George Frey / Bloomberg via Getty ImagesWalmart’s plan to recruit truckers to its private fleet by offering drivers double the median pay for shorter hauls is just the latest example of how the rise of e-commerce has changed the trucking industry, experts said.First-year Walmart drivers can now earn up to $110,000, more than double the industry’s $47,130, demonstrating how far the company is willing to go to recruit truckers in a tight labor market.
However, the exodus of truckers from traditional fleets may worsen the national trucking shortage and take away some of the best and most experienced drivers in the industry, federal transportation officials and trucking experts said. “The growing demand for truck transportation from e-commerce is further exacerbating the industry’s issues with vehicle capacity and truck driver demand,” the report read.
Driving shorter routes for e-commerce companies is an attractive opportunity for more qualified drivers and truck loaders, who get shorter work trips and are able to work closer to home, the American Transportation Research Institute wrote in its report. Ellen Voie, the president of the Women In Trucking Association, said drivers in general should earn more and enjoy better benefits and job flexibility for their hard work.