J.B. Hunt starts transload service to ease congestion for New York shippers

Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. said Friday (Nov. 19) it has started a new transload service to assist shippers in the New York metro area that are experiencing nationwide congestion.

The new service will be managed through a recently expanded facility in Jersey City, N.J., that will provide port drayage, transloading and inland linehaul services. According to a news release, the facility is the first of its kind for the company.

“Our new transloading service will help customers accelerate freight movement and improve container fluidity,” said Shelley Simpson, chief commercial officer and executive vice president of people and human resources at J.B. Hunt. “It is the latest example of how J.B. Hunt is creating solutions for customers to improve the agility of their supply chain.”

The new transloading service will allow for the transfer of ocean freight into equipment for domestic transport, the release shows. Shippers can use the carrier’s intermodal or highway services business segments to move freight from the facility to anywhere in the United States.

J.B. Hunt operates one of the largest company-owned fleets in North America, with more than 100,000 intermodal containers, 18,500 trucks and 36,000 trailers, according to the release. J.B. Hunt’s technology platform J.B. Hunt 360 provides shippers with access to nearly 1 million trucks through third-party carriers across the U.S.

The company expanded its use of the facility in October and will use a 25,000-square-foot area to establish the new service. The facility includes on-site parking, offers 24/7 service and is located near major railroads and port terminals in the New York metro area.

Shares of J.B. Hunt (NASDAQ: JBHT) were trading early Friday at $192.36, down $3.39 or 1.73%. In the past 52 weeks, the stock has ranged between $202.71 and $132.05.