compliance, too. Investing the time and money into an experienced, comprehensive, compliant background screening partner will allow you to hire the best possible fit for your position. And in some cases, the right screening partner will help you expand your talent pool. Read on to find out how.

An MVR

The required motor vehicle report will alert you to a history of unsafe driving, including DUIs and suspended license infractions. If a driver continues this behavior while working for you, you risk insurance liability, pricey repairs, and troublesome—if not fatal—accidents.

Pre-employment and random drug and alcohol testing

Much like the MVR, your drug and alcohol testing (both prior to hire and randomly during employment) ensures that your new employee is fit for the road. 

Employment verification

The DOT requires an expanded employment verification that vets out a history of unsafe driving practices. An employment history verification in general, though, also ensures that your driver is being truthful about their skills and experience. If you’re hiring someone with a decade of experience in cross-country driving, you want to be sure that’s what you’re actually getting.

In addition to these mandated requirements, though, a background check can also include services like continuous criminal monitoring or driver monitoring. Driver monitoring ensures your new hire remains a safe fit for the duration of employment, and many employers are using continuous criminal monitoring (a 24/7 scan for new arrests) to extend employment opportunities to people with existing convictions that don’t impact their current position.


One last thing: don’t overlook women! Learn How to Attract & Retain Women Truck Drivers to Your Business (link to “How to Attract & Retain Women Truck Drivers to Your Business”). Looking to expand your trucking business and bring on more people? Let Gold Star get you on the right path. Our consultative services might be just the thing you need to get started.

Your Guide to the Amazon Delivery Service Partner Program

17 Jun, 2021
It’s impossible to think of the trucking industry without considering Amazon. In 2019, the company delivered 4.5 billion packages in the United States . Their Amazon Delivery Service Partner Program enables anyone with some startup capital the opportunity to get involved in their massively successful business venture. There are pros and cons to becoming an Amazon DSP, but the steady stream of work is certainly eye-catching to start-up trucking companies. Amazon lays out some of the most important information , but let’s take a look at some frequently asked questions.

Your Guide to DOT Background Check Requirements for Drivers

17 Jun, 2021
A thorough, compliant background screening program for your drivers should be the backbone of your hiring strategy. Background checks ensure that your new drivers have all of the qualifications necessary to do the job well and to best represent your company out on the road. Background checks also, of course, weed out any drivers with disqualifying criminal histories, a history of driving violations, and substance abuse problems. That’s why they should be a standard part of your fleet safety program anyway (link to “Fleet Safety Program: 4 Important Things to Remember”). In our regulated industry, a DOT background check is required. Here’s how DOT background check requirements differ from standard employment screening.

Will Truck Driving Be Automated?

17 Jun, 2021
It’s the question on the minds of truck drivers, owners, and delivery companies everywhere: will truck driving be automated? Automated trucks have been a conversation point for years now, with many worrying that technology advances will put millions of people out of work. Despite these concerns, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 5% growth for trucking employment in the coming years. While other industries struggle to adapt to new technology, the trucking industry is greatly benefiting from it. There are a range of opinions when it comes to this question, though most truck drivers seem confident that their jobs can’t (or at least won’t) be done by machines any time soon. Before getting into the trucking industry, it’s important that you take a look at the landscape and make an educated decision about it—but remember there will always be a need to move goods from one place to another, and the explosion in online ordering suggests that need is only going to expand. Let’s take a look at the current state of automated trucks as we dive into the question: will truck driving be automated?

What Is Carbon Neutral Shipping & How Do Companies Become Carbon Neutral?

17 Jun, 2021
Trucking and logistics is no longer just about getting materials from point A to point B. Much like consumers want to buy their products from socially responsible corporations or boycott businesses that don’t align with their beliefs, many companies want to work with trucking companies that prove they care about the environment. Whether due to their personal beliefs, to the corporate responsibility goals they’re mandated to meet, or to a desire to please their own customer base, you’re serving clients who will ask about your carbon neutral shipping practices sooner rather than later. Now is the time to start taking this topic seriously. Do you find yourself asking “what is carbon neutral shipping anyway?” Are you wondering why carbon neutral shipping might be a benefit? Curious to know how companies become carbon neutral? Keep reading to discover the answers to all of your questions about this climate-responsible approach to business.

What Do I Need to Start a Trucking Company?

17 Jun, 2021
The trucking industry landscape is largely made up of small businesses—with over 90% of companies operating fewer than seven trucks—so there is room for you if you’re considering starting a small trucking business. Whether you’re a professional truck driver already or you’re just a prospective business owner looking to cash in on the projected growth in the industry, you can get on the road toward a successful business with our help. What do you need to start your own trucking business? Just a little bit of insight from Gold Star’s experts.

The Facts & Figures: How Much Does it Cost to Start a Trucking Company?

17 Jun, 2021
Are you ready to work for yourself? Find yourself wondering how much does it cost to start a trucking company? Some estimates anticipate between $10,000 and $20,000 to get started with a small trucking company, assuming you don’t have to factor in the average cost of a semi truck. What goes into the cost of starting a logistics company? Let’s take a look.
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