Page 39 - ATR 3 2022 digital

DIY Supply

How two companies are building their own workforce
and equipment supply to address industry shortages

“IT REALLY SERVES TWO PURPOSES. FIRST, THE
INITIATIVE INCREASES OUR APPLICANT POOL AS
IT RELATES TO GENERATING THE NUMBER OF
APPLICANTS WE WILL NEED TO SOURCE OUR FLEET
FOR THE YEARS TO COME.

—JEFF HAMMONDS, WALMART TRANSPORTATION, VICE
PRESIDENT OF FLEET OPERATIONS

 XPO worker in Searcy manufacturing
plant And as attention-grabbing as that chain associates in Delaware and
is, the company’s other initiative is even Texas. Instructors have been recruited
By Dwain Hebda more intriguing. The firm launched an from the company’s driver ranks and

Contributing Writer internal CDL driver training program, trained specifically for the classroom.
the first in its history. Hammonds said this helps ensure not
In the midst of worsening truck “It really serves two purposes,” only job skills, but also that the com-
driver and equipment shortages, truck- said Jeff Hammonds, Walmart’s vice pany’s safety culture is engrained in
ing companies have had to think president of fleet operations. “First, the each student.
creatively as never before about how initiative increases our applicant pool “With our Walmart drivers, safety
to keep the doors open and trucks roll- as it relates to generating the number has always been top of mind,” he said.
ing to deliver the 75% of the nation’s of applicants we will need to source our “As recently as May, the Arkansas
goods the industry now handles. fleet for the years to come. Trucking Association recognized our
Two companies with deep ties to “Second, it provides career path- Arkansas drivers for their work in safe-
Arkansas — Walmart and XPO — are ing for associates who want to grow. ty, and one of our drivers, Wyatt Jepsen,
standouts in this effort. Most of our store managers started as was recognized as Arkansas’s Driver
hourly associates. Many of our manag- of the Year. So far this year, six other
INNOVATION FROM A ers working in our distribution centers Walmart drivers across the nation have
GLOBAL GIANT started on the floor as hourly associ- received the same Driver of the Year
Walmart announced this spring ates. The introduction of our Associate designation in their respective states.
two initiatives to increase the number to Driver initiative provides our people “In addition, we are a multiple-
of drivers in its fleet. The Bentonville- with a path to the Walmart driver posi- time winner of the American Trucking
based global retailer raised driver pay in tion, one of the best driving jobs in the Associations’ Safest Fleet award and
April, announcing first-year drivers can industry.” all of that is a credit to our drivers and
now make up to $110,000 while more The new Private Fleet Development their commitment to safety.”
seasoned drivers can earn even more Program is a 12-week course, ini-
depending on location. tially targeting Walmart’s supply 

ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 3 2022 39