2025
The State of Transportation Talent: Technology and Trust in HR
Looking at the road ahead
The transportation sector is at a crossroads—grappling with labor shortages, evolving job roles, and the rapid rise of hiring technology. As automation and AI tools become more common in hiring, understanding their real impact has never been more urgent.
To explore these dynamics, Checkr surveyed 500 HR managers and 500 job seekers in transportation who recently completed interviews. This report breaks down their responses to spotlight practical trends and strategies, not just theory.
In this report, HR professionals will discover what’s working, what’s not, and where to go next. We reveal how your peers are using AI to improve speed and efficiency, where candidates feel left behind, and what both sides expect from a modern hiring experience.
Most importantly, we share where alignment already exists—and where critical gaps could cost you top talent.
Facts from the field
AI adoption is happening
Candidates expect speed
50%
expect confirmation emails
48%
want timely status updates
45%
want interview scheduling to be seamless
Information gap persists
candidates say they weren’t informed when AI was used.
Ethics are a must
Both groups rank data privacy and fairness among their highest concerns regarding the use of AI in hiring.
Fraud is a shared fear among HR teams
Humans still matter
Areas of agreement: A shared vision for better hiring
While HR leaders and job candidates approach hiring from opposite sides of the table, their goals are more aligned than you might expect.
In the transportation industry—where speed, safety, and operational reliability are key—both groups recognize the value of technology in making the hiring process more efficient.
This shared vision isn’t just encouraging, it’s actionable. When employers tap into these areas of alignment, they can build smarter systems, strengthen their employer brand, and improve outcomes for everyone involved.
Automation that truly helps
69% of HR managers say AI tools have helped them reduce repetitive work and speed up hiring. Some candidates agree—26% say automation improved communication and timelines.
Top tools cited by HR
Top automations expected by candidates
Ethics in focus
Both HR professionals and candidates rank the same ethical concerns at the top:
- HR's #1 concern: Candidate data privacy
- Candidates' #1 concern: Privacy of personal data
- Both list transparency and fairness in the top three
Ethical concerns ranked by importance
- Candidate data privacy
- Transparency into how AI-generated outputs impact hiring decisions
- Fairness across demographic groups
- Human oversight
- Candidate consent/opt-out
- Accuracy of AI-generated outputs
Fraud is a shared concern
The use of AI to cheat the hiring process is a growing concern for everyone, but we don't all agree on what constitutes fraud.
Points of disconnect: Where misalignment could hurt
Even with strong alignment on the value of efficiency and fairness, key gaps remain between how HR managers perceive their hiring practices and how candidates actually experience them.
These disconnects—particularly around transparency, communication, and perceived fairness—can quietly erode trust, delay decisions, and reduce offer acceptance.
Understanding where these misalignments occur is essential. By addressing them head-on, HR teams in transportation can remove friction, improve candidate confidence, and strengthen their overall hiring strategy.
Fairness: The perception divide
52% of HR managers believe AI is just as fair as human reviewers. But only 26% of candidates agree. In fact, 37% actively disagree.
Are AI-powered hiring tools as fair as human reviewers in evaluating candidate qualifications?
Communication breakdowns
There’s a clear mismatch in what HR in transportation believes they're sharing vs. what candidates think they are told.
Candidate perception of AI transparency
HR teams' perception of AI transparency
Candidates still crave a human touch
Candidates are overwhelmingly in favor of human-led hiring.
- 78% say most of the hiring process should involve human interaction
- 32% say AI made the process feel less personal
Yet only 24% of HR managers say they’ve heard this from candidates, suggesting that feedback loops may not be capturing this perspective.
We asked candidates: How would you feel if AI was used to assess your application or interview performance?
Next steps:
Where HR teams can focus now
The transportation industry faces a unique challenge: Hiring at speed without losing trust. While AI and automation are unlocking new efficiencies, this report shows that transparency, fairness, and human connection are just as critical to the candidate experience.
To turn these insights into impact, HR teams should take a closer look at their processes—and ask the right questions.
