Recruit Like a Mega Carrier Without the Crazy Ad Spend

Last updated 6 July 2022. About 4 min read.

Written by Rick Acosta

In the truck driver recruiting game, those with deep wallets usually hold an unfair advantage, right? What if I told you that smaller companies can get results that are just as good as the mega carriers - but without the crazy ad spend.

What if I told you that smaller companies can get results that are just as good as the mega carriers - but without the crazy ad spend?

It might sound like a tall order, but I’m here to tell you about some ways you can up your recruitment game and get mega-carrier level results on a shoestring budget.

I’ll begin by going over what I consider to be the common pitfalls and obstacles most smaller trucking companies face in their recruitment and follow that with a solution that may help companies like yours to recruit more effectively going forward.

The problem most carriers face

If you’re hiring, there’s one bottom line and that’s your need for drivers. Of course, unless you’re efficient in reaching drivers, you’re probably unsatisfied with the quantity or the quality of the driver leads you’re receiving.

Without a full overview of your options, it’s easy to make choices that are either too costly or will not work for you in the long run.

This problem only gets worse when you either feel overwhelmed with choice or, on the contrary, don’t know what your choices are. For most carriers, there are too many advertising options to know which one will work best for them.

Why you only hear about expensive advertising options

Besides word of mouth, most carriers will pick a job board or two as their default job advertising method. Some carriers will get lucky, either due to their location, or due to their proposition, and others will not get the results they desire.

At that stage, after having tried job boards, it’s easy for a carrier to think they’ve exhausted all the tools in their arsenal. At this point, they might consider taking out an ad in the paper.

As the doubt continues to form, the telephone rings, and on the other end is a job advertising agency promising phenomenal results.

The catch? Job advertising agencies cost money, and a lot of it. And they usually want you to pay up front.

Now, if you’re not careful, falling for the wrong agency can leave you in a worse spot than where you started. Why’s that?

That’s because some agencies will:
  • Post ads manually for you and charge you a markup
  • Reach into an existing pool of driver contact details and send you the whole list, even if those drivers didn’t apply to your job
  • Charge you for an advertising effort that doesn’t yield results.

The worst part is that overpaying for, or not receiving the results you expected can leave you feeling like advertising your job is a lost cause, especially online. Maybe it’s time to take out an ad in the paper - that’ll work, right?

Stop right there! Don’t move a muscle and don’t go calling the local newspaper, alright? I’ve got a better idea, and you can tell me if you think it’s any good.

Our solution

The solution is simple, and it goes a little something like this:

A job advertising option where you only pay for results, bypass overcrowded avenues, and target drivers in their off time.

Sounds good, right? Well, it’s possible. And once you hear about it, it might be hard to go back to doing things the old fashioned way.

To address this problem of wasted money, we’ve devised a new way for trucking companies to reach CDL-A drivers in their hiring area. It’s as simple as this:

  • Register for YouCruit or reach out to us at sales@youcruit.com
  • Upload the job or jobs you’re hiring for
  • Set up your job description, policies, hiring areas, and operating areas. These will feed directly into the Lanefinder app, which will allow pre-qualified drivers to apply to your positions (for free).
  • One of our representatives will reach out to you to get you set up
And here’s how it works:
  1. Request any number of candidates - Place an order for the amount of candidates you would like to receive.
  2. We advertise your jobs for free - YouCruit advertises your jobs all over the internet free of charge.
  3. Your jobs get seen on the best ad channels - Your ads are distributed as effectively as possible by our advertising algorithms.
  4. Drivers are sent directly to you - All drivers that apply can be contacted and hired instantly for as little as $7 per candidate.
  5. Pay only for the candidates you need - Once you’ve filled your trucks, or you no longer have a hiring need, just stop the order. You’re in full control, and never have to pay more than what you need.

Will this instantly fix all your problems?

As we all know, there is no “magic solution” to anything. Everything has its downsides and hurdles, and the effectiveness of an advertising model like this depends on a lot of factors.

However, we have the ability to target relevant CDL-A drivers in your hiring area, and get your job seen by passive and active candidates alike. Not to mention, there's no charge until you actually get the results you ordered.

So what's the worst case scenario with an approach like this? You might not get as many candidates as you want, at the speed you want... but that's it. You don't lose money, you don't put yourself in a risky situation, and you always have control over when and how your campaign is running.

Does that sound good or what?

Conclusion

Regardless of how and where you advertise your jobs, I encourage you to always think up and consider creative and novel ways to elevate your recruiting practices.

If you want to get your jobs on YouCruit and receive free drivers from the Lanefinder app, either sign up here or reach out to us at sales@youcruit.com. And remember to sign up to our newsletter for everything truck driver recruiting.