Investopedia: J.B. Hunt - The Trucking Company That Isn't

As the economy has rebounded and so too has the transportation sector. After all, it's not too easy for companies to sell more "stuff" and not need additional transportation services. While the railroads have been on a much-discussed run since 2009, trucking companies have had a more mixed performance.


Making matters a little more complicated, although J.B. Hunt (Nasdaq:JBHT) is often listed among the trucking companies, that is not really an accurate depiction. In point of fact, intermodal business is the single largest component of the company's revenue and income. What's more, the differences in JBHT's business model seem to go a long way towards explaining why this company has been a solid performer. (To read more on financial statements, see 12 Things You Need To Know About Finncial Statements.)

Strong Demand Leads to Strong Quarter
J.B. Hunt reported a better than 18% jump in revenue for the first quarter, with 13% growth once the impact of fuel surcharges are stripped out of the picture. Intermodal was the leader both in growth and scale, as revenue grew 23% here to $577 million (about 58% of the total) on the back of 15% volume growth. Dedicated contract services saw 15% revenue growth, while revenue from the truck segment rose 6% despite an 11% decrease in loads and a 12% decrease in tractors on the road.


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