UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
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(Mark One)
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ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |
| For the Fiscal Year Ended December 27, 2003 | ||
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TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |
| For the transition period from to | ||
Commission File Number: 0-21238
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Delaware
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06-1313069 | |
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(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
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13410 Sutton Park Drive South Jacksonville, Florida |
32224 (Zip Code) |
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(Address of principal executive
offices)
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N/A
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrants knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes þ No o
The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $972,224,214 (based on the $32.045 per share closing price on June 27, 2003, the last business day of the Companys second fiscal quarter, as reported by NASDAQ National Market System). In making this calculation, the registrant has assumed, without admitting for any purpose, that all directors and executive officers of the registrant, and no other person, are affiliates.
The number of shares of the registrants common stock, par value $.01 per share (the Common Stock), outstanding as of the close of business on March 1, 2004 was 29,683,174.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the following document are incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K as indicated herein:
| Part of 10-K | ||||
| Document | Into Which Incorporated | |||
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Proxy Statement relating to Landstar System,
Inc.s Annual Meeting of Stockholders
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Part III | |||
LANDSTAR SYSTEM, INC.
2003 ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| PART I | ||||||||
| Item 1. | Business | 2 | ||||||
| Item 2. | Properties | 8 | ||||||
| Item 3. | Legal Proceedings | 9 | ||||||
| Item 4. | Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders | 9 | ||||||
| PART II | ||||||||
| Item 5. | Market for Registrants Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters | 9 | ||||||
| Item 6. | Selected Financial Data | 11 | ||||||
| Item 7. | Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | 11 | ||||||
| Item 7a. | Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk | 24 | ||||||
| Item 8. | Financial Statements and Supplementary Data | 26 | ||||||
| Item 9. | Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure | 51 | ||||||
| Item 9a. | Controls and Procedures | 51 | ||||||
| PART III | ||||||||
| Item 10. | Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant | 51 | ||||||
| Item 11. | Executive Compensation | 51 | ||||||
| Item 12. | Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters | 52 | ||||||
| Item 13. | Certain Relationships and Related Transactions | 52 | ||||||
| Item 14. | Principal Accounting Fees and Services | 52 | ||||||
| PART IV | ||||||||
| Item 15. | Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules and Reports on Form 8-K | 52 | ||||||
| Signatures | 56 | |||||||
1
PART I
| Item 1. | Business |
General
Landstar System, Inc. was incorporated in January 1991 under the laws of the State of Delaware and acquired all of the capital stock of its predecessor, Landstar System Holdings, Inc. (LSHI) on March 28, 1991. LSHI owns directly or indirectly all of the common stock of Landstar Ranger, Inc. (Landstar Ranger), Landstar Inway, Inc. (Landstar Inway), Landstar Ligon, Inc. (Landstar Ligon), Landstar Gemini, Inc. (Landstar Gemini), Landstar Carrier Services, Inc. (Landstar Carrier Services), Landstar Logistics, Inc. (Landstar Logistics), Landstar Express America, Inc. (Landstar Express America), Landstar Contractor Financing, Inc. (LCFI), Risk Management Claim Services, Inc. (RMCS) and Signature Insurance Company (Signature). Landstar Ranger, Landstar Inway, Landstar Ligon, Landstar Gemini, Landstar Carrier Services, Landstar Logistics and Landstar Express America are collectively herein referred to as Landstars Operating Subsidiaries. Landstar System, Inc., LSHI, LCFI, RMCS, Signature and the Operating Subsidiaries are collectively referred to herein as Landstar or the Company, unless the context otherwise requires. The Companys principal executive offices are located at 13410 Sutton Park Drive South, Jacksonville, Florida 32224 and its telephone number is (904) 398-9400. The Company makes available free of charge through its website its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Companys website is www.landstar.com.
