With sales increasing at the big box giant, Walmart says it will hire hundreds of drivers in 2019. Last year the company hired more than 1,400 drivers.
But this year the pay will increase. Starting in February drivers will earn one cent extra per mile as well as additional pay for every arrival – adding up to roughly 89 cents per mile, or an average of $87,500 per year.
That is quite a nice jump from the median salary of $53,000 for a truck driver on a national route according to the American Trucking Association.
To qualify for these jobs drivers are required to have 30 months of experience over the past three years and a good safety record.
The company also announced a faster hiring process which includes assessments, mentorship, in order to fill critical new jobs created by business growth.
Walmart said hiring event with revamped orientation initiatives have already cut in half the time between a candidate’s initial interview and a mandatory driving assessment, expediting the time it takes to complete a new hire.
“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.”
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, Arizona, and Lauren, South Carolina – serve as week-long onboarding facilities for new hires to observe veteran drivers and then practice those skills “the Walmart way.”
