You get called constantly. Most calls sound the same, and most of the numbers in them are the best case rather than the usual case. These are the questions that get you past that, and they work on us too.
On the money
“What did drivers in this seat actually average last month?” Not the top earner, not the ceiling in the advert. A straight answer includes a month and a range. “Up to” is not an answer.
“What comes out before I see it?” Insurance, escrow, occupational coverage, trailer rent, cargo deductions. Every one of them should be named before you go, in writing.
“How are miles assigned when freight is short?” Someone decides who sits. Ask who, and ask what happens in a slow week.
On the schedule
“How many nights were drivers on this account home last month?” Home time is the most oversold number in the industry, because it is the easiest to describe loosely and the hardest to check afterwards.
“Who covers me if I need a day?” If the answer is vague, the answer is nobody.
On the equipment
“What year is the truck, and is it assigned or slip-seated?” A shared truck is a different job from an assigned one, whatever the pay says.
“Who pays when it is in the shop?” Downtime pay, or the absence of it, is worth more than a few cents per mile.
On the paperwork
“When exactly will you pull my MVR and DAC?” Every application leaves a mark. The more pulls on your record in a short window, the worse it reads to the next carrier. Nobody should be pulling anything until you have decided you are actually going.
“Who are you paid by, and when?” This is the question most recruiters answer badly, so here is ours: fleets pay us, and only while you stay. Nothing when you sign, nothing if you leave. That is why sending you somewhere bad costs us money.
What a good answer sounds like
It has a number, a month, or a name attached. “I do not know” is a good answer when it is true, and far better than a confident guess you will discover is wrong in week two. Ask us anything on this list and if we cannot back it up, we will say so.