How to Increase Job Fill Rates on the Trux Marketplace

Dump trucks are a vital part of almost any construction project, but nothing grinds operations to a halt like not having enough trucks to get the job done. That's where the Trux Marketplace comes in.

The Marketplace helps contractors and material producers get incremental logistics support to grow their business and keep pace with projects when demand for truckers is high and the supply of truckers is scarce. In this document, we'll provide you with a set of best practices for increasing the likelihood that your jobs will be filled by truckers on the Trux Marketplace.

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG: WHY SOME jobs GO UNFILLED

There can be many reasons that jobs don’t get filled, but we wanted to try and find out specifically why. So we looked at all of the jobs that went unclaimed on the Marketplace during a 12-month period to determine the primary cause. Here is what we found. 

NOTE: This chart should be viewed from left-to-right with the primary cause listed first followed by the second, and so on. Causes are not mutually exclusive, meaning an unclaimed job could have more than one cause, but it is assigned to its primary cause category alone.

Hauler behavior refers to when a hauler accepted a job but then canceled with less than 12 hours notice before the job start time. Job dynamics refers to a job distance that’s greater than 100 miles.

As you can see, posting quality is the biggest reason why jobs go unfilled. Quality is made up of several factors, all of which contribute to a greater likelihood of your jobs being filled by haulers on the Marketplace. Here are the factors that go into posting quality and how to overcome them.

post your jobs with enough lead time

Lead time is the single biggest predictor of job fill rate success. That's why you should always aim to post your jobs at least 24-48 hours before the scheduled start time. The more lead time you can give, the better. Also, jobs posted before 1:00 pm local time are more likely to be filled than those posted afterward since haulers often look for work during their lunch break.

However, sometimes last-minute jobs are unavoidable. If you find yourself in this situation, you should consider increasing your rate to compensate for the lack of notice. Haulers are more likely to accept a last-minute job if they are given a higher rate, and this can help to ensure that your job gets filled quickly and efficiently.

choose the best payment method

Trux gives you the flexibility to post jobs to the Marketplace with three hauler payment options:

• by the hour
• by the delivered ton
• by the delivered load

Dump trucking jobs that are paid by the hour tend to fill at a higher rate than those that are paid by the ton or by the load. This is likely because hourly pay gives haulers a guaranteed rate, regardless of how much they haul, so their earning potential is less susceptible to factors outside of their control - like inefficiency at the plant or the job site, traffic, equipment issues, and other delays. Pay by the ton or load can be more variable, and sometimes drivers can end up making less than they would have if they had been paid by the hour. As a result, drivers who are looking for a guaranteed pay tend to gravitate towards jobs that pay by the hour.

Pay by the hour also happens to be the most common pay type across all jobs completed from the Marketplace. So it could be that haulers are used to seeing that payment type when looking for work.

Pay above or near market rates

This is probably obvious, but it's important to make sure you are offering pay rates that are competitive with the current market value in your area. If your pay rates are too low, haulers will have little incentive to accept your jobs. This is especially true for last-minute jobs (more on this below). Keep this in mind when posting jobs, and adjust your pay rates accordingly based on local market conditions. By offering competitive pay rates, you will increase your chances of getting your jobs filled.

include the important job details

It's important to be as clear and comprehensive as possible when posting your job opportunities. Include all of the relevant information about the job, including:

• Type of haul and material. Is it a short or a long haul? For example, if you are posting a tonnage short-haul job, note the mileage and expected loads or tons per truck so a trucker can estimate the daily revenue for the work. What type of material is to be hauled? Asphalt? Clean fill? Something else?
• Haul start and end location. This allows truckers to work out fuel costs and travel time in addition to enabling contractors to receive accurate cycle time reports.
• Special equipment or truck requirements. Is any special equipment required to haul the material? A steel bed? An asphalt tarp? A special trailer hitch? Are there any prohibited items (e.g., a pintle hook)?
• The project duration. What is the total number of loads that can be expected? What’s the length of the day? The total tonnage?
• Project length. How many days of work will be available?

These important job details will appear for haulers who claim your jobs in the INSTRUCTIONS section of each job in Trux Drive.

As a contractor or material producer, you are “selling” an opportunity to a trucker to work with them on a specific job. Present potential truckers with as much information in the job details as is necessary to understand the expectations and be enticed to accept the job.

Including as many details as possible will help truckers make an informed decision about whether or not to take on the job. In addition, being upfront about the job requirements will help avoid any misunderstandings or surprises down the road. By taking the time to post complete and accurate job information, you'll be more likely to attract qualified truckers who are interested in working on your project.

other tips to increase fill rates

Consistency is key. If you post jobs to the Marketplace regularly, haulers will view you as a good source for consistent hauling work. Post just every once in a while, and they will be less likely to take your work over work from a source that they know to regularly offer job opportunities. The more jobs you post, the healthier your supply of 3rd party haulers will be. This is particularly important if you are planning for upcoming spikes in demand that will require more trucks than you have among your pool of regulars or owned trucks. Cultivate your network of available haulers and be ready for success!

Make use of Trux's Favorites functionality. Contractors and material producers can offer jobs directly to haulers on their Favorites list, providing them with "first-look" access to jobs that others won’t see until one hour after the job is posted. If no Favorites accept the job, it will be offered to all approved haulers on the Trux Marketplace.

Post a full day of work. Haulers are more likely to claim a shift from the Marketplace if they know their truck will be busy for the full day.

Job titles matter. It's what a hauler sees first among a long list of potential jobs within the Trux Drive app. Just like the subject line of an email, your target audience (truckers) is first considering your job based on the Job Name, rate, date, city, state, and truck type. Consider using job names that are descriptive of the actual job itself. For example:

• Concrete haul off
• All-day Quarry A to Quarry B
• Paving Interstate I-24

That way, haulers will immediately see some details that tell them about what kind of job is available and whether it’s worth their time to “tap” the job to learn more and ultimately accept.

Conclusion

Dump truck jobs can be difficult to fill because of the high demand for truckers and the limited supply. However, by following these best practices, you can increase your chances of getting the help you need.

Download our infographic with tips and best practices for improving job fill rates on the Trux Marketplace.