PAM: OTR MENTOR

“I understand what you’re saying, but you have to realize that with these local accounts the fact that you’re home in your own bed everyday is basically part of the compensation. Most drivers are willing to take a bit less pay in exchange for that benefit. And most home daily jobs also require you to start with a night driving shift because the more desirable day shifts go to the drivers with seniority; typically those with years and years on that account.

“I understand what you’re saying, but I’ll bet they didn’t guarantee you a certain amount of miles or pay per week. You need to understand that I talk to drivers every single day who took a job because the pay rate sounded really good, but now they’ve been sitting at the house for two weeks with a shiny brand new truck in the yard just waiting to get dispatched on a load. Their bills aren’t getting paid and so they call me back to ask if the job we talked about is still available. Sadly in most cases the answer ends up being no.

“The important difference here is freight volume. The carrier I’m trying to set you up with is a strong national carrier with excellent, reliable freight volume who is going to be able to make sure you’re getting your mileage in every week (and if applicable) this job has a guaranteed weekly pay of $________, so you’re going to be making money whether that truck moves an inch or not.

“Let me ask you this: As long as the paychecks clear when you go to cash them, what difference does it really make whose logo is painted on the side of the truck? I mean I understand if you or someone you know had a bad experience once, or maybe you’ve heard rumors about someone who did. But just like any other national company, there are good employees and there are bad ones. It doesn’t necessarily reflect on the entire company and all their employees.

“The other side of that coin is that if it’s someone else that had a bad experience, then you’ve got to realize that you and I weren’t there. We don’t really know the actual circumstances around any situation because there are always two sides to every story, and you’re making important, life-changing calculations for your own life and career based on the single side of someone else’s story. And for every bad experience you’ve heard about, I can name ten drivers who love that carrier and brag about them all the time. If you have a bad experience with a Walmart employee we don’t generally boycott Walmart for the rest of our lives. And likewise, a lousy dispatcher from Houston or wherever isn’t going to be in (DRIVER’S AREA). In fact, they probably won’t be tolerated at that carrier for long at all if they’re making their drivers quit, or asking them to do something illegal…

“There are certain carriers who are willing to give first time drivers a seat, and problem drivers a second chance. And fortunately that’s the case, otherwise there would be no place for new drivers to cut their teeth and gain the experience they need to progress in their career. And there aren’t very many drivers out there who have a perfectly clean driving record with no dings whatsoever for as long as they’ve been in a truck.

“At the end of the day what I’m proposing is just a temporary job; not a marriage. This is a strong and reputable carrier with really nice late model trucks and they boast a pretty high retention rate. They keep their drivers out on the road earning with good, steady freight volume, and this job will provide you with an immediate opportunity to earn good money while adding more experience to your resume so that we can get you an even better job a few months down the road. Some of their drivers may not be the best there ever was, but they’re earning paychecks that clear the bank every week. In your time there you can prove the stereotype wrong. Go out there and be the best driver on the road.

“Did you have any other questions about the job or the carrier that I didn’t cover?”

(If you don’t have the answer or can’t find it, assure the driver that they will be contacted by a carrier rep and can ask more detailed questions within the next 24-48 hours)

THE ‘COME TO JESUS’ MEETING

“It looks like we may have a good match here, and I’m confident that I can get you this seat if everything you’ve told me is right. But before I submit an application with my name on it I need to do two things: First I need to remind you that our carriers run about $300 worth of reports on every driver as part of the vetting process. If there’s anything on your MVR or criminal background that you haven’t told me about, they will find it and likely DQ you for it.”

“But think of me as your advocate. Kind of like an attorney. If there is anything hanging out there that might come up, then let’s get out in front of it. If it’s something that’s going to DQ you on this job or carrier, then I can save us and the carrier some time and hassle by finding something else for you that will work. Or if it’s something relatively minor, then we can add some context on the application and sort of tell your side of it from the jump, so that it’s not just some raw data on a report when it comes out that wasn’t listed on the app. That makes it look like you’re hiding something and will count as another strike against you.

“The second thing I need to do is make sure this is the job you really want. If there are any other opportunities you’re interested in or waiting to see about, then I’d encourage you to go ahead and see about those jobs and then get back with me once you’re ready to commit to this opportunity.

“When I submit an application to one of my carriers, I’m giving them the assurance that I have a qualified driver who wants the job and is committed to taking the seat if they get the offer. And when this carrier sees our apps come in, they tend to put those up at the top of the stack because they know we bring them a lot of really good, highly qualified drivers.

“If that isn’t you today then that’s fine, it’s not going to hurt my feelings, but I have to protect my relationship with our carriers. If you’re ready to get orientation scheduled then I can go ahead and get your application submitted right now.

“Would you like to go ahead and get your application in process today?

“Well, unfortunately it sounds like this position may not be the best fit for you, but I do have another job in mind that I think may be perfect if you’d like to hear about that.” 

“Unfortunately, it sounds like this position may not be the best fit for you, but like I said, we work with more than 50 carriers, so let me take a look at some of the other opportunities I have and then I’ll give you a call back as soon as I find something that’s going to be a better fit for you. Be sure to save my number so that when I call back you’ll know it’s me.”

“The job you applied for was a regional route – home weekly. Is that what you’re looking for, or how much home time are you needing to get? 

“Are you willing to do some unloading for higher pay or do you prefer more of a Drop & Hook situation? And what kind of pay range do you need for a job to make sense for you?”

(Remind your driver that the home daily and no touch jobs are not going to pay as well as the home weekly, EOW and driver unload jobs do). Take notes on the driver’s responses and preferences.

“I’m going to send you our intelli-app link. Once you fill that out and submit it we’ll be able to see what we have that you may be interested in and qualified for. At that point I can just give you a call back and if you love the job we’ll have most of what we need to get an application submitted for you right away.

“Be sure to save my number so that you’ll know it’s me because if I call you back then it means I’ve found something that I think you’ll love!

SEND OR AUTO-FILL THE TENSTREET INTELLI-APP OR CDL SUITE Please log in to view your application link.

*NOTE THAT IF YOU SEND THE LINK FOR YOUR DRIVER TO FILL OUT, YOU MUST GO OVER THE APP WITH THEM OVER
THE PHONE TO ENSURE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY PRIOR TO SUBMISSION TO DRIVER MANAGEMENT FOR PROCESSING!