ArcBest® Announces Second Quarter 2019 Results

FORT SMITH, Ark., July 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ArcBest^® ARCB, a leading logistics company with creative problem solvers who deliver integrated solutions, today reported second quarter 2019 revenue of $771.5 million compared to second quarter 2018 revenue of $793.4 million.  Second quarter 2019 operating income was $35.2 million compared to operating income of $3.2 million in second quarter last year.  Second quarter net income was $24.4 million, or $0.92 per diluted share compared to second quarter 2018 net income of $1.2 million, or $0.05 per diluted share.

Excluding certain items in both periods, as identified in the attached reconciliation tables, non-GAAP net income was $24.6 million, or $0.93 per diluted share, in second quarter 2019 compared to second quarter 2018 net income of $29.8 million, or $1.12 per diluted share.  Adjustments in the second quarter 2018 period included a one-time after-tax charge of $28.2 million, or $1.05 per diluted share, related to the restructure of ABF Freight's obligation with one multiemployer pension plan.

"Once again we saw that business conditions, while still relatively healthy, moderated in the second quarter from last year's record-setting levels but on an overall historical basis the quarter was solid with a rational underlying pricing environment," said Chairman, President and CEO Judy R. McReynolds. "Revenue improved month to month for our asset-based business while our asset-light business continued to see softer expedited services conditions on increased available truckload capacity."

Asset-Based

Results of Operations

Second Quarter 2019 Versus Second Quarter 2018

• Revenue of $559.6 million compared to $559.2 million, a per-day increase of 0.9 percent.
• Tonnage per day decrease of 3.4 percent, with a mid-single digit percentage decrease in LTL-rated freight.
• Shipments per day decrease of 1.2 percent. Total weight per shipment decreased 2.2 percent and the decrease in the average LTL-rated weight per shipment was approximately 4 percent.
• Total billed revenue per hundredweight increased 4.1 percent, positively impacted by lower average weight per shipment. Excluding fuel surcharge, the percentage increase on LTL-rated freight was in the high-single digits.
• Operating income of $36.2 million and an operating ratio of 93.5 percent compared to operating income of $3.4 million and an operating ratio of 99.4 percent. On a non-GAAP basis, operating income of $36.2 million and an operating ratio of 93.5 percent compared to operating income of $41.3 million and an operating ratio of 92.6 percent. Operating income adjustments in the second quarter 2018 period included a one-time charge of $37.9 million related to the previously mentioned restructure of ABF Freight's obligation with one multiemployer pension plan.

 

Continued improvement in yield management and customer pricing initiatives, despite fewer shipments and lower freight tonnage, resulted in a slight increase in second quarter, daily revenue versus last year.  The reduction in second quarter total tonnage per day reflected lower LTL-rated freight tonnage partially offset by increases in truckload-rated spot shipments moving in the asset-based network.  Though below last year's second quarter, total average Asset-Based weight per shipment trends improved throughout the quarter, partially due to the growth in truckload-rated spot shipments. 

Increased costs associated with city pickup, dock handling and final shipment delivery impacted second quarter profitability as labor and other operational resources were somewhat elevated relative to decreasing LTL freight levels throughout the quarter.  An emphasis on customer service continues to be a focal point.  Linehaul costs were below prior year due, primarily, to reductions in the use of rail and outside carrier resources.

Asset-Light²

Results of Operations

Second Quarter 2019 Versus Second Quarter 2018

• Revenue of $232.9 million compared to $246.8 million.
• Operating income of $3.1 million compared to operating income of $4.7 million.
• Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA") of $6.5 million compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $8.7 million.

Compared to last year's second quarter, fewer shipments and lower average shipment revenue contributed to reduced total Asset-Light ArcBest segment revenue.  This year's more available truckload capacity, compared to the tighter market last year, continued to be a factor impacting customer pricing and the ArcBest segment's results.  Because of lower revenue per shipment related to changing market conditions versus the prior year, expedite and truckload brokerage were the main contributors to the reduction in total ArcBest segment revenue. Increased revenue and shipment levels in managed transportation services were consistent with the growth trend of that business in recent quarters.  Total second quarter ArcBest operating expenses improved versus 2018.  At FleetNet, event growth and cost controls contributed to the quarter's operating income.

Closing Comments

"The first six months of 2019 saw moderated activity from the record-setting pace experienced in 2018," McReynolds said. "Our team has executed well in this environment, providing innovative full supply chain solutions and trusted advice to customers for all of their logistics challenges, with managed transportation solutions increasingly in demand. Our outlook for the second half sees a continuation of the current trends and we will monitor for any changes to that view, particularly as it relates to federal tariff policies and developments in the manufacturing and industrial sectors of the economy."

