Walmart Raises Salary of New Truck Drivers to Almost $90k
Walmart is looking to make more than a hundred new truck drivers a part of its family. It has also increased their wages to around $90,000 a year.
As many as 1400 new truck drivers were hired by the popular retail store last year, and the number is set to increase as hundreds more are expected to join this year, according to the company in its press release. The retail store is also going to increase the pay of the drivers by one cent per mile, which will be valid from February. Additional pay will also be provided for every arrival. With this, the average salary paid to Walmart drivers will increase to $87,500 annually with an all-in rate of around 89 cents per mile.
According to a representative, the company is looking to revolutionize the orientation of truck drivers, which will lead to a rapid hiring process and enhance mentorship. These measures are meant to fill new jobs created by Walmart for the growth of the business.
In recent times, the demand for the transportation network of the company has risen drastically. Thus, new practices are being implemented to cater to the demand. In the year 2018, Walmart witnessed a growth of around 3 percent over the preceding year in same-store sales.
With the new measures and processes, it has reduced the time that elapses between the initial review of the candidate and their driving assessment by half. According to Lori Furnell, who is the driver talent acquisition director, with these new tactics, there is an improvement in the skill of candidates and the onboarding experience is enhanced as well.
According to Furnell, the expertise of the Walmart road team will be put to best use and along with the certified driver trainers, the fleet of professional drivers will grow significantly.
With this new hiring process, which commenced in August, candidates are given the opportunity to learn the skills the “Walmart way.”
Before the implementation of this new process, applicants had only one opportunity to participate in a driving assessment. In this assessment, their driving skills were evaluated and they were also judged for the pre-trip safety inspection of the vehicle.
The process has changed, and one-on-one mentoring is now provided with veteran drivers. Locations have been set up in Arizona and South Carolina where onboarding facilities for the whole week are provided. Veteran drivers acquaint new hires with information about the skills that need to be mastered before they can embark on their journey.