J.B. Hunt

Commentary

‘Where Are The Loads? There Ought To Be Loads’

FINANCIAL EDGE, RAILWAY AGE FEBRUARY 2023 ISSUE: January is always an unusual month. Holiday coziness is quickly exchanged for the realities of credit card bills, a “don’t talk to me about what you did in 2022; what are you going to do for me in 2023?” attitude from employers (apologies to JFK) and a new set of 52 weeks over which to compare railcar loadings. Ask any fan from any football team trying to survive through the NFL playoffs: January is an odd month.

BNSF President and Chief Executive Officer Katie M. Farmer (BNSF Photograph)

2023 Railroader of the Year: Katie Farmer, BNSF

RAILWAY AGE, JANUARY 2023 ISSUE: Railway Age’s 2023 Railroader of the Year Award, the 60th annual, goes to a groundbreaking North American rail industry leader: BNSF President and Chief Executive Officer Katie M. Farmer.

NS will present 15 customers and suppliers with inaugural Thoroughbred Sustainability Partner Awards in January 2023.

Class I Briefs: NS, UP

Norfolk Southern (NS) recognizes 15 customers and suppliers for leadership in energy efficiency, innovation and environmental stewardship. Also, Union Pacific (UP) reports the Mexican government’s extension of the Carta Porte grace period.

UP has opened its grain transload facility collocated at the Global IV intermodal terminal in Joliet, Ill. (Photograph Courtesy of UP)

Class I Briefs: BNSF, UP

Service and capital project updates were the focus of Oct. 27 customer messages from BNSF Group Vice President, Consumer Products Tom Williams and Union Pacific (UP) Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales Kenny Rocker.

J.B. Hunt Adds Washington State, Texas Operations

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. (J.B. Hunt) announced on Oct. 3 that it is expanding its transloading footprint with the addition of two new operations in Seattle, Wash., and Laredo, Tex., “for customers’ needs and to provide quick access to outbound rail and highway transport.”

BNSF's Sustainability Awards are awarded annually in recognition of achievements made by customers in investments in circular economy infrastructure, supply chain efficiencies, sustainable technology, and more.

Class I Briefs: BNSF, CN

BNSF Railway (BNSF) recognizes customers for significant achievement in sustainability. Also, CN replaces propane-powered forklift with electric forklift reducing 7.6 metric tons of CO2 a year from the environment.

Cranes and cargo at the Port of Los Angeles.

Does ‘Chaos’ Rule the Global Supply Chain?

Shipping container shortages in Asia, traffic jams at ports, limited availability of dockworkers and truck drivers from Southern California to Singapore, higher shipping prices—all are part of a now-stretched supply chain due to the pandemic, according to a recent New York Times report. What is the impact on rail?

Commentary

Railroad Traffic Analysis, A Different Approach

It’s third-quarter 2019 railroad financial results reporting time, and sometimes, insight about rail freight markets comes from strange places. One of those might just be the quarterly report by J.B. Hunt (JBHT). The Hunt logistics company is one of the largest U.S. intermodal rail organizers. It essentially buys contracted intermodal train service from railroad companies like BNSF and Norfolk Southern.

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