In The News
A Glimpse into the World of an Expedite Recruiter
When you're exploring opportunities in expedite trucking, whether as an owner-operator or driver, your first contact with a trucking carrier is typically with a recruiter. This person can be an invaluable resource to help you envision what to expect as an expediter, compared to conventional over-the-road trucking, so that you can determine whether it's the right path for you.
So, as you consider expediting, it might be helpful to understand how recruiters think, how they see the expedite market, what their typical day looks like, and what advice they have to give to prospective drivers.
To give you a glimpse into the world of a recruiter, ExpeditersOnline.com spoke with Scott Holcomb, recruiting director for the Premium Group, a full-service transportation and logistics company headquartered in Toledo, Ohio.
Holcomb joined Premium Group in 2010 as a recruiter, bringing a unique blend of experience as both a former straight-truck driver and trucking company operations manager.
In this interview, Holcomb shares his perspective on a wide range of topics, from industry trends, to what he looks for in candidates, to his success tips for expediters.
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EN: What are your biggest challenges when recruiting expedite drivers and owner-operators?
Holcomb: Right now, the driver pool is still very shallow. There's just not a lot of volume of drivers out there.
Then it's a matter of finding someone who is interested in expediting. It's easy when you find folks who are already expediters and looking for a job. But a lot of drivers out there have no expediting experience. They may be over-the-road drivers who want a change. So we have to help them understand what expediting is compared to what they have been doing.
EN: What exactly are the challenges unique to recruiting expediters vs. over-the-road drivers?
Holcomb: Mainly it's getting them to understand the ups and downs of [expediting].
You'll have a week where you're making really good money, then you'll have a week where you're not making really good money.
They have to realize that when we talk about potential income, it's averages we're talking about.
It never fails to amaze me that as soon as you mention a mileage or dollar amount with a driver, that number gets etched into his mind as to that's what he is going to make every week. We have to be upfront and reiterate to them that the income just isn't the same every week. While you can make very good money at expediting, it's an up and down business. So, you have to have realistic expectations going into it.
EN: With a "shallow" driver pool, retaining drivers must be a top priority. What are you doing to help minimize driver turnover?
Holcomb: A lot of it happens with that first phone call from the recruiter, helping drivers understand what's involved when they sign on with a carrier. Do you know what your first week is going to be like? What will your deductions be? And so forth.
Since, at Premium, we're not dealing with a huge volume of drivers like the bigger companies, we can usually take more time on the phone to explain things. We want to make sure, on the front end, that the people who come here really want to be here.
Once they sign on with us, we focus on their orientation, usually with a small group of about three drivers at a time. And this has allowed us to provide a lot of one-on-one attention, which really helps with keeping our turnover rate as low as possible.
EN: Specifically, what do you look for in expediter candidates?
Holcomb: At a minimum, we're looking for drivers with a reasonably clear MVR [motor vehicle record] and one year verifiable driving experience.
Work history is also important. Has this driver had six jobs in the last nine months? If so, how likely is he going to be here after 90 days? Although, I wouldn't automatically say No to someone who looks like a job hopper, I would really want to understand the reasons.
EN: How do you find prospective drivers?
Holcomb: Various methods. We've gotten good results through our advertising with ExpeditersOnline.com and other industry media and posting on different job boards. I'd say the ratio is about 50/50 between drivers who call in based on the advertising and those who reach out to us because of word of mouth.
EN: What does it take to become a successful recruiter?
Holcomb: Anticipate. Listen to who you're talking to and anticipate what they want to know (and need to know). Answer those questions even if they don't ask them. This way, you make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of expectations, which will help the relationship to be successful moving forward.
When you're working with fleet owners, you want to work closely with them to anticipate their driver needs as well. We'll ask, "Are your drivers happy?" "I see you have an empty truck here. Do you need help filling it or do you have somebody lined up?" The key to success is to treat the relationship like a partnership.
EN: What is the typical day in the life for Scott Holcomb?
Holcomb: Well, what I do is officially a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. position, although I take calls on the weekends, usually when it's a fleet owner issue.
One of my primary responsibilities is qualifying the drivers at Premium. Our other recruiters will let me know when a driver has filled out an application. Then I'm the one who works with our safety department to qualify them on their MVR, giving them a call to set up the orientation class, and so forth. I make sure they have the drug screens, physicals lined up, and all the paperwork we might need to put a lease together. So, I make sure all the clerical stuff is done in terms of what we need to get the driver in the door and on the road.
A big chunk of my day is also spent on the advertising end of things, figuring out what's working, what's not, and what we should do in the future. This is huge because so much of the marketing landscape has changed the past few years, especially with social media. So, I've been spending a lot of my time as a "marketing director" determining how to find the mix of marketing tools with print advertising, social media, and the web -- to get the word out to expediters about the opportunities at Premium.
EN: What advice do you have to give to prospective drivers and owner-operators?
Holcomb: Start by putting together a set of questions you should ask that go beyond what you can expect to get paid, such as: What kind of lanes do you run? What is your deadhead [empty load] percentage? What deductions do you take out of my compensation? What insurance do you require of me?
Also, make yourself look "presentable" as a professional truck driver. This process begins by filling out a complete application. It's frustrating when you have to follow up with a driver who did not fill out the application properly. Drivers need to realize -- and many of them don't -- that the application is a federally regulated document when they are applying to drive for a Class A or Class B position. They are required to fill in a 10-year work history with no gaps in there. They are required to list any accidents or violations. When you look at it like you're a professional truck driver looking to drive for a professional organization, fill out a complete app. It's a lot easier to get you qualified -- and get you on the road making money.
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