Chapter 4
Creating the right image

Do you care about the image your company projects to prospective drivers? Do you even know what your image is?

One of the first steps toward getting the average new driver to stay an additional 30 days is to manage carefully the image you project to prospective drivers and recent hires.

Your company’s image has a lot to do with the type of drivers you attract. Project an image that you are just another trucking company, and you will attract run-of-the-mill drivers. Create an image that you are something special, and your odds of attracting special drivers go up. A core belief of carriers that have low turnover is that the quality of drivers they attract mirrors the quality of their company.

It takes a long time to build an image. Your past reputation among drivers is a legacy that will be with you for quite some time. If you have trucks to fill, you don’t have time to wait for a new image to develop.

As the previous chapter demonstrated, most carriers must hire three to eight times the number of drivers they need. While a carrier is retooling its image to attract new drivers, it must at the same time make newly-hired drivers feel as if they have joined a special company. That way when newly-hired drivers hit that first bump in the road, they will give the carrier the benefit of the doubt rather than look for a new job. Every additional week the average new driver stays takes pressure off recruiting.

In addition, a carrier must view every driver who leaves as a walking testimonial about their company. Some truckload carriers maintain their image so well that even their former drivers speak well of them.

How do you get that kind of image with drivers? People form impressions about a company every time they come directly or indirectly in contact with it. Think of a new restaurant opening in your area. Before you give the restaurant a try, you will have formed a pretty strong opinion about it based on driving by and looking at the building, its logo and name, advertising, word of mouth, and how you are treated if you call for reservations. If your opinion of the restaurant is high coming in the door and you have a bad experience, you may still give the restaurant another chance. On the other hand, if you have a low opinion, any bad experience simply confirms that judgment.

It’s no different with prospective drivers. They go through a series of direct and indirect contacts – or face-offs – with a carrier prior to hiring on. Most carriers are not aware of the image they project to drivers during these face-offs. If the image they project is positive, there’s a better chance prospective drivers will want to give the carrier a try.

Following are several face-offs most carriers have with drivers during the recruiting process, including suggestions for improvement. They take a new driver from when he or she becomes interested in applying for a job right up to the point of attending an orientation class.

With some of these face-offs it will take time to change the impression you make. Others can be improved immediately. This list is not exhaustive, but it is a good place to start improving your company’s image.

Quality of equipment
Most drivers form an impression of a company by the type of equipment it operates. Discuss a company with a driver, and he will usually mention the equipment the company operates first. Many companies recognize that to compete successfully for drivers, they must offer the best possible tractor. It is not an accident that cabovers – a staple of the industry a few years ago – have all but vanished from the scene.

From the driver’s perspective, carriers can be divided into two camps, those with fleet trucks and those with owner-operator spec’ed trucks. Fleet trucks get categorized as plain-looking tractors with underpowered engines. Tractors with owner-operator specs have a lot of chrome and high horsepower.

There is no question that owner-operator spec’ed tractors attract drivers. If you are serious about winning the battle to keep your trucks full, spec your tractors so that drivers will find them desirable. Before ordering new tractors, ask your senior drivers what they would like to drive. If you do, be sure to make changes in specs where possible to accommodate their views.

Some carriers even allow their senior drivers to customize their tractors in terms of color and a few other amenities. Just like owner-operators, company drivers want their own special look. Paint is a low-cost retention tool.

Upgrading equipment may seem as if it will vastly increase costs. But most carriers find that improving their specs increases resale value to the point where there isn’t much of a cost difference. And that is before you consider that offering better equipment may make it easier to get drivers, which will lower your recruiting costs.

Obviously, you can’t change the composition of your fleet overnight. Yet you want your tractors to be noticeable by potential drivers. One way is to put a peel-off stencil on the side of the tractors. For example:

To boost retention, some fleets put these stickers on tractors after a driver has completed three months. After all, your goal is to help that driver become attached to his tractor. This little customization helps create a buzz at the truck stops, making your drivers feel as if they have made the right decision by joining your company.

Company logo
Changing your equipment takes time. One thing you can do right away is upgrade the look of your company’s hats, shirts and jackets. Hiring a designer to develop a logo for use on your equipment, apparel and documents doesn’t cost much. And it can help tremendously in your recruiting efforts.

