9 strategies for employers hiring candidates who are early in their transportation careers

There are important short- and long-term benefits for employers to hire students, recent graduates, and others early in their careers for transportation roles. We reached out to nine hiring experts to get their thoughts:

• Implement Training-to-Hire Programs with Job Guarantees
• Frame Roles Around Problem-Solving and Outcomes
• Partner with Local Schools for Talent Pipeline
• Gamify Recruiting with Hands-On Challenge Days
• Use Skills-Based Assessments for Diverse Hiring
• Modernize Employer Branding for Transportation Careers
• Collaborate with Motorcycle Schools for Passionate Candidates
• Establish Community College Partnerships for Logistics Talent
• Create Engaging Sourcing Plan for Early-Career Candidates

Implement Training-to-Hire Programs with Job Guarantees

Introduce training-to-hire programs. It’s even better if you offer a guaranteed job placement. Our conversion rate from trainee to long-term employee tripled when we implemented this approach.

We partnered with several local driving schools and sponsored students. Our company provides for their licensing and passenger endorsement training. In return, they commit to working with us for at least 12 months.

These programs remove barriers to entry. The upfront licensing cost often filters out many good candidates. By taking care of that expense for them, we transform from being just another employer to a place they desire to work. When you tie job placement to the completion of training, people show up with the right attitude.

Anton Geier, CEO, Logistics and Fleet Management Expert, BcsBusCharter

Frame Roles Around Problem-Solving and Outcomes

If I were to recruit college graduates into transportation roles at scale, one thing I’d do is to match them with problems rather than job titles. In my opinion, many early career hires don’t know what “logistics coordinator” or “route analyst” really means. What they do know fresh from college is how to solve problems, how to manage moving pieces, or how to bring order to something. And for me, putting this in front of your job listing is how you’ll get their attention.

Instead of posting by department, I’d build outreach around the actual challenges they’d get to solve. For example, “Help us reduce delivery delays by rerouting high-traffic zones in real-time,” or, “Own the customer handoff process from dispatch to doorstep.” Now, when you frame the role around outcomes, you will attract those candidates who want to make an impact (even if they’ve never worked in the field before).

Ford Smith, Founder & CEO, A1 Xpress

Partner with Local Schools for Talent Pipeline

We recruit successfully by working with local trade schools and community colleges. We don’t expect students to come to us; we bring the conversation to where they learn. We began by opening the door to this transportation niche with a guest lecture series on logistics and event transportation (which invited hundreds of students into the world of ground transport they had never considered as part of their career futures).

The impact was immediate. In just three months, we had a 30% surge in applications from fresh talent, who were eager to start their careers without having to wait years to get into the driver’s seat. They had a much better understanding of how we operated; they came in with the right expectations and were even more invested, which brought our early turnover down by nearly 50%.

The key for employers is to consistently show up in educational spaces, not just at career fairs once a year. Provide ride-alongs, site visits, or micro-scholarship programs for internship opportunities. If you can demonstrate to youth that the road from classroom to career is one lined by your company, potential competitors become less attractive. It is more appealing for someone you have been investing in for months and years before it was ever time to consider hiring anyone.

Arsen Misakyan, CEO and Founder, LAXcar

Gamify Recruiting with Hands-On Challenge Days

After 30+ years in transportation-logistics and working with thousands of companies, I’ve seen what actually works for mass hiring: gamify your recruiting process. Most transportation companies bore candidates to death with traditional interviews and paperwork.

I helped one of our Fortune 100 clients (think major shipping company) create warehouse “challenge days” where 50+ candidates compete in teams doing actual job tasks — sorting packages, operating scanners, and solving basic logistics puzzles. They hire entire teams on the spot based on performance and attitude, not resumes. Their hiring process went from 6 weeks to 6 hours with 78% better retention.

The secret sauce is making it feel like winning something rather than begging for a job. Set up monthly hiring events where candidates earn points for speed, accuracy, and teamwork. Top performers get immediate job offers with signing bonuses announced publicly. We’ve seen companies fill 200+ positions in a single quarter this way.

Early career people want to prove themselves through action, not talk their way through interviews about experience they don’t have yet. Give them that chance, and they’ll remember who believed in them first.

