CCJ

June 2015

Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal

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commercial carrier journal | june 2015 53 COVER STORY: HIGH-TECH RECRUITING Lasting commitments Every week, driver candidates for motor carriers of all types at- tend orientation meetings. They already have been prequalified by their work experience and driving records and are only a few meetings away from getting behind the wheel to earn income with their new companies. But not everyone in the room will make it that far. Some may have to drop out due to a lack of knowledge or skills to perform the job. Others will make it through orientation, only to quit a few weeks later for any number of reasons. Many will not stay around long enough to celebrate a one-year work anniversary. Onboarding a driver candidate remains full of challenges. While the process still depends on some level of face-to-face interaction between employers and job candidates, technology now is playing a more important role in helping carriers make the process more seamless for new hires. Compared to the industry as a whole, Maverick Transporta- tion has a particularly stringent employment screening process. Driver candidates for the 1,500-truck flatbed carrier must pass a hair follicle drug test and are checked for sleep apnea. The North Little Rock, Ark.-based company has diverse operations that include flatbed, temperature control and glass on specialized trailers. During orientation, all drivers must go through a custom training program and master an array of computerized and instructor-led courses on safety, compliance and other topics. "We want to attract a better quality person because of our brand," says Curt Valcovik, director of driver training. "Our cul- ture demands that we put the right person behind those maroon trucks." Maverick uses EBE's learning management system to stream- line its training process. The LMS provides the framework for all of the fleet's courses and training content that includes videos, PowerPoint presentations, tests and more. The system gives instructors a real-time assessment of drivers as they go through training. Drivers who begin to fall behind are given an individualized Driver Action Plan to help them suc- ceed. Examples of DACs include helping drivers improve their note-taking or reading skills. Since Maverick started initiating DACs, fewer drivers are dropping out early. In 2014, the company had 100 DACs, each of which represents a driver that "might otherwise have decided they were not Maverick material," Valcovik says. "Drilling down to individuals has really helped our turnover percentages in orientation alone," he says. Last year, Maverick's turnover rate during orientation was about 21 percent, a number Valcovik expects will continue to shrink. "Good training will keep that bucket from draining." The fleet's annual turnover rate is about 62 percent. Last year, Maverick received about 58,000 leads and, of those, processed 4,287 and hired two percent. "People come to us because of our educational program and culture," he says. "Those make them want to be part of us." Navajo Express last month changed its pay structure to ad- dress a pitfall it identified for new drivers joining its organization. The company now offers a guaranteed daily wage for drivers with a certain amount of experience. The program has some conditions, such as the driver "willing to work," says Varner, but "they do not have to run heavy miles right off the bat." He anticipates this change will help drivers feel more comfortable as they become familiar with the company and its systems, which "allows us to make sure we are operating in a safe fashion." The new pay program was added to Navajo's existing on- boarding process where drivers are set up with mentors and fleet managers to help them succeed during the first weeks on the job. The pay structure change was inspired by exit interviews with outgoing drivers to identify areas of improvement, Varner says. While Navajo's current turnover rate is in line with the industry average, "we are taking a lot of steps to get it better," he says. The TMW Synergize recruiting software has a workflow and process checklist associated with driver applicants. This workflow is fully configurable to a com- pany's standards and business rules. Curt Valcovik, director of driver training for North Little Rock, Ark.-based Maverick Transportation, says that orientation training plays an important role in driver retention.

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