Recruit & Retain: Trucking Edition

Professional golf's Masters Week was the inspiration for this episode of Recruit & Retain, during which host Chad Hendricks discusses how truck driver recruiting departments need a great short game, but the long game is what will take them farther.  "So far I haven't been able to find a single leader to describe to me in detail what their long game is going to be.  It is a hope and pray plan or 'we'll figure it out as we go,'" Hendricks says in this episode.  But what if it didn't have to be that way? What if you had a plan in place that instead of left you crossing your fingers, it let you rest easy knowing your company was always going to be set in terms of drivers? In this episode of Recruit & Retain, you'll learn: What will happen if your driver hiring strategies aren't innovative A few really interesting facts about the history of golf's long game and how it's evolved How you can develop your long game driver recruiting strategy How that long game involves retention How all of us can win the "Green Jacket"  

Advertising in the truck driver recruiting industry has evolved considerably over the past 10 years – and it's about to make another shift. But if you're wondering why you keep getting the same results, or worse, your results are not as good as they used to be with the same or higher advertising budget, this podcast is for you.   Chad Hendricks, host of the Recruit and Retain Trucking Edition podcast and President of Driver Outcomes, discusses the evolution and how the advertising industry continues to fall short. He explains why we may be looking at the wrong metrics, and you will learn why and how to look at the right ones that will make a direct impact on your business.   If you're interested in trying something new, something that is quite literally changing the face of your industry, you won't want to miss this episode.   What you'll learn in this episode:   A brief history of recruitment advertising The state of recruitment advertising today The metrics for success you should be paying attention to How to change the state of recruitment advertising into something mutually beneficial   How to connect with Chad: Chad Hendricks

If you're wondering how to differentiate your carrier from the other trucking companies out there, have you considered trying to brand yourself as the carrier that prioritizes drivers' sleep?   “In this current economic climate where it is difficult to retain, recruit and maintain any workforce - health and wellness and safety has got to be paramount for any leader or executive or supervisor.” In today's Recruit and Retain, Steven James, Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing at Washington State, core faculty in the Sleep and Performance Research Centre, discusses the impact of sleep on high risk occupations such as driving.  In particular, he talks about how night driving is not something that humans are designed to do from a core biological level. So what can carriers do to make it easier for drivers, to improve safety for them and other road users? “There's been multiple studies over the last 20 years that have compared drowsy driving to drunk driving. If you've been awake for 24 hours, it's the same as blowing a 0.10, and the risk is significant for being involved in a collision.” To find out more about the science of sleep and how to help drivers cope with disruption to their sleep routine, download and listen to this episode today.  What you'll learn about in this episode: Sleep debt and sleep pressure The individual differences in sleep need  How to cope with disruption to our sleep routine Similarity between drunk driving and drowsy driving Naps save lives Impact of night driving on the body How to connect with Steve James: Steve James PhD

Are you struggling to recruit and retain drivers, then don't miss this third installment of Recruit and Retain fresh from the Iowa Motor Truck Association.  In our third episode to discuss all things driver recruitment marketing are Leah Shaver, President and CEO of the National Transportation Institute; Brad Jones, President and CEO of Saige Partners, a driver talent acquisition firm; and Beth Potratz, CEO for Drive My Way. So, should you include pay in your driver adverts? Why is using a stock photo a bad decision for a driver recruitment post? And what can you do to improve your marketing efforts and improve the quality of leads coming in.  “One of the things that we're doing differently is we're actually marketing a driver assessment. And then we're spending money on the drivers that pass that assessment. I know they're a higher quality driver, because the data is showing that the drivers that pass these assessments do stick around longer.” Finally, how do you attract drivers who aren't looking to change jobs? These are just a few of the questions we delve into in this episode. To find out all the answers and more, download and listen now.  What you'll learn about in this episode: Should you put pay on your advert? Why stock photos in ads don't work How to attract passive job seekers Why pay isn't a driver's #1 motivator How to improve your recruiter's sales skills How to connect with guests: Leah Shaver Brad Jones Drive My Way

If you're struggling to attract drivers, then don't miss this second installment of Recruit and Retain fresh from the Iowa Motor Truck Association.  In this episode, discussing all things driver recruitment marketing, are Leah Shaver, President and CEO of the National Transportation Institute; Brad Jones, President and CEO of Saige Partners, a driver talent acquisition firm; and Beth Potratz, CEO for Drive My Way. “We have four different generations of folks working today in the trucking industry, and all of them respond differently to different things, and are interested in different things that they're going to experience at the workplace.” So if you've been wondering what to put on your FB ads to catch a driver's eye. If you're not sure how to differentiate your carrier (hint - be unique). Or if you have a very small marketing budget, then download and listen to this latest episode and take advantage of not one, but three perspectives on how to up your marketing efforts.  “People don't necessarily move because something is better. When we're using a lot of social media for advertising, it does have to stand out. Otherwise it doesn't filter through the noise.” What you'll learn about in this episode: How to write effective FB ads The importance of language in marketing Why you should highlight your internal core values in your ads How to improve the quality of your leads Marketing tips on a small budget How to connect with guests: Leah Shaver Brad Jones Drive My Way

Just how important are pay and company culture when recruiting and retaining drivers?  Joining Chad to discuss these hot topics are three very special guests from the Iowa Motor Truck Association - Leah Shaver, President and CEO of the National Transportation Institute; Brad Jones, President and CEO of Saige Partners, a driver talent acquisition firm; and Beth Potratz, CEO for Drive My Way.  If you're struggling to recruit or retain drivers, it's usually to do with one of three things: pay, marketing or company culture, with pay being the number one driver pain point.  But just what is the most impactful thing carriers can do when it comes to pay to get drivers to come on board? Pay market rate, consistently. Drivers want to know how much they're going to get paid, when they're going to get paid, and when they're going to get a pay rise.  “I feel like most companies think if I just had the highest pay, I would get the drivers. But we know there are companies out there that are the highest payers, but the drivers are not necessarily just flocking to those companies.” And it's not just pay that helps retain drivers. The driver's relationship with the organization and their dispatcher, how they're shown respect at work, whether the carrier puts their core values into actions. These aspects of workplace culture are vital to recruiting and retaining drivers.  “If you were to send a mass email out to your entire organization and ask what your core values are, how many people would have to Google those to determine what they are?” To hear all this and more, don't miss this latest episode of Recruit and Retain.  What you'll learn about in this episode: Why consistent pay is essential The lower the pay, the higher the turnover High pay does not guarantee drivers The driver/dispatcher relationship What respect in the workplace looks like How to connect with the guests: Leah Shaver Brad Jones Drive My Way

One of the things that comes up time and again when we talk about the challenges and the struggles that carriers and recruiters are having with recruiting and retaining drivers, is communication.  From issues between the executive team and the recruiters, inter-departmental issues, issues between dispatchers and drivers - it all comes down to communication and culture.  If you're wondering what your carrier can do differently to attract and retain better drivers, thinking about what you can do that's better for your drivers, don't miss this latest episode.  While there is no magic job or magic marketing technique to improve driver recruiter and retention, what you can do is focus your attention on communication problems. And it's communication that we're talking about with our two guests: Jordan Wagner, founder of WJW Consulting, and Tim Hindes, former CEO of Stay Metrics, now the General Manager of Retention at Ten Street. “I truly believe that communication solves all problems. And it can [from] marriages, all the way to the workplace. In marriage, the number one and two issues are money and sex. And then the number three is communication. And guess what? Number three can solve number two and number one.” What communication actually means The different forms of driver communication Importance of non-verbal communication  Poor communication comes from the top down How to train on communication and put it into practice How to connect with Jordan Wagner & Tim Hindes: Jordan Wagner 419-583-9139 www.wjwconsulting.com Tim Hindes

