J.B. Hunt's Core Intermodal Business Still Navigating Intense Trucking Sector Competition

At its core, J.B. Hunt is an intermodal marketing company; it contracts with the Class I railroads for the line-haul movement of its domestic containers. It was one of the first for-hire truckload carriers to venture into intermodal shipping, forming a partnership with BNSF Railway in the West in 1990, followed by an agreement with Norfolk Southern in the East. Hunt has established a definitive leadership position in intermodal shipping, with a 20%-plus share of a $30 billion industry. The next-largest competitor is Hub Group, followed by the intermodal divisions of Schneider National, STG Logistics, and Knight Swift. Intermodal made up around 48% of Hunt's total revenue in 2023.