Trucks line up to have containers loaded from a stack at the Norfolk International Terminal Wednesday Dec 1, 2021, in Norfolk, Va. Walmart workers who once unloaded trucks now have a chance to drive them. The nation’s largest retailer has launched a training program for employees who work in its distribution or fulfillment centers. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
By Anne D'Innocenzio
Walmart workers who once unloaded trucks now have a chance to drive them.
The nation's largest retailer has launched a training program that gives employees who work in its distribution or fulfillment centers a chance to become certified Walmart truck drivers through a 12-week program taught by the company's established drivers.
Walmart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, also said it is raising pay for its 12,000 truck drivers. The starting range for new drivers will now between $95,000 and $110,000, according to Walmart spokeswoman Anne Hatfield. The retailer said that $87,500 had been the average that new truck drivers could make in their first year.
The moves announced Thursday come as the pandemic has made trucker shortages more severe as demand to move freight reaches historic highs. The American Trucking Associations, a large industry trade group, estimates that the nation is short about 80,000 drivers.
Walmart said about 20 workers in Dallas and Dover, Delaware, have earned their commercial driver’s licenses. About 400 to 800 workers in the company's supply-chain network are expected to complete the truck-driving program this year, Hatfield said.
A stark disagreement over regulating AI in Republicans’ tax cut and spending bill is the latest tension among conservatives about whether to let states continue to put guardrails on emerging technologies or minimize such interference.
Mark Hamrick of Bankrate discusses the jobs market, AI's growing impact on employment, and how markets are reacting to today’s surprising payroll data.
Amanda Chu of POLITICO reveals how lawmakers are betting millions on pharma stocks even as Trump threatens tariffs and demands steep drug price cuts. Watch!
Hayley Berg, Hopper’s lead economist, previews soaring summer 2025 travel: record international flights, cheaper fares for Europe & Asia, plus booking hacks.
NerdWallet Senior Economist Liz Renter shares what she's tracking in economic data, with a focus on U.S. household debt and rising credit card balances. Watch!
At some 940-pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations.
