Reflecting on My J.B. Hunt Internship

Introduction and Personal Learning Objectives

My Intermodal Appointment Internship at J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. was a rewarding experience that fostered both personal and professional growth. I'm particularly grateful for the opportunity to gain a foothold in the corporate world. Coming into the internship, I had clear goals for what I wanted to learn. Throughout the experience, I'm happy to say I've accomplished those objectives. Here are a few of the goals that I’ve accomplished in my internship:

• Gain Insight in the Transportation Industry: My main internship goal was to understand the transportation industry while studying it in class, so I enrolled in a Transportation and Distribution Management course. This has enabled me to gain relevant knowledge while interning and helped me explore if transportation is the supply chain aspect I want to pursue after college.
• Enhance Technical Skills: One of my main tasks is to coordinate delivery schedules with receivers, primarily through phone calls or emails, using J.B. Hunt's software. Learning this software thoroughly during my initial training was crucial for increasing my productivity and ensuring smooth scheduling and delivery processes.
• Improve Overall Communication Skills: Throughout the internship, I honed my communication skills by interacting with fellow J.B. Hunt employees and customers via email and phone, learning to convey information effectively and professionally. One significant takeaway was realizing that effective communication often leads to quicker issue resolution and task completion, a skill that has proven invaluable both professionally and personally, even as I continue to improve.
• Establish Professional Identity: In today’s competitive job market, establishing a strong professional identity is crucial for career growth. During my time at J.B. Hunt, it provided valuable insights into my strengths and weaknesses, helping me shape my personal brand and stand out in the job market.

Background Review

J.B. Hunt equipped me with a strong foundation through their training program, which was crucial for my success. However, the real learning came from my managers. Their guidance and experience helped me navigate challenges like new scheduling platforms and unexpected delays. By actively asking questions, I sharpened my problem-solving skills. This internship also underscored the critical importance of communication, both internally and with external clients.

Responsibilities Details

I work as an Intermodal Appointment Intern at J.B. Hunt, where I coordinate delivery appointments for container shipments with customers. I receive workload assignments based on region (West, Central, East). I would then contact customers by email, phone, or their website to schedule deliveries based on previous rail occurrences in the last six weeks. I provided information about the shipment and ensured both parties had all the details. If I lacked any information, I consulted managers before contacting other teams (Customer Experience, Operations, Dwell) to get the correct details. My goal was to ensure customer satisfaction with J.B. Hunt. This experience has provided numerous opportunities to learn from that are of significant value for future use.

Analysis/Implications for the Company

There have been many challenges that I have come across in my internship. My Information Systems major was of great help when working with the daily use of various software programs which improved my technical skills. However, my Systems Analysis class equipped me to identify areas for improvement. Working for J.B. Hunt, I know their technology development team knows about these issues and working on solutions to make these easier for the employees and the customers. Supply Chain constantly changing and technology is important for it to change with it. By combining my coursework with real-world experience, I gained a keen understanding of the upcoming changes in the industry and the skills needed to navigate them effectively."

Conclusion and Personal Evaluation

I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at J.B. Hunt who made this internship such a valuable experience. From the warm welcome I received from Carey Olson and Jeanene O'Neal, MBA during my interview, I knew this would be a positive learning environment.? J.B. Hunt provided a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world transportation industry practices. The fast-paced nature of the work has only solidified my passion for this field, and I'm eager to continue pursuing a career in the transportation industry.