The Women In Trucking Association presented Shelley Simpson, president of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, with its 2023 Influential Woman in Trucking award this week. The award recognizes the achievements of female role models and trailblazers in the trucking industry.
“It’s a privilege for Women In Trucking to recognize Shelley Simpson as our 2023 Influential Woman in Trucking award winner,” said Jennifer Hedrick, WIT President and CEO. “Shelley’s passion and leadership for this field, including her commitment to expanding gender diversity in transportation, have been evident throughout her nearly 30-year career.”
See also: FleetOwner Women In Transportation 2023
Simpson’s career at J.B. Hunt (No. 4 on the FleetOwner 500: For-Hire) reflects the company’s continued progress as an innovative leader in the transportation and logistics industry. Since joining J.B. Hunt as an hourly customer service representative, she has held multiple positions across the company, most recently serving as chief commercial officer and executive vice president of people and human resources.
In 2007, Simpson was named president of Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS), a business unit she helped create. While continuing to develop ICS, Simpson assumed sales and marketing executive responsibilities and was appointed chief marketing officer in 2011. She took on an additional leadership role in 2014 as President of J.B. Hunt’s Truckload business segment, helping improve the efficiency of the company’s fleet.
Simpson was named chief commercial officer in 2017, leading strategic direction of marketing, sales, customer experience, and external product development. In 2020, she was named executive vice president of people and human resources, leading the company’s efforts to create a more inclusive work environment. Simpson was named president in 2022 and provides management and performance oversight for all company business units.
Simpson serves on the board of multiple organizations, including the Mercy Health Foundation and the Dean’s Executive Advisory Board for the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. Additionally, she serves on the DSA Selection Committee for the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.
In 2016, she received WIT’s Distinguished Woman in Logistics award and was named 2017 ATHENA Woman of the Year at the NWA Business Women’s Conference. In 2020, she received the National Diversity Council’s Power50 Award and was named a 2020 Top Influencer by Arkansas Money & Politics. In 2021, Supply Chain Digital named her as one of the Top 100 Women in Supply Chain, and the National Diversity Council named her as one of the top 100 HR Professionals in 2022. She recently received the 2022 Woman of the Year in Innovation award from the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas and the Excellence in Free Enterprise Award from Economics Arkansas.
Originally from Russellville, Arkansas, Simpson graduated from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She lives in Rogers, Arkansas, with her husband David and three children.
