Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Overview
We are one of the largest North American less-than-truckload (“LTL”) motor carriers and provide regional, inter-regional and national LTL services through a single integrated, union-free organization. Our service offerings, which include expedited transportation, are provided through an expansive network of service centers located throughout the continental United States. Through strategic alliances, we also provide LTL services throughout North America. In addition to our core LTL services, we offer a range of value-added services including container drayage, truckload brokerage and supply chain consulting. More than 98% of our revenue has historically been derived from transporting LTL shipments for our customers, whose demand for our services is generally tied to industrial production and the overall health of the U.S. domestic economy.
In analyzing the components of our revenue, we monitor changes and trends in our LTL volumes and LTL revenue per hundredweight. While LTL revenue per hundredweight is a yield measurement, it is also a commonly-used indicator for general pricing trends in the LTL industry. This yield metric is not a true measure of price, however, as it can be influenced by many other factors, such as changes in fuel surcharges, weight per shipment and length of haul. As a result, changes in LTL revenue per hundredweight do not necessarily indicate actual changes in underlying base rates. LTL revenue per hundredweight and the key factors that can impact this metric are described in more detail below:
•LTL Revenue Per Hundredweight - Our LTL transportation services are generally priced based on weight, commodity, and distance. This measurement reflects the application of our pricing policies to the services we provide, which are influenced by competitive market conditions and our growth objectives. Generally, freight is rated by a class system, which is established by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. Light, bulky freight typically has a higher class and is priced at higher revenue per hundredweight than dense, heavy freight. Fuel surcharges, accessorial charges, revenue adjustments and revenue for undelivered freight are included in this measurement, and we regularly monitor the components that impact our pricing. The fuel surcharge is generally designed to offset fluctuations in the cost of our petroleum-based products and is indexed to diesel fuel prices published by the U.S. Department of Energy, which reset each week. Revenue for undelivered freight is deferred for financial statement purposes in accordance with our revenue recognition policy; however, we believe including it in our revenue per hundredweight metrics results in a more accurate representation of the underlying changes in our yields by matching total billed revenue with the corresponding weight of those shipments.
•LTL Weight Per Shipment - Fluctuations in weight per shipment can indicate changes in the mix of freight we receive from our customers, as well as changes in the number of units included in a shipment. Generally, increases in weight per shipment indicate higher demand for our customers’ products and overall increased economic activity. Changes in weight per shipment can also be influenced by shifts between LTL and other modes of transportation, such as truckload and intermodal, in response to capacity, service and pricing issues. Fluctuations in weight per shipment generally have an inverse effect on our revenue per hundredweight, as a decrease in weight per shipment will typically cause an increase in revenue per hundredweight.
•Average Length of Haul - We consider lengths of haul less than 500 miles to be regional traffic, lengths of haul between 500 miles and 1,000 miles to be inter-regional traffic, and lengths of haul in excess of 1,000 miles to be national traffic. This metric is used to analyze our tonnage and pricing trends for shipments with similar characteristics, and also allows for comparison with other transportation providers serving specific markets. By analyzing this metric, we can determine the success and growth potential of our service products in these markets. Changes in length of haul generally have a direct effect on our revenue per hundredweight, as an increase in length of haul will typically cause an increase in revenue per hundredweight.
•LTL Revenue Per Shipment - This measurement is primarily determined by the three metrics listed above and is used in conjunction with the number of LTL shipments we receive to evaluate LTL revenue.
Our primary revenue focus is to increase density, which is shipment and tonnage growth within our existing infrastructure. Increases in density allow us to maximize our asset utilization and labor productivity, which we measure over many different functional areas of our operations including linehaul load factor, pickup and delivery (“P&D”) stops per hour, P&D shipments per hour, platform pounds handled per hour and platform shipments per hour. In addition to our focus on density and operating efficiencies, it is critical for us to obtain an appropriate yield, which is measured as revenue per hundredweight, on the shipments we handle. We focus on the profitability of each customer account and generally seek to obtain an appropriate yield to offset our cost inflation and support our ongoing investments in capacity and technology. We believe the continued execution of this yield-management philosophy, continued increases in density, and ongoing improvements in operating efficiencies are the key components of our ability to further improve our operating ratio and long-term profitable growth.