Don't miss Jeremy Reymer, founder and CEO of CDL driver applicant tracking system, DriverReach, and Wendy Bartz, Director of Sales and Services at DriverReach, discuss how your carrier can solve its driver shortage issues on this week's episode of Recruit and Retain.  DriverReach helps carriers figure out what the solution to their driver recruiting challenge is. They utilize the latest technology to streamline your recruitment process, prioritizing driver engagement. “It's so important that you're engaging and nurturing all the leads coming in. We spend so much money on advertising and getting leads into the system. We really need to put the effort in towards building relationships.” Download and listen as Jeremy and Wendy share their thoughts on DriverReach, why more and more carriers are investing in driver technology, what's making drivers change the way they research carriers, why outside investors are looking to invest in the HR and the driver recruiting technology space, why you need to invest in your recruiters, how carriers are improving driver training, and why you should be creating driver-focused content. What you'll learn about in this episode: How DriverReach can help your carrier Why your carrier needs to invest in driver technology How to appeal to drivers Outside investment in trucking Why you should invest in your recruiters Create driver focused content How to connect with Jeremy Reymer & Wendy Bartz: Taking the Hire Road podcast  DriverReach

If, like us, you love hearing how industries outside of trucking are handling recruitment and retention, then you aren't going to want to miss this latest episode of Recruit and Retain.  Joining Chad today is Joretta Nelson, vice chairman and owner of Credo, a company dedicated to helping higher education establishments thrive in order to impact the success of students. “Credo has been around for 25 years. We started out as a campus planning and architecture firm, specifically working with Independent Colleges. And we quickly realised that our work would have to be informed by good strategy and an understanding of student success, to get campuses to spend their resources wisely.” Much of this conversation revolves around Credo's retention model and how what the higher education industry is doing to retain students, to encourage them to stick with their education, directly relates to trucking and what carriers can do to provide a better experience for their drivers, encouraging retention.  Credo has taken 50 years of research into what it takes to retain students in education and distilled it down to how the entire campus, as a whole, could really focus on student success, because what it boils down to at the end of the day is this - if students don't graduate, that impacts the whole world.  “We developed a framework to think about it. And we've been out doing this work now, grabbing a campus as a whole and saying, let's stand alongside the leadership both at the top and in the middle, and really transform the way the campus thinks about [student retention].” To find out more about how retention in trucking aligns with retention in higher education, and to learn new ways for your carrier to retain drivers, download and listen to this fascinating episode.  What you'll learn about in this episode: Why retention in higher education is so complicated How higher education and trucking align The universal dilemma of retention Why you want fulfilled human beings as drivers What carriers can do to help drivers thrive How to connect with Joretta Nelson: Joretta Nelson - Credo Higher Education Consulting Team

Do your drivers have a good quality of life?  After 22 years in trucking, going into carriers and helping them achieve a drastic overhaul, Roy Craigen knows how to improve driver quality of life, and in the process, improve your carrier, and improve driver recruitment and retention.  Roy established TRANSCOM Fleet Services in 1991 and today they develop unique programs aimed at improving trucking operations across North America by shifting culture, attitude, and ultimately performance. Roy and his team will come into your organization, they'll literally embed themselves in your carrier in order to bring about the change you need. They aren't consultants, they roll up their sleeves and get stuck in, making drastic changes. Don't miss this latest episode of Recruit and Retain where Roy not only discusses the most common issues he helps carriers with, but also shares top ways to improve the quality of life for drivers - spoiler alert, drivers are all different.  The key takeaway from today's episode?  “I had the honor and privilege of working with over 3000 drivers in my life. And I know, they're not all the same. But I do know this, if we don't force quality of life, for all of our drivers, somewhere between seven and 11 years, something bad is gonna happen.” To find out more, download and listen to this latest episode.  What you'll learn about in this episode: Key takeaways How Transcom Fleet can help your carrier How to have a good relationship with drivers Find new drivers at Walmart How to improve driver quality of life The ideal bonus program How to connect with Roy Craigen: https://transcomfleetservices.com/ Roy@transcomfleetservices.com 780-449-7200

Driver retention is tough, everyone is talking about it. Of course, recruitment is tough too - how do you get leads coming in? How do you get drivers on the phone? But it's retention that's the big topic of conversation - once you've got drivers, how do you make them stay? Rachel Lovell is Vice President of People Operations at Milan Supply Chain Solutions. She started with them 15 years ago, with no driver's licence, straight out of high school, and worked her way up through the ranks to where she is now, handling recruitment and HR. “I'm like the Milan cheerleader, I love the company, I bleed blue is what I tell people because that's one of our main colours. I want everybody's experience to be like mine, I want this to be a hire to retire company.” But the biggest challenge she's up against is retention. “Retention is so important because we need to retain them not just in our own company, we need to retain them in the industry. That's why it's an industry wide effort and why you hear it happen so much.” From the messaging from leadership, to adding to their driver experience team, to utilizing the data from Workhound, to the biggest feedback they've received, don't miss this latest episode of Recruit and Retain with Rachel, and learn what Milan have done to operationalize retention. What you'll learn about in this episode: Why Milan is a hire to retire company The biggest changes in driver retention Becoming driver obsessed Utilizing Workhound Why communication is key to retention Driver retention manager How to connect with Rachel Lovell:LinkedIn - Rachel Lovell Milan Supply Chain Solutions

If you want to know how to always hire great drivers, not just any drivers, but the ones who are going to be the right fit for your culture and organization, who’ll do their job well and love working for your carrier, then don’t miss Rob Friday on this week’s episode of Recruit and Retain.  “One of the neat things about the Predictive Index is that you can layer this into your org chart and understand all the different positions within the company. And then you start to know how to hire the right person for the role, how to groom future leaders for future roles, create those succession paths, and identify different individuals.” Rob is Managing Principal at Predictive Success, an official partner of Predictive Index, and author of Talent Optimizer: Why Some Companies Always Get Great People, making him ideally placed to help you hire the best drivers. “Really what we do is help companies understand and unlock the true potential of their people through analytics.” From the genesis of the Predictive Index in the 1950s, to how it can help you identify the right drivers for your carrier, to how it can save you money and improve the safety aspect of your business, to how it benefits at both the individual and team level, download and listen today. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Genesis of the Predictive Index How pre-employment assessments can help you hire better drivers Saving money and improving the safety aspect Operationalizing PI into your organization How PI can improve your teams How to connect with Rob Friday: URL - www.robfriday.com Book - Talent Optimizer LinkedIn - Rob Friday Twitter - @RobFriday

One of the things that we’ve started to bring onto the show is ideas about how a trucking company might control their costs. You might wonder what controlling costs has to do with the recruitment and retention of drivers. But hear us out.  Anything, and we mean anything, you can do to save money elsewhere, to plough into the recruitment and retention of drivers, is going to benefit your carrier.  Drivers cost money, and in order to recruit and retain the best drivers, you need to allocate resources to it. But rather than find additional money, it makes sense to redistribute money that you’re needlessly spending elsewhere.  In a previous episode, we discussed how you could switch up your insurance coverage to save money. In today’s episode we’re joined by experienced attorney Mark Pierce of Cloud Peak Law, who shares how restructuring your carrier could help free up much needed resources.  From separating out entities to improve your margins, to why you might want to split your assets to reduce insurance liabilities, to how Cloud Peak Law can restructure your business at about 20-25% of the cost of what other attorneys might charge. Don’t miss this insightful episode.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: The issue of under insurance Splitting assets to reduce insurance liabilities The benefits of having a mentor Get a third party to do your payroll Choose a corporate structure that fits you How Cloud Peak can save you money How to connect with Mark Pierce: www.cloudpeaklaw.com LinkedIn - MARK PIERCE Twitter - @WYtrustattorney

