Offer letters are a normal practice in most job roles but not so much in truck driving. Sure, there's a notice that someone has been accepted and it is usually automatically fired from some application tracking system. But going that extra mile to send a proper offer letter can start the employee-employer relationship on the right foot. Not to mention, doing this step well could improve attendance rates for orientation meetings.
Just because you use a template doesn't mean you cannot add a touch of personalization that can go a long way. For starters, address the letter to the person by first name. But going one step further by having a single sentence upfront and early that references a detail learned from the interview process can be a game changer.
Detailing what the next steps to the hiring process are provides transparency and trust to truck drivers. While much of this information may be common among carriers and discussed at length prior to an offer letter, it still serves as a safety blanket of comfort that things are in order and stable. Don't take for granted common information about when and where orientation would be. And by offering information on where they can learn about production pay and bonuses lessons concern that your company may try to "pull a fast one" on them.
While truck driver employment relationships may feel transactional, ultimately people want to feel apart of something special. People want to be happy with their employers and work environment. A key element of feeling excited about a job is knowing that your company and employer are excited about you. An offer letter is a great opportunity to express excitement to have this person join your team and work to
wards aligned goals. By adding some positive energy and optimism about the working relationship can go a long way and an offer letter is the perfect time to emphasize that sentiment.
Sending the offer letter with email makes the most sense for speed. But sending it by post mail has a few added benefits. For one thing, it shows an "old school" mentality to valuing people. Even if the driver doesn't get home before orientation, they may perhaps get notified of the letter by a loved one and that can inspire an extra level of attachment. Lastly, the hard copy letter at home could be found far down the line and remind that driver of the warm vibes. Particularly if the driver had moved on and find themselves regretting it, the hard copy offer letter may be just the nudge to come back to your fleet.
