Strategic partnerships help companies navigate recruitment challenges

In today’s rapidly evolving logistics landscape, companies face mounting pressure to maintain driver headcount amid persistent industry-wide challenges and the ongoing shortage of qualified CDL holders. 

This environment has transformed how companies approach recruitment, as well as what candidates expect from the hiring process. Job applicants now engage with potential employers through increasingly diverse digital channels. Amid these changes, strategic partnerships have emerged as critical differentiators for companies seeking sustainable growth in their fleets.

Dot Transportation and Tenstreet: A Powerful Collaboration

When Dot Transportation Inc. (DTI) joined forces with Tenstreet a few years ago, the company sought to modernize its recruitment infrastructure without compromising quality. This collaboration came at a pivotal time for Dot Transportation, which, like many logistics providers, was grappling with changing market dynamics and evolving candidate expectations.

“Overall, there is still a high need for CDL holders,” said Brooke Fosdyck, corporate driver recruiting manager at Dot Transportation. “What has changed is candidates are consuming information in different ways than they used to.”

To address these shifts, Dot Transportation has significantly expanded its digital presence via a combination of in-house efforts and its partnership with Tenstreet. Tenstreet’s well-established digital infrastructure – including the popular Driver Pulse app and the Job Store – provides its clients with a strong place to start or continue their digital journeys. 

Dot Transportation’s digital transformation represents more than just technological adoption; it reflects a fundamental recalibration of recruitment strategies to meet drivers where they are and engage with them on their terms.

“When we first launched Tenstreet, we doubled our applications within the first year. That has continued to grow,” Fosdyck said. “To double your apps in a year, that is a pretty big deal.” 

Beyond pure application volume, Tenstreet’s solutions have enhanced operational efficiency. The platform enables Dot Transportation to increase driver headcount without significantly increasing HR and compliance staff. 

For Dot Transportation, successful driver recruitment transcends technological solutions alone. Fosdyck explains that the true value of technology lies in its ability to help the company build better relationships. 

It is those relationships that have  enabled companies like Dot Transportation to continue to grow – and retain – their driving force through all kinds of market conditions over the past several years.

“Focus on that candidate relationship,” Fosdyck advised fellow recruiters. “You have to build that relationship and nurture that throughout the entire hiring process.”

This relationship-centered approach is especially crucial at Dot Transportation given the company’s comprehensive and often lengthy hiring procedures. 

“We are incredibly thorough in all our hiring. That being said, we can get past the time it takes by nurturing that relationship with the candidate,” Fosdyck said. “They are also able to get a good view of our company culture during this time.” 

What exactly does nurturing a prospective new hire look like? According to Fosdyck, it’s about almost constant communication. 

“It basically boils down to touchpoints,”  Fosdyck said. “As candidates progress through the hiring pipeline, their interactions extend beyond the recruitment team to include hiring managers and HR personnel, creating a seamless candidate experience.”

The Tenstreet Advantage

Tenstreet’s suite of tools addresses several critical pain points in driver recruitment. For example, the platform automates communication with partial applicants, encouraging them to submit additional information and allowing Dot Transportation’s team to focus their attention on completed applications.

The platform also streamlines compliance documentation, saving both drivers and recruiters a lot of time and frustration.

“Getting histories is a lot of work if you’re onboarding 500-600 drivers a year. Most of them, we can hit ‘go’ on Tenstreet and not look back,” Fosdyck said.

One of Tenstreet’s most valuable offerings isn’t technological, but rather deeply human: relationship continuity. 

“What has been really valuable to me is that I have had the same Tenstreet account manager since I’ve been in this role,” Fosdyck shares. “I have been working with the people. They know me, and they know our business. That speaks volumes.”

As the logistics industry continues navigating complex recruitment challenges, the partnership between Dot Transportation and Tenstreet illustrates how the right technological solutions, combined with a relationship-focused approach, can create substantial competitive advantages in the battle for qualified drivers.

Click here to learn more about Tenstreet.

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