Article: Why Walmart Pays Its Truck Drivers 6 Figures

...cont

But then again, am I challenging myself? I would think it would be more challenging to work at WM, thus why the pay is higher.

I honestly don't think it's more of a challenge over my experience driving for Prime. The biggest difference I see, which is kind of a result of the zero wait time mentioned above, is that I have very little unplanned downtime. So my days are more often than not spent constantly moving. But that's by choice, I choose to run hard because I figure if I'm going to be out here 5 days a week, I'm going to make as much money as I can while doing it. The effectiveness and efficiency of our distribution network affords me the ability to do so.

We come from very similar backgrounds, where time is money. I believe your go-getter and self-starter attitude will serve you well, and make you a perfect fit as a private fleet driver. Is the perceived challenge worth roughly $35k-$40k more per year for essentially doing the same thing you're doing now?

Sorry for the long winded reply. This may be more info than y'all care to hear. But some good questions were asked, and I felt they deserved a good answer.

Thank you very much for the reply. It gives me much to think on for sure.

Thanks Turtle for your feedback and insights.

I too have been thinking about applying for Walmart in due course. I have a few questions.

As I understand it you have to have 30 months of commercial driving experience before you can apply? Is that firm, or do they take other things into consideration as well?

On the one hand it seems like if Walmart is wanting to increase their Private Fleet (and has a program of training their own employees with no prior truck driving experience for that very purpose) they would require less experience for applicants, but on the other hand I can understand wanting applicants with a proven track record of at least a couple years. The reason I ask is because I work for Roehl, a company well-known for their high standards in safety within the industry, which seems well aligned with what Walmart is looking for, but I've only been with them for 20 months. Of that time I have also been a driver trainer (requiring even higher standards within the company) for just about a year, helping to train 10 new drivers. Just wondering if any of that would be considered, or if I still have to wait a full 30 months? Would love to get onboarded asap, if possible.

Followup question to that is, assuming it is 30 months of experience, what is counted towards that? I first became employed with Roehl in May of '22 through their GYCDL program, graduated and entered phase 2 (OTR with a trainer) in June, completed that and went solo starting in July. So would I first be able to apply in November, December, or January?

Final question (for now) is I hear we can use another Walmart driver as a reference when applying - can I use you for that purpose?

Thanks again for your help and insights!

Thanks Turtle for your feedback and insights.

I too have been thinking about applying for Walmart in due course. I have a few questions.

As I understand it you have to have 30 months of commercial driving experience before you can apply? Is that firm, or do they take other things into consideration as well?

On the one hand it seems like if Walmart is wanting to increase their Private Fleet (and has a program of training their own employees with no prior truck driving experience for that very purpose) they would require less experience for applicants, but on the other hand I can understand wanting applicants with a proven track record of at least a couple years. The reason I ask is because I work for Roehl, a company well-known for their high standards in safety within the industry, which seems well aligned with what Walmart is looking for, but I've only been with them for 20 months. Of that time I have also been a driver trainer (requiring even higher standards within the company) for just about a year, helping to train 10 new drivers. Just wondering if any of that would be considered, or if I still have to wait a full 30 months? Would love to get onboarded asap, if possible.

Followup question to that is, assuming it is 30 months of experience, what is counted towards that? I first became employed with Roehl in May of '22 through their GYCDL program, graduated and entered phase 2 (OTR with a trainer) in June, completed that and went solo starting in July. So would I first be able to apply in November, December, or January?

Final question (for now) is I hear we can use another Walmart driver as a reference when applying - can I use you for that purpose?

Thanks again for your help and insights!

I suppose I could have found the answers (at least a couple of them) by reading your diary.

Here is Turtle' diary for those interested: Turtle' Walmart Diary

As I understand it you have to have 30 months of commercial driving experience before you can apply? Is that firm, or do they take other things into consideration as well?

Honestly, I'm not really sure. Most of me thinks they would be firm on that. But in a time where they really want to increase the fleet, I don't know if they would relax the requirement. They could possibly look at the entire body of your experience, including otr , training, clean license, etc. That said, I've yet to meet a Walmart driver that didn't have at least 30 months.

assuming it is 30 months of experience, what is counted towards that?

From the moment you passed your CDL exam and began training OTR.

So would I first be able to apply in November, December, or January?

You would be eligible in December, based on acquiring your CDL in june.

Final question (for now) is I hear we can use another Walmart driver as a reference when applying - can I use you for that purpose?

Normally, I don't seek out referral bonuses, lest I be seen as trying to lure new drivers to my company. However, you are an existing experienced driver simply looking to move on to better things. So I'd be happy to give you my info via email. Address is in my profile. I mean if they want to give the money to somebody, it may as well be me, right?

Feb 1st will be 30 months for me. I've always been interested in Walmart private fleet since I was in school and was sort of my goal.

Been with Schneider on the Dollar General account for 29 months. Would seem like the perfect transition for me. I love the little down time and always on the move.

Since this site has helped me from my start I'd give you a referral Turtle. I was going to give it to 20 plus trucking on youtube but im sure he gets he s fair share since he s on youtube.

Feb 1st will be 30 months for me. I've always been interested in Walmart private fleet since I was in school and was sort of my goal.

Been with Schneider on the Dollar General account for 29 months. Would seem like the perfect transition for me. I love the little down time and always on the move.

Since this site has helped me from my start I'd give you a referral Turtle. I was going to give it to 20 plus trucking on youtube but im sure he gets he s fair share since he s on youtube.

Like Larry, I will be at 30 months Feb 1 but if I add in the time from getting my CDL , it would be almost 32 months. And I also started out with Schneider.

Yesterday I pulled up their application and it seemed to be pretty specific about the 30 months, so I didn’t fill it out just yet. Only a few days to go if I want to pull the trigger.

Turtle, do you know what the Walmart policy is about sleep apnea and cpap machine usage?

Also, before filling out the application, can someone talk to a recruiter? Or does Walmart even have recruiters like most companies?

And don’t be shy about the referral bonus, you deserve it.

Since this site has helped me from my start I'd give you a referral Turtle.

Well I appreciate that. Just know that was never my intention when sharing what I know.

Turtle, do you know what the Walmart policy is about sleep apnea and cpap machine usage?

Unfortunately, no. I've never dealt with sleep apnea directly. I'd imagine it's the same as with any company though. We have APUs and inverters to accommodate any special needs like that.

Also, before filling out the application, can someone talk to a recruiter? Or does Walmart even have recruiters like most companies?

I know of no way to contact a recruiter directly. Once an application is submitted, the recruiter will be contacting you. It's just a matter of when.

When I applied, the recruiter called me the following morning. But then the DC I applied to was experiencing a real driver shortage at the time. Other DCs are at or near driver capacity, so your results may vary.

Btw guys, congrats on making it far enough to even be able to consider this move. You're already head of the curve.

Sleep Apnea:

A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.

In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.

It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.

BMI:

Body mass index (BMI)

BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:

• Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
• Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit

It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.

CPAP:

Constant Positive Airway Pressure

CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.

OWI:

Operating While Intoxicated

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APUs:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Davy wrote:

Im very frequently at the Loveland CO DC.

I was poking around the web today and saw that Loveland in particular is really looking for more private fleet drivers. So much so that they're offering a $10k signing bonus.

In a similar move, the Pottsville, PA DC near me also recently offered a large bonus in a bid to shed itself of third-party dedicated carriers. It worked. Pottsville is now 100% Private Fleet.

Speaking of Pottsville how’s G-town isn’t that where is was out of if I remember right?