Walmart raising driver pay
In an effort to ramp up hiring efforts, Walmart announced that it is raising driver pay beginning in February.
According to Walmart, a one cent per mile increase and additional pay for every arrival means that Walmart drivers will now earn on average $87,500 a year and with an all-in rate close to 89 cents per mile.
More than 1,400 new Walmart truck drivers were added in 2018 and hundreds more are slated to join the fleet in 2019, the company said.
Assessments, mentorship and a faster hiring process are all a part of new onboarding events that are filling critical new jobs created by Walmart’s business growth during an industry-wide shortage.
“These hiring events are both improving the skill level of our candidates and enriching their onboarding experience,” said Lori Furnell, Walmart’s director of driver talent acquisition. “We’re leaning heavily on the expertise of our Walmart road team and our certified driver trainers to grow our skilled fleet of professional drivers.”
Furnell also said Walmart is transforming its hiring process to give applicants the opportunity to learn the “Walmart way.”
In the past, candidates were given one opportunity to perform an assessment, during which they were evaluated for driving skills and what is known as a “pre-trip inspection,” or safety scans of a truck prior to each departure. But targeted one-on-one mentoring from veteran drivers has been introduced in the new process.
Two centralized locations – Casa Grande, Ariz., and Lauren, S.C. – serve as week-long onboarding facilities for new hires to observe veteran drivers and then practice those skills “the Walmart way.”
To qualify for the onboarding, Walmart said that drivers must already meet Walmart’s high minimum standards for its private fleet drivers, which includes 30 months of experience in the past 3 years and a clean safety record.
According to Walmart, a one cent per mile increase and additional pay for every arrival means that Walmart drivers will now earn on average $87,500 a year and with an all-in rate close to 89 cents per mile.
More than 1,400 new Walmart truck drivers were added in 2018 and hundreds more are slated to join the fleet in 2019, the company said.
Assessments, mentorship and a faster hiring process are all a part of new onboarding events that are filling critical new jobs created by Walmart’s business growth during an industry-wide shortage.
“These hiring events are both improving the skill level of our candidates and enriching their onboarding experience,” said Lori Furnell, Walmart’s director of driver talent acquisition. “We’re leaning heavily on the expertise of our Walmart road team and our certified driver trainers to grow our skilled fleet of professional drivers.”
Furnell also said Walmart is transforming its hiring process to give applicants the opportunity to learn the “Walmart way.”
In the past, candidates were given one opportunity to perform an assessment, during which they were evaluated for driving skills and what is known as a “pre-trip inspection,” or safety scans of a truck prior to each departure. But targeted one-on-one mentoring from veteran drivers has been introduced in the new process.
Two centralized locations – Casa Grande, Ariz., and Lauren, S.C. – serve as week-long onboarding facilities for new hires to observe veteran drivers and then practice those skills “the Walmart way.”
To qualify for the onboarding, Walmart said that drivers must already meet Walmart’s high minimum standards for its private fleet drivers, which includes 30 months of experience in the past 3 years and a clean safety record.