J.B. Hunt Revenue, Profit Climb

Intermodal trucker J.B. Hunt Transport Services increased its profit 30.5 percent in the third quarter from a year ago, reporting net earnings of $52.2 million.

The company's revenue jumped 18 percent year-over-year to $986 million, and rose 4.6 percent from the second quarter, despite a slower paced economy.

"We continue to distance ourselves from the 'Great Recession'," said Kirk Thompson, president and CEO of J.B. Hunt, which had $3.2 billion in sales last year.

By The Numbers: U.S. IMC Intermodal & Highway Yields.

"Though freight volumes backed off from the torrid pace we saw in June, demand remained steady across all segments," including intermodal and truckload.

That led and will lead to higher pricing, he said. "We expect to see freight rates continue to rebound from the unsustainable lows we saw during the recession."

-- Contact William B. Cassidy at wcassidy@joc.com.