J.B. Hunt and BNSF Railway will work together to enhance capacity in the intermodal marketplace. Credit: J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc.

US-based transportation and logistics firm JB Hunt Transport Services has teamed up with BNSF Railway to enhance intermodal services.

JB Hunt is planning to increase its intermodal fleet to 150,000 containers within three to five years, depending on present and projected trends. Since 2020, the company completed over four million intermodal loads.

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Commenting on the latest alliance, JB Hunt president and CEO John Roberts said: “Together, JB Hunt and BNSF will enhance their work to bring back the consistency and reliability customers expect with intermodal services and further embrace intermodal conversion and transloading services.”

BNSF, an American railroad company, is planning to expand its capability at various intermodal facilities, under the partnership.

It is offering many property locations around crucial intermodal hubs in Southern California, Chicago, and other essential markets to further integrate its joint offering with JB Hunt.

Besides, BNSF will reinforce its railcar equipment to meet the expected increase in container capacity.

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J.B. Hunt will also add supporting chassis as per market requirements, along with increasing its container count.

BNSF president and CEO Katie Farmer said: “More than 30 years ago, JB Hunt Transport Services and BNSF predecessor The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company loaded a Hunt trailer onto a railcar to help usher in the modern age of intermodal freight transport.”

To enhance performance in rail transport, both companies will also use technology including JB Hunt 360° digital freight matching platform for intermodal services.

An additional seven to 11 million shipments are expected to be transformed to intermodal based on evaluation of “JB Hunt 360 transactions and annual bid activity”.

Recently, Wabtec partnered with BNSF Railway to carry out a biofuel trial to improve sustainability in the railway industry.

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