Blizzards and snowstorms earlier this year paused or closed terminal operations for several carriers, leading to some less-than-favorable earnings. J.B. Hunt Transport Services was no exception.
The carrier reported weather-induced tightness in its brokerage and truck segments, EVP of Sales & Marketing Spencer Frazier said in a Q1 earnings call.
Revenue for the carrier dropped 1% to $2.92 billion. Meanwhile, operating income dropped 8% to $179 billion.
The carrier also reported operating income was down for intermodal, dedicated contract services and final mile services, according to the company’s Q1 earnings presentation. On the other hand, truckload operating income went up by 66%.
In particular, dedicated contract services was one segment mentioned that was impacted by the weather.
“At a high level, the first quarter played out as expected despite the challenging operating environment. Weather did impact us slightly more than we consider normal, particularly in the South East, but we were able to recover some of that impact,” Brad Hicks, president of dedicated contract services, said in the call.
During a blizzard in March, several carriers reported terminal closures or halted operations. Estes Express Lines, Saia, XPO, TForce Freight and Midwest Motor Express interrupted services in Salt Lake City; Rock Springs, Wyoming; Des Moines, Iowa; and Minneapolis, according to various alerts on the companies’ websites.