Historical Background
In March 1991, Landstar acquired LSHI in a buy-out organized by Kelso & Company, Inc. (Kelso). Investors in the acquisition included Kelso Investment Associates IV L.P. (KIA IV), an affiliate of Kelso, ABS MB Limited Partnership, an affiliate of DB Alex. Brown LLC (formerly known as Alex. Brown & Sons Incorporated), and certain management employees of Landstar and its subsidiaries. In March 1993, Landstar completed a recapitalization which consisted of three principal components: (i) an initial public offering of Common Stock, (ii) the retirement of all its outstanding 14% Senior Subordinated Notes, and (iii) the refinancing of the Companys then existing senior debt facility with a senior bank credit agreement. In October 1993, the Company completed a secondary public offering. Immediately subsequent to the offering, KIA IV no longer owned any shares of Landstar Common Stock, and affiliates of DB Alex. Brown LLC retained approximately 1% of the Common Stock outstanding.
On July 17, 2002, the Company declared a two-for-one stock split effected in the form of a 100% stock dividend distributed on August 12, 2002 to stockholders of record on August 2, 2002.
On October 15, 2003, the Company declared a two-for-one stock split effected in the form of a 100% stock dividend distributed on November 13, 2003 to stockholders of record on November 3, 2003.
Description of Business
Landstar is a non-asset based transportation services company, providing transportation capacity and related transportation services to shippers throughout the United States and, to a lesser extent, in Canada and between the United States, Canada and Mexico. These business services emphasize safety, information coordination and customer service and are delivered through a network of independent commission sales agents and third party capacity providers linked together by a series of technological applications which are provided and coordinated by the Company. The independent commission sales agents typically enter into non-exclusive contractual arrangements with Landstar and are responsible for locating freight, making that freight available to Landstars capacity providers and coordinating the transportation of the freight with customers and capacity providers. The third party capacity providers consist of independent contractors who provide truck capacity to the Company under exclusive lease arrangements (the Independent Contractors), unrelated trucking companies, air cargo carriers and
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Landstar provides transportation services to a variety of industries, including iron and steel, automotive products, paper, lumber and building products, aluminum, chemicals, foodstuffs, heavy machinery, retail, ammunition and explosives, and military hardware. Landstars transportation services include a full array of truckload transportation utilizing a wide range of specialized equipment including dry vans of various sizes, flatbeds (including drop decks and light specialty trailers), temperature-controlled vans and containers and dedicated contract and logistics solutions, including freight optimization and less than truckload freight consolidations. Landstar also provides truck brokerage and expedited land and air delivery of time-critical freight.
The Company has three reportable business segments. These are the carrier, multimodal and insurance segments. The financial information relating to the Companys reportable business segments as of and for the fiscal years ending 2003, 2002 and 2001 is included in Footnote 12 of Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this Form 10-K.
The carrier segment consists of Landstar Ranger, Landstar Inway, Landstar Ligon, Landstar Gemini and Landstar Carrier Services. The carrier segment provides truckload transportation for a wide range of general commodities primarily over irregular routes utilizing a fleet of dry and specialty vans and unsided trailers, including flatbed, drop deck and specialty. It also provides short-to-long haul movement of containers by truck, dedicated power-only truck capacity and truck brokerage. The carrier segment markets its services primarily through independent commission sales agents and utilizes tractors provided by Independent Contractors and other third party truck capacity providers (truck brokerage carriers).
The nature of the carrier segment business is such that a significant portion of its operating costs varies directly with revenue. At December 27, 2003, the carrier segment operated a fleet of 8,202 tractors, provided by 7,267 Independent Contractors, and 14,260 trailers. Approximately 5,249 of the trailers available to the carrier segment are provided by Independent Contractors, 4,126 are leased by the Company at rental rates that vary with the revenue generated by the trailer, 3,774 are owned by the Company, 849 are under a long-term rental arrangement at a fixed rate, and 262 are rented on a short-term basis from trailer rental companies. In addition, the Company has over 15,000 qualified other third party truck capacity providers who provide additional tractor and trailer capacity. Over 9,000 of these qualified other third party truck capacity providers have moved at least one load of freight for the Company during the 180 day period immediately preceding December 27, 2003. The use of Independent Contractors and other third party capacity providers enables the carrier segment to utilize a large fleet of revenue equipment while minimizing capital investment and fixed costs, thereby enhancing return on investment. Independent Contractors who provide a tractor receive a percentage of the revenue generated for the freight hauled and a larger percentage of such revenue for providing both a tractor and a trailer. Other third party truck capacity providers are paid a negotiated rate for each load they haul. The carrier segments network of approximately 850 independent commission sales agents provide over 950 sales locations.
