LOWELL, Ark. – J.B. Hunt recently achieved and celebrated a major company milestone as its intermodal service surpassed 35 years of operations.
In Feb. 1990, the first J.B. Hunt intermodal load departed Chicago via the industry’s first collaboration between trucking and railroad companies, “bringing to life the vision of company founder Johnnie Bryan Hunt and Santa Fe Railway President (now BNSF Railway) Mike Haverty. The two named the service Quantum, a testament to its innovative approach and potential significance.”
“Intermodal started as an idea to bring two services together and create a customer-focused, efficient solution,” said Shelley Simpson, president and CEO of J.B. Hunt. “This dream was brought to life by teams working closely together, never losing faith in the belief of a better way to move freight, one rooted in integrity, respect, safety and excellence. It changed freight transportation forever and set the company on a path of continued innovation, sparking 35 years of growth and expansion.”
After starting with just 150 trailers, J.B. Hunt Intermodal (JBI) i now includes more than 122,000 containers and 6,500 tractors. The company says its concept of double-stacking containers reduced load/unload timing and generated efficiency, which drove growth and adoption among customers.
By 2000, intermodal service had expanded to become its own business unit within J.B. Hunt, providing the opportunity to strategically focus on service quality and operational excellence. JBI would become the company’s largest revenue source in 2003, which it remains today. In 2010, JBI moved more than one million loads in a calendar year for the first time in company history, only to surpass that milestone in 2018 when the company moved two million loads in a year. Most recently, JBI set historic company records for quarterly, monthly and weekly intermodal volumes in 2024.
“The long-term impact of intermodal demonstrates just how groundbreaking the service has been,” said Darren Field, president of intermodal at J.B. Hunt. “Intermodal has been a driving force for reducing the amount of long-haul over-the-road freight. This means unmatched efficiency and sustainability benefits for customers. For our drivers, it gives them more quality time at home with their families. Thank you to our people, customers and rail providers all over North America for 35 years of helping us set the standard of great intermodal service. Along with investments in our people, technology and capacity, your momentum continues to fuel intermodal’s potential. As Mr. Hunt would say, we’re just getting started.”
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
