You finished truck driving school. You have your CDL. Your resume is polished and ready. You have a nice suit. You鈥檙e getting job interviews.
So why can鈥檛 you close the deal? Why are you still without the trucking job you have been working for? You have the tools, so why aren鈥檛 you getting the employment?
Turns out there could be any number of reasons. Hiring managers, especially in the trucking industry, can be extremely picky. They want the perfect candidate, or at least the closest thing to it. If you find yourself possessing these traits, or even projecting them during your interview, you might find yourself perpetually on the outside looking in with little hope of breaking through.
Attitude: A bad attitude is career poison, and coming off as someone who is inflexible, unwilling to adapt, or do what you told is probably the easiest way to not get a job. No trucking company owner wants someone with a bad attitude in one of their rigs; as a representative of their company on America鈥檚 roadways, employees whose attitude gets in their way are more likely to have a bout of road rage or drive carelessly, which can lead to accidents, loss of property, or other damages or issues.
Bad driving record: If you haven鈥檛 taken care of your driving record, you鈥檙e not going to make it in. It鈥檚 that simple. If you can鈥檛 keep yourself away from the police lights, particularly if you are involved in driving-related charges like reckless driving, or driving under the influence, you鈥檙e untouchable to almost any trucking company. Keep your house, and your driving record, in order, and keep yourself employable.
Unpreparedness: Before you go into an interview, research the trucking company you鈥檙e applying with. Know things like what they haul, which types of trucks and trailers they drive and pull, how many drivers they employ, and whether they are union or not. In other words, just do a little homework and go into the interview armed with some knowledge. Coming off as knowledgeable is the best way to impress an employer, so learn a little something about the company you are applying for (you may even learn something that helps you gauge whether you want to work there or not).
Job Hopping: Many of you are applying for your first trucking jobs, and may think this doesn鈥檛 apply, but how many jobs did you go through before you got into trucking? If you switched jobs more frequently than every six months, you may bet a reputation for being a job hopper, which means you aren鈥檛 hanging around long enough to really develop into a role. It鈥檚 a sign of impatience and flakiness, and it is something that can scare off potential suitors if you have a history of doing it. If you have been guilty of job hopping in the past, be ready to explain it with an answer other than 鈥淚 get bored easily.鈥�
There are many other ways that you can improve yourself as a job candidate as you begin your truck driving career. For a few more tips, this video from jiggyjobs.com for ways to get more attention from employers.