J.B. Hunt is turning 60! As we approach this company milestone, we sat down with a few employees who first etched their name in The Scroll many years ago to learn, from their decades-long experience, what it’s like working for J.B. Hunt and how the company has grown over the years.
Meet Renee
Renee first joined J.B. Hunt in 1988 processing driver rehires. During her 33 years with the company, Renee has been a valuable part of our Corporate Driver Personnel (CDP) team and has worked in almost every area of driver recruitment and marketing. Today, Renee is a senior director, continuing to lead our CDP team.
Renee built her career with J.B. Hunt for many reasons, including the career opportunities and the constant state of evolution and change at J.B. Hunt. She experienced first-hand how J.B. Hunt has remained ahead of the competition with our technology and years of forward-thinking.
“I would say one of the biggest changes I’ve seen over the years is transitioning away from taking students to only hiring experienced drivers. This was considered an extremely “bold” move within the industry and we were told we would fail,” explained Renee. “Obviously, they didn’t realize that when we set our minds to doing something it gets accomplished. The other major transformation I’ve seen would have to be moving from being an over-the-road (OTR) driving company to a company that provides a wide array of transportation solutions. These are just a couple of the many innovative moves I’ve seen over the years.”
To those considering joining the J.B. family, Renee feels that if you are looking for a company to grow with and want the opportunity to advance in your career, J.B. Hunt is the move to make.
“It’s hard to narrow down a favorite memory after 33 years. The people that I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years are amongst my favorite memories,” she said. “There have been so many fun times that it’s just impossible to pick a couple. I would say that those times when J.B. Hunt himself would walk through and pat everyone on the back were definitely very special memories!”
Meet Bill
Bill has been with J.B. Hunt for over 43 years. Bill joined J.B. Hunt with a Dedicated Contract Services (DCS) account, which he worked on specifically from 1977 through 1995. He moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2001 to join our Operations team and began working with independent contractors (ICs). He has been with the company in Northwest Arkansas since his move and still works in Operations as a senior capacity coordinator.
Bill shared that J.B. Hunt has always been an exciting company to work for. He said J.B. Hunt was experiencing growth when he first started, and he enjoyed being part of it.
“I like my job and I’ve stayed here because it’s a great place to work. I don’t want to leave or even retire,” shared Bill. “All companies have ups and downs based on the economy, but J.B. Hunt has always come through any rough times. We have always been strong.”
Bill encourages anyone interested in joining our team to do so. He shared that in his experience when you join J.B. Hunt, the sky is the limit for where your career could go.
“There are so many good memories it’s difficult to pick one. When I think about my time with J.B. Hunt, I just have to smile. It’s been a great career so far.”
Meet Jeanette
Jeanette joined the J.B. Hunt family in 1990 in the Payroll department, where she has since built her career over the past 31 years. Jeanette has a huge passion for her work and shared that she’s learned so much from her team and has grown so much from each position she’s held over the years.
When she first started at J.B. Hunt, she was nervous. She joined the team coming from managing convenience stores to a corporate office world that she wasn’t too familiar with. The company seemed intimidating, until one day she met Mr. Hunt and began to realize how special this company is.
“It didn’t take much longer for me to realize that behind all the dress clothes and fancy offices were … people,” said Jeanette. “A man wearing a suit, cowboy hat, and the biggest smile stopped me outside during my second week and genuinely asked how my day was, asking lots of questions that had nothing, but yet everything, to do with work. I had no idea who it was at the time and later found out it was Mr. Hunt. From that point, [J.B. Hunt] would become my work home.”
Jeanette’s favorite thing about J.B. Hunt is the people. She really values the respect that employees have for each other, and how there is a unique opportunity to grow personally by learning from other people in a culture of shared experiences. She considers J.B. Hunt to be like a family to her.
“We have tremendously grown as a company in my thirty years. It is very cool to see this growth, yet the work-family, authentic caring feel is the same, or more so, creating an unstoppable force. That says a lot about our culture,” shared Jeanette.
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If you are ready to etch your name in the Scroll like Renee, Bill and Jeanette, search jobs to find the position that best fits your interests, or connect with us on LinkedIn!