The multimodal segment is comprised of Landstar Logistics and Landstar Express America. Transportation services provided by the multimodal segment include the arrangement of intermodal moves, contract logistics, truck brokerage and emergency and expedited ground and air freight. The multimodal segment markets its services through independent commission sales agents and utilizes capacity provided by Independent Contractors, other third party truck capacity providers, railroads and air cargo carriers. Multimodal independent commission sales agents generally receive a percentage of the gross profit from each load they generate. Independent Contractors who provide truck capacity to the multimodal segment are compensated based on a percentage of the revenue generated by the haul depending on the type and timing of the shipment. Other third party truck capacity providers, railroads and air cargo carriers are paid a negotiated rate for each load they haul, which in certain instances is based upon an annual contractual amount.
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The nature of the multimodal segment business is such that a significant portion of its operating costs also varies directly with revenue. At December 27, 2003, the multimodal segment operated a fleet of 371 trucks, provided by approximately 317 Independent Contractors. Multimodal segment Independent Contractors primarily provide cargo vans and straight trucks that are utilized for emergency and expedited freight services. The multimodal segments network of approximately 100 independent commission sales agents provide over 100 sales locations. Approximately 35% of the multimodal segments revenue is contributed by one independent commission sales agent who derives the majority of his revenue from 3 customers.
The insurance segment is comprised of Signature, a wholly-owned offshore insurance subsidiary, and RMCS. The insurance segment provides risk and claims management services to Landstars Operating Subsidiaries. In addition, it reinsures certain property, casualty and occupational accident risks of certain Independent Contractors who have contracted to haul freight for Landstar and provides certain property and casualty insurance directly to Landstars Operating Subsidiaries.
Landstars business strategy is to be a non-asset based provider of transportation capacity offering high quality, specialized transportation services to service sensitive customers. Landstar focuses on providing transportation services which emphasize customer service and information coordination among its independent commission sales agents, customers and capacity providers. Landstar intends to continue developing appropriate systems and technologies that offer integrated transportation solutions to meet the total transportation needs of its customers.
Management believes that the Companys overall size, geographic coverage, equipment and service capability offer the Company significant competitive marketing and operating advantages. These advantages allow the Company to meet the needs of even the largest shippers and thereby qualify it as a core carrier. Increasingly, the larger shippers are substantially reducing the number of authorized carriers in favor of a small number of core carriers whose size and diverse service capabilities enable these core carriers to satisfy most of the shippers transportation needs. Examples of national account customers include the U.S. Department of Defense and many of the companies included in the Fortune 500.
