Driver Recommendations in the Age of Social Media: A Modern Take on Recruitment Methods

Clarissa Rankin is becoming a celebrity on TikTok. But she's not the typical social media influencer who urges fans to buy specific products. Rankin is a truck driver who shares details of her work and life to attract more people into the industry.

"I do educational videos," said Rankin, an independent owner-operator on the CloudTrucks platform. "I bring viewers into my home... showing how I prepare my truck, how I meal prep, and how I get my family settled before I leave."

As labor constraints continue to bethe trucking industry's biggest concern, companies have had to get creative with recruiting.

Peer-to-peer crowdsourcing driven by social media is growing in popularity as a truck driver recruiting strategy. Recruitment advertising agency Conversion Interactive Agency has been practicing this method for itself and its clients.

"We have some drivers who are very successful, especially on Facebook," said Steve Sichterman, vice president of ConversionU, the transportation-focused division of Conversion Interactive Agency. "At the end of the day, we're trying to attract drivers in every way possible."

The transparency of peer-to-peer social media interactions demystifies the industry and builds a sense of camaraderie among truck drivers, which could make the job more appealing to potential applicants.

A fresh look at referral programs

Social media crowdsourcing is essentially a form of referral—and referrals have been around for decades.

"This isn't new. It's just that the tools people use are different, or more advanced now," Sichterman said.

Some of those tools are apps like RocketCDL, where drivers can recruit peers via their phones and just as easily find out when a referred driver gets hired.

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"At the end of the day, we're trying to attract drivers in every way possible."

Steve Sichterman

Vice President of ConversionU at Conversion Interactive Agency

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Many carriers have bonus programs that pay existing employees for successful driver referrals. Wendy Bartz, director of sales and services at DriverReach, a recruiting and retention software company, explained that employees should be reminded of bonus programs regularly, not just during new hire orientation.

No matter the specific method, referrals are a primary way fleets find new drivers. According to Sichterman, a few years ago, driver referrals accounted for about 40% of carriers' recruiting volume.

What managers like is that referred drivers have already been pre-screened by existing employees.

"We want people who are similar to your current drivers, and you also get higher-quality hires," he said.

Referral bonus programs don't have to be a new expense; funding them by adjusting some budget items is feasible.

"Instead of putting advertising dollars into advertising, give some of it to your current drivers," Bartz said. "You can't put all your eggs in one basket. You have to diversify across multiple areas, whether it's marketing, ad campaigns, referral programs, or rehiring former employees."

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Bartz also observed an increase in transportation companies giving away big-ticket prizes like boats and vacations to attract and retain employees.

"We always think it's about money, but tangible rewards are happening too," she said.

However, crowdsourced recruiting has its downsides. Duskee Kassing, director of operations at Dot Transportation (a subsidiary of Dot Foods), said it's hard to tell whether a social media post is paid promotion or a genuine organic post.

Sichterman noted that some people bash a company on social media over a single negative experience, but the damage can be far-reaching.

Simple and effective

Experts say that for well-run fleets, allowing employees to interact with peers on social media is likely to do more good than harm. And as the trucking industry tries toimprove its reputationand attract underrepresented groups in the industry, platforms with broad reach could help spread the word.

"A lot of people are scared of trucking," Rankin said. "I try to make sure that on my platform, people see the full picture of the industry... I show them everything truck drivers really experience."

Rankin especially wants to reach women.

"I really want to show women that they can do this too," she said. "We really need to increase the 9% share that women hold in the trucking industry."

Dot encourages employees to post personal content on social media about their trucking experiences and how they feel about their jobs. Kassing said she's noticed more drivers using YouTube to talk about work life.

Although the company doesn't manage a formal crowdsourcing program, it does provide peer recruiting materials to drivers who ask, including T-shirts with the Dot logo and recruiting website address.

Crowdsourcing is likely to persist or even grow as a truck driver recruiting practice for two reasons: it's simple to do, and it works.

"A lot of women say, 'I never noticed truck driving as a career until you came along.' They pay more attention to it now because I showed them behind the scenes," Rankin said. "The word is really spreading."