Trucking Companies Should Take Note of Walmart's New Driver Recruitment Strategy

Angel Coker, CCJ senior editor of Commercial Carrier Journal, recently reported on Walmart's strategy to recruit truck drivers. To offset the impacts of the driver shortage across the trucking industry, Walmart recently launched a new approach: recruiting from an existing pool of workers by enticing them with a greater salary than an hourly wage of $17.50. Walmart recently completed a pilot of its 12-week truck driver training program that trained 56 new truck drivers it recruited from a group of associates in California and Delaware. It has now expanded that associate-to-driver program to more than 400 stores, distribution centers and other locations with a goal to recruit 400 to 800 drivers for its private fleet from within its existing employee base.

At face value, this benefits Walmart, but the industry as a whole could also see some benefit. It’s a strategy others – retailers, distributors and even trucking companies – could learn from and implement in some way.

Oftentimes, trucking talent shifts from the cab to the terminal along their career path – from driver to recruiter for example. But trucking companies could consider vice versa, offering a program like Walmart’s to terminal-based employees. Boeing does this with its employees, recruiting from all areas. Boeing will pay for employees to earn their pilot’s license.

This type of program at a trucking company could open a pipeline for talent; bring on a diesel mechanic assistant – or even an administrative assistant – and train them to become a driver. It’s enticing because they can go from a minimum-wage salary to triple the earning potential without having to foot the bill. It’s also often easier to attract low-skill workers to these lower-level positions than it is to find drivers, especially considering many trucking companies are based in rural areas that have more labor than jobs.

It's worth considering whether a similar type of program could benefit your company.