Hi,

Probably starting school next month. I'm told that from "day one" recruiters by the hundreds will be on campus to recruit drivers.

But I'm not even sure what questions to ask recruiters! Beyond, of course, "how much does your company pay" and "how often will I be home" and that kinda stuff. Maybe, "will I work for an owener/operator at a percentage or have a company truck?"

I need a list of good, intelligent questions to ask the recruiters. It's hard to even know what to ask when you don't know anything about the industry. How 'bout some suggested questions?

Thanks,
Robin

 

You need to sit down and consider what is important to you. The two big questions would be the home time and pay. Detention pay, percentage of driver assist, average miles per week, average length of employment for their drivers, average length of haul, and where you will be running, are a few. Any promises they make should be in writing.

 

Look up "Sheepdancer" here, he's a recruiter. Ask him the questions he gets. BOL

 

OOIDA has a great list of questions:

http://www.ooida.com/Swimming_sharks...o_drivers.html

Not all will apply to you or be relevant to your situation.

Don't touch Lease-Purchase with a ten foot pole. Its bad for any driver, much less someone just getting their license.

Happy Hunting!

 

Like GMAN said you need to decide what is important to you. I know it's hard to think of questions when you know very little to nothing about something so here are some suggestions (in no particular order).

1. cpm (cents per mile) (some companies such as flatbeds pay percentage)
2. is the cpm Practical Miles, HHG (Household Movers Guide), Rand McNally, or...? Practical is the better choice, but there are still a lot of companies that don't pay Practical.
3. Home time - how often and how many days/hours will you be home
4. Dry van, flatbed, reefer, tanker, dump
5. What kind of equipment (Freightliner, Volve, KW, Pete, etc.) 9 or 10 speed, super 10, autoshift, etc. Do they have APUs (generators) so you don't have to idle the truck while sleeping.
6. Insurance - what kind, what ins. company, and what is the cost
7. Vacation schedule and pay
8. percent of D & H (drop and hook) the more D & H the less time sitting at a customer's dock which allows for more driving time which equals more $$
9. percent No Touch (how much chance you may have to unload a trailer yourself). If the load is a hand unload will they pay for a lumper. Some companies prefer the use of lumpers so their drivers don't risk the chance of getting hurt.
10. What areas do they run. Some companies run all 48, but also have regional areas.
11. Do they offer Per Diem. If so, is it required. What is the amount of the per diem. Personally, I do not want per diem. Per diem increases your take-home pay (fewer taxes taken out), but it reduces your Social Security wages therefore affecting your SS benefits when you retire.
12. Can you take the truck home with you on your time off. Unless there is a terminal close by, the answer should be yes. I don't know what companies will be in to your school and how close they are to where you live so this may or may not be something to ask.
13. Accessorial pay - detention pay, layover pay, stop pay, unload pay
14. Bonuses - fuel, safety, performance. Some companies have done away with bonuses but have increased the cpm to make up for no bonuses.
15. Have them explain their training program (every company is different). How long will you be with your trainer. If you and your trainer have major problems getting along, can you request a different trainer. Do they try to match up smoker to smoker, non-smoker to non-smoker, male to male, female to female.
16. If you are in a no-idle state/area and you shut down at a truck stop with Idle Aire, will they pay for the Idle Aire fees.

Some companies have lease/purchase programs. These are usually scams. Stay away from lease/purchase. You can still work for these companies, but work as a company driver. Do not let them talk you into going with the lease/purchase.

 

I found this on one of my searches while looking at a few companies maybe it will be helpful.

Interviewing the interviewer: Check list for company drivers
Here's a list of questions that company drivers will want to ask recruiters before they decide to accept the job:
1. Will I be:
Hired employee___
Contract driver___
(A contract driver is usually paid on a percentage basis and taxes are the responsibility of the contract driver. There also must be a contract between the company and the driver. This contract is for the IRS audits and must meet their requirements. A good way to tell is to refer to form SS8).
2. As an employee, how is my pay figured?
Hourly____ Rate____
By the mile____ Rate____

3. If paid by the mile, how is mileage calculated?
Hub miles____
Computer program such as PCMiler, HHG, etc.____
Dispatched miles____
Loaded miles____
4. Does the company hold back the first paycheck?
Yes____ No____
If so, how long?
One week____ Two weeks____
5. Is the driver responsible for loading and unloading?
Yes____ No____