If you’re wondering how you can gather driver feedback and driver testimonials to improve your driver recruitment and retention, even when your drivers are remote. Mark Wayner from Wayfind Creative has come up with an incredible solution - he helps skilled trades attract best-fit candidates with remote employee video testimonials. While cutting his teeth working as a video producer for an HR organization, Mark interviewed a ton of drivers to understand why they liked working for their company and what their companies were doing for them to help keep them safe.  “I was starting to understand the pain in trucking in terms of, they're really struggling to attract and retain truck drivers. [I thought] How can I provide a service that does this 100% remotely?” And so Wayfind Creative was born.  From cost effectively getting driver testimonials, to the benefits of why you might use driver videos to help you recruit, to how driver feedback (both positive and negative) can help increase driver retention, to how Wayfind Creative works. Mark is incredibly candid about helping carriers recruit and retain through driver feedback, straight from their cell phones.  “Everyone has a cell phone, don't blame a lack of initiative or lack of a video person or we don't have the equipment or we don't have good ideas. It's all right there in front of you. It's just a matter of can you pull it all together and make it happen.” What you’ll learn about in this episode: The genesis of Wayfind Creative The difficulty of getting remote driver testimonials The benefits of video driver feedback How Wayfind Creative works How to use driver feedback for recruiting How to connect with Mark Wayner: LinkedIn - Mark Wayner www.wayfindcreative.com

You might wonder what insurance has to do with recruiting and retaining drivers. Hear us out. Recruiting and retaining drivers costs money. Your insurance premium also costs money. But here’s the thing, you aren’t stuck with your expensive insurance premium, you can shop around, take on more risk, and reduce costs. Freeing you up to spend more on recruiting and retaining drivers.  So what can you do to drive down insurance costs? What deductibles should you pick? How do you know what your risk tolerance is?  In today’s episode, Peyton Richardson, VP of Commercial Lines at McGriff insurance gives us an inside look at insurance, from the other side of the table. More importantly, he shares how companies can save unnecessary costs on their insurance premiums. “The biggest thing I would say to [carriers] is make sure that you've got a plan. That's where it starts. An agent or broker relationship with who you're working with is important. Having an agent that knows the marketplace, who the carriers are, what their long term objectives look like.” From the importance of finding an insurance agent with experience in trucking, to knowing how to pick the proper deductible for your structure, Peyton (and ultimately McGriff) are here to help carrier owners get a better insurance deal.  If you want to understand insurance better, download and listen to this latest episode.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: The importance of having a plan Find agents with expertise in trucking The value of risk transfer How to pick the right deductible Frequency doesn’t lead to severity What is your risk tolerance? How to connect with Peyton Richardson: Cell Phone Number - 765-450-2681 Email - peyton.richardson@mcgriff.com www.mcgriff.com

In this slightly different episode, the tables are turned and Chad becomes the interviewee for Taking The Hire Road, a podcast hosted by Jeremy Reymer. This episode was originally aired via the Taking The Hire Road podcast, and they’ve kindly let us share it.  For those of you who have been avid listeners for the last three years, it’s probably time you learned a little more about the guy behind the mic, and why the Recruit and Retain podcast came to fruition.  For anyone who doesn’t know, Chad is president of Brand Outcomes Inc, a company that partners with carriers to help them with their branding and marketing.  “It's also company culture, workplace changes, operational changes, training for dispatchers and recruiters and all these things. I don't think you can get the marketing correct nowadays, without understanding a company at a deeper level.” In this episode, Chad shares how Brand Outcomes works with companies, and why the first thing he does when he goes into work with a company is ask if they’re living up to their values, vision and missions statement.  He also talks about how he trains recruiters through his Recruiter Sales Training online courses with Phil M. Jones, best-selling author of “Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact” — a guidebook for CDL driver recruiters.  Before finally discussing how he’s helping fleets find quality driving candidates from an unexpected source - South Africa.  “Is it a good decision for the country, for the carrier and consumers? Is it a good decision for the person that’s coming here? I overwhelmingly feel the answer to all of those questions is yes.” What you’ll learn about in this episode: About Brand Outcomes How carriers can stand out from the competition Recruiter sales training with Phil M. Jones Why carriers should hire international drivers The cost of hiring South African drivers How to connect with Chad: Brand Outcomes Inc Recruiter Sales Training

What if you could increase driver recruitment and retention by focusing on getting and keeping drivers fit?  There are so many carriers out there claiming they’re the number one for safety, they have the best signing bonuses, they have the highest CPM, but what if you could differentiate your carrier by putting driver health first? In today’s episode, Chad talks to Mark Manera, founder of The Trucking Fitness Company - the ultimate health and wellness experience for drivers. “I help trucking companies make more money by decreasing work comp/health insurance costs, improving retention, and creating safer drivers.” Mark’s a-ha moment came to him when he was working with a driver in a physical therapy clinic. The driver had had a total knee replacement, and on diving into what a 40 year career in trucking and life on the road looked like, Mark was able to see the good and bad aspects of the industry.  “When I started talking to him about, ‘hey, how often are you exercising? What are you eating out there on the road?’ I could tell there was a mindset of, ‘I'm a truck driver. That's not what we do. We don't exercise, that's part of the job description.” It struck Mark, what if there was a way to workout without leaving your truck? If you could simply pull your phone out and workout wherever you are, anywhere in the world, without needing equipment or a gym membership?  And so the idea for The Trucking Fitness Company was born.  To find out how The Trucking Fitness Company could help you better recruit and retain drivers, download and listen to this episode. “What we've found is that the exercise piece is really a domino. That when we can get drivers to exercise on a consistent basis and make exercise a part of their daily routine, every other aspect of their life becomes healthier.” What you’ll learn about in this episode: When drivers are healthier, everyone wins The problem with short term programs Accountability and community Restaurant guides How to connect with Mark Manera: LinkedIn: Mark Manera www.truckinfit.com

If you want to reduce turnover in your carrier, don’t miss Díana Palmera, recruiting manager at Farmland Fresh Dairies, based out of New York, share how they maintain a driver turnover rate of just 10-15%.  Farmland Fresh Dairies isn’t a carrier for every driver, they have different divisions for different customer needs. For some customers, they provide a service called ‘customized distribution’, which requires drivers to do a little more work than merely backing up the lorry into the unloading dock.  In this role, drivers typically need to work through the night, delivering their high touch freight directly into designated areas within the individual retail stores, letting themselves in with their own key.  You’d think therefore, Farmland would have a high turnover rate, but they don’t. From their impressive driver benefits package, through to their driver bonus program, as well as instilling loyalty through their driver apprenticeship program, download and listen to this latest episode to learn more.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: Customized distribution Pre-employment assessments Driver pay and benefits Metrics for their weekly bonus program The driver apprenticeship program How to connect with Díana Palmera: LinkedIn - Díana Palmera

Welcome to another episode of Recruit and Retain Trucking Edition. Today’s episode focuses around content, as in digital marketing. Content is an area that a high percentage - more than 90% of trucking companies, are not doing enough with. They’re just not doing the right content.  There’s a fair amount of misunderstanding around content with folks thinking you need to have a big budget, you need to have a video shoot, asking what does content look like? What can I do? There’s just so many questions around content!  And so we’ve invited the hugely insightful Lisa Lawrence onto the podcast to lift the lid on content and share best practices with us, not to mention creating a trucking company’s dream content strategy.  “I think that companies should sit down and discuss a content strategy and not just try to pull it together without a plan.” Why Lisa? Well, she's the digital strategist at Digital Mark Group, or DMG for short, but she’s also married to a truck driver recruiter, so she not only knows all things content marketing, but she also understands the trucking industry and our specific issues, in particular the drama around recruiting truck drivers.  So if you’re wondering what you can do to improve your content strategy, download this latest episode, subscribe or follow Recruit and Retain wherever you get your podcasts.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why create a story of your company How to create a content strategy The importance of backlinks Video is a great content piece How to create an ad strategy Repurposing your content Where to post your content How to connect with Lisa Lawrence: LinkedIn: Lisa Lawrence lisa.lawrence@digitalmarkgroup.com

