Checklist

Questions to ask a trucking recruiter before you accept a job

Short answer

Before you accept a CDL job through a recruiter, get clear answers on five things: which carrier you'd drive for, exactly how you're paid (including empty miles), home time, the truck, and anything you'd have to pay. If a recruiter won't name the carrier before you commit, slow down.

Updated October 21, 2026Truvexa Driver Solutions

Questions about the carrier

Which carrier would I drive for?
Why it matters
You can look the carrier up yourself before deciding.
Truvexa's answer
Named during recruiting, before you accept an offer.
Who employs and pays me?
Why it matters
A recruiter is not always the employer.
Truvexa's answer
The carrier. Truvexa is a recruiting firm, not a motor carrier.
Do you have an MC or DOT number?
Why it matters
The carrier you drive for operates under its own DOT number and authority.
Truvexa's answer
No. Truvexa is not a motor carrier. You can look up the carrier's numbers once it's named.

Ask	Why it matters	Truvexa's answer
Which carrier would I drive for?	You can look the carrier up yourself before deciding.	Named during recruiting, before you accept an offer.
Who employs and pays me?	A recruiter is not always the employer.	The carrier. Truvexa is a recruiting firm, not a motor carrier.
Do you have an MC or DOT number?	The carrier you drive for operates under its own DOT number and authority.	No. Truvexa is not a motor carrier. You can look up the carrier's numbers once it's named.

Questions about pay

How exactly is pay calculated?
Why it matters
A weekly number means little without the formula.
Truvexa's answer
Company: at least 70¢ per mile or 30% of gross, your choice. Lease: 85–88% of gross by program.
Are empty miles paid?
Why it matters
Deadhead adds up over a week.
Truvexa's answer
Fixed plan: yes, loaded and empty. 30% plan: ask your recruiter.
When and how am I paid?
Why it matters
Cash flow matters on the road.
Truvexa's answer
Set by the carrier. Ask your recruiter.
Detention, layover or breakdown pay?
Why it matters
Waiting time is common in trucking.
Truvexa's answer
Depends on the carrier. Ask before you accept.
Is there a sign-on bonus?
Why it matters
Know what's actually offered.
Truvexa's answer
It depends on the carrier.

Ask	Why it matters	Truvexa's answer
How exactly is pay calculated?	A weekly number means little without the formula.	Company: at least 70¢ per mile or 30% of gross, your choice. Lease: 85–88% of gross by program.
Are empty miles paid?	Deadhead adds up over a week.	Fixed plan: yes, loaded and empty. 30% plan: ask your recruiter.
When and how am I paid?	Cash flow matters on the road.	Set by the carrier. Ask your recruiter.
Detention, layover or breakdown pay?	Waiting time is common in trucking.	Depends on the carrier. Ask before you accept.
Is there a sign-on bonus?	Know what's actually offered.	It depends on the carrier.

Comparing the two company plans? Read CPM vs percentage pay.

Questions about home time, freight and the truck

How long out, how long home?
Truvexa's answer
3 weeks out, 3–5 days home, flexible for emergencies.
Where will I run?
Truvexa's answer
All 48 states, no fixed routes.
Which truck will I get?
Truvexa's answer
2023–2026 Kenworth, Peterbilt, Freightliner Cascadia or International ProStar with refrigerator, microwave and APU, depending on the carrier and availability.
Can I bring a pet or a rider?
Truvexa's answer
Set by each carrier. Ask your recruiter.
Do you hire SAP drivers?
Truvexa's answer
Yes. Tell us where you are in the return-to-duty process.

Ask	Truvexa's answer
How long out, how long home?	3 weeks out, 3–5 days home, flexible for emergencies.
Where will I run?	All 48 states, no fixed routes.
Which truck will I get?	2023–2026 Kenworth, Peterbilt, Freightliner Cascadia or International ProStar with refrigerator, microwave and APU, depending on the carrier and availability.
Can I bring a pet or a rider?	Set by each carrier. Ask your recruiter.
Do you hire SAP drivers?	Yes. Tell us where you are in the return-to-duty process.

Questions about costs and your personal information

Will you ask for my SSN online?
Truvexa's answer
No. Never on our website. Those go to the carrier through its own secure application.
Lease: payment, term, down payment?
Truvexa's answer
$500–$1,100 per week, 2–4 years, $0 down. Exact numbers depend on the truck and program, and you get them in writing before you sign.

Ask	Truvexa's answer
Will you ask for my SSN online?	No. Never on our website. Those go to the carrier through its own secure application.
Lease: payment, term, down payment?	$500–$1,100 per week, 2–4 years, $0 down. Exact numbers depend on the truck and program, and you get them in writing before you sign.

When should you slow down?

The recruiter won't tell you which company you'd drive for until after you commit.
Pay is described only as a weekly number, without how it's calculated.
Lease terms aren't given to you in writing before you sign.

See how recruiting works at Truvexa, step by step.

Questions about this topic

Should a recruiter tell me the carrier's name?

Yes, before you accept anything. At Truvexa the carrier is named during recruiting, before you accept an offer, so you can look it up yourself.

What's the difference between a recruiter and a carrier?

A motor carrier operates the trucks, dispatches and pays drivers, and has its own MC and DOT numbers. A recruiting firm like Truvexa connects drivers with carriers and is not a motor carrier.

What should I have ready for a recruiter call?

Your CDL class, years of OTR experience, the pay plan you prefer, your home-time needs and, if it applies, where you are in the SAP process.

Ask us all of it.

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