Why hire box truck drivers?
There are numerous reasons why you might want to hire a box truck owner for your company. For example, if your company needs to move its office to a distant new location or you frequently deliver products to customers inside your city or geographical area. For these purposes, having your own on-call driver can be convenient and may help reduce your business’s operating costs in the long term.
Independent box truck driver owners are usually open to more personalized working contracts. This means that you might be able to negotiate more competitive rates, schedules or transport conditions. This possibility of a more affordable relationship especially applies if you can offer them repeat business. Another benefit of hiring your own independent box truck owner is the opportunity for more trust on handling delicate deliveries.
How or why you hire a driver will depend on your specific circumstances, but for the right kind of business, it can be a productive choice. Here are a few tips you can implement to improve your box truck hiring process.
1. Know the dynamics of the truck driver’s industry niche
If you’re considering hiring box truck drivers and owners, make an effort to know their labor market, average transport rates and the costs of doing business that they face. This will let you be more accurate in the rates you agree with them. Knowing a box truck driver’s working conditions and expenses may also help you create rapport while negotiating with the drivers you intend to hire. This can lead to a more productive working relationship that’s fair for both parties.
For example, drivers and owners of box trucks often have different kinds of commercial driver’s licenses. The type they have dictates which trucks they can manage and the cargo loads they’re allowed to handle. Commercial license types in the United States range from Class A CDL, Class B CDL to Class C CDL permits.
Each of these permits gives drivers different driving privileges based on gross vehicle weight and truck type. Drivers with Class A licenses tend to charge higher rates, but depending on your company, you might only need a Class C driver. By knowing which is ideal for your business, you can negotiate rates more precisely and understand why any driver you interview asks for a certain contract rate.
2. Use your knowledge to create job descriptions
By knowing the regulatory and licensing dynamics of the box truck driver industry, you can craft job descriptions that lead you to the right candidates. Specifying the kind of license, working conditions and cargo types you need from your drivers will let you filter out unqualified candidates more easily. You can also create job ads that offer competitive rates before having to negotiate with a given applicant in advance.
Applicants should be able to know exactly what the job entails without surprises. This means that your ads should briefly but carefully set out job and vehicle criteria to save both you and the driver time on interviews. If you have any special requirements for minimal working experience or experience with unique cargo types, specify these as well.
Post your job ads in employment websites, niche-specific social media platforms, online forums and professional industry magazines in your area of operation. Doing this will let you reach more candidates who might be a good fit for your company. It will also help filter out applicants who don’t follow up on the box truck driver market digitally or in print.
3. Get to know your drivers
Make sure you understand in advance what type of experience and personality you want in your candidate and look for these traits in any applicants you interview.
Box truck drivers and owners can come with many different characteristics or levels of experience, but any strong candidate you interview is likely to be an independent operator who wants to be treated fairly and with respect as a service professional, not just as a wage employee. They’re also likely to be experienced with carefully negotiating in their own interest when it comes to fair rates and contract conditions. These are usually good traits because they demonstrate working experience and professional competence.
Once your driver is working with you, keep abreast of how they’re handling deliveries, how they engage with your customers and how they work with your existing staff. Keep an eye out for signs of behavior that deviates from professional competence.
4. Create a formal working partnership
Since you’re hiring an independent box truck owner for your business needs, you should consider making a formal collaborative partnership with your driver. A large number of these professionals are likely running their own business, and some may find it convenient to be hired as contractors. This can also benefit your company because it lets you avoid the hassles of payroll regulations and the need for complicated onboarding documentation that normally applies to wage employees.
Provide competitive, fair conditions and respect your owner operator box truck partners as the professionals they are, and you will likely have a long and productive working relationship with them.
