How to improve the hiring and retention of safe, qualified drivers

By Tom Kintz – Senior Safety Services Consultant, Sentry Insurance

For trucking companies, hiring safe, qualified drivers isn’t just a priority—it’s become a daily challenge. For carriers I work with, it seems like the bottom 10% of their driver pool turns over constantly. It’s a cycle that leads to higher costs, lower productivity, and increased risk on the road.

At Sentry, we understand how hard it is to recruit quality drivers. With the proper approach, tools, and mindset, you can build a reliable team.

When one of your drivers is the cause of an incident, your company doesn’t just face the cost of repairs or insurance claims—you may also be liable for negligent entrustment. That means if you assign duties to a driver without exercising proper care—including, but not limited to, properly conducting background checks—you, as the business owner, could be held responsible for any harm caused.

Hiring the wrong driver can also lead to:

• Vehicle downtime and recovery costs

• Damage to customer relationships and delivery schedules

• Legal exposure if a crash occurs

• Higher insurance premiums over time

To help reduce these risks, take a proactive and thorough approach to screening and vetting every driver—starting before they ever get behind the wheel for your business.

Your first opportunity to get the attention of quality drivers—and weed out the ones you don’t want—is with your job description. Be transparent when describing the job. Include details such as:

• Salary (e.g., pay by hour, pay by percentage of loads, pay by cents per mile)

• Hours expected

• Driving schedule (e.g., five days on, five days off)

• Driving routes (e.g., long haul vs. local)

• Responsibilities (e.g., solely driving vs. loading/unloading, too)

• Physical requirements

Customize the list based on your operations and the type of driver you’re looking for at the time of hiring.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) outlines minimum qualifications. Commercial drivers must:

• Be at least 21 years old

• Pass a DOT physical

• Speak and read English well enough to interact with the public, understand highway traffic signs and signals, respond to official questions, and make legible entries on reports and records

• Pass a road test or equivalent

• Complete an application for employment

But in today’s environment, meeting the minimum compliance requirements isn’t enough. Many trucking operations now implement stricter guidelines to better protect their operations, such as:

• At least three years of verifiable commercial driving experience

• No more than one at-fault crash in the past three years

• Zero DUI or drug violations within a three-year period

• Fewer than four moving violations over the same time frame

These higher benchmarks give you more confidence that the driver you’re hiring is not only compliant—but safer, more dependable, and less likely to leave your business exposed to liability.

I like to tell customers I work with, “Don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish.” For $25 or $30, you can run a solid background check that might save you thousands—or more—down the line. Take advantage of available pre-employment screening programs.

Using my 47 years of experience in this industry, I always emphasize the importance of knowing exactly who you’re hiring. Skipping proper criminal screenings can leave your business vulnerable to costly, avoidable issues. A thorough background check should include:

• Employment history verification

• Criminal record screening

• License validation

• Drug and alcohol violations check through the FMCSA Clearinghouse

When establishing a background check program, always consult with your human resources, safety, and legal professionals to ensure the program is established for your particular circumstances and complies with applicable law. At Sentry, we offer access to vetted screening resources like InCheck, an employment screening service that helps you evaluate applicants based on your organization’s requirements.

MVRs can be one of your most telling resources in evaluating driver behavior. They provide insight into patterns that may not be obvious from an interview or application alone. Some red flags to watch for in the report include:

• Excessive speeding (15+ mph above the limit)

• DUI or drug-related violations

• License suspensions or revocations

• Hit-and-run or reckless driving charges

Don’t forget to look beyond the individual infractions. Are there employment gaps or frequent job changes? That churn may be a sign of deeper performance concerns. At Sentry, we help our customers interpret these reports to build a more complete driver profile.

Also keep in mind the data that appears on an MVR may not be up to date when you’re reviewing them. There are services available to alert you when a driver’s MVR changes. Consult your legal, human resources, and safety professionals for the proper way to conduct and use MVR checks and records.

If you have further questions about your driver candidate’s history, ask them during the interview process. Get answers to the tough questions now so you don’t have possible headaches later.

Many Sentry trucking customers rely on our Loss Control team for support beyond insurance. For instance, our team can help you:

• Create and maintain driver qualification files

• Provide safety training tailored to your operation

• Stay compliant with FMCSA recordkeeping and reporting requirements

• Use tools like InCheck to monitor ongoing driver eligibility

When you work with your insurance provider or groups like the American Trucking Associations, you’re not navigating these challenges alone. Take advantage of the experience and industry knowledge to help you.

The hiring process isn’t just about screening out the wrong candidates—it’s also about keeping the quality ones. When you invest in your drivers from the start, they’re more likely to stay.

Stay engaged with your drivers. Communicate with them often and consistently. Set clear expectations and offer training that helps drivers feel confident and capable in their role. Depending on your operations, you may want to reward your drivers with certificates, safety bonuses, or tokens of appreciation. Consult with your human resources, safety, and legal professionals before implementing any rewards program to ensure it meets your particular circumstances and complies with applicable law.

While your drivers are ultimately responsible for keeping themselves safe on the road, it’s up to you to hire and train responsible drivers.

As a company, emphasize the behaviors you value in your drivers, and work with them to foster open communication and a positive working environment.