Welcome to another episode of Recruit & Retain Trucking Edition. Chad loves to talk to carriers, to find out what they’re doing to help boost driver retention and attract new drivers onboard.  In today’s episode he’s chatting to Yajaira Martin, a remote recruiter for Unlimited Carrier, a carrier that operates nationwide.  Recruiters are on the front line in trucking, they understand exactly what's going on in the industry. They're hearing what drivers are saying. But more importantly, Chad is really interested in their background, their history, how did they get into the industry? What was their training? What are they finding success with? And he wants to share that knowledge with other recruiters in other carriers to improve the industry for everyone.  Yajaira’s experience of becoming a driver recruiter is all too common in the industry - she had no trucking experience prior to becoming a recruiter instead of being given specific training, she learned on the job sitting side by side with somebody, picking up their information.  “I think that's how a lot of carriers train, right, sit next to this person, listen to them, then do what they did. There's flaws with that kind of training.” From getting into driver recruiting with no background in trucking, to receiving dedicated recruiter training, learning the best practices for driver retention, and how to recruit remotely, download and listen to this latest episode today.  “Together with Kelly, a driver retention solution, they helped us immensely with hiring drivers, a day to day kind of thing and how to keep our drivers and [how to] work within ourselves and individually.” What you’ll learn about in this episode: Hiring driver retention solution specialists   The math piece of driver recruiting The driver recruiting spreadsheet The driver needs and wants The closing technique Being a remote recruiter How to connect with Yajaira Martin: https://www.unlimitedcarrier.com/

As a carrier do you walk the walk, as well as talk the talk, when it comes to how much you care about your drivers? The people who are the most important cargo of the whole load?  What do you do when your drivers get sick, ill or can’t drive? “They might only be off the road for a month or two. But you know, we know when their wheels are not turning, they're not earning any money.” Of course there are carriers out there that care a ton about their drivers, that go that extra mile to ensure that when they fall on hard times, the carrier has their back. But we also know there are carriers out there that only care about the miles the driver runs.  So, if you want to distinguish your carrier from the rest, here’s one way you can really show you care about your drivers - by being there when they need you most.  But what if you’re a trucker and you fall on hard times and your carrier doesn't have the capacity to help you out? Who can you turn to for support? St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund, that’s who.  “Most of our money has come from drivers themselves, or individuals that are supporting initiatives that we have.” Don’t miss this latest episode with Shannon Currier, Director of Philanthropy and Development at the Truckers Relief Fund. From why they started, to how they assess drivers, why they pay the bills directly, to the measures they’ve taken to get drivers to be proactive about their health.  If you haven’t heard of the Truckers Relief Fund, prepare to be blown away by the incredible work this small team does to support over-the-road/regional semi-truck drivers and their families when an illness or injury, occurring within the last year, has caused them to be out of work.   What you’ll learn about in this episode: Genesis of Truckers Relief Fund The in-depth process to assess drivers Encouraging drivers to be proactive with their health Rigs without cigs How to donate Why carriers should get involved How to connect with Shannon Currier: https://truckersfund.org/

Are you wondering how to use independent contractors more efficiently? How to design lease purchase programs and manage them? Do you need help with growth? Recruitment? Merger and acquisitions?  “Getting to learn about other companies and getting to know their teams, understanding what works really well in their organisation, what doesn't work so well. And if there's an opportunity for us to help them get better at something, that's what we love doing.” Doug Grawe is CEO and Gary Randall is the Executive Business Partner of The Grawe Group, a trucking and logistics consulting business. Doug and Gary specialize in helping trucking companies manage pain points, overcome challenges and achieve their goals.  They don’t do it with a one size fits all package, they get to know you and your team, learn your challenges and goals, and develop bespoke solutions that will work for you, that you can execute across the whole organization.  “I would challenge the listeners anytime they hear, ‘these are our top issues in the company’. Examine whether or not the metrics that [you’re] measuring actually relate to those top issues. I've heard tonnes of people say, ‘Oh, drivers are our biggest bottleneck, they're our top concern’. And yet, when you look at the amount of time spent on that, or where their focus is, it doesn't line up with that.” What you’ll learn about in this episode: The specific problems The Grawe Group gets involved with Tracking metrics and tracking actions Using technology to track metrics Why you need to focus on just 3-5 tasks You want leaders, not managers The importance of accountability How to connect with Doug and Gary: www.thegrawegroup.com

Clint Pulver isn’t a trucker, nor is he involved in the trucking industry, but what he does is wholly relevant to owners of trucking companies.  Clint is the high energy, Emmy Award winning keynote speaker, author and professional drummer who is a leading authority on employee retention.  Why is he a leading authority on employee retention? Because Clint, as the Undercover Millennial, spent 5 years speaking to over 10,000 employees, getting them to reveal the reasons for their lasting loyalty to the company and what triggers them to make a dash for the door.  So, if you’re wondering how to improve your driver retention rates, because you know you’ve had an epic year of driver retention thanks to COVID, but now you’re worried that the minute restrictions lift, drivers will be out the door. Download and listen to this episode with Clint to discover the Undercover Millennial Program, the 4 types of managers, how to check the vital stats of your employees and learn the 5 ways great leaders recognize their people.  If you want your drivers to say they love working for you, Clint has the solutions. What you’ll learn about in this episode: The undercover millennial program The 4 types of managers How to check the vital stats of your employees The 5 ways great leaders recognize their people Consistency creates a lasting culture How to connect with Clint Pulver: https://clintpulver.com/ LinkedIn: Clint Pulver Twitter: @ClintPulver Book - I love it here. How great leaders create organizations, their people never want to leave

If you’re thinking about exiting your trucking company, do you know how to make your carrier as attractive as possible to potential buyers?  Spencer Tenney is Managing Partner of the Tenney Group, a family run advisory firm of 40+ years, which is focused on business sales, acquisitions and business valuations, but only in the transportation industry.  To date, Spencer has helped the Tenney Group close more than 75 transportation business sales across the United States. Most of his clients are companies in the trucking, bus, or chauffeured transportation industries with annual revenues of $2M - 200M. “Most of our clients are founders, they built their business on a credit card and a prayer. And then some magic happened.” So, if you’re a business owner looking for help to buy, sell or value your transportation company, don’t miss Spencer on this week’s episode of Recruit and Retain, because there are some significant pitfalls that come with mergers and acquisitions in this unique industry.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: Impact of COVID on M&A in trucking How to make transition easier for drivers New proposed capital gains tax Business value directly correlates to risk The importance of financial reporting Their due diligence checklist How to connect with [Spencer Tenney]: URL - The Tenney Group LinkedIn - Spencer Tenney Email - stenney@thetenneygroup.com Twitter - @TheTenneyGroup

How can you maintain a referral rate of 90% and a retention rate 95.7%?  Don’t miss Jessica Kapasky, the Recruitment and Retention Guru at Skelton Truck Lines, a pharmaceutical haulage carrier operating trucking teams (pharmaceutical logistic technicians) out of Canada and the US, on this week’s episode. But first, how does one become a Recruitment and Retention Guru? “I am third generation in trucking. My grandparents were executives behind the wheel. My mother's a really well known recruiter in the industry. My dad was a driver. My brother's a driver. So I guess you can say I was born into it.” Not only does Jessica have trucking in her blood, she’s also obsessed with trying to become an industry expert, taking time to get educated, spending years researching ways to better herself as a recruiter. She’s learned what it takes to recruit on the more corporate side of things, as well as learning how to connect with candidates and making sure she can find them the best fit based on what they’re looking for right now, whether that's their lifestyle, pay package, or the lanes they want to run. One of the best pieces of advice Jessica’s father passed onto her was: “Make sure you're hiring for the right fit. I think that's the biggest thing he branded into me. And what I have carried is the importance of hiring drivers that fit your mould versus the other way around.” You want quality over quantity. So to find out how to hire for the right fit, why snail mail marketing will set you apart from other carriers, how Skelton maintains a referral rate of 90% and a retention rate of 95.7% and what their pay and benefits package looks like, download and listen to this latest episode.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why trucking is in her blood The importance of snail mail Maintaining a 90% referral rate Maintaining a 95.7% retention rate Pharmaceutical logistic technicians, not drivers Skelton pay and benefits How to connect with Jessica Kapasky: Linked In - Jessica Kapasky Skeltontruck.com

