As the freight recession shows signs of ending, it's time for carriers to prepare for increased demand. Conversion’s Q3 Driver Recruiting and Retention Data Download with PDA revealed that company driver job postings have surged by 51% from April to September, signaling a potential upswing in freight activity. With this positive trend, ensuring your driver pipeline is ready for the upcoming demand is crucial.

Carriers who continued to invest in their brand and lead generation during the freight slowdown have a distinct advantage over those who paused or reduced their pipeline. In one case study, a carrier that didn’t maintain its brand presence and recruitment advertising during the slowdown had to double its post-slowdown spend, yet it took eight months for application volumes to return to pre-slowdown levels and twelve months for hire volumes to rebound.

If you pulled back on marketing and advertising during the freight slowdown, now is the time to prepare. As freight increases, the competition for drivers will intensify, which will, in turn, drive up costs. Here's how you can ensure your driver pipeline is ready:

1. Invest in Your Brand

• Balance Your Branding Strategies: Ensure you have a mix of top-of-funnel branding strategies. Investing in awareness campaigns tells your company’s story and can help reduce the cost of lead generation.
• Engage Through Social Content & Blogs: "Invite them to the party" by creating content that highlights your company as a welcoming place prospective drivers would like to call home.
• Reputation Management: Respond to reviews and encourage satisfied employees to leave positive reviews. This can significantly boost your company’s ratings and attract more drivers.

2. Increase Your Lead Pipeline

• Plan Ahead: The leads you receive today could take 30-90 days to become a hire. If you anticipate higher hiring goals in the next three months or more, you need to increase lead volume now.
• Utilize a Balanced Approach: Use a combination of direct and matched/multicarrier leads based on your needs. While direct leads from platforms like Indeed are excellent for quality, matched leads can provide additional volume.
• Optimize Job Descriptions: Audit your job descriptions to ensure they accurately represent the roles and include keywords that will enhance SEO performance.

3. Enhance Your Lead Nurturing Strategy

• Leverage Automation: Automate nurturing short forms into full applications to improve efficiency and save recruiters' time. Tools like Lead Assist encourage prospective drivers to complete applications without requiring manual follow-up.
• Diversify Communication Channels: Utilize all available forms of lead nurturing. Texting tends to have the highest conversion rates compared to email, so consider integrating texting into your strategy if possible.
• Revitalize Old Leads: Reach out to previous leads who didn’t respond or weren’t interested before. Consider contacting drivers who didn’t meet experience requirements previously—they might qualify now.

As the freight recession winds down, the opportunity to secure top driver talent is ripe. By investing in your brand, increasing your lead pipeline, and fine-tuning your lead nurturing strategy, you'll be well-positioned to meet the rising demand for drivers. The time to act is now—prepare your driver pipeline for the coming growth and ensure your company thrives in the competitive market.

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