Factors Significant to the Companys Operations
Management believes the following factors are particularly significant to the Companys operations:
Agent Network
| Management believes the Company has more independent commission sales agents than any other domestic truckload carrier. Landstars network of over 900 independent commission sales agent locations provides the Company with regular contact with its customers at the local level and the capability to be highly responsive to shippers changing needs. The agent network also enables Landstar to be responsive both in providing specialized equipment to both large and small shippers and in providing capacity on short notice from the Companys large fleet. Through its agent network, the Company believes it offers smaller shippers a level of service comparable to that typically enjoyed only by larger customers. Examples of services that Landstar is able to make available through the agent network to smaller shippers include the ability to provide transportation services on short notice (often within hours from notification to time of pick-up), multiple pick-up and delivery points, electronic data interchange capability and access to specialized equipment. In addition, a number of the Companys agents specialize in certain types of freight and transportation services (such as oversized or heavy loads). The typical Landstar agent maintains a relationship with a number of shippers and services these shippers by providing a base of operations for the Companys Independent Contractors and other third party capacity providers. Independent commission sales agents in the carrier segment receive a commission generally between 5% and 8% of the revenue they generate if the load is hauled by an Independent Contractor and a contractually agreed upon percent of the revenue or the gross profit, defined as revenue less the cost of purchased transportation, from each load they generate if hauled by a third party trucking company. In certain cases, the carrier segment |
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| independent commission sales agents are paid volume-based incentives. Multimodal independent commission sales agents are typically paid a contractually agreed-upon percentage of the gross profit from each load they generate. | |
| It is important to note that although the primary point of contact between Landstar and its shippers is through independent sales agents, each Operating Subsidiary contracts directly with the customers and assumes the credit risk and liability for freight losses or damages. | |
| The carrier segments independent commission sales agents use the Companys Landstar Electronic Administrative Dispatch System (LEADS) software program which enables its independent commission sales agents to enter available freight, dispatch capacity and process most administrative procedures and then communicate that information to Landstar and its capacity providers via the internet. The multimodal segments independent commission sales agents use other Landstar proprietary software to process customer shipments and communicate the necessary information to third party capacity providers and Landstar. The Companys web-based available freight and truck information system provides a listing of available trucks to the Companys independent commission sales agents. | |
| The Operating Subsidiaries emphasize programs to support the agents operations and to establish pricing parameters. The carrier segment and multimodal segment hold regular regional agent meetings for their independent commission sales agents and Landstar holds an annual company-wide agent convention. | |
| During 2003, 396 agents generated revenue for Landstar of at least $1 million each, or approximately $1.4 billion of Landstars total revenue, and one agent generated approximately $120,000,000 of Landstars total revenue. | |
| Although the Company typically enters into non-exclusive contractual relationships with its independent commission sales agents, management believes that the majority of the agents who generate revenue of $1 million or more have chosen to represent Landstar exclusively. Historically, Landstar has experienced very limited agent turnover among its larger-volume agents. |
Capacity
| The Company relies exclusively on independent third parties for its hauling capacity. These third party capacity providers consist of Independent Contractors, unrelated trucking companies, air cargo carriers and railroads. Landstars use of capacity provided by its Independent Contractors and other third party capacity providers allows it to maintain a lower level of capital investment, resulting in lower fixed costs. Historically, with the exception of air revenue, the margin generated from freight hauled by Independent Contractors has been greater than from freight hauled by other third party capacity providers. | |
| Independent Contractors. Management believes the Company has the largest fleet of truckload Independent Contractors in the United States. This provides marketing, operating, safety, recruiting, retention and financial advantages to the Company. The Companys Independent Contractors are compensated based on a fixed percentage of the revenue generated from the freight they haul. This percentage generally ranges from 60% to 70% where the Independent Contractor provides only a tractor and from 75% to 79% where the Independent Contractor provides both a tractor and a trailer. The Independent Contractor must pay substantially all of the expenses of operating his/her equipment, including driver wages and benefits, fuel, physical damage insurance, maintenance, highway use taxes and debt service. | |
| The Company maintains an internet site through which Independent Contractors can view a complete listing of all the Companys available freight, allowing them to consider rate, size, origin and destination when planning trips. |
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| The Landstar Contractors Advantage Purchasing Program leverages Landstars purchasing power to provide discounts to eligible Independent Contractors when they purchase equipment, fuel, tires and other items. In addition, LCFI provides a source of funds at competitive interest rates to the Independent Contractors to purchase trailing equipment and mobile communication equipment. | |
| Trucks provided to the Company by the Independent Contractors were 8,573 at December 27, 2003 compared to 8,402 at December 28, 2002. The number of trucks provided by Independent Contractors fluctuates daily as a result of truck recruiting and truck terminations. Trucks recruited were lower in 2003 than in 2002, however, lower truck terminations in 2003 resulted in a net gain of 171 trucks. Landstars truck turnover ratio was approximately 45% in 2003 compared to 56% in 2002. More than half of this turnover was attributable to Independent Contractors who had been Independent Contractors with the Company for less than one year. Management believes that factors that have historically favorably impacted turnover include the Companys extensive agent network, the Companys programs to reduce the operating costs of its Independent Contractors and Landstars reputation for quality, service and reliability. Management believes that a reduction in the amount of available freight may cause an increase in truck turnover. | |
