Logistics specialist J B Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) cheered the market with third quarter results.
Operating revenues, excluding field surcharge revenues, drove forward to US$1.41bn in the three months to the end of September from US$1.32bn in the corresponding period of 2014.
Fuel surcharge revenues tumbled to US$167.0mln from US$284.2mln, bringing total operating revenues down to US$1.59bn (2014: US$1.60bn).
Profit before tax rose to US$186.0mln from US$165.5mln while post-tax profit advanced to US$115.1mln from US$102.4mln the previous year.
The company said load growth, higher productivity and customer rate increases were partially offset by lower box turns from slower train speeds in some regions, increases in rail purchase transportation rates, increases in driver wages and recruiting costs and higher equipment ownership costs compared to the third quarter 2014.
Shares were up 2.4% at US$74.44 in early trading.