Interviews can be intimidating situations, even for the most confident people. That’s why, whenever you find yourself interviewing for a new job, proper preparation is everything. So, to help get you ready for your next job interview, here is a quick guide to everything you need to do to prepare with some of the most common truck driver interview questions and what kinds of questions you should be ready to ask the interviewer.
Before the Interview
As mentioned, the most important factor in the success of your interview is preparation. It’s not as simple as showing up at a given date and time, answering a few truck questions, and hoping the interviewer likes you. If you want to be sure that you will proceed past the interview stage, you need to first make sure that you have all of your ducks in a row. Here are some things to think about for a truck driver interview:
- Can you pass a background check and drug test upon request?
- Is your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) up to date?
- Do you have the correct endorsements for the position?
- Do you have any restrictions that would preclude you from the position?
- Do you have a clean driving record?
- Do you have a copy of your resume on hand if requested?
- Are you comfortable talking about your past experience and/or job history?
Each of these questions may have already been answered during the application process, but if they haven’t, they will almost certainly be addressed in the interview.
Types of Questions to Expect
Every company is different, and every recruiter or interviewer will have a different approach to a truck driver interview. Factors that may affect the process may include: whether you are interviewing with a retailer trucking company, the nature of the trucking job, how many applicants there are, the time since the job was posted, and more. However, there are still some common topics that you can expect — both in truck driving interviews and job interviews in general. Here are some types of questions to prepare for.
Why do you want to be a truck driver for us?
This is the most common kind of interview question for any interview in any profession. Interviewers want to get to know you, your drive, and your work ethic. This kind of question helps them to know your motivations and weed out those who may appear lazy or apathetic. When answering this kind of question — or any question — be honest, but an answer like “the money is good” is perhaps something you may want to avoid. Instead think about what you love most about both the profession, and the company for which you want to work.
Talk about your experience
Your interviewer may want clarification on certain parts of your job history and work experience, so there will likely be some questions around this topic. This question may focus on a particular item on your resume, or it may be a more general question. Answer as accurately as you can, and if you cannot remember a specific detail, do not be afraid to say so.
How do you deal with problems or setbacks?
Truck driving is a profession that is full of situations that you cannot control, and how you deal with those situations will be very telling for those who are looking to hire a truck driver. They may ask you about something specific — for example, a hypothetical situation you may face on the road, or a setback that you have faced in the past and how you overcame it — or they may ask you this question generally. In either case, it is a good idea to have a few examples in mind that you can bring up in order to illustrate how you dealt with difficult situations in a calm and efficient manner.
How do you deal with long hours alone on the road?
Much like the first question, this kind of interview topic is intended to understand your temperament and motivations. Truck driving requires long hours on the road alone, so those who are hiring are looking for people who have the mental toughness for this kind of job. Anything that you can do to convince them that you have healthy coping mechanisms for the rigors of the job would be a good answer to this type of question.
Do you have any questions?
This is a very common question in any kind of job interview. This provides a chance for you to not only answer some questions that you may have about the position or company, but also to show that you have done your research before the interview. The next section will go over some good questions to ask trucking companies or others who may be looking to hire a truck driver.
Types of Questions to Ask
The kinds of questions that you will want to ask in your interview depend greatly on what your situation is, and what the position is that you are applying for. However, there are a few main things that you may want to consider, and some common questions that may help you to get the information that you need. So if you are curious what you should ask a truck driver recruiter or interviewer, here are some sample questions:
- What is the expected pay, and is it hourly or per mile?
- What sort of benefits package is available?
- What sort of equipment will I be using?
- What is the company’s fuel policy?
- What opportunities are available for growth or job changes in the future?
- Are alternate routes available? Will there be others available in the future?
- What are your main routes and regions?
- Do you use an electronic logging system?
Basically, you want to use this time to make sure that you know exactly what kind of position you will be filling, and what kind of company you will be working for. Questions should be ones that help you to understand this.
Other Things to Think About
As well as questions to ask, there are a few other things to take into consideration when interviewing for a new job. This includes making the right arrangements for childcare or various appointments you may have during the allotted interview time, and making sure that you have a suitable outfit to wear. What do you wear to a truck driving interview? Even though it is not a profession that typically requires a formal dress code, it is important to show the interviewer that you care about the job and are willing to put in the necessary time and effort. As such, business casual attire is generally a safe bet.
Once again, the most important thing to remember is preparation. If you have done the work beforehand, you can go into your interview feeling confident in your ability to present yourself in the best possible light. If you have more than a year of experience and meet our other requirements, visit our careers page to learn more about working for Matheson and browse current job openings.
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