Dive Brief:
- JB Hunt will begin offering project44's less-than-truckload (LTL) visibility platform within its own digital platform, JB Hunt 360, to allow shippers to track their shipments, "regardless of carrier, eliminating the need for multiple carrier data integrations, " according to a press release.
- "By integrating project44 technology within J.B. Hunt 360, customers can view and manage multi-carrier freight from a single platform, helping them streamline operations and meet their supply chain goals," said Shelley Simpson, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of J.B. Hunt, in a statement.
- J.B. Hunt is the largest partnership so far for project44, which already works with FedEx Freight, Old Dominion Freight Line and Gatehouse Logistics, among others.
Dive Insight:
Last year, J.B. Hunt announced plans to invest $500 million to modernize its supply chain service offering with a focus on better operating systems and cloud-based infrastructure. Greater LTL visibility is a piece in that puzzle.
The holidays can be a rough time for LTL shippers, since the mixed loads plus more volume in the system often mean they have less control over delivery times and more delays in general. Greater visibility and automation offers to help ease shipper's minds.
In fact, during the Thanksgiving shopping weekend, growth in LTL shipments outpaced overall shipment growth by three to one, according to research from Convey. LTL shipments increased 638% YoY from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, while overall shipments grew by 239%.
The growth in LTL shipments related to Black Friday, according to Convey, suggests consumers are becoming more comfortable purchasing large items like appliances online, and moves by other carriers suggest that's a trend likely to escalate.