When your drivers walk into restaurants at truck stops, you want prospective drivers to see themselves in those drivers’ shoes. While a great-looking tractor is your best advertising, sharp-looking clothing is a close second. And introducing a new look is another step you can take to keep your senior drivers interested in staying with your company.

Current driver buzz
The next face-off a prospective driver has with your company occurs when he talks with and observes your current drivers.
Savvy drivers will take time to check a company out with several current drivers before they pick up the phone to apply. While a driver may still come on board even after hearing a negative comment from a current driver, that comment will stay with him, causing him to look for signs that it was true.

You need to monitor what is said about your company on the road. Your senior drivers may be willing to tell you what is being said. Otherwise you and other managers need to get out on the road and find out for yourselves.

Many carriers believe they have little or no control over what is being said. As we discussed with senior driver turnover, the key is to give drivers something positive to talk about. For example, one carrier put a theater-style popcorn machine in the driver lounge and let the drivers make popcorn for free. After that, in most orientation classes, at least one new driver would ask about the popcorn machine. Word gets around.

Internet website
More than 40 percent of all drivers access the Internet on a regular basis. That means company websites are another point of contact with prospective drivers. Good sites not only provide information, but they also give drivers insight as to what it is like to drive for that carrier. For example, posting the company’s newsletter or a question and answer session with the company’s president provides good information to prospective and current drivers.

A website is a great way to supplement a limited recruiting staff. In some cases, company websites can take the place of a slick printed brochure, which many drivers may view as a little too slick. A small carrier can put up a great website at a fraction of the cost of designing, printing and mailing brochures.

Regardless of the site’s design, the greatest sin is not keeping the information up-to-date. For some reason, many carriers assume that once a website is up, it will maintain itself. Not keeping the site current means its content may conflict with what the recruiter says and any printed materials. When this occurs, the underlying message to drivers is that your company lacks attention to detail. This is not a message you want to send.

Make sure drivers can find your website by registering it with the different search engines. When prospective drivers call in and wait to talk to a recruiter, make sure that the recording refers them to the website. Finally, put a decal on your equipment that lists your URL.

Accessibility to key people
How easy is it for a prospective driver to get access to a recruiter? This is an important face-off because the greatest frustration most drivers have is getting through to dispatch or resolving a problem while out on the road. If a driver is put on hold for 10 minutes the first time he calls your company, he will remember all the past times he has been left on hold waiting to talk to a dispatcher. That is a terrible first impression.

In recent years, the agony of waiting endlessly on the phone has been replaced by the frustration of voice mail. A carrier spends thousands of dollars on advertising to get drivers to call. Doesn’t it make sense to have a live person thank the driver for calling and see if he or she can help?

Consider training as many people as possible in the office to take drivers’ calls when the recruiter is unavailable. Helping a prospective driver may be as simple as mailing out an application package, or giving him a good time to call back. Talking to a machine tells the driver that this company is not people-oriented.

If you must place drivers on hold, think about how to use this time productively. Instead of mindless music, play a recording of one of your senior drivers telling why he likes driving for you. Or play a recording of someone answering frequently asked questions about your company. Such techniques send a message that you respect the driver’s time.

One reason recruiters are often overextended is that they don’t qualify prospective drivers right away. Train recruiters to recognize quickly who meets your standards and to shorten calls from drivers who don’t. This increases the odds that the recruiter is available when a quality driver calls in.

When a good driver calls in, make sure your recuiter never cuts the phone call short even at the expense of missing other calls. Good drivers are in such short supply that the odds are against one of the incoming calls being from another quality driver.

Recruiters’ knowledge
Getting drivers to call your company to inquire about a job will cost you about $600 per hire in advertising. Once a driver calls, it is important that the person taking the call knows what he is talking about.

Most carriers have their recruiters focus on the company’s pay and benefit package. While pay is important, drivers will have many other questions. If a recruiter doesn’t know the answer to these questions, he is left with one of three replies:

• I don’t know the answer
• I will have to get back to you
• I am unsure, but my guess is…

If you were buying a product and the person on the phone couldn’t do any better than this, would you do business with this company? Probably not. And neither will prospective drivers. Below is a list of what your recruiters need to know about your company in order to be able to recruit the best drivers.

The list includes many items a recruiter must discuss intelligently. Start keeping a list of the questions drivers ask with the correct reply. When a new question comes up, add it to the list.