The following framework is designed to help you evaluate where your hiring strategy stands today and take clear, actionable steps toward a more trusted, candidate-centered future.
Be more transparent
Ask your team:
- Are we telling candidates when and how AI is used in our hiring process?
- Do candidates understand which stages are handled by humans vs. AI?
- Are we giving candidates the option to ask questions or request human review?
Take this action:
- Consider adding clear AI disclosures to job applications and interview scheduling workflows.
- Create a standard explanation of how AI is used—and when humans are involved.
- Share a sample “AI use overview” with all applicants.
Don’t lose the human element
Ask your team:
- Do our automated emails feel cold or robotic?
- Are we using automation in ways that distance us from the candidate experience?
- Do we leave room for real human connection at key moments in the hiring process?
Take this action:
- Rewrite automated messages to include warm, empathetic language.
- Personalize communication with candidate names and specific context where possible.
- Balance automation with intentional human touchpoints.
Provide AI training for internal teams
Ask your team:
- Have all stakeholders received training on how AI tools are used in hiring?
- Do our recruiters and hiring managers understand both the benefits and risks of AI?
- Are we confident that our teams can explain the role of AI in our hiring process to candidates?
Take this action:
- Conduct internal workshops or partner with vendors for AI literacy training.
- Build cross-functional alignment between HR, talent acquisition, and IT teams.
- Create a knowledge hub for best practices and FAQs about AI-assisted hiring.
Turn ethics into action
Ask your team:
- Do we have a clear set of ethical principles for how we use AI in hiring?
- Would we feel confident sharing our AI practices with a candidate—or in the press?
- Are we proactively identifying and preventing bias in our systems?
Take this action:
- Consider drafting a simple, public-facing code of ethics for the use of AI tools in hiring.
- Establish regular audits or reviews of AI tools for fairness and accuracy.
- Involve DEI and legal teams in building long-term accountability.
Final thoughts: Trust is the new metric
As AI becomes more embedded in the hiring process, especially in high-volume, fast-moving industries like transportation, one factor will separate great hiring teams from the rest: trust.
Candidates aren’t resisting technology, they’re resisting opacity. When people don’t understand how decisions are made or feel disconnected from the process, trust breaks down—and with it, the quality of the candidate's experience.
HR leaders can’t afford to overlook this. While automation brings speed and efficiency, it must be paired with transparency, fairness, and a human touch.
Candidates want to know when AI is used, how their data is handled, and that someone sees them as more than a resume or a score. That kind of clarity builds credibility—and credibility builds pipelines.
The organizations that win in the next era of hiring will be those that communicate clearly, lead with empathy, and use AI to enhance—not replace—the human experience. In a landscape crowded with tools and tactics, trust is the strategy that sets strong employers apart.
How Checkr helps transportation talent teams
Checkr is the data platform that powers safe and fair hiring decisions. Our modern transportation background check technology integrates seamlessly with your hiring tech stack and provides transparency, automation, and trust at scale. Over 100,000 HR teams use our solutions to modernize their screening process and deliver an outstanding candidate experience, without losing the human touch.
Ready to unlock transportation hiring’s strategic potential with better background checks?
Connect with our team to learn more and take action as a key problem-solver for your HR organization.
More resources for strategic thinkers
The 2025 CHRO Insight Report
This report examines the insights and priorities of 500 Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) across multiple industries, uncovering their top challenges, sought-after solutions, and strategies for enhancing organizational impact.
The Transportation Background Check Playbook
Use this playbook to build a background check program that gets every role filled faster, exceeds candidate expectations, and boosts your compliance confidence.
How to Choose a Background Check Provider for Hiring at Scale
Get our buyer’s guide to selecting a background check partner that helps you get ahead in your hiring market—including the questions you need to ask and must-have solutions when choosing a provider.
Survey methodology
All findings in this report are based on a July 2025 survey conducted by Checkr using the Pollfish platform. We surveyed 1,000 total participants: 500 HR managers and 500 job candidates in the transportation industry who had applied and interviewed for jobs within the past six months. Respondents answered all questions to the best of their knowledge and experience.
Disclaimer
The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.