Our primary cost elements are direct wages and benefits associated with the movement of freight, operating supplies and expenses, which include diesel fuel, and depreciation of our equipment fleet and service center facilities. We gauge our overall success in managing costs by monitoring our operating ratio, a measure of profitability calculated by dividing total operating expenses by revenue, which also allows for industry-wide comparisons with our competition.
We regularly upgrade our technological capabilities to improve our customer service and lower our operating costs. Our technology provides our customers with visibility of their shipments throughout our network, increases the productivity of our workforce, and provides key metrics that we use to monitor and enhance our processes.
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, expenses and other items as a percentage of revenue from operations:
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Three Months Ended |
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Six Months Ended |
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June 30, |
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June 30, |
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2026 |
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2025 |
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2026 |
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2025 |
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Revenue from operations |
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100.0 |
% |
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100.0 |
% |
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100.0 |
% |
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100.0 |
% |
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Operating expenses: |
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Salaries, wages and benefits |
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44.2 |
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47.7 |
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45.9 |
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47.8 |
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Operating supplies and expenses |
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11.4 |
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10.1 |
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11.2 |
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10.5 |
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General supplies and expenses |
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3.0 |
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3.0 |
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3.2 |
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2.9 |
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Operating taxes and licenses |
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2.2 |
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2.5 |
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2.3 |
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2.5 |
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Insurance and claims |
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1.2 |
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1.3 |
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1.3 |
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1.3 |
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Communications and utilities |
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0.5 |
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0.7 |
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0.6 |
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0.7 |
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Depreciation and amortization |
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5.9 |
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6.4 |
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6.4 |
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6.5 |
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Purchased transportation |
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2.2 |
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2.0 |
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2.1 |
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2.0 |
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Miscellaneous (income) expense, net |
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(0.5 |
) |
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0.9 |
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(0.1 |
) |
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0.8 |
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Total operating expenses |
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70.1 |
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74.6 |
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72.9 |
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75.0 |
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Operating income |
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29.9 |
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25.4 |
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27.1 |
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25.0 |
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Interest income, net |
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(0.2 |
) |
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(0.0 |
) |
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(0.2 |
) |
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(0.1 |
) |
Other expense, net |
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0.0 |
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0.0 |
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0.1 |
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0.1 |
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Income before income taxes |
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30.1 |
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25.4 |
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27.2 |
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25.0 |
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Provision for income taxes |
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7.5 |
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6.3 |
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6.8 |
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6.2 |
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Net income |
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22.6 |
% |
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19.1 |
% |
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20.4 |
% |
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18.8 |
% |
Key financial and operating metrics are presented below:
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Three Months Ended |
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Six Months Ended |
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June 30, |
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June 30, |
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2026 |
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2025 |
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% Change |
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2026 |
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2025 |
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% Change |
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Work days |
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64 |
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64 |
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— |
% |
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127 |
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127 |
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— |
% |
Revenue (in thousands) |
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$ |
1,554,004 |
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$ |
1,407,724 |
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10.4 |
