Search
Close this search box.

3 Reasons Facebook Is a Major Factor in Driver Recruiting

The trucking industry is currently facing a big problem. A huge number of drivers are leaving or have already left the workforce. Older, more seasoned drivers are retiring in droves. Throw in the fact that the average age of drivers is now up to 49 years old, and it doesn’t look like the problem will be going away anytime soon. So now, more than ever, companies are looking for drivers to man their fleets and keep the rigs on the road.
Driver Shortage Reasons 2015

Source: American Trucking Association

The industry is in dire need of new blood. But from where? Facebook. Here are three reasons why Facebook is a great tool for driver recruiting.
[hr style=”3″ margin=”40px 0px 40px 0px”]

1) All the Cool Kids Do It

 
With veteran drivers packing it in and calling it a day, companies have begun to look to the youth. Young drivers are in high demand. Where are these young people? Like most of us, they’re on Facebook.
In the United States 69% of adults use at least one form of social media.
Social media use by age group over time

Source: Pew Research Center

[box]
More importantly, of that percentage, two very attractive demographics are using social media.

  • Of all 18-29 year olds using at least one social media platform, 68% are on Facebook.
  • An even more impressive 80% of 30-49 year olds are active on the site.

[/box]
Those are two massive population pools to recruit from using Facebook.
[hr style=”3″ margin=”40px 0px 40px 0px”]

2) Facebook Is Still King

 
Developed in 2004, when social media was still relatively young, Facebook managed not only to become the leader of the pack, but also became the standard bearer in the process. Through the years many sites and platforms have come and gone, but Facebook remains. Seemingly every few months there is a new site or app that is poised to take the top spot and finally topple the Facebook behemoth, yet it never seems to come to fruition. While nothing lasts forever and Facebook may one day be yesterday’s news, like Friendster or Myspace before it, that time is not now.
At this point the social media giant is not only the most popular, but it is also number one by a huge margin. A staggering 79% of all online adults are Facebook users! This far and away surpasses any other platform’s user numbers. If for no other reason but this, Facebook offers a massive audience for recruiters tap into.

Social media platform usage comparison chart

Source: Pew Research Center

In addition to overall usage dominance, Facebook also remains quite popular with truck drivers. Not only can the site be used to recruit new drivers, but it also provides an excellent platform for providing information to drivers on the road.
First, let’s establish that drivers are indeed on Facebook. In fact, 60% of truck drivers are.
Truck driver social media use by platform 2016
Second, Facebook is the social media platform used most frequently by truck drivers. For drivers that used the platforms below, we asked them how frequently they check their accounts.
Truck driver social media use frequency by platform
Third, Facebook, again, is the winner when drivers were asked to choose a single platform for receiving trucking information.
Truck driver social media platform preference

Source: Truckers News 2016 Connectivity Study

For more information, access our free study on regarding social media usage among truck drivers.
[hr style=”3″ margin=”40px 0px 40px 0px”]

3) People Can’t Get Enough

 
So far, I’ve covered the massive number of Facebook users and how the popularity of the site dwarfs any current competitor.
However, there is one more factor that could be the most attractive of all.
Not only is the site extremely popular with a loyal fan base, but at this point it’s become almost habitual. To many, checking their profile page is just another part of the day. They seemingly do it without even thinking. How many do it you ask? A staggering 76% of users log in daily. That means that not only is this immense pool of potential drivers in one place, but they are there daily.
social media platform frequency comparison

Source: Pew Research Center

[hr style=”3″ margin=”40px 0px 40px 0px”]

But What Does It All Mean?

 
With a shortage of drivers already upon us and older drivers continuing to retire faster than they are being replaced, truck driver recruiters need to go after young prospects. Having embraced the digital age, an enormous segment of those potential recruits is heavily involved with social media; and of those social media users a lion’s share can be found in one centralized location, Facebook.
With all that potential in one place, what’s next?

[box]

Learn about your Facebook advertising options.

There are now a myriad of techniques and strategies that can be deployed on the networking site to maximize potential. In addition to Lead Ads, which allow you to collect information easily, you can also launch call-only campaigns and carousel ads.
Here is a handy Facebook advertising cheat sheet.

Target drivers on Facebook with data.

Using a database, such as RigDig, will help you identify and target the most desirable driver prospects on Facebook. You can also work with partners to target drivers based on behavioural data. Layering audiences and testing segments on Facebook can result in very efficient recruiting.
[/box]
[hr style=”3″ margin=”40px 0px 40px 0px”]

Putting It All Together

 
With a massive and ever growing audience on Facebook, it is now possible to use a variety of techniques to reach the perfect audience for you through data based targeting. All of these factors working in conjunction with one another is why Facebook is and looks set to remain a dominant tool for truck driver recruitment moving forward.