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How to hire a feeder driver

Feeder driver hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring feeder drivers in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a feeder driver is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new feeder driver to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a feeder driver, step by step

To hire a feeder driver, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a feeder driver:

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

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

    Before you start hiring a feeder driver, 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?

    A feeder driver's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, feeder drivers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    The following list breaks down different types of feeder drivers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Feeder DriverDescriptionHourly rate
    Feeder DriverHeavy and tractor–trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. Most tractor–trailer drivers are long-haul drivers and operate trucks with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) capacity—that is, the combined weight of the vehicle, passengers, and cargo—exceeds 26,000 pounds... Show more$15-34
    Driver TrainerDriver trainers are instructors who teach their clients how to drive. They are often considered experts in driving, and they are credible enough to impart their driving knowledge to clients... Show more$14-33
    CDL Class A DriverA CDL Class A driver is a driver with a Class A commercial driver's license. A commercial driver's license is necessary to operate large, heavy, and placarded vehicles... Show more$17-36
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • CDL
    • DOT
    • Tractor-Trailer Combination
    • Post-Trip Inspections
    • Safety Committee
    • GPS
    • Customer Locations
    • OTR
    • Hazardous Materials
    • Federal Regulations
    • Semi
    • Hub
    • Pre
    • Double Trailers
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Experience in semi driving, logging, managing bills of lading, light maintenance, vehicle inspections.
    • Earn CDL license with Doubles/Triples endorsements.
    • Perform exhaustive pre and post trip inspections.
    • Operate tractor- trailer combinations, including doubles and triples.
    • Maintain trip logs, preform pre and post trip inspections.
    • Hooked/Unhook trailers and converter dollies to/from a tractor and/or trailer.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your feeder driver job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A feeder driver salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, feeder drivers' average salary in missouri is 41% less than in washington.
    • Seniority. Entry-level feeder drivers earn 54% less than senior-level feeder drivers.
    • Certifications. A feeder driver with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a feeder driver's salary.

    Average feeder driver salary

    $49,183yearly

    $23.65 hourly rate

    Entry-level feeder driver salary
    $33,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 18, 2025
  4. Writing a feeder driver job description

    A feeder driver job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a feeder driver job description:

    Feeder driver job description example

    Schedule: Monday-Friday 5am-4pm

    Location: Molalla, Oregon

    Pay: $25hr

    **Required to know how to drive a Manual 10 Speed Transmission (Truck)**

    Willamette Egg Farms offers full benefits that include: health, dental, vision insurance, 401K with company match, short term disability and life insurance.

    Job Summary :

    Responsible for mixing finished feed, receiving and storing grain at feed mill by performing the following duties.

    Job Responsibilities :

    1) Maintain a positive work atmosphere by acting and communicating in a manner so that you get along with customers, clients, co-workers and management.

    2) Maintains regular and consistent attendance by working on scheduled days as directed, in relation to production scheduling and or time volunteered for. This being in relation to attendance policy and or guidelines.

    3) Responsible for mixing feed rations according to direction of nutritionist and feed orders by location.

    4) Receives corn and feed ingredients for batch processing and or storage.

    5) Grades and weighs grain samples and records results.

    6) Weighs grain and inserts ticket into automatic recorder on scale that stamps weight on ticket.

    7) Records weight, description, and destination of grain shipped and received.

    8) Perform other duties as assigned. Batches finished feed to meet flock requirements for distribution.

    9) Records/monitors information indicating location and contents of storage tanks.

    10) Reads thermometers on control panel to ascertain grain temperatures at various levels in storage tank.

    11) Starts conveyors, selects flow pipes, sets trippers, and selects storage tanks to convey grain into storage or to loading department.

    12) Assists in scheduled preventative maintenance, cleaning of feed mill and related work equipment and or areas.

    13) Assists in all nonscheduled repairs and maintenance of feed mill, related work equipment and or areas.

    14) Always wears appropriate PPE items; this includes hard hats, safety glasses and full body harnesses for ascent, or descent from upper feed mill levels. At times, use of a full-face respirator is required, along with rubber gloves, rubber boots and a rubber apron when handling formaldehyde. This will also include insuring that all formaldehyde PPE items are clean and ready for use at all times and are properly stored.

    15) Measures feed in individual feed bins at each farm site driver is assigned to, for each barn and or sets of barns to insure that an adequate supply of feed is available at all times. Additional feed needs are to be communicated to feed mill personnel ( Feed Mill Lead, Feed Batcher ) as needed.

    16) Loads, hauls and delivers feed according to feed delivery schedules and DOT guidelines. Responsible for completing a driving log to meet DOT requirements and feed delivery reports for accounting department to invoice farm locations

    17) Driver is required to cover and or seal all out going loads to insure product is not lost during trip.

    18) Daily equipment inspection before use each day. This relates to things such as fluid levels, air pressure, proper licensing of equipment for over the road use, availability and functionality of fire extinguisher in cab and other related items.

    19) Any damages or need for repairs are to be brought to the attention of the supervisor immediately.

    20) Perform other duties as assigned.

    21) Adhere to safe work practices, follow GMP’s, maintain sanitary conditions and ensure that product quality is maintained. Report to management any conditions or practices that may adversely affect food safety, food quality or personnel safety

    Job Qualifications :

    EDUCATION:

    A High school diploma or general education degree (GED) or equivalent.

    OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES :

    Able to claim highs

    Able to wear a respirator

    Computer: Excel and Outlook

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  5. Post your job

    To find feeder drivers 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 feeder drivers they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level feeder drivers 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 feeder driver job on Zippia to find and recruit feeder driver candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit feeder drivers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 feeder driver

    Once you've found the feeder driver 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.

    It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new feeder driver. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

  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.)
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How much does it cost to hire a feeder driver?

Hiring a feeder driver comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting feeder drivers involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of feeder driver recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $49,183 per year for a feeder driver, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for feeder drivers in the US typically range between $15 and $34 an hour.

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