J.B. Hunt to Purchase Walmart’s Intermodal Assets

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. (J.B. Hunt) announced Feb. 22 that its subsidiary, J.B. Hunt Transport Inc., has entered into a multi-year intermodal service agreement with Walmart, in an arrangement that includes J.B. Hunt’s purchase of Walmart’s intermodal assets.

The strategic service agreement, J.B. Hunt says, “increases the companies’ respective current volume and capacity commitments and enables the development of comprehensive intermodal solutions to drive long-term value for both organizations.” In connection with the service agreement and increased commitments, J.B. Hunt will acquire Walmart’s operational intermodal container and chassis fleets.

For decades, J.B. Hunt has worked closely with Walmart to provide efficient transportation solutions, the company stated in a release.

“Mr. Hunt always said ‘Good partners attract good partners,’” said J.B. Hunt Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Spencer Frazier. “Our customers trust us to develop solutions that scale and drive efficiencies across their ever-changing supply chains. Today’s announcement is a testament to the mutual trust and shared vision our companies have developed over time, and innovative arrangements like this one demonstrate J.B. Hunt’s disciplined approach to strategically allocating capital to advance our mission of driving long-term value for our people, customers and shareholders.”

“Finding new ways to serve our customers and members and exceed their expectations is important to us,” said Walmart Senior Vice President of Transportation Fernando Cortes. “Walmart’s long history of working with J.B. Hunt has many milestones of innovation and growth. This agreement will strengthen our commitment to delivering goods at an everyday low cost to our customers and members.”

J.B. Hunt is “an industry leader” in converting over-the-road shipments to intermodal, which the company says reduces a shipment’s carbon footprint by an average of 60%. Operating one of the largest company-owned intermodal fleets in the world, J.B. Hunt Intermodal specializes in domestic and international freight movement that offers “dependable, consistent and flexible shipping options,” including ocean, transloading, temperature-controlled and expedited capabilities.

J.B. Hunt has long-standing relationships with the industry’s leading rail providers, and in recent years, says it has worked alongside them to “enhance service quality and consistency.” In 2023, J.B. Hunt and its long-time joint service provider BNSF Railway launched Quantum, a breakthrough intermodal service to convert service-sensitive highway freight to intermodal. The two also created a new service option to support cross-border freight movement to and from Mexico with coast-to-coast access in the U.S.