CHICAGO, IL – Trucking recruiters nationwide say Apple’s latest iOS 26 update has done what years of turnover never could: make every driver disappear.
The update, quietly rolled out last month, introduced new privacy settings that automatically filter texts and calls from unknown senders into separate “marketing” and “unknown” inboxes. While Apple claims it’s designed to protect users from spam, recruiters say it’s protecting drivers from job opportunities.
“I used to send a text and get a callback before I finished my coffee,” said Travis Cole, digital recruiting manager at RollRight Logistics. “Now, my message goes straight to some purgatory called ‘Unverified Senders.’ I’m not even sure the drivers know they have that folder.”
Since the update, recruiters have reported steep drops in response rates and morale. Some describe hearing their phones ring, only for the call to auto-route to voicemail before anyone can answer. “It’s like iPhones developed trust issues,” said Debbie Mullins, senior recruiter at FleetPro Hauling. “One of my drivers said my number was labeled as ‘Suspiciously Enthusiastic.’”
Experts warn that this could permanently reshape how recruiters communicate. “Apple has essentially invented emotional ghosting-as-a-service,” explained tech analyst Jordan Vega. “If your number isn’t saved, you’re invisible. It’s like recruiting from inside a black hole.”
Agencies are now experimenting with ways to outsmart the system – from asking drivers to pre-save their numbers to adding “URGENT” in all caps to every message. Others have returned to old-school methods like handwritten letters, CB radio calls, and carrier pigeons.
Apple has not commented publicly, though one employee speaking off the record confirmed a new setting is being tested: ‘Enable Recruiter Visibility (for those who truly care).’
In the meantime, recruiters continue sending texts into the digital abyss – confident that somewhere, deep within an iPhone, a driver might one day find their message and whisper, “Oh… I forgot to reply.”
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