You might have heard of today’s guest, Chelsee Patton, Director of Recruiting at Riverside Transport, Inc (RTI) aka Chelsee in Pink.    Six years ago, Chelsee got a job as a recruiter at RTI, not knowing what the future held for her. She subsequently fell in love with recruiting and began to think about how she could make things better for drivers.    She went back to school, got her MBA, but really wanted to experience, for herself, what the drivers went through, what the culture was like, what life on the road is like. So she got her CDL permit and filmed the whole process to create a brand ambassador campaign and used the content she created to recruit drivers through her vlogging.   Her Chelsee Campaign was so successful, RTI’s owner gave her a pink truck and she drove across the country, recording and vlogging the journey and really experiencing what life was like as a full time driver, on her YouTube channel and her Facebook page - Chelsee in Pink.   Of course, as a recruiter, you might not want to do this yourself, but Chelsee has learned so much, so don’t miss this invaluable episode. She shares lots of great tips for you to use in your own recruitment campaigns, as well as talking about what dispatchers can do to build relationships with drivers.    What you’ll learn about in this episode:   Getting her CDL and life as a driver Chelsee in Pink The importance of driver retention in 2021 Creating content for FB ads Teaching the dispatcher/driver relationship What recruiters need to tell drivers How to connect with Chelsee Patton: LinkedIn - Chelsee Patton https://riversidetransport.com/ YouTube - Chelsee in Pink

Do you work for the best transportation company in the world?  Today’s guest, Laura Duryea, believes she does. Laura is the Recruiting and Retention Manager for Boyle Transportation. Having spent time in the driver’s seat herself, she knows how the industry works from both sides.  Today, Laura shares her thoughts on why Boyle Transportation is the best transportation company in the world, and what they’re doing differently in terms of recruitment and retention of drivers.  They hire drivers teams only, which makes their recruitment efforts that little more challenging, not to mention the type of freight they haul and the customers they haul it for, which adds another layer of complication to their driver recruitment difficulties.  “So we haul pharmaceutical goods and goods for the military exclusively. Because of that, we have higher requirements of our professional drivers to include hazmat and tanker endorsements.” OK, you might think, why would that make it difficult to recruit drivers? “So then we have a second phase where [drivers] actually have to apply for a clearance with the Department of Defence. So that is a very extensive application process. And I lose a lot of candidates in that process.” It’s always interesting to learn how other trucking companies are handling recruitment and retention, particularly now, in the midst of a pandemic. So don’t miss this special edition where we learn what turnover looks like in this really niche carrier, and how Laura recruits drivers for the long haul. What you’ll learn about in this episode: What turnover looks like in Boyle Transportation How to become a driver recruiter Driver compensation  Driver advisory committee How they retain drivers Team driving Keeping in touch with drivers How to connect with Laura Duryea: LinkedIn - Laura Duryea Email - laura.duryea@boyletransport.com

We are big fans of anyone disrupting driver recruitment and retention, which is why we are super thrilled to have Beth Potratz on the podcast.  Beth is an HR exec and entrepreneur, as well as being co-founder and CEO of Drive My Way, a truck driver recruiting platform that focuses completely on drivers and their needs, matching them with truck driver jobs that meet their qualifications and personal lifestyle preferences.  For most recruiters, the beginning of the year is a tricky time to recruit and right now is no different, despite seeing a huge spike in demand for new drivers.  So what can your carrier do to attract, recruit and retain drivers as the pandemic rolls on? How should you write your job posts to attract more drivers? Why should you put the power in the drivers’ hands and let them select who they want to talk to?  Ultimately, how can Drive My Way help match your carrier up with drivers who want what you’re offering? Don’t miss this really insightful episode with Beth. What you’ll learn about in this episode: The effect of seasonality on driver recruitment How to nurture prospective driver relationships A change in driver needs How to write job posts How Drive My Way works The mistakes drivers make in the hiring process How to connect with Beth Potratz: https://www.drivemyway.com/

Welcome to Recruit and Retain Trucking Edition, 2021. Today we're going outside of the industry once again, but not too far outside of the industry.  Henna Pryor, executive coach, recruitment and sales trainer extraordinaire and founder of the Pryority Group, does not necessarily have the inside scoop on recruitment in trucking, but what she does have is a unique take on recruitment, having spent over 14 years at K Force.  “I don't have experience specifically in trucking. But I'll tell you that staffing and recruiting and sales speak a universal language.” So what makes Henna good at what she does?  “One of the things that made me successful in my 14 year run at the firm was the fact that I recognized pretty early on that connecting with human beings takes a certain shape and form no matter what industry they're in.” From how to get prospects’ attention, to what to lead with in your subject lines, to how to keep a potential new driver’s attention, don’t miss this latest episode with Henna.  Because if you’re struggling to get drivers to pick up the phone, Henna has strategies and tips you can implement to reach them through digital communications.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: Staffing, recruiting and sales speak a universal language Volume play doesn’t work anymore The art and science of capturing attention You drivers are your strongest salespeople How to write when you’re not a great writer Benefits versus features How to connect with Henna Pryor: LinkedIn - Henna Pryor www.pryoritygroup.com

Wondering how you can ramp up your truck driver recruitment? Have you considered using sales automation software that’s delightfully human? Yes, you read that right - sales software to solve your driver recruitment problem. One of Chad’s favourite things is to bring in people from outside the trucking industry, and today’s guest offers a refreshingly different perspective, potentially giving you the edge on your competition.  Chad Burmeister (yes, another Chad) is founder and CEO of ScaleX.ai. And while his focus isn’t on the trucking industry, that doesn’t mean his software can’t help you recruit drivers.  “Our goal is to help sales professionals increase revenue by focusing on the only two things that matter in sales – increasing frequency and competency.” So how can sales software help you recruit more drivers? And what can you do with the data that comes with it? How can you message potential drivers? What channels should you use? And how can an algorithm help you rank candidates? “Most customers use our platform to prospect into their top clients. When it comes to recruiting, we're helping these companies to get a list of potential recruits.” To find out more, download and listen to this latest episode. What you’ll learn about in this episode: ScaleX.ai and driver recruitment How to use LinkedIn to find drivers The value of networking when recruiting Best practice for ringless voicemail The algorithm that rates candidates How to connect with Chad Burmeister: Twitter - @saleshack URL - https://www.scalex.ai/ LinkedIn - Chad Burmeister

If you’re looking for ways to make your carrier or fleet more efficient, perhaps you need to rethink the software or tools that you rely on.  In this latest episode, Avi Geller, CEO of Maven Machines, discusses what sets their software head and shoulders above the rest and why it will revolutionize not just your drivers’ efficiency, but your operation staff too.  “We're a technology company focused on helping trucking companies operate as well as they possibly can, more efficiently, successfully, ultimately profitably, than ever before possible.” Maven isn’t a TMS system, although they will integrate with any TMS system. They’re a telematics company. They deal with everything from GPS tracking to ELD, driver safety monitoring, real time messaging, basically everything that the drivers need, combined with operation software. It really is a one stop shop to help drivers and fleets run as efficiently as they can and be as successful as possible.  “The goal of all this is for drivers to be able to focus on driving. That they're not having to play around with technology or trying to make phone calls and get information and figure out where they're going and what they're doing and what is this load and who do they talk to.” To find out how Maven can help your carrier, download and listen to this latest episode.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why Maven are a telematics system How Maven differ from other software companies Investing time in understanding drivers’ needs The data from their product development team Future technology in trucking How to connect with Avi Geller: https://mavenmachines.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/avishai/

If you’re struggling with driver recruitment or retention, have you considered training your driver recruiters better?    “As long as trucking companies continue to hire their turnover, I guess we're always gonna have a problem with the way we recruit.”   Norris Beren is an expert on commercial driver recruiting, hiring and retention strategies. He’s the Chief Executive Advisor to CEOs at Risk Reward Consulting and he has a tonne of experience in trucking.    Norris is on a mission to change the way in which recruiters recruit, and part of the way they’re doing that is by creating a process to train recruiters.    “There's not a lot of training available for truck driver recruiters in the country. Most of them go into the job with maybe some background in operations, maybe they've been a driver, but where do they get training? Training in regards to how do you have a conversation with a driver applicant?” To find out how you can train your driver recruiters to recruit better drivers, don’t miss this incredibly informative episode.    What you’ll learn about in this episode:   How to train driver recruiters How to attract qualified drivers Connect the driver to other people in the company How to blueprint the driver How to qualify a disqualified driver Questions to pre-empt objections   How to connect with Norris:Email - norris@rredinc.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiefexecutiveadvisor/ Twitter - @norrislb

