The United States is enduring a fleet-driver shortage, and recent forecasts predict this shortage could continue for years to come. Because of this, when trying to fill driver spots on your fleet staff, it can be tempting to hire any qualified candidate that walks through the door. However, it’s still important to ensure the prospective driver is the right fit for your fleet operation.
One way to determine if the driver is the right fit is through the interview. Take a look at some questions you should consider asking during fleet driver interviews to ensure the candidate is the right person for the job.
Why are you interested in this position? Find out why this candidate is considering this job. Does he or she have a passion for driving? Has he or she heard good things about the fleet operation? Or is he or she just looking for something temporary while searching for something else? This is important to know before you invest money and time into training this individual.
Are you willing to work any shift? If your fleet operation requires drivers to work non-traditional hours, you need to assess the candidate’s availability and willingness to work nights and weekends before you hire him or her.
How many years of professional driver experience do you have? A candidate’s resume will likely list his or her complete driving experience, but it’s still worth asking the question in-person to gauge his or her level of experience. It also gives you the opportunity to ask follow-up questions about the candidate’s qualifications.
What types of vehicles have you driven? Similar to the question above, this information might already be on a candidate’s resume or application, but this provides you with the opportunity to ask additional questions about his or her qualifications. It also gives you the chance to ask if the candidate has driven your particular fleet vehicles.
How do you handle stressful situations? Driving can be stressful. It’s important to make sure driver candidates can handle traffic jams, construction, re-routes, and other issues they might encounter on the roadways.
What’s a difficult situation you’ve experienced at work? How did you resolve it? When you ask this question, it doesn’t necessarily matter what the situation was the candidate describes. You are looking for details on how he or she resolved it. This will let you know how this candidate deals with pressure and how he or she handles conflict resolution.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? This is a standard interview question. This reveals the person’s career goals and shows how ambitious he or she is. This makes you aware of what training and mentoring you can provide the driver to help him or her achieve his or her goals.
When showing up to events, are you typically on-time, early or late? It’s important for drivers to show up to start their shifts on-time, as well as make deliveries on-schedule. Asking about a candidate’s tendencies will help reveal if he or she is going to be a reliable driver.