| Other Third Party Truck Capacity. The Company maintains a database of over 15,000 qualified other third party truck capacity providers who provide additional truck hauling capacity to the Company. Other third party truck capacity providers are paid a negotiated rate for each load they haul. The Company recruits, qualifies, establishes contracts with, tracks safety ratings and service records of and generally maintains the relationships with these third party trucking companies. In addition to augmenting the Companys capability during periods of extraordinary demand and traffic lane imbalance, the use of third party carriers enables the Company to pursue different types and quality of freight such as temperature-controlled, short-haul traffic and, in certain instances, lower priced freight that would generally not be handled by the Companys Independent Contractors. | |
| Third Party Rail and Air Capacity. The Company maintains contractual relationships with various railroads and air cargo capacity providers. These relationships allow the Company to pursue the freight best serviced by these forms of transportation capacity. Railroads and air cargo carriers are paid a fixed amount per load. |
Diversity of Services Offered
| The Company offers its customers a wide range of transportation services through the Operating Subsidiaries, including a fleet of diverse trailing equipment and extensive geographic coverage. Examples of the specialized services offered include a large fleet of flatbed trailers, multi-axle trailers capable of hauling extremely heavy or oversized loads, drivers certified to handle ammunition and explosives shipments for the U.S. Department of Defense, emergency and expedited surface and air cargo services and intermodal capability with railroads and, to a lesser extent, steamship lines. | |
| The following table illustrates the diversity of the trailing equipment available to the Company as of December 27, 2003: |
| Trailers by Type | |||||
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Vans
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10,219 | ||||
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Temperature-Controlled
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159 | ||||
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Flatbeds including Step Decks, Drop Decks and Low
Boys
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3,882 | ||||
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Total
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14,260 | ||||
Technology
| Management believes leadership in the development and application of technology is an ongoing part of providing high quality service at competitive prices. Landstar manages its technology programs centrally through its information services department. |
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| The Companys information technology systems used in connection with its operations are located in Jacksonville, Florida and, to a lesser extent, in Rockford, Illinois. Landstar relies in the regular course of its business on the proper operation of its information technology systems. |
Corporate Services.
| Management believes that significant advantages result from the collective expertise and corporate services afforded by Landstars corporate management. The primary services provided are: |
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accounting,
budgeting and taxes
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quality programs | ||
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finance
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risk management insurance services | ||
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human
resource management
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safety | ||
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legal
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strategic planning | ||
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operator
and equipment compliance
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technology and management information systems | ||
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purchasing
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Competition.
| Landstar competes primarily in the transportation services industry. The transportation services industry is extremely competitive and fragmented. Landstar competes primarily with truckload carriers, intermodal transportation service providers, railroads, less-than-truckload carriers, third party broker carriers and other non-asset based transportation service providers. | |
| Management believes that competition for the freight transported by the Company is based primarily on service and efficiency and, to a lesser degree, on freight rates alone. Management believes that Landstars overall size and availability of a wide range of equipment, together with its geographically-dispersed local independent agent network, present the Company with significant competitive advantages over many transportation service providers. |
Insurance and Claims.
| Potential liability associated with accidents in the trucking industry is severe and occurrences are unpredictable. For commercial trucking claims incurred after June 18, 2003, Landstar retains liability up to $10,000,000 per occurrence. For commercial trucking claims incurred from May 1, 2001 through June 18, 2003, Landstar retains liability up to $5,000,000 per occurrence. For commercial trucking claims incurred prior to May 1, 2001, Landstar retains liability up to $1,000,000 per occurrence. The Company also retains liability for each general liability claim up to $1,000,000 and an additional $5,000,000 in excess of the first $5,000,000 effective June 18, 2003, $250,000 for each workers compensation claim and $250,000 for each cargo claim. The Companys exposure to liability associated with accidents incurred by other third party capacity providers who haul freight on behalf of the Company is reduced by various factors including the extent to which they maintain their own insurance coverage. A material increase in the frequency or severity of accidents, cargo or workers compensation claims or the unfavorable development of existing claims could be expected to materially adversely affect Landstars results of operations. |
Dependence on Third Party Insurance Companies.
