It’s a critical time for trucking: Current estimates are that the industry could be short 63,000 drivers by the end of this year.
More open positions than available drivers means that drivers ultimately have their pick of options. Carriers who can get to and onboard drivers faster than their competitors through a streamlined process ultimately win.
One way to achieve a competitive edge? Ditch the paper and start using digital driver applications (and, ultimately, embrace a full digital hiring and compliance solution).
How Do Digital Driver Applications Work?
A mobile-friendly platform like Foley’s makes the process simpler than ever for both applicants and employers. In fact, Foley’s Driver First eApplication has been found to increase application submissions by 33%.
Drivers can take photos of their CDL and medical certificates—from their preferred device and from wherever they happen to be—and upload them into Foley’s Driver First eApplication. The employer is then immediately sent a notification that an application has been submitted.
This process cuts down on paper applications that can often be illegible and incomplete. But more importantly, employers then have everything they need, all in one place, so that they can make the best hiring decisions for their business. They can easily manage all their applications and applicant information on one user-friendly dashboard.
With such historic shortages, you simply can’t afford not to stand out as an employer. Having a streamlined, digital application and screening process will only benefit your business.
A Fully Digital Hiring Process
But you won’t want to stop there. Now more than ever, time-to-hire is a huge factor for companies: If a driver has two opportunities (or more) the company with the quicker onboarding process usually wins the recruit.
One hiring best practice is to immediately run federally-required screening applications. This helps to get a conditional offer to a driver as soon as possible.
Foley’s DOT background check services cover the full spectrum, including:
- Obtaining motor vehicle record (MVR) reports.
- Obtaining safety performance histories.
- Scanning the DOT Clearinghouse.
- Scanning the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS).
- Checking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Pre-Employment Screening Program.
- Performing criminal background checks.
We also secure consents for all required screens and checks, and we help you set up drug and alcohol tests through our country-wide network of collection sites.
Fully Digital Compliance!
Once you go digital, you’re not likely to want to go back to paper files. They can get lost or damaged, and they can sometimes be hard to keep track of—which can have dire consequences for your business, from fines, to lowered Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores, to out-of-service orders.
And it’s more important now than ever to embrace a digital compliance program, as the FMCSA requires that all files be submitted in a digital format during annual or random audits.
Foley can help keep you on track with our full compliance solution. This includes a comprehensive online driver qualification file management program that gathers all information on MVRs and safety performance history, while staying on top of important dates such as CDL and medical card renewals. And our MVR monitoring program continuously scans your drivers’ MVRs and immediately alerts you to any changes—whether that be a moving violation or an OUI arrest—so that you can take action as soon as possible.
To learn more about Foley’s compliance programs, contact us today!
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