What does it take to be a great driver at Granger? It might seem like there’s a pretty obvious answer. You have to be good at driving. While that’s true, being a driver at Granger is quite a bit different from other driving positions. And while having a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and being skilled at driving are at the top of the list, there are other qualities that are almost as important. Here are some critical needs, in no particular order:
- A genuine desire to work in the great outdoors—As a driver, you spend a lot of time in a truck, but a good portion of your time outside as well. In fact, depending on which truck you’re driving, you could spend at least half of your time outside the truck.
- An independent spirit—When you’re out on your route, it’s kind of like being your own boss. Although you do have a supervisor and can certainly ask for help when you need it, there’s no one looking over your shoulder. That means your motivation to do the job to the best of your ability needs to come from within.
- Comfort with technology—Whether it’s operating the tablet in your truck, manipulating an automated truck arm to pick up a cart or using truck cameras to avoid unsafe situations, you need to be able to learn new technology. See more about how Granger uses technology for collection here.
- Navigation skills—While we do have all routes loaded into our in-cab tablets, drivers still need to be able to navigate on their own and adjust in case of accidents, construction and other obstacles.
- The ability to think on your feet—Along with being independent comes some decision making. A driver’s job is never the same from day to day and requires a lot of adjustment. Challenging circumstances, such as weather conditions, unsafe situations, accidents and heavy containers require drivers to change direction and make adjustments.
- A commitment to safety—There’s no doubt that jobs at Granger can be dangerous and require extremely safe behavior. As a driver at Granger, you have to take safety precautions seriously and make sure you’re being safe at all times. That means always wearing your personal protective equipment and using three points of contact to get down from the back of the truck, along with numerous other critical behaviors.
- The desire and ability to be active—Our residential drivers in particular need to be in shape. (And if they’re not in shape when they start here, they soon will be.) Driving at Granger is not a sedentary job.
- A dedication to the Golden Rule and excellent customer service—To represent Granger well, a driver must treat others with kindness and respect. Drivers have a lot of contact with our customers, and they develop friendly, helpful relationships with those on their route.
- Excellent time management skills—Drivers need to be punctual, be able to pace themselves and work more efficiently on particularly heavy days to avoid taking an excessive amount of time to finish their routes.
- A fondness for Granger brown and safety yellow—Well, that goes without saying, doesn’t it?
If you or someone you know has these qualities, you may want to apply for an open driver position at Granger. Visit our careers page to view available openings and apply.
At Granger, we offer careers, not just jobs. Read more here.