If you’re struggling with your driver recruiting. If you aren’t able to hire experienced drivers, people who are seriously committed to staying with your carrier, then you don’t want to miss this special episode.  Today’s Recruit and Retain episode is a little different from normal, in that it was a webinar we held for Indian Hills. The webinar is about how we can bring drivers from overseas, predominantly South Africa, to the US, train them and then have them enter into the workforce.  We aren’t talking about individuals who have never been behind a wheel. The drivers we’re talking about have all had over 10 years trucking experience in most cases, they’re mature drivers who are looking for an opportunity and a new life, driving in the US. So what would you do if you could find and hire really experienced drivers? To find out more, don’t miss this hugely insightful episode. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why it’s so hard to find experienced drivers Why this program is legitimate The original pilot program from Schneider National Cost of the program Timelines for hiring SA drivers FAQs about the program How to connect with Chad: Book a call via Calendly - https://calendly.com/chendricks

We heard from today’s guest, Charles Gracey, last year. We’re hearing from him again because Charles has a wealth of knowledge for all things recruitment, retention, marketing, and management operations, making today’s conversation essential listening to carriers looking to actively recruit new drivers.  There is so much going on right now - the US election, we could be seeing the back of COVID, the market has raised itself up exceeding expectations from 2018, putting an increased demand on carriers to recruit and retain drivers.  It’s a very competitive market right now. And drivers are wanting to come back to work, so what can you do to attract them to your carrier? “[It circles] right back to culture. That's why these discussions should always begin with ‘what is your culture finding out internally? What is our culture and what do we want to stand for? Who do we want to attract?’ and then having those hard discussions.” So what competitive benefits and pay can you offer drivers? What incentives can you give drivers that will differentiate your carrier from the competition? What content should you be including in your marketing messages? How should you structure your social media adverts? How can you diversify your ad placements? And how should you maintain your talent pipeline and where are the leaky holes?  You’ll find out all the answers to these questions and more in this latest episode of Recruit and Retain. What you’ll learn about in this episode: What benefits and pay you should offer Creating content for your marketing messages Diversify your ad placements How to maintain your talent pipeline Recruiting for quality rather than quantity Why culture is so important when recruiting new drivers How to connect with Charles Gracey: info@hotseatservices.com charles@hotseatservices.com linkedin.com/in/charles-gracey https://www.linkedin.com/company/hot-seat-services-inc/ https://www.facebook.com/HotSeatServicesInc

If you’re looking for a point of differentiation between your carrier and the competition, how about making your employee’s mental health a priority?  “Mental health, things like mindfulness and stress reduction, reduce safety incidents, and they improve performance, and they improve loyalty.” Dr. Ryan Todd, CEO of Headversity, joins Chad on this week’s episode to discuss the workplace mental health and resilience platform he’s built for the modern workforce.  In this incredibly interesting interview, Chad and Ryan delve into the impact of COVID and the pandemic on the mental health of drivers and dispatchers. The stress that is on people right now is like nothing before. Stress causes frustration which leads to conflict. And conflict leads to turnover.  “The number one reason that people in stressful positions leave is to reduce that stress, and to go to a place where the grass is greener, where they can use their skill set in a job or position or with a company that would appreciate them more, or that would not stress them out as much.” So how can you work through conflict? How can you talk about mental health with employees and build their resilience? This is a fascinating episode, we hope you get a lot out of it.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: Key takeaways: The genesis of Headversity The culture of self-sufficiency The impact of COVID on mental health Why there’s been a decrease in EAP utilization Headversity is a non-diagnostic tool How companies can use the aggregated anonymised data The CARE methodology How to connect with Ryan Todd: ryan@headversity.com info@headversity.com

If, like a lot of carriers, you are struggling to find and recruit drivers right now, then don’t miss out on this latest episode of Recruit and Retain with Josh Spaccarotella, IT and Marketing Manager at LGT Transport.  Recruiting drivers for a typical trucking company is probably the hardest it’s ever been. So how do boutique, niche carriers handle recruiting new drivers in the current climate? What are they doing that you might need to implement?  And they don’t get more niche than LGT Transport - an industry leader for cryogenic and specialty gas transportation.  “We are the best at what we do, within a highly specialized area, there's not a lot of places to go, but there's still a lot that we can do to make it the best experience for our customers and for our drivers and for everybody working with LGT.” So what are LGT Transport doing to provide the best experience they can to customers and drivers alike?  Building custom technology and increasing their marketing budget.  How are they building a custom TMS and what new technology are they implementing to make attracting and onboarding new drivers easier? And why are they designing a new customer portal? How are they increasing their online marketing efforts?  Download and listen to this episode to find out more! What you’ll learn about in this episode: How to be the best in your niche Building a custom transportation management system Mobile application for drivers Creating a better experience for customers and drivers Online marketing to bring in drivers Navigating Google Ads How to connect with Josh Spaccarotella: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-spaccarotella-724a61122/

If you’re wondering how you can improve your driver referral program, have you considered Rocket CDL?  Driver referrals is always a big topic of conversation, but when it comes down to it, most carriers’ driver referral programs are passive. They offer large referral bonuses, yet still they’re not getting any referrals. So what gives? Joining Chad to discuss the issue of driver referrals and how Rocket CDL can provide the boost your carrier’s referral program needs is Mark Bowden, Director of Sales at Rocket CDL.  “You would think either because we're paying a lot for referrals that we would get referrals, or because most of our drivers like working here you would get referrals right? One of those has got to work, but something's going on where it's not.” Don’t miss this insightful episode and start discovering what’s gone wrong with your driver referral program. “The promotion piece of it is absolutely critical. The more you can engage with your drivers and put it and keep it top of mind for them, and make it easy, that's where you're going to be able to see success in the referral department.” What you’ll learn about in this episode: Key takeaways: Why driver referrals are so valuable Current referral programs are passive How to see success in the referral department The advantages of using Rocket CDL Marketing messages that don’t work Examples of creative referral marketing  How to stop people gaming the system How to connect with Mark Bowden: https://www.rocketcdl.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-bowden-70989a90/ Twitter - @RocketCDL

In this special episode of Recruit and Retain, coming from the FreightWaves Carrier Summit, Chad talks with Max Farrell, CEO and co-founder of WorkHound, the real time feedback platform for over 35,000 drivers across the US. Companies in the trucking industry use WorkHound to help improve their driver retention. But just how do you engage with drivers during a downmarket? What can you do to weather the current storm?  “There aren't best practices about how to connect with drivers you had to lay off in the middle of the pandemic. And so you have to try new things right now and experiment and innovate on the fly, because there's no manual for this.” In this insightful episode, Chad and Max share lots of easily implementable tips to help carriers continue to grow despite the recession: from knowing what KPIs carriers should be measuring, to how to engage with drivers during a pandemic, and building a driver alumni network.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: The issue of measuring vanity metrics The metrics that show the retention of quality drivers Understanding turnover to reduce it Recruitment tactics to engage in a down market Soft layoffs and building an alumni program Pay for retention, not just recruitment How to connect with [Max Farrell]: LinkedIn - Max Farrell Twitter - @MaxOnTheTrack

