Walmart to offer truck drivers up to $110,000 a year

Announcement comes months after supply chain concerns

Walmart truckers will now be paid up to $110,000 (£84,515) in their first year working for the American retailer as part of a new recruitment and training drive.

In an announcement on Thursday, Walmart said truck driver’s pay would rise above the current annual rate, which will mean employees driving its trucks could earn up to $110,000 in their first year.

While it was unclear how much truck drivers earn after 12 months, Walmart truckers earn $87,500 (£67,019) in their first year, according to CNBC.

It means the new pay rate is equal to a $22,500 (£19,531) pay rise over the course of a year.

Walmart currently employs 12,000 drivers, who it said were paid double the national average for a long haul driver of $56,491 (£43,268), and are responsible for the firm’s stores across the US being filled.

Future drivers will be enrolled in a twelve week long “Walmart Academy” run by current drivers and tutors, the company said, with the schools set to address the shortage of supply chain workers nationwide.

“Over the course of a 12-week program, supply chain associates in the Dallas, Texas, and Dover, Delaware, areas earned their commercial driver’s license (CDL) and became full-fledged Private Fleet Walmart drivers,” Walmart said of its new training school. “Fortunately, we have some of the best in the business already employed.”

The announcement also touted new trainees would acquire a licence typically costing up to $5,000 (£3,892), but Walmart reportedly will cover that fee, CNBC reported.

Walmart expects to train 400 and 800 new drivers this year alone, and eventually will open-up its training school to all Americans. Currently local residents can apply.

According to the American Trucking Associations trade group the US experienced a shortage of 80,000 truck drivers last year. The highest figure on record.

That shortage came amid a national shortage of supply chain workers, which raised fears about shortages of items in stores and delays to deliveries of goods.