How to hire a driver manager

How to hire a driver manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step driver manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a driver manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new driver manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a driver manager do?

Post a driver manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a driver manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a driver manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a driver manager that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of driver manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Driver Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Driver Manager		$13-33
   Shipping And Receiving Supervisor	A shipping and receiving supervisor streamlines the shipping process for a more efficient company. The supervisors oversee and maintain the supplies and inventory through product receipt, storage, and delivery... Show more	$13-22
   Warehouse Supervisor	A Warehouse Supervisor's responsibility mainly revolves around inventory, logistics, and workforce supervision. One of the main tasks is to oversee and coordinate with every employee or company involved to ensure that all of the stocks have been received, stored, and delivered according to what is needed... Show more	$16-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • DOT
   • Good Communication
   • On-Time Delivery
   • Customer Service
   • OTR
   • Driver Retention
   • Driver Performance
   • Driver Payroll
   • Load Planning
   • CDL
   • Disciplinary Actions
   • TMW
   • Safety Regulations
   • AS400

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop and implement KPI metrics to effectively manage customer satisfaction
   • Certify and experience in HAZMAT shipments.
   • Head up vehicle maintenance scheduling along with tracking trucks via GPS and monitoring driver hours.
   • Help establish policies and procedures for management of all Dallas drivers' GPS systems and data.
   • Organize and create an OTR fleet, taking it to one of the top fleets in Denver.
   • Obtain necessary documents for the drivers to ensure safe transportation of HAZMAT freight, including overweight permits.

   More driver manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the driver manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A driver manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a driver manager in Louisiana may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level driver manager. Additionally, a driver manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average driver manager salary

   $45,922yearly

   $22.08 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level driver manager salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 21, 2025

   Average driver manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$58,313	$28
   2	Massachusetts	$57,405	$28
   3	Indiana	$57,350	$28
   4	Pennsylvania	$55,894	$27
   5	Michigan	$52,349	$25
   6	Wisconsin	$50,540	$24
   7	Ohio	$49,955	$24
   8	Arizona	$48,866	$23
   9	Tennessee	$48,751	$23
   10	Washington	$47,477	$23
   11	Georgia	$46,338	$22
   12	North Carolina	$46,210	$22
   13	Minnesota	$45,938	$22
   14	Utah	$45,103	$22
   15	Texas	$44,225	$21
   16	Iowa	$43,966	$21
   17	Kansas	$42,846	$21
   18	Missouri	$41,153	$20
   19	Colorado	$40,096	$19
   20	Oklahoma	$38,441	$18

   Average driver manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	NVIDIA	$150,719	$72.46
   2	Rivian	$86,086	$41.39
   3	Visa	$70,137	$33.72
   4	La Paloma Urgent Care & Physician Offices	$62,190	$29.90
   5	Temecula Valley Hospital	$58,531	$28.14	1
   6	Comcar Industries	$56,808	$27.31
   7	Melton Truck Lines	$55,204	$26.54
   8	P&S Transportation	$54,848	$26.37	5
   9	Heniff	$51,562	$24.79
   10	Clean Harbors	$50,353	$24.21	2
   11	ADM	$50,161	$24.12
   12	Enterprises	$50,108	$24.09
   13	University of Washington	$48,772	$23.45
   14	Faraday Future	$45,855	$22.05
   15	Benore Logistic Systems	$45,132	$21.70	7
   16	Sanford Health	$45,071	$21.67	1
   17	JBS USA	$44,702	$21.49	3
   18	Hirschbach	$44,668	$21.48	4
   19	Swift Denim Services Inc	$44,033	$21.17
   20	Morrie's Auto Group	$43,753	$21.04

4. Writing a driver manager job description

   A good driver manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a driver manager job description:

   Driver manager job description example

   Responsible for the management of 30-35 company drivers. The driver manager ("DM") is a key leadership position that oversees the day to day execution of his/her assigned driver fleet. The DM is accountable for the performance of their drivers in the areas of service, safety, utilization, and retention. The DM will focus on maintaining positive employee relationships. The DM is responsible for conducting regular performance reviews with their drivers and determining corrective action plans when performance is below expectations. The DM will become proficient in the use of Transportation Management Systems to ensure timely and accurate data.
   Essential Job Functions:
   
   * Manages driver performance by setting expectations, conducting regular reviews and implementing corrective action processes up to and including termination when needed
   * Accountable for the safety and regulatory performance of their drivers and implementation and execution of corrective actions plans for all drivers below goal
   * Responsible for problem resolution with assigned drivers
   * Accountable for driver retention
   * Ensure their drivers are compliant in all FMCSA regulations such as: hours of service, random drug testing, proper licensing and endorsements
   * Trains and Mentors drivers to ensure success in areas such as proper use of tools and systems, including, for example, Omnitracs, document scanning, and payroll processes
   * Tracks and manages assigned drivers' schedules, including planned time off, holiday pay compliance, and vacations
   * Resolves driver payroll discrepancies, including authorizing additional accessorial and hourly pay when appropriate
   * Manages driver utilization to ensure their drivers achieve targeted utilization levels; works with load planners to improve driver productivity
   * Responsible for driver execution of assigned work
   * Enforces understanding and compliance with all Company policies and procedures, including the Code of Conduct
   * Contributes to an atmosphere of trust and teamwork that values contributions of all employees in support of a high performance culture
   * Supports load planning in the areas of re planning and recovery of loads
   * Works until driver issues are resolved for the day and/or a proper hand off has been made
   * Monitors deliveries and pickups for service failures and proactively alerts load planning & carrier management of any loads in jeopardy of failure
   
   Minimum Qualifications:
   
   * 2-5 years recent Driver Manager or Fleet Manager experience
   * Strong leadership skills
   * Strong organizational, analytical and problem solving skills and change management
   * Must be a self-starter and highly motivated individual
   
   #EarlyCareer

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find driver managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any driver managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level driver managers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your driver manager job on Zippia to find and recruit driver manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting driver managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new driver manager

   Once you've found the driver manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new driver manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a driver manager?