J.B. Hunt Announces Safety and Sustainability Leadership Changes
In just four years after joining the company, he was named Chief Safety Officer, a newly created position at J.B. Hunt and one of the industry’s first.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. (NASDAQ: JBHT), one of the largest supply chain solutions providers in North America, announced today that Craig Harper will retire from his current duties as chief sustainability officer effective December 31 and Greer Woodruff will assume responsibilities as executive vice president of safety, sustainability and maintenance effective January 1, 2024.
“On behalf of the over 35,000 employees that work here, on behalf of the board of directors and on behalf of the shareholders of this company, I offer our heartfelt thanks to Craig, and that's not near enough to convey the value that he’s brought to us all,” said John Roberts, CEO of J.B. Hunt. “Craig is very much a part of that group of leaders that will never be forgotten, and he has made an incalculable commitment, investment and improvement to J.B. Hunt.”
Harper’s career with J.B. Hunt spanned 31 years leading multiple key services, operations and initiatives. In just four years after joining the company, he was named Chief Safety Officer, a newly created position at J.B. Hunt and one of the industry’s first. Harper would help revolutionize the company’s safety practices and initiatives. In 1997, he was appointed Chief Operations Officer and held that title until 2020, continuing to lead the companies’ safety efforts while taking on the challenge of establishing the best driving fleet in the country. In 2021, Harper was named Chief Sustainability Officer and has since led the company’s focused efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and help customers reduce theirs, including initiatives involving electric and autonomous vehicles and other emerging technologies. Harper was essential to helping the company set sustainability standards and goals, including its ambitious goal to reduce carbon emissions intensity 32% by 2034.
Harper and Woodruff worked alongside each other for many years to create and advance the company’s safety culture. The two helped establish J.B. Hunt’s Million Mile program, celebrating company drivers that achieve one million-plus miles without a preventable accident. To date, the program has recognized more than 4,600 drivers throughout the company’s history.
“J.B. Hunt sets the bar today for the industry on so many levels, and Craig has been a big part of that,” said Nick Hobbs, chief operating officer and president of contract services at J.B. Hunt. “He was instrumental in helping create our safety culture and service excellence, and I am confident that Greer will continue advancing those efforts, delivering value for our customers and shareholders and maintaining our fleet’s commitment to being one of the safest on the road.”
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.
Woodruff has dedicated his 36-year career at J.B. Hunt to building the strong safety culture the company has today. He joined J.B. Hunt in 1987 as a management trainee working to centralize driver recruitment and application processing before moving into the company’s safety department to help establish truck driver training programs across the country. He has held multiple roles within the company, most recently serving as senior vice president over safety, security, and driver personnel where he kept J.B. Hunt’s fleet of over 25,000 drivers up to date on the latest safety, compliance and technology best practices, among other responsibilities.
Woodruff is a well-known proponent for motor carrier safety, having served on several safety policy boards and committees. His commitment to advancing safety standards in the industry has earned multiple awards showcasing his expertise and influence, and 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.
About J.B. Hunt
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. is on a mission to create the most efficient transportation network in North America. The company’s industry-leading solutions and mode-neutral approach generate value for customers by eliminating waste, reducing costs and enhancing supply chain visibility. Powered by one of the largest company-owned fleets in the country with more than 163,000 pieces of trailing equipment and nearly one million accessible trucks through its J.B. Hunt 360°® digital freight marketplace, J.B. Hunt can meet the unique shipping needs of any business, from first mile to final delivery, and every shipment in-between. Through disciplined investments in its people, technology and capacity, J.B. Hunt is delivering exceptional value and service that enable long-term growth for the company and its stakeholders.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. is a Fortune 500 company, an S&P 500 company and a component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average. Its stock trades on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol JBHT. J.B. Hunt Transport Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of JBHT. The company’s services include intermodal, dedicated, refrigerated, truckload, less-than-truckload, flatbed, single source, last mile, transload and more. For more information, visit www.jbhunt.com.
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