Picture this.
A driver is parked between loads, looking for their next job. They pull up a few postings, compare lanes and pay, and then make a real commitment. They tap the call button on your ad because they want to talk to someone about working for you.
The phone rings.
And rings.
And rings…
No answer. Maybe they hit voicemail. Maybe the call just dies. The driver hangs up and calls the next fleet on their list. A few minutes later, they’re talking to another fleet about home time and routes.
And you never even knew you were in the running.
We wanted to understand how often this moment happens and what drivers actually do when your phone system lets them down. So we surveyed 356 professional drivers about what they expect when they call a fleet about a job.
The numbers are not kind to missed calls and long holds.
Drivers call when they’re actively looking
First, this is not a casual “someday” search.
In our survey, 43% of drivers said they call when they are serious about a job, not just curious.
65% of drivers also said they found their last job in less than a month, so when they are ready to move, they’re not playing games.
When the phone rings, it’s often coming from a driver who is already in motion and ready to make a change. That first call is a live opportunity, not a soft touch at the top of the funnel.
When no one answers, they just move on
We asked drivers, “If you call a fleet about a job and no one answers, what are you most likely to do?”
The most common answer:
37% said they move on to another fleet.
That doesn’t mean every single driver gives up after one missed call. Some will try again. But it does mean more than one in three won’t. For that group, one unanswered call is enough to cross you off the list.
Inside the fleet, that looks like a normal day: some missed calls, a few voicemails, recruiters juggling conversations. From the driver’s side, it looks like a simple conclusion:
“If you can’t pick up when I am trying to work for you, I have other fleets to call.”
Holds have a short fuse
Answering the phone helps, but it’s not the end of the story.
We asked, “If you call a fleet and are put on hold, how long are you willing to wait?” The largest group of drivers, 38%, said 3-5 minutes. That is your rough grace period before frustration starts to build.
Then we asked “If you’re put on hold longer than you’re willing to wait, what are you most likely to do?”
46% said they hang up and move on.
So nearly half of drivers who feel they have waited too long don’t stay in your queue, they pick a different fleet and try again there.
Two tries is usually all you get
We also wanted to know how many attempts a driver is willing to make before giving up completely. So we asked, “If you call a fleet about a job and don’t reach a recruiter, how many times will you try before moving on?”
Here is how they answered:
- 22.8% usually move on after the first try.
- 51.8% will try two times.
- 13.0% will try three times.
- 12.4% say they keep trying until they reach someone.
That means about 74% of drivers stop calling by the second failed attempt to reach a recruiter. You do get a second chance with many drivers, but you rarely get a long series of them.
Inside a lot of fleets, the mindset is “we will keep working the lead until we connect.” In reality, most drivers are giving you one or two shots. Tops.
After that, they assume it shouldn’t be this hard to talk to someone who wants to hire them.
This is just the preview, not the full story
Everything here is just a piece of our most recent research.
In the full download, Phone Problems Destroying Driver Recruiting, we go deeper into:
- How long drivers will actually sit on hold before the risk of losing them jumps.
- What else pushes them to give up on a fleet, including the 45% who say “no one answers” is a deal breaker.
- What still makes a call feel worthwhile when a recruiter is not available.
- How many real hires and how much real money basic phone problems are costing fleets.
If you want the full breakdown, the charts, and a closer look at where your own phone process might be dropping the ball, fill out the form below and grab the download now.