Mike Erickson, Founder & CEO, AFMS

Use Skills-Based Assessments for Diverse Hiring

Based on my experience in the transportation industry, I recommend implementing skills-based assessments such as driving simulators and customer service simulations instead of relying solely on traditional resume screening. This approach allowed us to hire 40 qualified drivers, with 60% coming from underrepresented groups who might have been overlooked in conventional hiring processes. The results speak for themselves — we achieved an 80% retention rate and saw significant improvements in customer satisfaction metrics, proving that practical demonstration of skills is often more valuable than work history alone when hiring transportation professionals.

Arsen Misakyan, CEO and Founder, Angel City Limo

Modernize Employer Branding for Transportation Careers

One effective strategy for recruiting large numbers of early-career candidates into transportation jobs is to invest in employer branding that accurately reflects the modern realities and benefits of the industry.

We often speak with drivers and industry professionals who say younger workers overlook transportation roles because of outdated perceptions. They think of long hours and limited upward mobility, but that’s no longer the full story. If you want to recruit at scale, you need to reframe the narrative. Highlight the tech-forward tools drivers use, the independence the job offers, and how critical these roles are to the economy.

Leverage social media, short-form videos, and even employee testimonials to bring the job to life. Create a campaign that says, “This is what your first year in transportation could look like,” and make it relatable to a 22-year-old exploring options. When candidates can visualize the lifestyle and see a path forward (not just a job, but a career), your hiring pipeline fills up a lot faster.

Transportation is evolving, and recruitment strategies need to evolve with it.

Evan Shelley, Co-Founder & CEO, Truck Parking Club

Collaborate with Motorcycle Schools for Passionate Candidates

Partner directly with motorcycle training schools and riding academies instead of just posting jobs online. Most transportation companies focus on general job boards, but the best early-career candidates in our space are people who are already passionate about motorcycles and have just finished their training programs.

We started working with riding schools across Spain and Italy about two years ago. These instructors know which students have good judgment, mechanical aptitude, and genuine enthusiasm for motorcycles — exactly what you need for transportation roles. Instead of sorting through hundreds of generic applications, we get referred candidates who already understand vehicle safety, basic maintenance, and customer service in our industry.

The key is building real relationships with these schools, not just showing up once with flyers. I visit training programs regularly, let instructors test-ride our newer bikes, and sometimes hire their graduates for seasonal work before offering full-time positions. That trust means they send us their best people instead of just anyone looking for a job.

For companies hiring at scale, this approach gives you a much better candidate pool than traditional recruiting. These people chose to learn motorcycle skills, which shows initiative and genuine interest. They’re not just looking for any transportation job — they specifically want to work with motorcycles, which means better retention and performance.

Carlos Nasillo, CEO, Riderly

Establish Community College Partnerships for Logistics Talent

Partner with community colleges that have logistics programs. I’ve hired hundreds of transportation workers this way, and it beats every other method I’ve tried. These schools already screen students for basic skills and work readiness. You get candidates who chose this field instead of people who just need any job.

Set up a simple pipeline where you visit their career fairs twice a year and offer paid internships. Most students graduate with debt, so guaranteed employment after a 3-month internship program works like magic. You can train 20-30 people at once and keep the ones who fit your culture.

The schools do half the work for you. They want job placement stats, so they’ll promote your company to students. It’s way cheaper than recruiters and you get people who actually want to work in transportation.

Joe Saitta, Lead Service Advisor, TLC Auto & Truck Repair Center

Create Engaging Sourcing Plan for Early-Career Candidates

When employers need to hire large numbers of early-career candidates for transportation jobs, the key is a sourcing plan designed around how people actually look for work. Go where the talent already is — high schools, trade programs, community colleges, and workforce (WorkSource) training centers. Build real connections with advisors, teachers, and program leaders so they can point students your way.

Show up in their space with short, eye-catching videos or posts on social media and local/community job boards. Make it easy to take the next step — just one tap to RSVP for a hiring event or start an application on a phone.

And when you host an open house, make it an experience. Go beyond handing out brochures — offer facility tours, Q&A sessions with current employees, on-the-spot interviews, and, if possible, a short demo or ride-along. That way, candidates can picture themselves in the role and get a real sense of your culture.

It’s extremely important to follow up quickly. Get back to everyone within a day or two, even if it’s a negative response. Quick responses show respect and keep top candidates from drifting to another offer.

I’ve personally implemented this approach many times across my career for clients and companies I’ve worked for. When done well, this approach doesn’t just fill jobs — it builds a reputation that keeps quality people coming back.

Rachel Cupples, Senior Talent Strategist & Recruiting Consultant, Independent Fractional Recruitment & Consulting Services