Jan 16 (Reuters) - U.S. trucking firm J.B. Hunt

Transport Services missed Wall Street estimates for

fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, as high expenses and a lower

truck count weighed on revenue.

"Repositioning costs related to network imbalances, in

addition to driver hiring and onboarding expenses, were elevated

in the quarter to support customers' peak season demand," the

company said, referring to its largest segment, intermodal.

Intermodal shipping involves transporting goods via two or

more means of transportation.

J.B. Hunt's operating income from intermodal shipping fell

10% during the reported quarter, despite a 5% year-over-year

increase in volumes.

In its dedicated contract services segment, there were 605

fewer revenue producing trucks in the fleet during the fourth

quarter, representing a 4% decline in average trucks as

customers chose to downsize fleets.

The trucking industry in the U.S. has continued to follow a

downward trend since 2022 owing to higher capacity, lower rates

and a marginal improvement in volumes. Experts, however, expect

the situation to improve by the second half of 2025 buoyed by a

significant increase in pricing.

For the quarter ended Dec. 31, the company posted revenue of

$3.15 billion, down 5% from last year, and roughly in-line with

analysts' estimates, as per LSEG data.

The Arkansas-based company reported a profit of $1.53 per

share, missing analysts' estimate of $1.61 apiece.

Shares of the company were down 1.8% in extended trading.