| The Company is dependent on a limited number of third party insurance carriers to provide insurance coverage in excess of its self-insured retentions. Historically, the Company has relied on various third party insurance carriers to provide insurance coverage for commercial trucking claims in excess of specific per occurrence limits. Over the past two years, the premiums proposed by the insurance carriers providing coverage increased dramatically. In an attempt to manage the cost of these increasing premiums required by the third party insurance carriers, the Company has increased the level of its exposure to commercial trucking claims over the past three years from $1,000,000 per occurrence to $10,000,000 per occurrence. To the extent that the third party insurance carriers |
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| continue to increase their proposed premiums for coverage of commercial trucking claims, the Company may increase its exposure on a per occurrence basis in the near future. However, to the extent the third party insurance carriers reduce their premiums proposed for coverage of commercial trucking claims, the Company may reduce its exposure on a per occurrence basis. |
Regulation.
| Each of the Operating Subsidiaries is a motor carrier which is regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and by various state agencies. The FMCSA has broad powers, generally governing activities such as the regulation of, to a limited degree, motor carrier operations, practices, periodic financial reporting and insurance. Subject to federal and state regulatory authorities or regulation, the Company may transport most types of freight to and from any point in the United States over any route selected by the Company. | |
| The trucking industry is subject to possible regulatory and legislative changes (such as increasingly stringent environmental and/or safety/security regulations or limits on vehicle weight and size) that may affect the economics of the industry by requiring changes in operating practices or by changing the demand for common or contract carrier services or the cost of providing truckload services. | |
| Interstate motor carrier operations are subject to safety requirements prescribed by the FMCSA. Each of the Companys drivers are required to have a commercial drivers license and is subject to mandatory drug and alcohol testing. The FMCSAs commercial drivers license and drug and alcohol testing requirements have not adversely affected the availability of qualified drivers to the Company. | |
| Effective January 4, 2004, the FMCSA has revised its regulations modifying its hours of service rules. The new regulations primarily change the amount of time a truck driver may drive and/or work during a 24-hour period. These new regulations also change the amount of time a truck driver is required to rest. |
Seasonality.
| Landstars operations are subject to seasonal trends common to the trucking industry. Results of operations for the quarter ending in March are typically lower than the quarters ending in June, September and December. |
Employees.
| As of December 27, 2003, the Company and its subsidiaries employed 1,230 individuals. Approximately 36 Landstar Ranger drivers (out of a Company total of 8,573) are members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The Company considers relations with its employees to be good. |
Item 2. Properties
The Company owns or leases various properties in the U.S. for the Companys operations and administrative staff that support its independent commission sales agents, Independent Contractors and other third party capacity providers. The carrier segments primary facilities are located in Jacksonville, Florida and Rockford, Illinois. The multimodal segments primary facility is located in Jacksonville, Florida. In addition, the Companys corporate headquarters are located in Jacksonville, Florida. The Rockford, Illinois facility is owned by the Company and all other primary facilities are leased.
Management believes that Landstars owned and leased properties are adequate for its current needs and that leased properties can be retained or replaced at an acceptable cost.
