Zenith® Acquisition Expands Middle-Mile Capabilities
J.B. Hunt acquired the Zenith Global Logistics® company, one of the largest specialized furniture carriers in the United States, to extend our ability to provide middle-mile services. The acquisition of Zenith® teams and assets expands J.B. Hunt’s middle-mile capabilities in the following areas:
- Drivers and customer support
- Less-than-truckload (LTL) freight
- Warehousing
These expanded capabilities effectively extend the nationwide, specialized furniture carrier solutions that J.B. Hunt offers – enhancing our big and bulky item delivery abilities.
Drivers and Customer Support Capabilities
At J.B. Hunt we pride ourselves on our people-focused thinking. With the acquisition of Zenith, we gained employees who are just as committed to customer care and service as the rest of our J.B. Hunt teams. Their industry knowledge and advanced reporting capabilities assist in solving for our customers’ transportation needs. The acquisition also provides access to more drivers to add to our pool for J.B. Hunt teams to better serve customers.
LTL Freight Capabilities
Zenith operated 14 LTL freight-hub facilities nationwide that are now extensions of the J.B. Hunt reach. 12 of those 14 facilities have box trucks on-site to meet further customer needs. With Zenith’s freight hubs added to the pre-existing J.B. Hunt facilities, it increases our ability to flex freight capacity as necessary.
Plus, one of the J.B. Hunt pillars is technology, and incorporating Zenith technology brought further advancements in the form of LTL freight track and trace abilities. This brings a high level of visibility to goods in transit for customers. And, like J.B. Hunt, Zenith closely followed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) standards to be Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) compliant. Their utilization of electronic logs and professional package handling provides added layers of quality control that aid in the creation of a consistent delivery cycle.
Warehousing Capabilities
J.B. Hunt gained seven additional warehouses in the acquisition of Zenith – with locations spanning from Baltimore, Maryland, to Riverside, California. These warehouses provide further accessibility to goods nationwide and may allow for customer inventory to be stored closer to key markets. Zenith carried their focus on safety and rigorous handling procedures over from the truck to the warehouse. Top-notch safety equipment is utilized in each warehouse to help achieve a low product damage rate.
Also, inside the warehouses, world-class inventory management systems give customers a direct view of regional inventory. So, from the time products enter the warehouse to the time the products make it to their final destination, the customer knows the status. This inventory management makes it easier to scale for customer needs or changing market conditions.
How Can We Help?
Our Zenith acquisition expands the amount of customization that J.B. Hunt can offer customers for specialized furniture carrier solutions. All our solutions are flexible and adaptable, but with the addition of Zenith’s capabilities, we can offer extended middle-mile services. Assets like industry-leading technology, additional warehousing and unmatched delivery expertise put us at a competitive advantage.
Whether your goods are going from one dock to another or straight to a warehouse or showroom floor, J.B. Hunt teams use custom supply chain solutions and delivery expertise to keep big and bulky products moving for your business. Start customizing your middle-mile delivery program today!