For 61 years, J.B. Hunt has been a company rooted in innovation. Our history of thinking big turned a small rice hull operation into a company that, today, is leading the transportation industry and changing the future of supply chain.
Keep reading to learn more about the history of J.B. Hunt, and how our founder’s passion for innovation built J.B. Hunt into the incredible company and place to work that it is today.
Thinking Big from The Start
Johnnie Bryan Hunt, with the support of his wife Johnelle, founded J.B. Hunt in 1961 outside of Little Rock, Arkansas. The company started as a rice hull operation, growing into a trucking company with the purchase of five trucks and seven trailers. In 1969, the Hunts decided to focus on the trucking side of the company and headed to Northwest Arkansas to grow their business, where we are still headquartered today.
To Mr. Hunt, no idea was too small. He was a dreamer, and his desire to be the best built that small trucking operation into a nationally-recognized company. Today, J.B. Hunt is an industry leader in transportation and logistics, offering Dedicated Contract Services®, Intermodal, Truckload and Final Mile Services® transportation solutions to customers across North America.
“[Mr. Hunt]’s vision allowed me to have a passion,” said Paul, a driver recruiting coordinator. “I’m capable of recognizing my full potential and how I can apply that to the success of myself and the company. I’m able to aspire to something great without the fear of failure. I’m more confident in the ideas that I have, regardless of how extreme or unconventional they are.”
Valuing Our People
From the very start, the Hunts valued the people who worked for them and considered each employee to be part of the family. Mr. Hunt used to start each day by walking around the corporate office, thanking every employee for their work and the impact they brought to their roles.
That family atmosphere is something we’ve clung to as J.B. Hunt has grown and evolved. Our commitment to our people and keeping that family-feel in our workplace remains unchanged. Through improvements to employee benefits and placing heavy focus on Inclusion initiatives like our employee resource groups, we pride ourselves on our people-first culture where every employee feels valued, respected, represented and heard in the workplace.
“You won’t find a better company that embraces diversity, promotes inclusion, and encourages growth,” said User Experience Designer, Jennifer. “It truly is like a family here. The benefits are wonderful and continue to improve. I love that the executive leadership communicates with everyone, so you feel like you are in the know. There are great opportunities for growth both professionally and personally!”
Big Plans for Growth
Over the years, J.B. Hunt has grown exponentially, and we have no plans for that growth to stop anytime soon. Mr. Hunt had a mission of finding new, innovative ways to change the industry, and that vision continues to impact the success of our people and our business to this day.
From our cutting-edge, proprietary technologies to the diverse ways we move freight for our customers, we’re constantly looking for groundbreaking ways to shape the future of supply chain. Because of the drive to succeed instilled in us by our founders, the career opportunities are endless.
“Right now, we’re doing things that a lot of traditional companies aren’t doing or even thinking about doing,” said Trevor, and operations director. “So, you know, we want to [grow tremendously] in 15 years. That’s five times bigger, so they will need how many more managers, how many more directors, how many more VPs? How many roles are going to be needed for a company five times the size we are now? And so, talking to someone who’s coming into the company, you’re not going to find a company that’s going to grow as much as we are in the next 15 years.”
Be Part of Our Future
Our storied history is a catalyst for our future. If you’re looking to work for a company focused on stability, growth and opportunity, search our available jobs to join the J.B. Hunt family today.