How to Hire a Truck Driver

Why hire a truck driver?

Bringing on the costs of truck rental, maintenance and logistics can impact your bottom line. However, having your own truck driver can greatly benefit your business by:

• Letting you work outside the restrictions and costs of a third-party delivery service
• Increasing the accountability of deliveries and inventory
• Adding control of your deliverable goods

Deciding between a full-time vs. freelance truck driver

Truck drivers are available in both full-time and freelance capacities. Employers may consider hiring freelance truck drivers for a variety of reasons, including one-time jobs, inconsistent work opportunities and low amounts of hours when compared to full-time workers. 

Businesses that have a frequent and regular need for truck driving services, such as delivery companies, may look into hiring full-time truck drivers. This gives the employer access to the service whenever it’s needed, and it may be cheaper than hiring freelance drivers each week. It can also reduce delivery times and ensure more accountability from the drivers.

What are the different types of truck drivers?

While there isn’t much of a hierarchy for truck drivers, there are various types of drivers. Each one drives a different type of truck, which is specialized for a number of uses. 

• Flatbed truckers: These truckers drive flatbed trucks, which can hold loads that are too wide or oddly shaped to be transported in traditional trucks. Flatbed truckers are typically paid more than the average trucker due to the difference in loading skills required. 
• Dry van truckers: Dry van truckers transport dry and nonperishable goods in single-trailer vehicles. They are commonly not required to unload their own trucks. 
• Tanker truckers: They drive trucks that are specifically designed to transport hazardous and nonhazardous liquids. 
• Freight truckers:  These drivers transport goods that aren’t moved by dry van truckers. 
• Refrigerated freight truckers: Refrigerated freight truckers drive vehicles that are kept at specific temperatures for the goods inside, such as meats and medical products. 
• Local/regional truckers: Truck drivers may be available to transport goods locally, regionally and across the country. 

Where to find truck drivers

To find the right truck driver for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Post a help wanted sign: A help wanted sign can attract the attention of passing members of the community, potentially leading to inquiries about the position.
• Reach out to the community: Communicating with the people in your city can help you find quality truck drivers looking for employment.
• Hire from within: Some of your current employees may already meet the requirements for commercial truck driving or are willing to acquire the certifications and licenses. Hiring from within the company may also be a cheaper alternative to hiring outside applicants. 
• Post your job online: Try posting your truck driver job on Indeed to find and attract quality truck driver candidates.

Skills to look for in a great truck driver

Driving a truck comes with a lot of responsibility, and determining which driver is right for your company can seem challenging. When reviewing applicants, be sure to look for: 

Hard skills:

• An up-to-date CDL and clean driving record
• Other specialty certifications, such as hazardous materials or unique steering systems
• Familiarity with logistical supply chains, especially when dealing with refrigerated inventory

Soft skills:

• Upkeep in appearance, especially if they are interacting with customers
• Strong communication skills, especially written skills to be sure they are documenting and logging hours and deliveries correctly

Writing a truck driver job description

A thoughtful description is important to finding qualified truck driver candidates who are right for your business. A truck driver job description includes a compelling summary of the role, detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your truck driver job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on truck driver jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Truck driver
• CDL driver
• Driver
• CDL
• Local truck driver
• CDL truck driver
• Delivery driver
• Class A CDL driver
• Class B driver
• Local CDL driver

Interviewing truck driver candidates

Strong candidates for truck driver positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Their familiarity with the delivery area, local traffic patterns and habits
• Basic emergency maintenance of the vehicle
• Properly securing inventory and deliverables

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of truck driver interview questions for examples (with sample answers).