If you run a trucking business and you're thinking about getting into freight brokering, what can you learn from one of the leading freight brokers, PDQ America? Joining Chad this week to share his story of how he started a trucking company without knowing anything about trucking is Michael Clements, Jr., President at PDQ America.  While this is a fascinating, honest and transparent account of starting a business, the truly awe-inspiring part is how Michael was able (and willing) to pivot the business when things weren’t going well, building a brokerage company from the ashes of his trucking company.  Michael realised that the trucking industry needed a higher quality freight brokerage experience, and with that, PDQ America was born.  Today PDQ America is a freight broker with a difference. The difference being the company is built on providing the best brokerage experience to customers by investing in his employees, PDQ’s processes and technology.  If you only have one key takeaway from this episode, let it be this - great customer service is essential to business success.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: The story of PDQ  How to be a trucking company without trucks Why he transitioned into freight brokerage Why outstanding customer service is their point of difference The customer service training PDQ America gives staff Why not every trucking company needs a brokerage licence How to connect with Michael Clements Jr.: Newsletter - Flatbed Forecast Podcast - Trucking For Millennials LinkedIn - Michael Clements Jr. Email - michael@pdqamerica.com

MPG is not an accurate measure of driver performance, but that won’t come as a huge surprise to you. Lots of different factors influence a truck’s MPG - load, tractor type and equipment, environmental variables, even route and terrain.  So here to tell you how to easily increase fuel efficiency and improve driver behavior is Ethan Sweeney, Director of Customer Success at Vnomics.  Vnomics’ True Fuel® has been shown to reduce a carrier’s fuel spend by between 3-10%. Who wouldn’t want that? True Fuel® is an application that integrates with your existing cab telematics system, automatically capturing data about driver behavior, before carrying out real time, in cab coaching to affect change in driver behavior.  What started out as a partnership between the Rochester Institute of Technology and the United States Marine Corps a little over 10 years ago now, is now a fully commercial simple piece of technology that can increase fuel efficiency through real time, in cab coaching of drivers.  To find out how this technology also positively impacts retention and recruitment of drivers too, download and listen to this latest episode.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why Vnomics created True Fuel® The value their SaaS will bring to your carrier Why measuring MPG isn’t a fair driver assessment  What the driver experience of True Fuel® is like How True Fuel® integrates with existing telematics solutions Incentivizing drivers to use True Fuel® How to connect with Ethan Sweeney: office phone number: 585-377-9700 esweeney@vnomicscorp.com

“If a company wants to grow, the leadership has got to grow. So if the leaders are not growing, the business is not going to grow.” A lot of industries (the trucking industry is no exception) are being forced to change and adapt to what’s happening in the world around us. But change isn’t a bad thing, in fact change can be necessary for improvement.  If you’ve built your business from the ground up but you’ve hit a roadblock or you don’t know where to go next, or how to grow, then this episode with Tom Kosnik, founding partner of the consulting firm to the staffing industry, Visus Group, is for you.  Tom chats with Chad about the benefits of RoundTables and what wonderful things can happen when like-minded industry leaders get together in a room to share ideas and resources, collaborate and solve problems, helping each other grow and learn.  “That's essentially the reason for this podcast, to allow people to come in to hopefully share some of those nudges, share some of that knowledge, even if it is that one idea that might make a difference.” What you’ll learn about in this episode: Organizational development and trucking Where companies are getting stuck right now The habits of successful people How assumptions can inhibit growth How you can help your organization grow The benefits of a RoundTable How to connect with Tom Kosnik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tkosnik/ www.visusgroup.com Twitter - @tgkosnik3

Do you say goodbye to your drivers as they leave and let the door shut behind them? Or do you say, ‘I’ll see you soon’, and hold the door open for them, should they want to walk through it again?  James Sinclair, Chief Executive of Enterprise Alumni believes one of the best things you could do for your recruitment and retention efforts is to stay engaged with former drivers of your company. And that just isn’t something that happens in trucking. But it should.  “The way I think about it is companies spend quite a lot of money trying to find candidates, recruit candidates and try to get people into their pipeline. They spend even more money training, compliance, safety, doing the job, all of those things, and then they leave and it's like, ‘Well, good luck with your life’. And that's the end of the conversation.” So what if instead of spending money on truckers and then letting them take their skills elsewhere, you let them know they’re welcome back anytime. Just think what that would do to your reputation as an employer!  “By letting them walk out the door you're walking out with a missed opportunity. They may come back into a management position. They may have a referral. They may be customers. There's so many scenarios with just maintaining, even at the most basic level, the relationship with these people is of great value not only for them but also for the organization.” Don’t miss this fascinating episode to see what you could implement at your carrier.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: Engaging post-employment employees The value of a rehire Why invest in ex-employees Take the credit for successful former employees Leaving is inevitable so make it positive How to build a career roadmap as a truck driver Reward employee innovation How to connect with James Sinclair: www.entreprisealumni.com james@enterprisealumni.com

You don’t have to be a trucker to get into the trucking industry. You also don’t have to be male. Nor does it have to be your sole business.  Meet Ericka Williams, trucking company owner, entrepreneur and author of The Classy Climb blog. Ericka is truly a breath of fresh air for trucking.  Not only has she started a tonne of businesses (including a trucking company) she also coaches, creates content for YouTube, works in the retail estate industry and shares her experiences through her blog in the hopes of motivating others and letting them skip the mistakes she made along the way.  “I called off a wedding and I was like, ‘I'm going to do something crazy. I'm getting out of here’. I flip a coin and I go to Austin and I started YouTubing to share my journey of moving and talking business and sharing my stories. My family and people were like, ‘I've never heard of that before’. And I just opened it up for people to start talking to me and I did over 6,000 paid phone consultations in six years.” Ericka is inspirational, motivational and entertaining, which makes her a great person to listen to and learn from.  “Man, I really hope that they understand that sky's the limit, right? You're an American. I know it’s kind of a hype thing, but it's true. I mean, literally there's no one actually stopping you. Like if you want to go do it tomorrow. You do that.” What you’ll learn about in this episode: Ericka’s journey to trucking The need for carriers to create great content Her vision for her trucking company Using social media to attract drivers Finding freight amid COVID-19 Females in trucking Know your numbers to create a better business How to connect with Ericka Williams: https://classyscl.com/

If you’re a smaller carrier, perhaps you don’t have the resources or the personnel to look into recruiting data or to discover insights that will show you the bigger picture which might ultimately help you improve your recruitment and retention of drivers now and in the future.  Which is why Chad is talking with Christina Broussard, a recruitment evangelist for Indeed. Because Indeed do have the resources to look at what’s going on with the bigger recruitment picture. In particular, Indeed can show us what’s going on with truck driver jobs in recruitment right now.  And what is most surprising is that the rebound is happening quicker than anyone could have predicted.  “We've certainly had a different 2020 then I think probably anyone expected for a number of different reasons and have certainly seen the job market react to some of these pressures that are happening in the world and in our nation. We're starting to see some of these job categories like drivers, like logistic support, actually come back pretty similarly to what we saw happening in 2019.” So if you want to find out about how you can recruit some of the 1 million job seekers who were clicking on truck driver jobs in the US in May, don’t miss this latest episode of Recruit and Retain. What you’ll learn about in this episode: The best way for carriers to reach out to drivers Connect your brand with the recruitment process How to attract younger drivers to your carrier Targeting niche markets - women and veterans The importance of listening to driver feedback and responding Use COVID to demonstrate your difference How to connect with Christina Broussard: linkedin.com/in/christinabroussard

How can you differentiate yourself from the competition when it comes to driver recruitment?  If you’re keen to recruit, retain and redeploy the top talent, you need robust communication and analytics tools to help you achieve your goal.  Joining Chad in this special episode of Recruit and Retain is Alexandra Kane, Head of Marketing at SenseHQ, the smart talent engagement and communication platform built for staffing.  Now, you might be wondering why Chad is talking to someone who’s built a tool for staffing, a fully automated system of engagement, but the answer is simple - because no matter your industry, trucking or otherwise, this tool and the insights that Alexandra shares are pertinent whether you’re a for hire carrier or a private carrier.  If you want to have a point of difference, taking what works in ancillary industries and learning from it will set you apart from the other trucking companies also looking to attract the top talent, or recruit new drivers.   “Digital transformation happened for everybody in March of 2020, whether you were ready for it or not. And so I think technology is gonna play a really key role here… How you're able to embrace that technology, how quickly, is going to really indicate who's going to be the winners and losers.” What you’ll learn about in this episode: What Sense does and how it can help with staffing The changing nature of the labor market Candidate experience is still king Embrace omni-channel communication How to create valuable content for your audience How to connect with Alexandra Kane: URL - SenseHQ.com LinkedIn - Alexandra Kane - Head Of Marketing - Sense Twitter - @Sense_HQ

