CSCMP's 2016 Supply Chain Hall of Fame Inductee, J.B. Hunt

Johnnie Bryan (J.B.) Hunt
Category: Knowledge Creator and Innovator

Born in Arkansas during the Great Depression, J.B. sacrificed his education to ensure his family’s survival. From picking cotton and driving a truck to inventing a rice hull press and starting several businesses, J.B. was always up for a challenge. J.B. co-founded J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. in 1969 with his wife and business partner, Johnelle. What started as just five trucks and seven refrigerated trailers grew into the largest publicly-held truckload carrier in the U.S. In 1989, he sealed a deal that forever changed the face of the transportation industry: he and Mike Haverty, president of the Santa Fe Railway, partnered to move freight from truck to rail. The joint venture was the start of something revolutionary. Before long, other companies began following suit, ushering in a new era of intermodal.