Hiring Veterans As Truck Drivers: A New Way To Recruit

Attracting and hiring great drivers that not only know how to operate a truck safely and efficiently, but can also work well with others, handle stressful situations effectively, and even lead a team of other drivers is no small feat.

So, what if there existed a qualified group of candidates you’ve never considered before? Here’s a hint: Our country invests heavily in training military personnel and the number of veterans looking to make the transition to civilian life and employment is growing. This is the reason why so many small and large fleets are tapping into the rich set of skills, professionalism, and expertise veterans bring to the table.

Why Veterans Could Make Great Truck Drivers

Being a driver is a highly regimented, structured role that often requires one to be away from family for long stretches of time and to be in control of large, complex machinery. Knowing what we know about being in service, it would appear that veterans are somewhat familiar with this kind of environment. And, so, adapting to a truck driver lifestyle may not be as jolting for them versus someone who has never dealt with these kinds of job parameters before.

Veterans are used to ongoing training, they’re mission oriented, and they know how to troubleshoot problems and achieve objectives. Something else to note here that’s often forgotten in the hiring process, is the incumbent’s family. The family members of veterans are already used to their loved ones being away from home. The main difference and benefit we can see here, however, is that instead of being deployed overseas and being gone for months at a time, both vets and their families know that it’s only a matter of days before they’ll be home from work and back to participating in daily life.

Finding The Right Veteran Candidates

Fleets might want to consider building relationships with veteran transition programs on military bases and being open to holding virtual interviews for those candidates that are still fulfilling their last few weeks or months of service.

We encourage fleet owners and managers to also check out websites like Hire Heroes USA, which supports those transitioning from military to civilian life with a variety of services, including employment assistance. The Trucking Track Mentoring Program is also another great organization that helps veterans, transitioning service members and even their spouses find rewarding careers in the trucking industry.

Interview questions are key here so be sure to ask veteran candidates how they can demonstrate transferability between their robust skills learned in the military to being on the road operating some of your most expensive assets.

Hiring for culture fit and skill set is so important in any fleet owner’s quest to grow. With the new year upon us, consider how you can access different pools of great, potential truck driver talent that can help you succeed.

For more information about truck driver recruitment be sure to check out this blog post: Fleet Owners Turn To Data To Improve  Recruitment And Retention