6. If not, how is the lumper issue handled?
Company contract with lumpers____
Advances for lumpers (deduct from paycheck)____
Reimbursement for lumper with receipts____
7. If driver unloads, how is payment made?
Flat rate___
Hourly____
Piece____
By weight____
8. What is the company policy on fueling?
Driver choice of supplier____
Company choice of supplier____
Fuel Card supplied____
Driver pays & company reimburses___
9. Does the company pay for:
Layovers____
Detention time____
Canceled loads____
Multiple drops and picks____
Tolls____
Truck washes____
Trailer wash-outs____
Scale tickets____
Minor road repairs to equipment such as clearance lights, wiring, etc.____
10. How many miles per week can I expect to run? ______
11. How many days/weeks will a driver be kept out? ______
12. What is the policy on home time? __________________________________________________ ____
13. What benefits does the company offer?
Paid vacation ____ After how long ____ How much vacation time ____
Sick days____ After how long ____ How many sick days ____
Health/dental care ____Is family included? Yes___ No ____
Safety awards ____
Retirement plans/401K ____
Rider policy ____Company paid? Yes___ No ___ What are the age requirements? ____ Is it limited to family members only? Yes ____ No ____
Safety bonuses____ Based on: no violations/accidents ____; Customer Service ____; Feedback/complaints from general public____; On-time ____; SO&D ____; Idle time ____; On time ____ ; Fuel Mileage ____
14. Do you have forced dispatch? Yes____ No____
15. What regions does the company expect you to run? _______________________________________________; Does the company run in areas that you do not want go, such as Canada, Mexico, or NY? Yes____ No____
16. Does the company offer dedicated runs? Yes____ No ____; If yes, how do I get one? ______________________
17. Does driver work directly with brokers (hand-offs)? Yes____ No ____
18. What is the company policy on check calls (status for the day)? _______________________________________
19. Does the company allow pets in the truck? Yes ____ No ____ If so, are damage deposits required? Yes ____ No____; If so, how much? _____ Deposit return policy? ____________________________________________
20. Does company provide cell phones? Yes____ No ____
21. What kind of truck will I be driving? Year____ Make_____ Model_____
22. Can driver take the truck home? Yes ____ No ____
23. What kind of transmission? _________________________________________
24. What kind of engine? _____________________________________________
25. What kind of sleeper? _____________________________________________
26. Can I put my own chrome and lights on the truck? Yes ____ No ____
27. Are speeds governed? Yes ____ No ____ If so, governed at what speed? ____________________________
28. CB equipped? Yes ____ No ____
29. AM/FM radio/TV? Yes _____ No ____
30. Refrigerator? Yes ____ No ____
31. Qualcom? Yes ____ No ____
32. Air Ride seats? Yes ____ No _____
33. Engine Brakes? Yes ____ No ____
34. Opti-Idle? Yes ____ No ____
35. How often does company purchase new equipment? _______________________________________
36. Can I purchase my truck through the company? Yes ____ No ____ Lease/purchase plan? Yes ____ No ____ Success rate on lease/purchase? __________________________________________________ __________
37. Does the company provide training? Yes ____ No ____
38. Is training paid by company? Yes ____ No ____
39. If company paid, is there a penalty if I leave the company before a specified period of time? Yes ____ No ____; If penalty, how is it calculated? __________________________________________________ ______________
40. What are trainer requirements? __________________________________________________ ____________
41. Does the trainer receive extra pay? Yes ____ No ____
42. As a trainer, will I be able to refuse to train a potential driver? Yes ____ No ____
43. Is trainer responsible for actions of trainees? Yes ____ No ____
44. What is the length of training period? __________________________________________________ _______
45. Will I be assigned solo after the training period? Yes ____ No ____
46. Are female trainers provided for female trainees upon request? Yes ____ No ____
47. Is there a smoking/non-smoking policy? Yes ____ No ____
48. Is an escrow, security deposit, performance bond, or any type of money held back by the company? Yes ____ No ____; If so, what is the required amount, and what is the return policy? ___________________________________
49. Is transportation provided to orientation? Yes ____ No ____
50. Motel/Food paid by company? Yes ____ No ____
51. Does the company pay for orientation? Yes ____ No ____
52. If I am disqualified or if I choose not to sign on, does the company pay for my transportation back home? Yes____ No ____
Your personal list of interview questions may grow or shrink as you determine your own requirements, but this checklist is comprehensive enough to give you a good idea of how the company operates. Include the contact person’s full name, company’s name, phone number, and date on your checklist for future reference. You may even want to ask the company recruiter to sign off on it. Don’t count on that happening, but I don’t think this would be a problem for anyone who has answered your questions honestly …do you?
_________________
A walk in the clouds is like a walk on water