Freight demand is improving moderately, but this recovery is driven more by supply constraints stemming from new government regulations, record fuel prices, and aging equipment.

These factors are making it difficult for carriers to grow without adopting more effective ways to recruit and retain qualified drivers.

The experience of a tank transporter, Liquid Trucking, shows what’s possible. Since April, the fleet has grown from 180 to 220 trucks. Year to date, the Plattsmouth, Nebraska-based company has hired 85 drivers: 40 to fill new positions created by growth and 45 to replace turnover.

Liquid Trucking uses a scalable recruiting strategy to generate qualified leads across campaigns, with an average cost of $6 to $8 per lead and recent results trending toward $4 per lead. The difference isn't simply lower-cost advertising; it's a scalable approach that reaches drivers early in their decision journey.

Prioritize quality in driver recruiting

Reaching experienced drivers before they're actively job hunting offers a key recruiting advantage. For these coveted recruits, the decision-making process is more thorough, involving family members and factors that determine long-term fit.

The good news is that when they apply, they are more likely to accept an offer and remain.

Providing drivers with information throughout the decision-making process takes a full-funnel approach with targeted video, fleet podcasts, customized follow-up, and a human-led qualification process. Each method presents a transparent, authentic picture of the company, its operations, and its expectations.

“Our mission, which my owners and I preach to our recruiting team, is to ensure we sell exactly who we are, nothing more and nothing less,” Jason Eisenman, Liquid Trucking’s VP of safety and human resources, said.

Use video and podcasts to engage drivers

Video is most effective when it introduces fleet opportunities in stages. The opening frame grabs attention, the first few seconds build interest, and the remaining content gives drivers additional details about the opportunity.

Fleet-specific podcasts are an additional research channel. Campaign data across fleets show that drivers typically listen to three or four hours of a carrier’s podcast before attending orientation. Episodes can cover equipment, operations, home time, company culture, and expectations, presented in a format drivers can consume on the road.

Liquid Trucking’s podcast receives about 1,200 listens per week. Its audience includes prospective drivers, employees, family members, and others interested in the company. That reach matters because drivers rarely make a job change in isolation.

Improve fleet recruitment with qualified leads

As part of the program, a third party responds to driver questions and comments and forwards qualified, interested candidates to the fleet’s recruiting department. This lets recruiters spend more time speaking with people who have already expressed interest.

After each qualifying interaction, drivers receive a “decision kit” with information relevant to that candidate. This customized follow-up provides drivers with material to review and discuss with their families while recruiters decide when and how to reconnect.

This process changes the recruiter’s role. Instead of starting with a cold or uninformed applicant, the recruiter connects with a driver who has already seen the fleet’s message, explored its content, and asked questions.

Building a full-funnel driver recruitment strategy

A full-funnel recruiting program with these elements is not plug and play. Every fleet has different advertising audiences, video and podcast content, driver communications, and follow-up materials.

Developing fleet-specific creative content, building proprietary audiences, and gathering sufficient campaign feedback to refine targeting takes time. The full-funnel approach becomes more effective as drivers encounter the fleet across multiple channels and as engagement data helps sharpen outreach.

The main lesson for fleets competing for a pool of experienced drivers is to continuously build familiarity and credibility so that candidates already know something about the company when the timing is right.

Liquid Trucking’s recruiting strategy is not centered on generating the greatest number of applications. Rather, it creates informed candidates, equips them to make informed decisions, and gives recruiters better conversations.

As competition for experienced drivers intensifies, fleets that build trust with drivers before the first recruitment call are best positioned to convert qualified leads into long-term team members.