By IM_photo @ Shutterstock.com
Walmart, already one of America’s biggest trucking fleet owners, is planning to expand its fleet with 500 more drivers in the next few months. CCJ’s James Jaillet reports:
Walmart Transportation, which last year aggressively grew its private fleet by 900 drivers, hopes to continue that growth this year by adding another 500 drivers in the coming months. The fleet’s expansion is meant to serve a two-fold purpose: To keep up with demand from the retail giant’s sales growth both in stores and online and to bring more of its transportation needs in house — and away from the for-hire market.
“We see it as a competitive advantage,” said Joe Metzger, senior vice president of transportation of Walmart Transportation, of moving more of its transportation in house. “Our private fleet continues to do very well on safety, service and costs,” compared to outsourcing its transportation needs to other fleets.
Walmart’s fleet currently employs around 9,080 drivers, and Metzger said the company hopes to push that number to around 9,600 by the end of July.
Read more from Jaillet here.
