• Former drivers are an often untapped pool of candidates that may be used for driver recruiting.
• A sincere letter or phone call from company leadership may be just the incentive that former drivers need to take action and come back to the organization.
• Safety results will tend to improve any time a driver is re-hired that already has an existing relationship with the company.

Think of the driver termination files as an untapped potential labor pool. A good way to tap into this pool is through a continual direct mail campaign or phone calls from recruiters or company leadership.

High driver turnover continues to plague the motor carrier industry. Generally speaking, there are two types of driver turnover:

1. Acceptable turnover results when a high-risk or poor performing driver quits or is let go after valid attempts to coach a train the driver on deficiencies. This type of driver turnover is usually considered a good loss if the progressive discipline and training policies and procedures were followed.
2. Unacceptable turnover results when a quality driver leaves the organization for any reason or drivers are terminated without adequate coaching and training of deficiencies. Dash-cam-driven coaching and training programs are effective at correcting deficiencies in a timely manner to avoid unnecessary turnover.

Quality drivers are becoming increasingly hard to find and hold onto. But just because a driver decides to leave the organization doesn’t mean the relationship needs to end. Keeping in touch with former drivers demonstrates that the organization:

• Cares for the driver as an individual first and foremost — wishing them the best for the future, even if that future is not with this company;
• Is genuinely concerned that the driver’s decision was the right one; and
• Have left the door open for the driver to come back if things don’t work out where they are going.

When a driver leaves only to discover several weeks or months down the road that the grass isn’t greener, will this driver try to come back or seek another job with yet another carrier?

Look at the files of the drivers who have left the organization under the following circumstances:

• The driver left under good terms. In other words, the driver’s performance was acceptable, their safety record was good, and proper notice was given.
• The driver left to pursue a career outside of trucking. The driver enjoyed most aspects of the job and their overall performance was acceptable, but due to lifestyle issues or family pressures, the driver decided to leave.
• The driver left to pursue another driving opportunity. The driver’s overall performance was acceptable, but they left to pursue a career with a different carrier.

If any of the above descriptions fit former drivers at the company, perhaps all that a few may need to come back is an invitation. A sincere letter, like the one below, may be just the incentive these drivers need to take action and come back to the organization.

The key to a successful letter campaign is volume. Target as many former drivers who are eligible for re-hire as possible. Don’t stop at the most recent termination files — soliciting only those drivers who have left within the last six months for instance. Increase the chances of bringing back a former driver by going back one, two, or even three years.

Persistence usually pays off. Establish a routine around the company’s mailing campaign. Once the mailing list has been compiled, send letters every quarter or, at a minimum, every six months. The first letter might only spark an interest. The second or third letter may convince the former driver of the company’s sincerity, and they may decide to give the organization a second chance.

Email or letter-recruiting campaigns to former drivers may not always receive a flood of responses. Typically, the success rate of this type of recruiting is very low — maybe one out of every 20 to 25 letters sent will generate a response.

But if only one or two drivers respond out of 50 letters sent, it’s well worth the small investment in paper, envelopes, and postage. In addition, safety results will tend to improve any time a driver is re-hired that already has an existing relationship with the company— a known safety and performance history, over an unknown quantity.