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Item 3. Legal Proceedings
On November 1, 2002, the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association, Inc. (OOIDA) and six individual Independent Contractors filed a putative class action suit in the Federal District Court in Jacksonville, Florida, against the Company. The suit alleges that certain aspects of the Companys motor carrier leases with owner operators violate the federal leasing regulations. OOIDA seeks injunctive relief, an unspecified amount of damages and attorneys fees. On December 16, 2002, the Company filed a Motion to Dismiss and, with respect to all of the leases that contain arbitration clauses, a Motion to Stay and Compel Arbitration. On September 30, 2003, the Federal District Court issued an Order denying the Companys Motion to Stay and Compel Arbitration. The Company initially appealed this decision but, due to recent relevant legal developments, has filed a motion seeking to dismiss the appeal. Assuming the motion to dismiss the appeal is granted, the case will proceed in the Federal District Court rather than in arbitration. At the request of the Company, the district court has granted a stay with respect to all proceedings in its court related to the claims of all Plaintiffs except one plaintiff (whose claims were not subject to the arbitration motion because his lease lacked an arbitration clause) pending disposition of the appeal. The Federal District Court has yet to issue a ruling on Landstars Motion to Dismiss or on the issue of class certification. Due to a number of factors, including the lack of specificity in the plaintiffs complaint, the early stage of this litigation and the lack of litigated final judgments in a number of similar pending cases or otherwise applicable precedent, Landstar does not believe it is in a position to conclude whether or not there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse outcome in this case, or what damages, if any, the plaintiffs would be awarded should they prevail on all or any part of their claims. However, Landstar believes it has meritorious defenses to this litigation and intends to continue defending it vigorously. Landstar also believes that it treats its Independent Contractors fairly and in a manner which reflects the important role they play in the Companys operations.
The Company is involved in certain other claims and pending litigation arising from the normal conduct of business. Based on knowledge of the facts and, in certain cases, opinions of outside counsel, management believes that adequate provisions have been made for probable losses with respect to the resolution of all such other claims and pending litigation and that the ultimate outcome, after provisions thereof, will not have a material adverse effect on the financial condition of the Company, but could have a material effect on the results of operations in a given quarter or year.
Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2003.
PART II
| Item 5. | Market for Registrants Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters |
The Common Stock of the Company is quoted through the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. National Market System (the NASDAQ National Market System) under the symbol LSTR. The following table sets forth the high and low reported sale prices for the Common Stock as quoted through the NASDAQ National Market System for the periods indicated. All historical share-related financial information presented herein has been restated to reflect two two-for-one stock splits each effected in the form of a 100% stock dividend, the first being distributed on August 12, 2002 to
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| 2003 Market Price | 2002 Market Price | |||||||||||||||
| Fiscal Period | High | Low | High | Low | ||||||||||||
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First Quarter
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$ | 30.850 | $ | 25.520 | $ | 23.783 | $ | 17.963 | ||||||||
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Second Quarter
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32.995 | 27.400 | 27.575 | 22.250 | ||||||||||||
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Third Quarter
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33.950 | 29.250 | 28.575 | 21.430 | ||||||||||||
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Fourth Quarter
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39.950 | 30.510 | 29.975 | 20.635 | ||||||||||||
The reported last sale price per share of the Common Stock as quoted through the NASDAQ National Market System on March 1, 2004 was $35.91 per share. As of such date, Landstar had 29,683,174 shares of Common Stock outstanding. As of March 1, 2004, the Company had 74 stockholders of record of its Common Stock. However, the Company estimates that it has a significantly greater number of stockholders because a substantial number of the Companys shares are held by brokers or dealers for their customers in street name.
The Company has not paid any cash dividends on the Common Stock within the past three years and does not intend to pay dividends on the Common Stock for the foreseeable future. The declaration and payment of any future dividends will be determined by the Companys Board of Directors based on Landstars results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements, certain corporate law requirements and other factors deemed relevant by the Board of Directors.
On May 15, 2003, the Company announced that it had been authorized by its Board of Directors to purchase up to 1,000,000 shares of its common stock from time to time in the open market and in privately-negotiated transactions. On December 4, 2003, the Company announced that it had been authorized by its Board of Directors to purchase up to an additional 1,000,000 shares of its common stock from time to time in the open market and in privately-negotiated transactions.
At December 27, 2003, the Company had 1,380,140 shares of common stock remaining to be purchased under the authorized programs.
The Company did not purchase any shares of its common stock during the period from September 27, 2003, the end of the Companys third fiscal quarter, to December 27, 2003, the end of the Companys fourth fiscal quarter.
