Walmart says it is raising truckers’ pay and starting a training program as it grapples with driver shortage

Walmart said Thursday that it is raising pay for long-haul truck drivers and launching a new program to train the next generation, as it seeks the staffing it relies on to replenish store shelves and warehouses across the country.

Walmart said that truck drivers will make up to $110,000 in their first year with the company, which will raise their average pay. The company did not give the current salary range for a new truck driver at Walmart, but said they have made an average of $87,500 in their first year.

In Texas and Delaware, Walmart has started a 12-week program where people can earn a commercial driver's license and join the company's fleet. Anne Hatfield said that it will cover the cost of earning a license.

Hatfield said that the program will only be open to supply chain associates who are near the two training locations. She said Walmart employees will be able to apply for the program in the future. The company hopes to train between 400 and 800 new drivers this year.

Walmart, the country's largest private employer with 1.6 million workers, is ramping up recruiting efforts for truck drivers as the growth of e-commerce changes its business and complicates its supply chain. There is a tight market for trucking labor.

According to the American Trucking Associations trade group, the shortage of truck drivers in the U.S. hit an all-time high last year. According to the trade group, there are a number of reasons for the lack of workers, including the long hours of long-haul trips, the older average age of drivers, and the small number of women in the industry. Some truck drivers left the industry and fewer people went through training as a result of the Pandemic.

On Thursday morning, Walmart posted on its website about the pay bumps and training program. There are 12,000 truck drivers in its workforce. The company hired more truck drivers than any other time in its history.

More of Walmart's sales have shifted online as people get groceries delivered to the home or retrieved online orders by curbside pickup. The last full fiscal year ended on January 31st. On a two-year basis, they jumped 90%.

Walmart and other retailers have had to change their business model because of soaring online sales, which have caused a race to deliver packages quickly and keep items in stock at stores.