• There are advantages to hiring inexperienced individuals with no involvement in the motor carrier industry and making drivers out of them through an apprentice program.
• When setting up an apprentice program, talk with an insurance company, consult with financial experts and seek legal counsel.
• It’s important that apprentices have a good mentor to help refine the apprentice’s driving skills, teach the apprentice how to live on the road, model good customer service skills, and convey the company’s safety policies and values.

When hiring a driver that has been in the industry, one of the fundamental qualifications to look at is their experience. There are several potential advantages of taking completely inexperienced individuals with no involvement in the motor carrier industry and making drivers out of them through an apprenticeship program.

A small to mid-size carrier might want to test pilot an apprenticeship program one driver at a time. There are several things to consider:

• Potential driving schools,
• Mentors and apprenticeship candidates,
• The wording of the apprenticeship contract for the new hire, and
• The training plan and timeline.

Start with talking to the rest of the management team. If training drivers is a new concept for the company, have at least enough information and a plan outline to be used to explore the idea further.

While the amount of work involved in setting up an apprenticeship program may seem intimidating, bringing on a solid employee is only the first reward. If the pilot project goes well, the company will have an entirely new pool of potential employees to tap into, and a system in place to create well-trained, loyal drivers molded in the company’s image.

How does a company find the right person for a driver apprenticeship experiment? Anyone dissatisfied with their current working conditions or earning potential is a prospective candidate.

Let current drivers know the company is starting an apprenticeship program and ask them if they know any non-drivers that would be good apprentice candidates. Add a line to the company’s ads about the apprenticeship program and let it be known at any job fairs the company attends (e.g., entry-level drivers considered for apprenticeship program).

How candidates arrive at the company’s door is less important than the screening the company does once they are there. Weed out prospective apprentices very carefully — don’t be afraid to turn someone down if they may not be a good apprentice.

Some of the qualities of a good driver apprentice are:

• A willingness to learn. Cockiness or a know-it-all attitude should be an automatic disqualifier. An apprentice should have a healthy respect for the industry and career.
• A certain level of maturity. This is not necessarily the same thing as age. Besides respecting instructors and mentors, an apprentice should also respect the potential inherent danger of driving a large commercial vehicle. A level-headed 21-year-old is probably a better candidate than a rash 25-year-old.
• Realistic expectations. While enthusiasm is wonderful, be wary of the candidate who has overly romanticized trucking. It’s not an easy job or an easy life. If the person has family, and the job will take him or her away for extended periods, make sure the apprentice understands the implications. An excellent idea is to let the apprentice candidate ride along with one of the veteran drivers on a run before making a commitment. This will help the candidate decide if this is really the job for them.

In order to maximize the apprentice’s and the program’s chances of success, it is important to develop a first-rate training program. The best first step is to send the apprentice to a quality driving school.

In selecting a school, there are several things to consider:

• Course length,
• The time students actually spend behind the wheel,
• Experience of the instructors,
• Depth and breadth of the curriculum, and
• The quality and type of equipment.

A few sources for identifying good truck driver training schools are:

• Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI)
• National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS)
• Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA)

Once the apprentice has finished the formal schooling and obtained a commercial driver’s license (CDL), the real work begins again. A CDL and a few weeks of training cannot turn an apprentice into a polished and professional driver. Completing the apprentice’s training with a wise and supportive mentor is essential.

It’s important that the right person is selected to mentor the apprentice. This person will be responsible for refining the apprentice’s driving skills, teaching the apprentice how to live on the road, modeling good customer service skills, and conveying the company’s safety policies and values.