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J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.

Freight Transportation and LogisticsFounded 1961
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Acquisitions

J.B. Hunt Acquisitions

3

Major Deals Covered

$323M

Disclosed Deal Value

What are J.B. Hunt's biggest acquisitions?

J.B. Hunt's largest disclosed acquisition here is Special Logistics Dedicated for $136M in 2017. This page covers 3 major deals from 2017 to 2022, each with its price where disclosed and the reason behind it.

Major deals covered
3
Largest deal
Special Logistics Dedicated ($136M)
First deal
2017
Most recent
2022
CompanyYearPricePurpose
Special Logistics Dedicated2017$136.0MJ.B. Hunt acquired Houston-based Special Logistics Dedicated to expand its e-commerce delivery platform, pool distribution, fulfillment delivery, and final-mile capabilities for heavy and bulky freight.
Cory 1st Choice Home Delivery2019$100.0MJ.B. Hunt agreed to acquire Cory 1st Choice Home Delivery to deepen its nationwide home-delivery network for big and bulky products, especially furniture and appliance delivery that requires specialized handling.
Zenith Freight Lines2022$87.0MJ.B. Hunt agreed to acquire the assets of Zenith Freight Lines from Bassett to strengthen specialized furniture transportation and extend Final Mile Services into a more complete nationwide furniture supply-chain offering.
What companies has J.B. Hunt bought?
Major acquisitions by J.B. Hunt documented here include Special Logistics Dedicated (2017), Cory 1st Choice Home Delivery (2019) and Zenith Freight Lines (2022).
What is J.B. Hunt's most recent acquisition?
The most recent J.B. Hunt acquisition documented here is Zenith Freight Lines, in 2022, for $87M.

Zenith Freight Lines

2022

$87M

Why

J.B. Hunt agreed to acquire the assets of Zenith Freight Lines from Bassett to strengthen specialized furniture transportation and extend Final Mile Services into a more complete nationwide furniture supply-chain offering.

Impact

The approximately $87 million acquisition added Zenith's specialized LTL furniture network and a long-term service relationship with Bassett. J.B. Hunt said the transaction would expand its final-mile segment, which already operated one of the largest commingled cross-dock networks in the United States.

Outcome

Zenith reinforced the pattern established by Special Logistics Dedicated and Cory: J.B. Hunt used selective acquisitions to consolidate difficult final-mile and furniture-delivery work while relying on organic scale and partnerships for the core intermodal franchise.

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Cory 1st Choice Home Delivery

2019

$100M

Why

J.B. Hunt agreed to acquire Cory 1st Choice Home Delivery to deepen its nationwide home-delivery network for big and bulky products, especially furniture and appliance delivery that requires specialized handling.

Impact

The $100 million deal expanded Final Mile to 100 locations and more than 3.1 million square feet of warehouse and facilities space. It added a New Jersey-based carrier with warehouse coverage, independent contractors, contract carriers, delivery drivers, and experience in in-home delivery.

Outcome

Cory strengthened J.B. Hunt's ability to serve retailers, manufacturers, and e-commerce shippers that need delivery beyond a dock-to-dock freight move. The acquisition also made Final Mile a clearer standalone growth platform inside the broader logistics network.

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Special Logistics Dedicated

2017

$136M

Why

J.B. Hunt acquired Houston-based Special Logistics Dedicated to expand its e-commerce delivery platform, pool distribution, fulfillment delivery, and final-mile capabilities for heavy and bulky freight.

Impact

The $136 million acquisition gave J.B. Hunt a faster way to build a final-mile platform alongside its intermodal, dedicated, brokerage, and truckload businesses. It added specialized delivery operations that were closer to retail and e-commerce customers than traditional long-haul truckload freight.

Outcome

Special Logistics Dedicated became part of the foundation for J.B. Hunt's Final Mile Services buildout. Later acquisitions such as Cory and Zenith expanded the same strategy, showing that J.B. Hunt preferred targeted capability deals in fragmented final-mile niches rather than broad acquisitions of conventional truckload carriers.

Source →

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.'s Growth & Acquisition Strategy

J.B. Hunt's stated plan is to fill unused capacity in its intermodal container fleet, convert highway freight to rail (especially in the Eastern network), sell new dedicated fleets, and keep cutting structural cost. Technology through J.B. Hunt 360 supports brokerage and 360box drop-trailer capacity rather than serving as a standalone product.

How J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. Makes Money

J.B. Hunt makes money by charging shippers to move freight, mostly under contract. Intermodal (about half of FY2025 revenue) pairs company-owned containers and drayage trucks with rail linehaul bought from railroads such as BNSF. Dedicated Contract Services runs customer-specific fleets under multi-year agreements. Integrated Capacity Solutions brokers loads to third-party carriers through the J.B. Hunt 360 platform and earns the spread. Final Mile Services delivers and installs big and bulky goods, and Truckload provides dry-van and drop-trailer capacity, much of it via 360box.

J.B. Hunt Acquisitions FAQ

What was J.B. Hunt's acquisition of Walmart's intermodal container fleet in 2024?

In February 2024, J.B. Hunt entered a multi-year intermodal pact with Walmart to purchase all of Walmart's operational intermodal container and chassis assets, expanding J.B. Hunt's container capacity and cementing a multi-decade shipping relationship.

Why did J.B. Hunt acquire Zenith Freight Lines for $87 million in 2022?

In February 2022, J.B. Hunt acquired North Carolina-based Zenith Freight Lines from Bassett Furniture for $87 million, significantly expanding its specialized furniture warehousing, nationwide line-haul, and Final Mile home delivery operations.

How did the acquisition of Cory 1st Choice Home Delivery in 2019 expand Final Mile Services?

In February 2019, J.B. Hunt acquired Cory 1st Choice Home Delivery for $100 million, adding 14 warehouses, 1.6 million annual home deliveries, and premier white-glove appliance installation capabilities across the continental US.

What was the acquisition of the brokerage operations of BNSF Logistics in 2023?

In September 2023, J.B. Hunt acquired the brokerage operations of BNSF Logistics, LLC, onboarding thousands of third-party shipping customers and carrier networks into Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS) and J.B. Hunt 360°.

What is J.B. Hunt's corporate strategy regarding fleet acquisitions vs organic growth?

J.B. Hunt primarily grows organically by ordering custom containers and tractors, using disciplined M&A strictly for tuck-in specialized capabilities: final-mile bulky home delivery, high-value furniture networks, and strategic brokerage portfolios.

What companies has J.B. Hunt acquired?

They execute massive acquisitions to completely dominate "Final Mile" delivery (delivering extremely heavy items like refrigerators and furniture directly into a customer's house). In 2019, they bought Cory First Choice Home Delivery for $100 million. In 2022, they bought Zenith Freight Lines to massively expand their furniture delivery logistics network.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.