LOWELL, Ark. — J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. has been honored with national recognitions from Viqtory as a Top 10 Military Friendly Employer, Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Veterans and Military Times as Best for Vets.
“We are honored that these leading organizations have recognized the workplace environment J.B. Hunt strives to create for our veterans,” said Brad Hicks, president of highway services and executive vice president of people at J.B. Hunt. “Supporting our veterans ties in with our culture and legacy, providing a much deeper meaning. We continue to enhance our workplace so that service members feel valued for their service, experience and expertise as well as the excellence, commitment and honor they represent.”
According to a company media release, this is the 18th consecutive year that J.B. Hunt has earned Military Friendly® Employer status and the second time to be included in the Top 10. It is the company’s first time receiving Best for Vets recognition from Military Times and to be included among Newsweek’s America’s Best Workplaces for Veterans. Earlier this year, J.B. Hunt was recognized by the Arkansas Veterans of Foreign Wars as Employer of the Year. More information about these awards, including methodology and criteria, is available on each organization’s website.
“As a company founded by both a veteran and driver, J.B. Hunt understands that the skills and expertise gained through military service can lead to a successful career in transportation and logistics,” the company said in the release. “Nearly one in every nine J.B. Hunt employees is a veteran, and the company is committed to adding approximately 1,600 veterans to its organization each year.”
From Active Service to Professional Career
J.B. Hunt’s commitment to hiring and enabling veterans includes programming that meets their professional needs and assists with their transition from active service to a civilian career. The company hosts multiple programs, training opportunities and resources that enable their professional growth, including:
- Military Leave Benefits – J.B. Hunt provides comprehensive benefits for employees who serve in any stage of their career or service. Military members and their family members are also eligible to take up to 26 weeks per calendar year to care for a family member who suffers an injury or becomes ill while on active duty.
- Active-Duty Support – The company provides active-duty employees with a military deployment and re-entry guide and offers differential pay policies to support their military and civilian career.
- Military Leave Concierge Service – For members of the National Guard and Reserve, J.B. Hunt provides employees and their families with assistance through each of the four phases of military leave. This service includes consultation and support from a Gold Star family member.
- SkillBridge Program – Through this Department of Defense program, service members are given the opportunity to gain civilian work experience while still on active duty. SkillBridge is available to military members, as well as their spouses, who are within 180 days of release from active duty. Additionally, the company’s Apprenticeship Program offers a route for military members interested in transitioning directly to a driver position.
- Veterans Employee Resource Group – Recognizing the power of community, J.B. Hunt hosts an employee resource group dedicated to empowering and engaging employees and to support the professional and personal success of veterans.
Additionally, J.B. Hunt holds annual company-wide Memorial Day and Veterans Day observance events and has hosted the Arkansas Run for the Fallen Traveling Memorial each November since 2017. In December, the company will participate in Wreaths Across America for the 11th consecutive year, helping ensure the delivery of hundreds of thousands of wreaths to national cemeteries throughout the country to remember fallen veterans during the holiday season.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