In addition to using this list of questions and answers on your website and as a phone recording, consider sending a printed version to prospective drivers’ homes.

Application package
The application package is the information you send to a prospective driver’s home. Many carriers treat this as an afterthought. However, using poorly designed materials creates an impression that you don’t have your act together. This is a mistake.

Use the materials you send to a driver’s home as an opportunity to differentiate your company from its competitors. These materials don’t have to include slick, expensive brochures. They just need to be well-designed, informative and easy to read.

Include these items in your application package:

• Personalized, signed letter thanking the applicant for his interest in your company.
• Job application.
• Description of the company’s pay and benefits package.

Some carriers have never taken the time to spell out their pay and benefit package in detail. Preparing such a document not only makes your operation look more professional in prospective drivers’ eyes, but it also educates the entire organization. This ensures that everyone who comes into contact with a driver is on the same page, minimizing the chance of drivers receiving conflicting information.

Home-front package
The way your company treats a prospective driver’s spouse makes a big impression. But how can you establish a positive relationship with the home front?

As discussed earlier, one way is to send the spouse a list of answers to questions frequently asked by spouses or other family members. You also could have someone contact the driver’s family to answer any questions. Too often, a prospective driver focuses on the job parameters and the pay. He fails to get details about his new employer’s health plan or other benefits that affect the entire family. Anything you can do to help the non-driving spouse feel good about your organization will help set your company apart from its competitors.

A spouse can be your greatest ally or your worst critic. Which do you prefer?

Transportation to orientation
If you were hiring a manager for your company from out of state, wouldn’t you arrange an airline ticket and have someone to greet him or her at the airport?

Most carriers have drivers from out of state travel by bus instead of airplane. There is nothing wrong with using the bus. But too many carriers expect drivers to find their own way from the bus stop to their lodging.

Welcome the driver the minute he steps off the bus. Some carriers have someone meet the bus to collect new drivers and take them to the hotel. Others arrange for a taxi to wait at the stop.

This means a lot to a new driver who may feel lost after a long bus ride. In a strange town, everyone appreciates a friendly face.

Orientation food and lodging
Many carriers spend close to $3,000 recruiting a driver and then they won’t buy his meals during orientation. Similarly, they will put him in a hotel that they would not expect a company manager to sleep in. That sends a negative message to the new drivers.

Too many carriers leave new drivers on their own for meals during orientation. This is a mistake. Sitting down with someone at a meal is a universal way to form relationships. Offering a meal to someone is an act of hospitality and a powerful way to say you care. While there are times new drivers will want to eat alone, it is a good practice to have company managers – and even the owner – eat lunch with new drivers during orientation.

Choose carefully the hotel where you have drivers stay. Some carriers search out the cheapest hotel in the area. This practice gives drivers the impression that your company doesn’t care about them. The hotel you choose should be clean, safe and have access to a restaurant where drivers can get a moderately priced meal.

Some carriers have a welcome package for new drivers at the hotel when they check in. These packages may include the orientation schedule, a company cap, copies of company newsletters, some snacks and a pre-paid phone card. This gesture makes your company stand out.

Terminal facility
While drivers won’t be spending much time at your facility, their first tour will tell them a lot about your company. For example, one carrier that advertised itself as “pro-driver,” had bulletproof glass separating the drivers from the dispatchers!

Carriers often unwittingly send negative messages to drivers during the facility tour. Obvious items are the conditions of the drivers’ lounge or the access drivers have to managers or office staff. Your working environment is not so obvious. If people appear to enjoy working at your company, that attitude can create a great and lasting first impression.

If you have several open trucks, consider parking them off property. While parked tractors keep pressure on the organization to find more drivers, they send the message to new drivers that a lot of drivers didn’t enjoy working for your company.

Carriers that create a good first impression of their facility pull out all the stops, from a greeting board listing the new drivers’ names to a complete tour of the facility. One carrier even has a limousine service pick up its drivers at the hotel and take them on a tour of their terminal yard before depositing them at the front door.

In Summary
Your company’s image is key to attracting quality new drivers and retaining existing drivers. Many factors impact your company’s image: type of equipment, company logo, atmosphere at your facility, recruitment materials, treatment of new hires during orientation, accessibility to top management and the opinions of your current drivers. There are many inexpensive ways – from placing company logos on your trucks to paying for meals during orientation – to enhance your company’s image among current
and prospective drivers.