At J.B. Hunt, our Operations department plays a significant role in our company’s success. With positions available at field locations around the country and at our corporate campus in Northwest Arkansas, operations professionals are the wheels that keep our company moving towards achieving our goals.
With ample opportunity for career growth, Operations provides impactful, hands-on supply chain and management experience to those with drive. Operations professionals manage systems, personnel and processes that support our ability to offer diverse transportation solutions to customers nationwide.
We met with Heather, a director of operations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, to learn more about a career in Operations, and to get her take on how J.B. Hunt can impact your personal and professional success.
Can you tell us more about your career with J.B. Hunt?
“I’ve been with J.B. Hunt for 12 years now, and I am a director of operations for Final Mile Services. My career started as an intern. I was a University of North Texas student, and I was the first intern in Dallas-Fort Worth.
“When I graduated, I had really enjoyed my internship. I had really enjoyed working with the people on-site. It kind of made the decision for me at that time, but obviously, I liked something because I have stayed for 12 years now. This is the only company that I’ve worked for professionally in my career.”
What is J.B. Hunt’s culture like?
“I’ve always said that we’re a trucking company, but we’re a people company at heart. You don’t really get much if you can’t create relationships with people, because your truck drivers are people, and if you don’t treat them as such, you’re not going to get anything out of that working relationship.
“Being with the company for as long as I have, I’ve seen it grow in the last 12 years, but we haven’t lost the small family feel in the growth. I think it is a testament to how we promote from within, so everybody comes in indoctrinated into that culture of treating others as you want to be treated.”
How does J.B. Hunt help employees advance in their careers?
“I think, the best thing about this company, and I’m kind of the living proof of that, is you are the holder of your destiny with this company. We are a promote from within company. Very rarely will you find us going outside the company to hire leadership positions, and that truly is because of the culture that we have and that is instilled from day one.
“You want those leaders to have that culture already in them, and so, if you’re performing and you’re doing a great job and you’re getting results, and you’re constantly looking for new ways to do things, that hard work is always rewarded within our company and Operations.”
How has J.B. Hunt supported you, personally?
“If you look at my life, I graduated college, I got married and I had two kids all with this company. It truly is because there are days where you might question why you are doing what you’re doing, but I stay for the people and the relationships that I’ve created.
“I know that if something was to happen and I have to move and leave this company, I know that I have plenty of people that I could call, and they would be there to help me move and do whatever I need to do. Those are the types of relationships that I’ve created while working here, so I love that.”
What advice would you give someone interested in joining the J.B. Hunt family?
“When I talk specifically to college kids, I try to give a macro-level overview of the online training and the ongoing training that we have here. My feedback to them has always been come in, and yes, you’re going to learn by doing, but you have the option to learn more. Trainings are not required, these are all optional, but they’re all there for your personal advancement. These are courses that you could pay hundreds of dollars for to get better in your professional career, but we offer them to you for free within our company.
“It can be tough in Operations, but there’s ongoing training and you’re going to constantly be learning in your career. Why not do it with a company that’s going to provide it to you for free?”
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Are you ready to begin your career in Operations at J.B. Hunt? Search for jobs near you or connect with us on LinkedIn.