Lowell-based J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. has added 13 new, zero-emission Class 8 trucks to its fleet.
The trucks, made by Phoenix-based Nikola Corp., include 10 battery-electric and three hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. Delivery is expected sometime this month. Nikola will also supply the refueling infrastructure for the vehicles.
The trucks will be located to serve routes in the greater Los Angeles and the Phoenix areas. Class 8 is the most robust truck classification and includes big rigs and other heavy-duty vehicles like cement and dump trucks.
"It's important for us to be at the forefront of new technologies and innovative solutions that have the potential to change the way we move freight," Nick Hobbs, chief operating officer and president of contract services at J.B. Hunt, said in a statement Monday. "These zero-emission trucks from Nikola advance our progress towards achieving our ambitious goal to reduce carbon emission intensity through viable solutions."
In response to emailed questions Monday, Hobbs said J.B. Hunt plans to operate several zero-emission vehicles from multiple original equipment manufacturers within the company's 21,000-truck fleet by year end 2024. He said one of those vehicles could potentially be located in Arkansas.
J.B. Hunt took its first delivery of an all-electric Class 8 truck in 2022 and began using electric vehicles in its operations in 2023, according to the company. J.B. Hunt has the goal of reducing its carbon emissions 32% by 2034, using its 2019 emissions as a baseline.
In mid-July, J.B. Hunt said its second quarter saw profits and revenue drop compared to last year as the freight market continues to languish in what some experts are calling a freight recession.
The company reported net income of $189 million, or $1.81 per share for the quarter ended June 30, compared to $255 million or $2.42 per share for the same quarter a year ago. Revenue for the quarter was $3.13 billion, compared to $3.83 billion for the second quarter of 2022.
Shares of J.B. Hunt closed at $203.94, down $1.60, or less than 1%, in trading Monday on the Nasdaq. Shares have traded as low as $156.28 and as high as $206.21 over the past year.