Questions Every Driver Should Ask a Recruiter Before Accepting a Job
If you’ve been doing trucking, you know what sometimes happens when dealing with recruiters. They’ll tell you that you’ll be home every weekend, only to find that you’re out for three weeks at a time. They’ll tell you about this attractive sign-up bonus only for you to later find out that you were disqualified for it over something you couldn't control.
Before you ever agree to a job offer, you need to understand the scope of your work. Having questions to ask your trucking recruiter will mean the difference between getting a job that advances your career and having a job that makes you wish you’d never signed on with them.
One thing you need to remember with a recruiter is that they’re trying to fill a job position. Questions will protect your interests. When you have questions to ask a CDL recruiter, good recruiters won’t be vague. Let’s look at some questions you should ask.
Home Time and Time on the Road
Home time is one of the most important issues with truckers, and you want to know what your time on the road looks like. Here are a few questions to ask the recruiter to get a better idea:
Does this position include pay for layovers?
Does it include pay for detention time?
Do I get to pick my routes, or will the trucking company assign them?
Will this position require me to load and unload the truck? If so, what does the pay look like?
What’s your policy on bringing pets with you?
What does your fuel policy look like?
How much home time will I receive with this position?
What does my vacation time look like?
General Questions
These questions cover the general position:
Will I be able to speak to someone at the office 24/7 if there are problems?
What do your bonuses look like?
How big is your trucking company?
Are meals, tolls, and overnight stays covered under your policy?
How many miles away from home am I expected to drive?
Company Benefits
You want to know about the company’s benefits that you receive for signing up. Here are questions to ask:
What do your benefits (dental, medical, vision, etc.) look like?
Do I need to wait to receive the benefits, or are they available right away?
Do you offer benefits for continuing my education, or is there additional training I can do to advance in my career?
What does your paid time off policy look like?
Payment Questions to Ask Your Recruiter
This one especially matters, and we would advise that you don’t overly focus on the cents-per-mile. Look at the whole package since this gives you the best idea of what you receive:
How much do you pay for each mile?
What does your overall pay package look like?
Would you be willing to get all of this in writing?
How many hours are free before I start to receive detention time?
Will the company pay for all the travel involved?
How does your company pay?
What is the maximum rate of pay for your drivers?
How does your sign-on bonus pay out after I sign up?
Will I receive transition pay for changing employers?
Is there orientation pay?
Equipment
There are questions to ask trucking company recruiters because bad equipment can make your time on the road miserable. Even worse, it can make your time out on the road unsafe. Here are a couple to ask:
What kind of truck will I be driving?
On average, how old are your company’s trucks?
How old are your company's trailers?
How often do you perform maintenance on your trucks?
Does the truck have power inverters?
If it doesn’t, can I install an aftermarket one?
Does the truck have a wattage limit for aftermarket power inverters?
If I need to do extended home time, is there a risk that I’ll lose the truck I’m driving?
Do the trucks come equipped with refrigerators?
Is the truck a single or a double bunk?
Can I take the truck home with me during home time?
Will my truck have an air-ride suspension system?
What size is the truck I’ll be driving?
Orientation
One of the areas for questions to ask your trucking recruiter during the interview is orientation-related. Let’s take a look at what to ask:
How long is orientation?
Do we receive anything for going through orientation?
Do you pay for all the travel arrangements?
Do we get our own hotel room, or will we need to bunk with another driver?
View Verified Employer Job Listings
Now that you know the questions to ask your trucking employer, you can view verified employer job listings on Trucker Social. The platform uses a Smart Driver Application system so that you just need to hit click to apply. We have recruiters on our platform who are actively looking for qualified drivers. If you’re looking for a new trucking job, sign up for a FREE profile and begin your job hunt.