One of the great things about the trucking industry is the strong associations that exist, those bodies that act as a conduit between the federal government and the agencies and our industry, our truck drivers, our carriers.  Truck drivers may operate relatively safely, spending the majority of their time on their own in their secure cabs, but many of the truck drivers who remained operational during the recent pandemic were delivering assistance to those directly affected by COVID-19 and to high risk places such as grocery stores.  So what has the ATA (American Trucking Association) been doing to help truckers, to keep them safe throughout these trying times? And how has the recent pandemic helped elevate the profile of truckers and the trucking industry?  Joining Chad to discuss all this and more is Dan Horvath, the Vice President of Safety Policy from the American Trucking Associations.  While safety is the main topic of conversation, Dan also shares insights into the conversations that the ATA have been having throughout the crisis as well as what changes, if any, they’re planning for the future. Not to mention the time truckers got a shout out from POTUS.  Key takeaways: The role of associations in trucking How the ATA work with their state partners The impact of COVID-19 on the ATA How COVID has changed the ATA’s relationship with legislators Ways the public can support trucking How to connect with Dan Horvath: www.trucking.org American Trucking Associations Dan Horvath - LinkedIn

We know carriers have safety at the heart of everything they do, but in these weird times, there are extra precautions that carriers might need to plan in order to manage a mass return to work, and ensure everyone’s safety.  And who better to discuss safety than Darren Beard, Senior Loss Control Consultant over at Lockton, the world’s largest independent insurance brokerage.  Because there are certain elements of returning to work that you might not have considered, for example: have you thought about how you’re going to bring your drivers back? What information do you need to pass on to them? What will the impact on a driver’s sleep pattern be? Do you need to adjust your training and onboarding practices to maintain everyone’s safety? Who makes those risk management decisions?  “The perception is that the trucking industry is just humming along. But there's a lot of people that are not putting in those miles right now. And that is going to have an effect on safety and what they're going to be used to handling if they've been out of work for any period of time.” What you’ll learn about in this episode: The human element of trucking How carriers are keeping their people safe Potential regulations guiding driver safety Planning for when we ‘return to normal’ The impact on sleep patterns of going back to work Defensive driving   How to connect with Darren Beard: dbeard@lockton.com https://www.lockton.com/associate/darrenbeard linkedin.com/in/darren-beard-9094ab1b

If you’re wondering how to rebuild your business in the aftermath of COVID-19, you’re not alone. One of the issues that repeatedly gets raised involves sales and leadership; in particular, how to increase sales right now.  “My clients are owners of small to mid-sized businesses and very often what I hear from them is, ‘I live on an island, there's no one who does what I do’. And ‘I'm in this by myself’. It's a very lonely place to be, a tough place to be now more than ever. They fear for their own businesses. There's a lot of pressure.” Today’s guest, Amy Bingham, is an experienced recruiting and staffing industry consultant with over 27 years in the business. She’s a trainer, speaker and coach who is passionate about growing her clients’ businesses. In this episode she imparts a lot of actionable advice which is easily translatable into all areas of a business.  You may not be ready to think about recruiting or growing your company just yet, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re thinking strategically about the future, from a leadership and sales perspective, not just putting out the fires of today. Simply staying in touch with prospective clients is key right now. “The most important thing right now is to stay in front, be visible and relevant for your client, stay in front of prospects. You're going to do that in a variety of ways and be of service. There's nothing self-serving about your sales efforts right now. It's all about the customer and not about us until we acquire our first job order, at which point we have to prove ourselves.” What you’ll learn about in this episode: The major concerns that leaders are facing right now How to stay in front of a prospect A touch plan to stay in touch The management side of salespeople How to lead through a crisis  How to connect with Amy Bingham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybingham/

What do you and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, have in common?  Well, if you’re a leader wanting to grow your business and you’re listening to this podcast for inspiration, then you likely have a growth mindset. And that is what you share with Satya. Growth mindset is what Chad and Jeff Mariola, Chief Growth Officer at Mariola Unlimited, discuss in this week’s episode of Recruit and Retain.  “You can have all the IQ in the world, but if you don't apply the effort to the skills that you have, it's not going to translate into high performing leadership. The key is you have to have a growth mindset.” With more than 25 years of successful CEO leadership experience under his belt, garnered at two multinational businesses and two entrepreneurial start-ups, Jeff has earned his reputation for creating cultures that encourage high growth.  Jeff’s tenure as CEO is hallmarked by his mentorship and development of his management teams, with over 15 of his direct reporting managers now in C-level positions.   Jeff’s ability to inspire and stretch his teams beyond their expectations is due to his deep-seated belief that it’s his responsibility as a leader to nurture his employees on both a personal and business level.  So if you’re wondering what you should be doing with your business right now, if you're confused about how your business will weather the coming storm, Jeff’s advice for leaders, in particular on how to put a growth mindset into practice, is incredibly pertinent.  Once you have a high performing team, you can have a high performing company.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: What is a growth mindset? How managers can put growth mindset into practice The importance of having a company vision Celebrate failure as long as you learn from it How to make sure your team is developing Questions leaders need to ask themselves right now How to connect with Jeff Mariola: jeff@mariolaunlimited.com www.Mariolaunlimited.com

This COVID-19 situation is new to everyone. We are all trying to find our feet. So it can be useful to hear from leaders in the trucking industry who have an idea about leading through a crisis.  “It's certainly a challenging time because the weight of the world feels like it's on your shoulders, but, you know, especially at a time like this, your employees are looking at you for leadership, for guidance, for support for, you know, belief.” In this episode, Chad talks to Jeremy Reymer, founder and CEO at DriverReach, a company helping trucking companies hire CDL drivers better, faster. The leadership model is so important right now, getting communications right, being realistic as a leader. You can’t fake anyone on what’s going on, we are all so aware of what’s happening, but being positive about your company, sharing your vision for its future, reassuring employees that it’s going to be OK (and why), are all attributes of great leadership.  Because at the end of this, you want to be able to share with potential employees ‘this is how we responded as a company, this is why you should come work for us, because even during the hardest times, this is how we handled it.’ What you’ll learn about in this episode: The importance of communicating to employees How to convey being realistic yet positive  The change in the way companies communicate How to responsibly cut expenses What the data says about demand for products and recruiting Features of DriverReach - existing and new Necessity is the mother of adoption How to connect with Jeremy Reymer: https://www.driverreach.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyreymer/

What can you do to make positive changes in your carrier? How do you take feedback from your drivers and implement it? What are you doing to communicate with your drivers? How often are you communicating? How are you doing that communication?  Welcome back to Recruit and Retain, Trucking Edition. This week we are talking to Max Farrell,  CEO at WorkHound, the company giving a megaphone to frontline workers.  “If you haven't looked at WorkHound in the past, WorkHound is a platform all about getting driver feedback, so that it can be actionable for a carrier.” So if you’re concerned about how current events are impacting your drivers, and what kind of feedback you’re receiving from them, as well as what type of leadership is being displayed in the trucking industry right now, you’ve come to the right place.  “I think now is a perfect time to be scoping out how do we become a better version of ourselves. We can either operate in fear and let the fear take us and not do anything productive, or we can just say, ‘how do we come out of this a better version of ourselves?’ I prefer the latter.” What you’ll learn about in this episode: How WorkHound can help your business Leadership in trucking Early denial around Covid-19 Hazard pay Trucking is the backbone of the American economy How to onboard remotely Planning for future recruitment How to connect with Max Farrell: www.workhound.com max@workhound.com Driver feedback report on COVID-19