Google Teams With JB Hunt For Logistics Innovation

Transportation and logistics firm J.B. Hunt has launched a multi-year strategic alliance with Google Cloud to expand its offering of tools based on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), J.B. Hunt announced in a press release on Thursday (Feb. 19).

J.B. Hunt specializes in connecting shipments and capacity and has its sights set on developing the most efficient transportation network in North America and digitally expanding its J.B. Hunt 360° platform.

The $1 trillion logistics industry is dealing with increasing customer demand for quick service and complete transparency. J.B. Hunt is striving to centralize data, reduce waste, lower friction and cut inefficiencies.

J.B. Hunt will use Google Cloud to support its operations and offer shippers and carriers predictive data analytics to “optimize solutions in real-time.”

“Joining forces with Google was a natural fit, considering both companies’ histories of trailblazing and industry disruption,” said J.B. Hunt President and CEO John Roberts. “Powering J.B. Hunt 360 on Google Cloud will help drive us forward in our mission to create the most efficient transportation network in North America. This alliance is groundbreaking in our industry and we expect it will produce innovative solutions meeting transportation and logistics needs.”

Engineers and business leaders from both firms are targeting open cloud capabilities to launch a multi-cloud strategy to develop a sophisticated operating model, the company said.

“The transportation and logistics industry is fundamental to the health and security of the global economy,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. “Our partnership with J.B. Hunt creates a unique opportunity to transform the shipping and logistics experience through the use of AI, ML, and other technologies to help businesses—and the logistics industry as a whole — innovate for the future.”

Dan Clark, vice president of product innovation and strategy at Trimble and founder of Kuebix, recently told PYMNTS that a major pain point is in matching shippers with carriers that meet their transportation and capacity needs.