Conference Call

ArcBest will host a conference call with company executives to discuss the 2019 second quarter results. The call will be on Wednesday, July 31st at 9:30 a.m. EDT (8:30 a.m. CDT). Interested parties are invited to listen by calling (800) 897‑3679. Following the call, a recorded playback will be available through the end of the day on September 15, 2019. To listen to the playback, dial (800) 633-8284 or (402) 977-9140 (for international callers). The conference call ID for the playback is 21926462. The conference call and playback can also be accessed, through September 15, 2019, on ArcBest's website at arcb.com.

Call participants can submit questions this afternoon prior to the conference call by emailing them to ir@arcb.com.  On the call, responses will be provided to as many questions as possible in the time available.

About ArcBest

ArcBest^® ARCB is a leading logistics company with creative problem solvers who deliver integrated solutions.  We'll find a way to deliver knowledge, expertise and a can-do attitude with every shipment and supply chain solution, household move or vehicle repair.  At ArcBest, we're More Than Logistics^SM.  For more information, visit arcb.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements and information in this press release concerning results for the three months ended June 30, 2019 may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "foresee," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "scheduled," "should," "would," and similar expressions and the negatives of such terms are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's beliefs, assumptions, and expectations based on currently available information, are not guarantees of future performance, and involve certain risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control). Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, we cannot provide assurance that our expectations will prove to be correct. Actual outcomes and results could materially differ from what is expressed, implied, or forecasted in these statements due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to: a failure of our information systems, including disruptions or failures of services essential to our operations or upon which our information technology platforms rely, data breach, and/or cybersecurity incidents; untimely or ineffective development and implementation of new or enhanced technology; the loss or reduction of business from large customers; competitive initiatives and pricing pressures; relationships with employees, including unions, and our ability to attract and retain employees; unfavorable terms of, or the inability to reach agreement on, future collective bargaining agreements or a workforce stoppage by our employees covered under ABF Freight's collective bargaining agreement; the cost, timing, and performance of growth initiatives; general economic conditions and related shifts in market demand that impact the performance and needs of industries we serve and/or limit our customers' access to adequate financial resources; availability and cost of reliable third-party services; governmental regulations; environmental laws and regulations, including emissions-control regulations; union and nonunion employee wages and benefits, including changes in required contributions to multiemployer plans; our ability to secure independent owner operators and/or operational or regulatory issues related to our use of their services; litigation or claims asserted against us; maintaining our intellectual property rights, brand, and corporate reputation; the loss of key employees or the inability to execute succession planning strategies; default on covenants of financing arrangements and the availability and terms of future financing arrangements; timing and amount of capital expenditures; self-insurance claims and insurance premium costs; the cost, integration, and performance of any recent or future acquisitions; availability of fuel, the effect of volatility in fuel prices and the associated changes in fuel surcharges on securing increases in base freight rates, and the inability to collect fuel surcharges; increased prices for and decreased availability of new revenue equipment, decreases in value of used revenue equipment, and higher costs of equipment-related operating expenses such as maintenance and fuel and related taxes; potential impairment of goodwill and intangible assets; greater than anticipated funding requirements for our nonunion defined benefit pension plan; seasonal fluctuations and adverse weather conditions; regulatory, economic, and other risks arising from our international business; antiterrorism and safety measures; and other financial, operational, and legal risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in ArcBest's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

For additional information regarding known material factors that could cause our actual results to differ from our projected results, please see our filings with SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Financial Data and Operating Statistics

The following tables show financial data and operating statistics on ArcBest^® and its reportable segments.

 

 

 

ARCBEST CORPORATION

RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We report our financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). However, management believes that certain non-GAAP performance measures and ratios utilized for internal analysis provide analysts, investors, and others the same information that we use internally for purposes of assessing our core operating performance and provides meaningful comparisons between current and prior period results, as well as important information regarding performance trends. The use of certain non-GAAP measures improves comparability in analyzing our performance because it removes the impact of items from operating results that, in management's opinion, do not reflect our core operating performance. Other companies may calculate non-GAAP measures differently; therefore, our calculation may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Certain information discussed in the scheduled conference call could be considered non-GAAP measures. Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, our reported results. These financial measures should not be construed as better measurements than operating income, operating cash flow, net income or earnings per share, as determined under GAAP.

 

 

Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (Adjusted EBITDA)

Management uses Adjusted EBITDA as a key measure of performance and for business planning. The measure is particularly meaningful for analysis of operating performance, because it excludes amortization of acquired intangibles and software of the Asset-Light businesses, which are significant expenses resulting from strategic decisions rather than core daily operations. Additionally, Adjusted EBITDA is a primary component of the financial covenants contained in our credit agreement.

 

 

 

 

 

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SOURCE ArcBest