BENTONVILLE, AR - Walmart is feeling the effects of the recent trucking shortage, and, because of this, has decided to take matters into its own hands. The retail giant has announced plans to double its spending on attracting and retaining more drivers by the end of the year.

To do this, Walmart, which currently has one of the largest fleets in the nation with about 6,500 trucks, is looking into referral bonuses, so drivers could earn up to $1,500 for those they help bring on board. The company is also shortening the on-boarding process for new hires by over a month, and it is making it to the small screen in a big way—advertising with its first national TV ad focused on its 7,500 truckers.

“To be candid, right now, I could hire a few hundred drivers,” Senior Vice President of Transportation Tracy Rosser shared. “It is getting tougher and tougher to find qualified drivers. It’s a really serious situation right now.”

The company’s recent efforts are parallel to the National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, starting today, that seeks to fill vacancies and improve the long-haul driving image as a career during the currently tight labor market.

Transportation has been a focus for Walmart since its beginnings. Founder Sam Walton began his own truck fleet in the ‘70s, and two of Walmart’s past CEOs—Lee Scott and Mike Duke—worked their way up the corporate ladder through the transportation department, according to Bloomberg. Proving this notion even more, current CEO Doug McMillon spent his first day in his role doing a ride-along in a Walmart truck. Trucking has played an integral role in Walmart’s growth.

“Trucking is not just a job, it’s a lifestyle—but it does not work for everyone,” 15-year Walmart fleet veteran Gary Mars said. “Quite honestly, nobody wants to drive a truck anymore. But we have to have ‘em. Without trucks, America stops.”

Rosser noted, in a blog post on the new program and television ad, that the new program will further sweeten the deal for prospective trucking hires with a proposed expedited hiring process.

“New drivers earn on average $86,000 annually, have access to benefits on day one, receive as many as 21 days of paid time off in their first year, enjoy predictable home time, don’t load or unload freight, and can earn quarterly safety bonuses and incentives—we are adding new ways to find and recruit the best talent,” said Rosser. “We’re also streamlining the hiring process to get drivers onboarded much quicker. Under the pilot, the process will speed up by as much as a month. The new program is already in place in Bentonville, Arkansas, and will expand to Indianapolis this month.”

How will Walmart’s investment change the way other companies approach trucking? Will we see a surge in individual efforts to combat the current transportation issues? AndNowUKnow will keep you updated with the latest.

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