J.B. Hunt Transport Services Sustainability Leader Greer Woodruff: Three Things to Know

J.B. Hunt Transport Services will have a new sustainability leader in 2024. The background: Chief Sustainability Officer Craig Harper will retire on December 31, 2023. Greer Woodruff, executive VP of safety, sustainability and maintenance, will take on Harper's sustainability responsibilities in 2024.

Here are three things to know about Harper, Woodruff (pictured, top of page) and J.B. Hunt's sustainability strategy.

1. Company Scope and Scale: J.B. Hunt Transport Services, based in Lowell, Arkansas, is a Fortune 500 company, an S&P 500 company and a component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average. The company specializes in technology-driven freight shipping for large and small businesses. J.B Hunt Transport Services revenue for the 12-months ending September 30, 2023 was $13.18 billion, down 10.13% from the previous 12-month period. The business has roughly 38,000 employees.

2. Sustainability Goals and Milestones: J.B. Hunt is striving to reduce its carbon emission intensity 32% by 2034 (compared to a 2019 baseline). The effort involves:

• Incorporating alternative powered equipment into its fleet;
• expanding the use of biogenic fuels; and
• improving fuel economy(diesel powered miles-per-gallon “MPG”).

3. Executive Perspectives: In prepared statements, J.B. Hunt CEO John Roberts and Chief Operating Officer Nick Hobbs praised both Harper and Woodruff. Among the takeaways from their statements:

• Harper was "essential to helping the company set sustainability standards and goals, including its ambitious goal to reduce carbon emissions intensity 32% by 2034," the company said.
• Woodruff has dedicated his 36-year career at J.B. Hunt to "building the strong safety culture the company has today." In 2022, he was invited by the White House to advocate support for the Trucking Action Plan, a strategy to address the workforce issues facing the freight transportation industry. In his new position, "Woodruff will lead the company's sustainability initiatives, further its operational safety excellence and corporate security and oversee its equipment, maintenance and driver personnel departments," the company said.

J.B. Hunt Sustainability Executive: Why Technology Partners Should Care

By 2027, 25% of Global 2000 companies will have assigned a chief sustainability officer (CSO) responsible for meeting their organization’s ESG goals and making ESG-related IT purchasing decisions, according to IDC.

The bottom line: Technology partners need to extend their sales, marketing, engagement and support strategies to successfully fulfill those CSO customer needs, Sustainable Tech Partner believes.