In a bid to keep its supply chain running smoothly, Walmart has set starting salaries for its truck drivers between $95,000 and $110,000 a year, up from an average starting salary of $87,000.
The push comes as the trucking industry continues to grapple with supply chain issues as well as challenges in recruiting drivers even as wages for truckers have risen steadily throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
Walmart’s efforts to bolster its trucking fleet illustrate how companies are taking on more responsibilities within their supply chains and taking over tasks that were sometimes managed by third parties. Big-box retailers are adding drivers to ensure goods reach stores or consumers’ homes.
Other retailers like Target, Amazon, Costco, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and others have expanded their supply chain networks to speed up supplying stores in several ways, including buying more distribution centers and, in the case of some retailers, even chartering cargo ships.