The Company maintains three stock option plans and one stock compensation plan. The following table presents information related to securities authorized for issuance under these plans at December 27, 2003:
| Number of Securities | ||||||||||||
| Number of Securities | Remaining Available for | |||||||||||
| to be Issued Upon | Weighted-average | Future Issuance Under | ||||||||||
| Exercises of | Exercise Price of | Equity Compensation | ||||||||||
| Plan Category | Outstanding Options | Outstanding Options | Plans | |||||||||
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Equity Compensation Plans Approved by Security
Holders
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2,279,662 | $ | 18.3685 | 3,013,680 | ||||||||
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Equity Compensation Plans Not Approved by
Security Holders
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0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
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| Item 6. | Selected Financial Data |
LANDSTAR SYSTEM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
| Fiscal Years | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income Statement Data: | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | |||||||||||||||||
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Revenue
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$ | 1,596,571 | $ | 1,506,555 | $ | 1,392,771 | $ | 1,418,492 | $ | 1,388,083 | ||||||||||||
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Investment income
|
1,220 | 1,950 | 3,567 | 4,317 | 2,502 | |||||||||||||||||
|
Costs and expenses:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Purchased transportation
|
1,185,043 | 1,116,009 | 1,030,454 | 1,046,183 | 1,022,203 | |||||||||||||||||
|
Commissions to agents
|
125,997 | 118,864 | 110,513 | 113,721 | 111,666 | |||||||||||||||||
|
Other operating costs
|
37,681 | 34,325 | 32,750 | 29,568 | 30,000 | |||||||||||||||||
|
Insurance and claims
|
45,690 | 42,188 | 32,930 | 31,935 | 34,064 | |||||||||||||||||
|
Selling, general and administrative
|
105,849 | 101,918 | 99,762 | 105,786 | 99,240 | |||||||||||||||||
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
12,736 | 11,520 | 13,543 | 13,003 | 11,698 | |||||||||||||||||
|
Total costs and expenses
|
1,512,996 | 1,424,824 | 1,319,952 | 1,340,196 | 1,308,871 | |||||||||||||||||
|
Operating income
|
84,795 | 83,681 | 76,386 | 82,613 | 81,714 | |||||||||||||||||
|
Interest and debt expense
|
3,240 | 4,292 | 6,802 | 9,127 | 4,509 | |||||||||||||||||
|
Income before income taxes
|
81,555 | 79,389 | 69,584 | 73,486 | 77,205 | |||||||||||||||||
|
Income taxes
|
30,855 | 30,168 | 26,790 | 28,292 | 31,268 | |||||||||||||||||
|
Net income
|
$ | 50,700 | $ | 49,221 | $ | 42,794 | $ | 45,194 | $ | 45,937 | ||||||||||||
|
Earnings per common share(1)
|
$ | 1.65 | $ | 1.52 | $ | 1.28 | $ | 1.29 | $ | 1.15 | ||||||||||||
|
Diluted earnings per share(1)
|
$ | 1.59 | $ | 1.47 | $ | 1.25 | $ | 1.26 | $ | 1.14 | ||||||||||||
| (1) | All earnings per share amounts have been restated to give retroactive effect to a two-for-one stock split effected in the form of a 100% stock dividend declared October 15, 2003 and a two-for-one stock split effected in the form of a 100% stock dividend declared July 17, 2002. |
| Dec. 27, | Dec. 28, | Dec. 29, | Dec. 30, | Dec. 25, | ||||||||||||||||
| Balance Sheet Data: | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | |||||||||||||||
|
Total assets
|
$ | 438,457 | $ | 400,748 | $ | 364,651 | $ | 370,362 | $ | 365,441 | ||||||||||
|
Long-term debt, including current maturities
|
91,456 | 77,360 | 101,874 | 94,643 | 67,298 | |||||||||||||||
|
Shareholders equity
|
142,515 | 149,093 | 117,440 | 107,859 | 106,884 | |||||||||||||||
| Item 7. | Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
Introduction
Landstar System, Inc. and its subsidiary, Landstar System Holdings, Inc. (Landstar or the Company), provide transportation services to a variety of market niches throughout the United States and to a lesser extent in Canada and between the United States and Canada and Mexico thro