Posted on 12/07/2006 12:37:26 PM PST by CARTOUCHE
American trucking magnate J.B. Hunt passed away Thursday after a fall on Saturday at his Goshen, Arkansas home. J.B. Hunt who's name is emblazoned on thousands of trucks across the US, Canada, and Mexico was recognized for his humble beginnings as a trucker himself with but a 7th grade education yet having the desire and inspiration to succeed in all aspects of business. In 1969 JB Hunt Transport was established and today is the largest publicly traded trucking company in the US.
(Excerpt) Read more at jbhunt.com ...
Until he left active control of the company, JB and Johnelle Hunt were frequently seen at terminals across the US visiting 'the spread' and staying in touch with their drivers and support employees. JB was a down to earth man of most humble beginnings and I am proud to have worked for him and a world class company for nearly 15 years. He was the embodiment of The American Dream.
horn blast from the side of the road gang.......RIP pioneer
I couldn't get your link to load.
Below is a story from Business Week with some biographical information on JB Hunt.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8LS6K300.htm
I didn't know anything about him but I've seen thousands of his trucks across the country.
I think the company website is overloaded right now.
"I hate wearing ties - but I'll wear two of them if it will get another truck loaded." - J. B. Hunt.
Thank you for that link. I love to read stories of those w/true grit who have overcome obstacles, yet never lost their humanity nor forgot their beginnings. We need more people like Mr. Hunt.
Do you remember what caused the fall? What was he doing? (since I can't get the link to load either)
He fell on the ice at his home in Northwest Arkansas. The storm was the same that produced the power outages and havoc across Mizzou and Ilinois etc.
It's not only interesting, the connection between JB Hunt and Sam Walton, it's a miracle of business, those two. Not to forget the Tyson connection either. That business is also headquartered in NW Arkansas, one of the few bastions of Republicanism in Arkansas period. JB had so many aphorisms but my favorite was, "No load is so hot that it can't cool off in a ditch somewhere"
Were any of these icons (Sam Walton, Frank Tyson) college educated?
Large loss to the collective Spirit of America.
RIP JB
On Sam Walton:
Seeing though how his family was struggling to make ends meet, he decided he was going to stay in school and attend the University of Missouri.
At the University of Missouri Sam majored in Economics. He could not really afford to attend school so he worked extra hard to get the money. Sam waited tables in exchange for meals, lifeguarded at the school pool, and also delivered newspapers. While he was not doing that he was either at his fraternity in which he was an officer, or at a student government meeting since he was a member of the student senate, or fulfilling his duties as an ROTC Officer, and then on Sundays he was President of a Sunday School Class in which many of his fellow classmates attended. While accomplishing all this he was also in the National Honor Society. When Sam Walton graduated in 1940 he was voted the permanent President of his class.
Don (not Frank) Tyson - biography not found.
I love your tag line ad guy. It's how I feel at the end of most work days.
ping
May he rest in peace.
Huh. The hotel I stay in at Fort Knox is where the inprocess new JB Hunt owner/operators. They have a very interesting business model.
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