This article is step 12 in our multi-step Beginner’s Guide to Becoming a CDL Driver. To read the entire guide follow the link above to be taken to our step by step slideshow.
General Questions to ask your Recruiter
- Is the company privately or publicly held?
- How many total employees does the company have?
- How many drivers does the company currently have?
- What is the company’s turnover rate?
- How many empty trucks does the company have right now?
- If the company has a lot of empty truck it might be a sign that more drivers quitting then they are able to hire.
- How many terminals does the company have and where are they?
- How long has the average driver been with the company?
- What is the passenger policy?
- What is the pet policy?
Operational Questions to ask your Driver Recruiter:
- What kinds of freight does the company haul?
- In what states does the company operate in the most?
- What is the ratio of driver mangers to drivers?
- What is the ratio of load planners to trucks?
- What is the average length of load?
- What is the average # of miles per tractor?
- How are the drivers miles calculated?
- Short Miles
- Practical mileage
- Household Movers Guide
- What percent of your freight is Drop and Hook?
- Are drivers required to physically unload freight?
- How many hours are free before the driver starts receiving detention time pay?
- Does the company have multiple stop loads?
- How long do stops take to get offloaded on average?
- Is the company forced dispatched?
- What happens if a driver refuses to take a dispatch for a legitimate reason?
- Are drivers able to stay within a certain geographically area or are they required to run wherever the company runs?
- Does your company use customer based freight or brokered freight?
- What percentage of the companies freight is brokered freight?
- Does the trucking company have an idle policy?
- Does the company use satellite communications?
- Does the company use E-logs or Paper Logs?
- If the company uses e-log which system is used? People-Net, Qualcomm, etc?
Equipment questions to ask your Driver Recruiter:
- What type of trucks does the company use?
- What is the average age of the company’s tractors?
- What is the average age of the company’s trailers?
- Do the trucks come equipped with APU’s?
- Do the trucks come equipped with power inverters?
- If no power inverters are installed can the driver install one aftermarket?
- Is there a wattage limit for aftermarket power invertors?
- Does the company “slip seat” drivers or assign drivers to trucks?
- If a driver takes extended home time is there a risk that their truck will be taken away and reassigned?
- Are drivers able to take the tractor home with them on home time?
- Do drivers need to be prepared to have a place to keep the trailer on home time?
- Can drivers leave the trailer locked up in a different location than the tractor on home time?
- Do the trucks come equipped with refrigerators?
- Do the trucks have single bunks or double bunks?
Question to ask your driver recruiter about new hire orientation:
- How long is the company’s orientation process?
- Are new hires paid anything for orientation?
- Does the company pay for all travel arrangements?
- What method of travel does the company use?
- Flight, Bus, Rental Car?
- Does the driver get their own hotel room or are drivers required to room with another driver?
- Does the company expect the driver to pay them back for orientation expenses if the driver does not drive for them for a certain period of time?
- After orientation is finished how long will it take for the driver can get dispatched home to pick up his/her gear?
- Are pets and passengers allowed to attend orientation with the driver?
- Does the company have enough trucks for all of the drivers it hires at orientation or will the driver need to travel to another facility or terminal to recover a truck after orientation is finished?
Questions to ask you recruiter about compensation and pay:
- How does the company pay?
- Based off of my level of experience – how much is the company willing to pay me?
- What is the max rate of pay for your drivers?
- How does the company handle raises?
- What type of benefits does the company offer?
- Medical
- Dental
- Vison
- Life Insurance
- Accident death
- Disability
- 401K & retirement benefits
- Vacation
- Sick pay
- Payroll deduction programs such as a flex spending account or health saving account
- How long must a driver be employed before benefits kick in?
- Does the company offer a fuel bonus program?
- Does the company offer a safety bonus program?
- Does the company offer a performance bonus program?
- Does the company offer any sign on bonuses?
- How does the sign on bonus pay out?
- Does the company offer longevity bonuses or retention bonuses for tenured drivers?
- Does the company offer a driver referral bonus program?
- Does the company offer transition pay for changing employers?
- Does the company offer orientation pay?
Questions that truck drivers need to ask their recruiter before thinking about a “Lease Purchase Program”
- Does your company offer a Lease Purchase Program?
- Is the driver required to be a company driver first before becoming eligible to lease a truck?
- Are your hiring qualifications for Lease Purchase different than what they are for your company drivers?
- If so how are they different?
- What is required from the driver to get started with the Lease?
- Money Down
- Money in reserves
- Credit Check
- What type of equipment do you lease?
- Does the company buy the trucks from a dealership when a new driver starts or do new drivers use equipment that has already been leased out?
- How long is the lease for?
- How much does is cost each week for the lease?
- Are driver required to pay truck payments when they are off the road?
- Is there a balloon payment or a buyout at the end of the lease
- What happens if drivers are unable to pay this at the end?
- Does the company help driver finance the remaining balloon
- What are all of the “other” charges that drivers are required to pay in addition to the truck payment?
- Plates
- Permits
- PrePass
- Tolls
- Scales
- Lumpers
- What type of insurances is lease purchase drivers required to pay?
- Physical Damage
- Bobtail
- Occupational accident
- Are drivers responsible for finding these insurances on their own?
- What type of escrow accounts does the company make the driver set up?
- Maintenance
- Tires
- Walk away lease escrow
- What happens to the driver in the event they are unable to finish the lease?
- Are drivers charged a fee?
- Are escrow accounts and maintenance accounts refunded to the driver when they leave?
- Do lease purchase driver get special preferences for freight?
- Are LP drivers paid for all miles?
- Does LP driver get 100% of the fuel surcharge?
- Are LP drivers paid by the mile or by Percentage?
- If by the percentage how will drivers know what they true percentage is?
- What type of maintenance is the driver responsible for?
- Will someone in the office keep track of when regular maintenance is due or is the driver responsible for scheduling their own maintenance?
- Where are the repairs preformed? Does the driver have a say in this?
- How often are driver paid? By the week or by the load?
- Do LP drivers need to have their own Trailers?
- If not, are drivers charged a rental fee for the use of the companies trailers
- Does your company offer any type of tax services to help the driver out when filing their taxes?
- What are the total weekly expenses for all charges on the lease each week not including fuel?
- Can driver get fuel anywhere or are they limited to certain fuel stops?
- Does the company keep track of all maintenance records for each truck?
- If so, can the driver see of copy of all maintenance on the truck before leasing?
- Can the driver get the contract for the lease sent to them before coming in so the driver can review the lease?
- What are the most negative things about your lease compared to what other companies are offering?
- Can you give me a name and number of a current Lease Driver so I can get feedback directly from a driver on how the lease works?
- Is the driver allowed to customize the truck, such as installing new wheels, shifters, seats, stacks, etc… before having it paid off?