% |
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$ |
2,888,700 |
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$ |
2,782,582 |
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3.8 |
% |
Operating ratio |
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70.1 |
% |
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74.6 |
% |
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72.9 |
% |
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75.0 |
% |
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Net income (in thousands) |
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$ |
350,601 |
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$ |
268,626 |
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30.5 |
% |
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$ |
588,859 |
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$ |
523,286 |
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12.5 |
% |
Diluted earnings per share |
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$ |
1.68 |
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$ |
1.27 |
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32.3 |
% |
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$ |
2.82 |
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$ |
2.46 |
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14.6 |
% |
LTL tons (in thousands) |
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2,035 |
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2,123 |
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(4.1 |
)% |
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3,962 |
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4,211 |
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(5.9 |
)% |
LTL tonnage per day |
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31,804 |
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33,178 |
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(4.1 |
)% |
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31,199 |
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33,157 |
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(5.9 |
)% |
LTL shipments (in thousands) |
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2,709 |
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2,874 |
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(5.7 |
)% |
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5,295 |
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5,682 |
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(6.8 |
)% |
LTL shipments per day |
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42,332 |
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44,907 |
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(5.7 |
)% |
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41,689 |
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44,738 |
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(6.8 |
)% |
LTL weight per shipment (lbs.) |
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1,503 |
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1,478 |
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1.7 |
% |
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1,497 |
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1,482 |
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1.0 |
% |
LTL revenue per hundredweight |
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$ |
37.84 |
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$ |
32.84 |
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15.2 |
% |
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$ |
36.22 |
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$ |
32.76 |
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10.6 |
% |
LTL revenue per shipment |
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$ |
568.55 |
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$ |
485.31 |
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17.2 |
% |
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$ |
542.19 |
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$ |
485.55 |
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11.7 |
% |
Average length of haul (miles) |
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909 |
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912 |
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(0.3 |
)% |
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911 |
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914 |
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(0.3 |
)% |
Our financial results for the second quarter and first six months of 2026 reflect an increase in revenue, net income, and earnings per diluted share compared to the same periods of 2025. The strength of our financial results reflects the continued improvement in demand trends and the benefits of our long-term focus on yield discipline and operational execution. We continued to maintain our commitment to superior customer service by providing our customers with 99% on-time service and a cargo claims ratio of 0.1% during the second quarter and first six months of 2026, which supported the continued improvement in our yield. We also maintained our focus on operating efficiently and controlling discretionary spending, which contributed to the improvement in our operating ratio to 70.1% and 72.9% in the second quarter and first six months of 2026, respectively. As a result, our net income and diluted earnings per share increased by 30.5% and 32.3%, respectively, for the second quarter of 2026 as compared to the second quarter of 2025 and increased 12.5% and 14.6%, respectively, for the first six months of 2026 as compared to the first six months of 2025.
Revenue
Revenue increased $146.3 million, or 10.4%, and $106.1 million, or 3.8%, in the second quarter and first six months of 2026, respectively, as compared to the same periods of 2025 due to an increase in LTL revenue per hundredweight that was partially offset by a decrease in volumes. LTL tonnage per day decreased 4.1% and 5.9% in the second quarter and first six months of 2026, respectively, as compared to the same periods of 2025, primarily due to a decrease in LTL shipments per day that was partially offset by an increase in LTL weight per shipment. The decrease in our volumes was offset by an increase of 15.2% and 10.6% in the second quarter and first six months of 2026, respectively, in our LTL revenue per hundredweight, which included the impact of higher fuel surcharges resulting from the increase in the average price of diesel fuel for the comparable periods. Excluding fuel surcharges, LTL revenue per hundredweight increased 5.5% and 5.0% in the second quarter and first six months of 2026, respectively, as compared to the same periods of 2025. We believe the increase in the LTL revenue per hundredweight, excluding fuel surcharge, was driven by the ongoing execution of our yield management strategy. Our consistent, cost-based approach to pricing focuses on offsetting our cost inflation while also supporting additional investments into our business to expand capacity and enhance our technology.
July 2026 Update
Revenue per day increased 8.2% in July 2026 as compared to the same month last year. LTL revenue per hundredweight increased 9.3% as compared to the same month last year. LTL revenue per hundredweight, excluding fuel surcharges, increased 4.2% as compared to the same month last year. LTL tons per day decreased 1.0% due to a 3.0% decrease in LTL shipments per day that was partially offset by a 2.0% increase in LTL weight per shipment.
Operating Costs and Other Expenses
Salaries, wages and benefits increased $15.3 million, or 2.3%, in the second quarter of 2026 as compared to the second quarter of 2025 due to a $2.4 million increase in salaries and wages and a $12.9 million increase in employee benefit costs. Salaries, wages and benefits decreased $4.5 million, or 0.3%, in the first six months of 2026 as compared to the same period of 2025, due to a $15.4 million decrease in salaries and wages that was partially offset by a $10.9 million increase in employee benefit costs.
