Forbes Magazine Names J.B. Hunt among Platinum 400 List of America's Best Managed Big Companies

LOWELL, Ark.--Jan. 5, 2004--J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. , one of the nation's largest publicly held truckload carriers, was named to Forbes Magazine's Platinum List of America's Best Big Companies. This is the third consecutive year that J.B. Hunt has made the prestigious listing.

"We are humbled and honored to be recognized by Forbes along side some of America's best companies," said Kirk Thompson, President and CEO for J.B. Hunt. "It is a direct reflection of our employees' commitment to customers and the general public by providing exceptional service in a safe, professional manner."

Within the Transportation category of the listing, J.B. Hunt ranked first in total return over the last twelve months and fourth in twelve month earnings per share growth. The company was 80 on the list overall, up from the 163 position it held the previous year.

According to the January 2004 issue of the magazine, "Trucking companies tend to run out of gas during a recession. Not Giant J.B. Hunt Transport. Its 11,000 trucks and $2.4 billion in latest 12-months revenue let it ride out bad times - even as lower freight loads, higher fuel prices and soaring insurance costs drove thousands of competitors out of business."

More information on the J.B. Hunt listing can be found at www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2004/0112/172.html and the entire Forbes Platinum 400 is available in the January issue of Forbes magazine or on their web site at www.forbes.com/lists.

About J.B. Hunt

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. is one of the largest transportation logistics companies in North America with annual revenues of more than $2 billion. The Company operates more than 11,000 trucks and approximately 46,000 trailers and containers. J.B. Hunt creates supply chain value through a variety of engineered, optimal solutions that include truckload and intermodal transportation services, dedicated fleet management, electronic commerce and logistics management. The Company's stock is traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol JBHT and is a component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average. For more information about the company, visit www.jbhunt.com.