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Walmart boosting pay for in-house truckers up to $110,000 in a tight job market

A shopper loads items into her car in the parking lot of a Walmart.
The U.S. has a shortage of 80,000 truck drivers, according to the American Trucking Assns., leading to a hiring scramble.
(Associated Press)
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Walmart is ramping up pay for its truckers as it seeks to shore up staffing amid a nationwide rush to hire drivers.

In-house truck drivers will now be able to earn between $95,000 and $110,000 in their first year at the company, a Walmart spokeswoman said Thursday. At the high end, that’s 26% higher than the previous average pay for newly hired drivers. Veterans of the Walmart Private Fleet can earn even more, the company said in a statement.

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Walmart is boosting efforts to attract and retain truckers as employers across the country struggle to keep their 18-wheelers rolling. The U.S. has a shortage of 80,000 drivers, according to the American Trucking Assns. Walmart, which employs about 12,000 truck drivers, had to hire 7,000 over the last two years, including a record 4,500 in 2021, the spokeswoman said.

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The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer also touted a training effort for employees who want to become drivers. Employees in Dover, Delaware, and Dallas have earned commercial driver’s licenses over the course of the 12-week program, Walmart said in the statement.

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