One of the largest trucking companies in the US is giving raises of up to 33%, allowing drivers to make up to $150,000 in their first year, amid worker shortage

• A major trucking firm is offering the biggest raises in its 60-year history to attract and retain drivers.
• KLLM Transport Services is raising pay and compensation next month by up to 33% for some workers.
• CEO Jim Richards told FOX Business this means drivers could make as much as $150,000 in their first year.

A major US trucking company is implementing its biggest raises in its 60-year history to attract and retain workers amid a national shortage of truck drivers.

Trucking firm KLLM Transport Services announced this week it is raising pay and compensation by as much as 33% for some workers, including students just out of training.

“KLLM drivers have been nothing short of remarkable over the last few years through some challenging times in the transportation industry,” said Jim Richards, the company’s president and CEO, in a press release. “They’ve stepped up to the plate every time they’ve been asked to keep food on the shelves and stores stocked.”

The raises will take effect in February. Over-the-road drivers will see the greatest increase in their cents-per-mile rate, with a nearly 33% bump. Regional company drivers and independent contractors will see a 10-16% boost to their pay and compensation.

Regional company drivers will also have the option for a guaranteed weekly minimum pay to help with “keeping their wages more predictable,” Richards added in the release. Truck drivers are generally paid by the mile, meaning they don’t get money for the time they spend waiting for cargo to be processed, which can take hours at a time.

“If available to drive, they know exactly how much they’ll bring home each week versus having the ups and downs that can occur in some instances,” he said.

Richards told FOX Business that the raises mean drivers trained by the company will be able to make around $70,000 when they start, up from $48,000 before. New drivers could rake in anywhere from $120,000 to $150,000 in their first year, he added.

“Historically, it’s always been hard finding good, qualified drivers, and as of the last year or so, it’s become increasingly more difficult,” he told FOX Business.

The US has been struggling with a national truck driver shortage for months. In October, American Trucking Associations CEO Chris Spear estimated the industry was short roughly 80,000 drivers.