The increase in salaries and wages in the second quarter of 2026, as compared to the same period of 2025, was primarily due to the increase in performance-based bonus compensation and the annual wage increase provided to employees in September of 2025, partially offset by a 7.1% decrease in the average number of active full-time employees. The decrease in salaries and wages in the first six months of 2026, as compared to the same period of 2025, was primarily due to the 7.1 % decrease in our average number of active full-time employees, partially offset by an increase in performance-based bonus compensation and the annual wage increase provided to employees in September of 2025.
Our productive labor costs, which include wages for drivers, platform employees, and fleet technicians, improved as a percent of revenue to 21.7% and 22.9% in the second quarter and first six months of 2026, respectively, from 24.4% and 24.5% for the same periods of 2025. Despite the decrease in network density that generally results from the decline in volumes, our productive labor costs improved as a percentage of revenue, reflecting the leveraging effect of the increase in our yield as well as our continued focus on operating efficiently and delivering superior service to our customers. Our platform productivity metrics and linehaul laden load average improved in the second quarter and first six months of 2026 compared to the same periods of 2025, which helped offset the reduction in our P&D productivity metrics.
The increase in our costs attributable to employee benefits in both the second quarter and first six months of 2026, as compared to the same periods of 2025, was primarily due to an increase in retirement benefit plan costs that are directly linked to our net income and increased costs associated with our group health benefits resulting from higher average costs per claim. As a result, employee benefit costs as a percent of salaries and wages increased to 42.0% in the second quarter of 2026 from 39.5% in the comparable period of 2025 and increased to 40.7% in the first six months of 2026 from 38.9% in the comparable period of 2025.
Operating supplies and expenses increased $35.2 million, or 24.7% and $32.1 million, or 11.0%, in the second quarter and first six months of 2026, respectively, as compared to the same periods of 2025 primarily due to an increase in our costs for diesel fuel used in our vehicles that was partially offset by lower maintenance and repair costs for our fleet. The cost of diesel fuel, excluding fuel taxes, represents the largest component of operating supplies and expenses, and can vary based on both the average price per gallon and consumption. Our average cost per gallon of diesel fuel increased 70.5% and 41.2% in the second quarter and first six months of 2026, respectively, as compared to the same periods of 2025. We do not use diesel fuel hedging instruments; therefore, our costs are subject to market price fluctuations. Our gallons consumed decreased 5.2% and 7.3% in the second quarter and first six months of 2026, respectively, as compared to the same periods of 2025, primarily due to a decrease in miles driven.
General supplies and expenses increased $4.7 million, or 11.4%, in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the second quarter of 2025, primarily due to higher costs related to cloud-computing technology. General supplies and expenses increased $11.9 million, or 14.6%, in the first six months of 2026 compared to the first six months of 2025, primarily due to higher costs related to employee training and cloud-computing technology.
Depreciation and amortization increased $1.0 million, or 1.2%, and $4.2 million, or 2.3%, in the second quarter and first six months of 2026, respectively, as compared to the same periods of 2025. The increase in both periods was primarily due to the assets acquired as part of our 2025 and 2026 capital expenditure programs, partially offset by the impact of the disposal of property and equipment. While our investments in real estate, equipment, and technology can increase our short-term costs, we believe these investments are necessary to support our continued long-term growth and strategic initiatives.
Miscellaneous (income) expense, net reflects a favorable change of $21.0 million and $24.4 million in the second quarter and first six months of 2026, respectively, as compared to the same periods of 2025 resulting primarily from the sale of property and equipment. Net gains on the sale of property and equipment were $17.2 million and $20.1 million in the second quarter and first six months of 2026, respectively, compared to net losses of $1.6 million and $3.3 million in the same periods of 2025.
Our effective tax rate was 25.0% for both the second quarter and first six months of 2026, as compared to 24.8% for both the second quarter and first six months of 2025. Our effective tax rate generally exceeds the federal statutory rate due to the impact of state taxes and, to a lesser extent, certain other non-taxable or non-deductible items.