Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023:
J.B. Hunt announces safety, sustainability leadership changes
J.B. Hunt Transport Services (CCJ Top 250, No. 3) announced this month that Craig Harper will retire from his current duties as chief sustainability officer, effective Dec. 31, and Greer Woodruff will assume responsibilities as executive vice president of safety, sustainability and maintenance effective Jan. 1.
“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. 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 managing the company’s fleet.
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 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.
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, the company said.
Woodruff has dedicated his 36-year career at J.B. Hunt to building a strong safety culture. 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.
Small number of Great Dane trailers recalled for incorrect VINs
Great Dane Trailers is recalling approximately 25 model year 2023 Champion trailers in which the VINs on the certification label may be incorrect, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents.
As such, the trailers fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
NHTSA said that an owner that references an incorrect VIN label may not recognize their trailer is involved in a safety recall, and may not have the recall remedy performed, which could increase the risk of injury, fire, or a crash.
Great Dane has mailed new certification decals, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Feb. 13. Owners can contact Great Dane customer service at 1-877-369-3493. NHTSA’s recall number is 23V-852.
