Why Some Fleets Have a Hiring Problem - And Others Don’t

Another Week, Another Truck Sitting Idle. You’ve raised pay, offered sign-on bonuses, and spent thousands on job ads. And yet, your trucks are still parked, waiting for drivers.

Meanwhile, some fleets never seem to have this problem. Their trucks stay on the road. Their drivers stick around for years. So, what’s their secret?

Meet Joe – The Kind of Driver Every Fleet Wants

Joe isn’t just another job-hopping driver. He’s the one every fleet hopes to hire:

? 10+ years behind the wheel

? Zero CSA violations, TWIC-certified, Hazmat endorsement

? Dependable as they come – No abandoned loads, no late deliveries, no dispatcher headaches

? Respected at the truck stops – Other drivers trust his word

? Loyal – Stayed 4+ years at his last two companies

And right now, Joe is looking for his next fleet. But here’s the thing—Joe isn’t applying to just any company.

Why good drivers skip most fleets

Joe isn’t scrambling for work.?Recruiters call him daily. His inbox is packed with job offers.

But?drivers like Joe don’t just apply to the first company they see.?They’ve been in the industry long enough to know?that a job post alone doesn’t tell the full story.

For Joe, stability and trust matters more than a quick paycheck.?Think about it. He stayed with his last two companies for?4+ years.?That’s not a driver chasing sign-on bonuses. That’s a driver looking for?a company he can trust.

So, before even considering an offer, Joe?does his research.?

How Pro Drivers Actually Choose a Fleet

Step 1: They Look Online

• No active social media? No driver testimonials? No Google reviews? Red flag.
• If a fleet doesn’t show up online, drivers assume the worst.

Step 2: They Look for Proof

• Smart fleets don’t just post “We’re Hiring” ads—they showcase their team, culture, and driver experience.
• If all a driver sees is generic job ads, they move on.

Step 3: They Ask Around

• At truck stops, in Facebook groups, and among friends, drivers share their experiences.
• If a company plays games with pay, burns out drivers, or has a bad reputation, the drivers know.

Most fleets never realize how many great drivers pass them over before even applying.

The Psychology of Driver Decision-Making

The best drivers don’t just compare paychecks, they compare security, reliability, and culture.

Why? Because they’ve been burned before.

• They’ve seen carriers offer sign-on bonuses, only to cut miles after onboarding.
• They’ve taken jobs with poor communication, inconsistent pay, or dispatcher issues.
• They’ve dealt with companies that look great on paper but fall apart in practice.

This is why perception matters. Drivers make decisions based on the cues your fleet gives off online—not just what you say in a job post. If you aren’t controlling the story, assumptions will be made for you.

The Cost of Being Invisible to Drivers

What happens when fleets don’t control how they’re perceived? They lose out.

Hiring Becomes Expensive: Running endless job ads with low conversion rates. Turnover Increases: If drivers don’t feel connected to a company, they leave faster. Reputation Suffers: If drivers don’t know what a company stands for, they assume the worst.

Example: A trucking company can spend $50,000 on job ads in one year—but still struggle to hire. Another company can spend half that on marketing and building its reputation, and drivers will apply organically.

Why Some Fleets Never Struggle to Hire

The best fleets don’t just rely on job ads when they need drivers. They build a reputation that attracts drivers year-round.

? Drivers already know who they are.

? They showcase why drivers stay.

? They stand out from the noise.

The Business Case for Marketing

Many fleet owners hesitate to invest in marketing, thinking it’s just an extra expense. But the reality is, not marketing is costing you far more than a social media strategy or branding campaign ever would.

Without marketing, here’s what fleets are losing:

• Wasted recruiting spend – Spending $10,000+ a month on job ads that bring in low-quality applicants.
• High turnover costs – Losing a driver and hiring a new one costs an average of $8,234 per position. (NPTC Report)
• Missed business opportunities – Fleets with a weak online presence struggle to secure direct shipper contracts and partnerships.

Fleets that invest in their brand spend less on recruitment in the long run because drivers seek them out instead of the other way around.

Why Higher Pay & Job Ads Aren’t Enough

Many fleets assume recruitment is just about offering more money. But the data tells a different story:

• 91% driver turnover rate – Large truckload carriers experience nearly complete driver turnover each year. (ATA)
• 51.3% of drivers report being satisfied with their job, a decline from 54.1% in 2019. (Drive My Way)
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 240,300 truck driver job openings annually due to turnover and industry demand. (BLS)

The reality? The best drivers have options. They don’t just jump at the highest-paying job. They pick fleets they trust.

What Fleets Get Wrong About Marketing

Many fleet owners think they’re doing some form of marketing, but in reality, they are actually making mistakes that hurt their recruiting efforts.

What NOT to Do:

• Posting only when you need drivers – Fleets that only post job ads and disappear between hiring seasons don’t build credibility.
• Ignoring negative reviews – Drivers read company reviews just like customers do. A single bad review with no response can turn away dozens of applicants.
• Using generic job ads – “NOW HIRING CDL-A DRIVERS” won’t cut it. If your ad looks like every other fleet’s, it won’t stand out.
• Neglecting branding in recruiting – If a fleet has no personality, no visible culture, and no driver success stories, why would anyone trust them?

How to Become a Fleet That Drivers Want to Work For

Instead of constantly chasing drivers, the best fleets make drivers come to them. Here’s how:

Step 1: Show Up Where Drivers Are

• Active social media, Google presence, and industry visibility.
• If drivers can’t find you, they won’t trust you.

Step 2: Be More Than a Job Post

• Share real driver experiences, fleet culture, and what makes you different.
• Drivers don’t just look at job ads—they look at everything a company puts out.

Step 3: Stay Consistent

• The best fleets don’t just recruit when they need drivers—they maintain visibility year-round.
• That way, when drivers are ready to make a move, they already have a fleet in mind.

How Smaller Fleets Can Compete with Industry Giants

Mega-carriers like Schneider, Swift, and J.B. Hunt dominate recruiting for a reason—they’ve spent years building their reputation through consistent branding and marketing. But that doesn’t mean small and mid-sized carriers can’t compete.

How to Stand Out Against Larger Fleets:

? Tell a better story – Unlike corporate carriers, smaller fleets can highlight family culture, personal connections, and driver-first values.

? Be more responsive – Engaging with drivers directly on social media makes your fleet feel approachable.

? Showcase driver success – Big fleets treat drivers like numbers. You can showcase real people thriving at your company.

? Use video content – Short, engaging recruitment videos build trust faster than any written ad.

Smaller fleets that master agility, authenticity, and relationship-building will win over the best drivers without needing a massive recruiting budget.

If Drivers Aren’t Choosing Your Fleet, There’s a Reason

The fleets that grow the fastest aren’t throwing money at the problem. They’ve built a reputation that makes hiring easy. Drivers already know who they are.

If your trucks are sitting empty, it’s not just a hiring issue. It’s a visibility issue.

We’ve worked with fleets stuck in the same cycle—hiring the wrong people, burning money on , and struggling to keep up. The ones that broke out didn’t just raise pay.?They made sure drivers saw them as a company worth working for.

We’ve been helping fleets do exactly that for over eight years.?Some of our customers have increased their fleet size by over 250% in just two years?by dialing their marketing and recruiting strategy. Because when a fleet looks?stable, professional, and worth a driver’s time,?good drivers apply—and they stay.

If your fleet isn’t where it should be, let’s change that. Talk to our team and find out how we can support your goal.

Let’s talk about what’s holding your fleet back.

???Schedule a free consultation here.