J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: JBHT), one of the largest supply chain solutions providers in North America, announced that it placed a reservation to purchase multiple Tesla Semi tractors to be manufactured by Tesla. The electric tractor was unveiled by Tesla at an event on Nov. 16.
J.B. Hunt plans to deploy electric tractors to its Intermodal and Dedicated Contract Services divisions to support operations on the West Coast.
“Reserving Tesla trucks marks an important step in our efforts to implement industry-changing technology,” said John Roberts, president and chief executive officer at J.B. Hunt. “We believe electric trucks will be most beneficial on local and dray routes, and we look forward to utilizing this new, sustainable technology.”
In April, J.B. Hunt announced a five-year, $500 million commitment to enhancing operating systems, developing cloud infrastructure, and creating innovative and disruptive technologies. In addition to the electric truck investment, J.B. Hunt is also supporting sustainable initiatives such as reducing engine idle time, governing top speed limits, converting over-the-road shipments to intermodal, engineering fleet routes that maximize efficiency, and using biodiesel fuels when possible.