Hunt for the Argosy

Nobody wants to talk about it, but we have reason to believe that J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. of Lowell is placing an order for the new Argosy tractor that was unveiled at the Arkansas Motor Carriers Association convention in Springdale earlier this month (see Transportation column, page 27).

Officials at Hunt and Freightliner Corp., the nation’s largest manufacturer of large tractors who is producing the Argosy, won’t confirm the report.

“We’re not in a position to comment, yet,” says Debbie Nicholson, general manager of corporation communications for Freightliner. “You’ll have to ask them.”

Calls to officials at Hunt weren’t returned.

It certainly would be a natural thing for Hunt. The company has more than 7,500 of the cab-over design tractors like the Argosy. And, Kirk Thompson, Hunt’s president and CEO, attended the unveiling of the tractor by Jim Hebe, president and CEO of Freightliner.

Freightliner won’t reveal the price of the tractor, but a conventional tractor of similar size costs about $75,000.