How To Create Compelling Driver Recruiting Ads

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You need a consistent stream of qualified drivers applying to work for you. You can’t achieve this without effective truck driver recruiting ads.

Every company, trucking or otherwise, has ads for their business to try and attract new employees. What sets a successful ad campaign apart from a regular, middling one is an identity.

"What sets a successful ad campaign apart from a regular, middling one is an identity."

So how do you figure out what makes your company special, and then make ads around that? Read our 4 steps below to find out.

4 Steps to Create Advertisements for Truck Drivers

We’ve studied thought leaders in neuromarketing so you don’t have to. And after reading Patrick Renvoise and others for a decade, we learned that  there is a simple four-step process for creating effective, engaging ads:

1. Interrupt
2. Engage
3. Educate
4. Call to Action

Follow these steps, and you’ll have ads that stand out from the crowd and attract best-fit drivers.

1. Interrupt

You have less than one second to grab a person's attention with an advertisement - especially if they're scrolling through Facebook on their phone. Visual images are the most effective way to get someone's attention, so you want to find one that defines an important point about your company. This has to be both accurate and clear to a prospective driver, or you're defeating the purpose. Try to focus on a common area of complaint like not enough home time.

To make your ads stop qualified driver candidates from scrolling past, consider trying some of the following tactics:

• Make a Unique Claim — The first thing they should read is something that matters to them and that they can’t find anywhere else. Avoid leading with platitudes or claims that every other trucking company leads with. Start with a promise that no one else can offer.  
• Use Color and Contrast — Consider using your brand colors and a few contrasting visuals to capture attention. If your brand colors don't offer a lot of contrast, you can always consider adding a pop of color to your text or background.
• Relatable Imagery — Ads perform better when the audience can relate to the imagery. So if you're promoting a job opening in the south, don't use photos of trucks driving through snow. If you're hiring for an experienced driver position, try to avoid pictures of drivers fresh out of high school. And if you're hiring team drivers, don't show a driver solo in a cab.
• Real Photos — If you have it, using real imagery instead of stock photos can go a long way. It comes across as more authentic and relatable and gives potential drivers a realistic view of your company culture. If you don’t have it, consider contracting out to professional videographers and photographers. Their expertise is always worth the price. 

If you want to learn more about standing out with unique claims, check out our video series on finding your purple cow.

2. Engage

Now that you have your future driver’s attention, you need something that will make them bite. You only have 1-3 seconds to engage them, so you need to add words carefully chosen to go with your image. Explain why they would want to drive for you and not your competition.

If you've chosen to focus on home time, make them a guarantee of how much home time they can expect. Try to use specifics whenever possible. A lot of companies promise “great starting pay” or “a lot of home time” without attaching a tangible number. Numbers talk. Be straight with them and don't make a promise you can't keep. A few benefits to consider highlighting:

• Pay — Again, be specific and competitive
• Type of Run/Range — This is going to be one of the main questions that candidates have, and if you can answer it right away, you can capture the attention of a driver candidate
• Schedule and Time Off — Another one of the primary questions candidates will have, highlight home time and regular schedules if you can
• Training and Development — Training opportunities for drivers can be particularly appealing to younger candidates, but development tracks for more experienced drivers can show opportunities within the company

If you're looking to hire experienced drivers, make that clear in your job ad and focus highlight benefits that are aligned with experienced drivers, such as:

• Pay — Ok, we already mentioned this, but more experienced drivers are going to command higher pay, so make sure your compensation reflects this.
• Benefits — More experienced drivers are more likely to have family members to support, which means benefits like insurance and retirement savings will be more appealing.

3. Educate

If you've done the first two parts successfully, you have their attention and have generated their desire to learn more.

Show them what your company is all about in a couple of simple points. Keep it short and clear because the human brain is not programmed to retain a ton of information at one time. We forget details about everything we read, so cut your company's whole culture and operation down to three aspects that will make the driver want to join. Each bullet point should be one to two sentences.

Longer-form content about your company and its culture can be well-suited for blog posts, social media, or a dedicated page on your website.

And don't forget, on most advertising platforms you'll have limited room for text (plus limited attention), so save details like specific job requirements for the job description.

4. Call to Action

You’ve attracted, engaged, and educated. Now, what do you want your potential drivers to do with this information?

This is called the Call to Action, and it will be different for every company. Usually, it’s filling out an online application. But regardless of what it is, you need it to be clear and easy to do from a phone. It should be as easy as clicking a button to take them directly to a job application.

Aside from the call to action, you should include a phone number for candidates to reach a recruiter or hiring manager. Some drivers still like to speak with someone over the phone before applying for a position.

Our product A-Suite Ad makes it easy to craft compelling advertisements with a clear call to action.

Bonus: The Application Process

The key here is developing recruiting ads that attract qualified truck drivers, but all of that hard work can go to waste if you don't have an effective application process. Here are some quick tips:

1. Offer an online application — Digital applications are the expectation, not the exception. Make sure it's easy to fill out online from any device.
2. Leverage an applicant tracking system — One of the worst things that you can do is lose track of quality candidates in your recruiting pipeline. Ensure you're using an applicant tracking system to qualify and communicate with candidates throughout the process.
3. Communicate effectively — Candidates are likely applying to multiple jobs, so the faster you can get calls or emails to job applicants, the higher the likelihood that they'll proceed with your application process.

Win More Drivers With Effective Advertising

While job boards are often an important part of the driver lead generation mix, job ads leave more room for creativity and uniqueness. Most online job boards offer employers the same layout and space for headlines, text, and details. Compelling ads can be the simplest way to get noticed in truck driver recruiting.

The main point is to have an identity built around a driver-centric culture and your own unique brand statement.

Successful recruiting starts with compelling ads that get people's attention and lay everything out quickly and easily. So start implementing this process in your recruiting efforts to see better results and stand out from all the noise on the driver job market.