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8-K - FORM 8-K (KNIGHT TRANSPORTATION, INC. 3RD QUARTER EARNINGS RELEASE) - KNIGHT TRANSPORTATION INCform8k.htm
 

Exhibit 99

 
October 26, 2011
 
Phoenix, Arizona
 
Knight Transportation Reports Revenue and Net Income for the Third Quarter Ended September 30, 2011
 
Knight Transportation, Inc. (NYSE: KNX), one of North America’s largest truckload transportation companies, today reported revenue and earnings for the third quarter ended September 30, 2011.
 
For the quarter, total revenue increased 18.7% to $227.1 million from $191.3 million for the same quarter of 2010.  Revenue before fuel surcharge increased 13.2% to $183.4 million compared to $162.1 million in the third quarter of 2010.  Net income per diluted share increased 4.7% to $0.21 compared to $0.20 for the same quarter of 2010.  Net income was approximately the same at $16.6 million compared to $16.7 million for the same quarter of 2010.
 
Year-to-date, total revenue increased 18.4% to $642.1 million from $542.4 million for the same period of 2010.  Revenue before fuel surcharge increased 12.8% to $516.3 million compared to $457.7 million for the same period of 2010.  Net income per diluted share decreased 2.6% to $0.52 compared to $0.53 for the same nine-month period of 2010.  For the nine-month period of 2011, net income decreased 4.6% to $42.8 million from $44.8 million for the same period of 2010.
 
The company previously announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share to shareholders of record on September 2, 2011, paid on September 30, 2011.
 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kevin P. Knight, offered the following comments:
 
“We continued to grow our revenues and gain market share in the third quarter. This effort yielded a 13.2% increase in revenue before fuel surcharge. We improved our revenue per tractor excluding fuel surcharge by 4.6%, as a result of a 2.3% increase in miles per tractor and a 2.2% increase in revenue per total mile (not including fuel surcharge), as compared to the third quarter last year.
 
“Our objective is to be an industry leader in growth and profitability for each service and mode of truckload transportation we provide.  In our asset-based businesses we achieve this by operating with the lowest cost per mile while providing a premium level of service.  In our non-asset-based businesses our strategy is to leverage our existing network, customer relationships, and market teams to provide alternatives at a lower cost per transaction than our competitors.
 
 “On a consolidated basis, we produced an operating ratio of 84.9% compared to 83.2% for the same quarter last year.  Our dry van business produced an operating ratio of 82.4% compared to 81.8% for the same quarter last year on essentially flat revenue, excluding fuel surcharge.  Our refrigerated business produced an operating ratio of 85.4% compared to 84.2% for the same quarter last year on 18.6% revenue growth, excluding fuel surcharge.  Our port and rail services business produced an operating ratio of 89.7% compared to 88.5% for the same quarter last year on 22.4% revenue growth, excluding fuel surcharge.  Our brokerage business produced an operating ratio of 94.4% compared to 94.2% for the same quarter last year on 36.2% total revenue growth.  Our intermodal business continues to ramp up, but did not provide meaningful revenue in the quarter.   We measure operating ratio as operating expenses, net of trucking fuel surcharge, as a percentage of revenue before trucking fuel surcharge, except in our brokerage and intermodal businesses, where operating ratio is measured as total operating expense as a percentage of total revenue, including fuel surcharge.
 
 
 
 

 
 
"We are committed to providing our customers a broad and growing range of truckload services.  The more rapid growth of our port and rail services, brokerage, and intermodal businesses impacts our operating margin and returns because these businesses usually generate lower margins than our asset-based businesses, but they typically require less capital investment.
 
“Higher fuel prices have negatively impacted the industry for multiple consecutive quarters, and fuel surcharge programs have not adequately offset the cost.   When factoring in our company fuel expense, net of fuel surcharge, and the fuel expense included in our purchased transportation cost, increased fuel prices negatively impacted the operating ratio of our asset-based businesses by over 100 basis points when compared to the same period last year.  The U.S. National Average Diesel Fuel price per gallon for the third quarter increased 31.5% to $3.87 from $2.94 for the same period of 2010. We continue to mitigate the effects of rising fuel expense by effectively managing our fuel miles per gallon with an intense focus on reducing idle time, managing out of route miles, and improving the driving habits of our driving associates.  We also continue to update our fleet with more fuel efficient 2010 US EPA emission engines, install aerodynamic devices on our tractors, and trailer blades on our trailers, which lead to meaningful fuel efficiency improvements.
 
“Driver availability remains tight across the industry.  Nevertheless, we believe we are well-positioned to source, develop, and retain high quality drivers.  Our training and driver development programs, such as our Squire subsidiary, continue to enable us to source driving associates and develop them into Knight company drivers.  We also feel our decentralized model, regional freight lanes, and strong utilization provides us a competitive advantage to recruit and retain experienced driving associates.
 
“Our combined fleet finished the quarter with 3,939 tractors compared to 3,912 last year.  This includes owner-operators which grew from 426 tractors to 454 tractors in the third quarter this year, an increase of 6.6%.   We invested $64.1 million of net capital expenditures in the third quarter.  We took delivery of 578 new tractors and 249 new trailers in the quarter.  In 2011 we have purchased 4.6 million shares of our common stock of which 1.1 million shares were purchased in the third quarter.  As a result of the significant tractor replacement activity and shares repurchased in the quarter, we borrowed $50.0 million from our unsecured credit line at a weighted average variable annual percentage rate (APR) of 0.84%.  We estimate net capital expenditures to be in the range of $130 million for the year as we continue to refresh our fleet.  We expect our net capital expenditures to significantly decrease in 2012 as our newer fleet will require fewer replacement trucks.  Our gain on sale of revenue equipment increased to $1.8 million in the third quarter of 2011 from $1.6 million in the third quarter of 2010.
 
“We have returned $159.1 million to our shareholders in the form of quarterly dividends, special dividend, and stock repurchases over the twelve month period ending September 30, 2011.  Our cash balance at September 30, 2011 was $10.0 million and we ended the third quarter with $463.0 million of shareholders' equity.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 “We continue to evaluate strategic growth and acquisition opportunities to enhance the returns for our shareholders over time.  In this environment we feel well-positioned to capitalize on opportunities to grow revenues in each of our businesses.
 
“In the quarter we received the following awards from the American Trucking Association.  Knight Refrigerated received the first place award for National Truck Safety for carriers running 50 to 100 million miles and Knight Transportation received the third place award for National Industrial Safety for employers with over 1,000 employees.”
 
The company will hold a conference call on October 26, 2011 at 5:30 PM EDT, to further discuss its results of operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2011. The dial in number for this conference call is 1-877-743-0363. Slides to accompany this call will be posted on the company’s website and will be available to download prior to the scheduled conference time.  To view the presentation, please visit http://investors.knighttrans.com/presentations, “Third Quarter 2011 Conference Call Presentation.”
 
Knight Transportation, Inc. is a provider of multiple truckload transportation services using a nationwide network of service centers in the U.S. to serve customers throughout North America.  In addition to operating one of the country’s largest tractor fleets, Knight also partners with third-party equipment providers to provide a broad range of truckload services to its customers while creating quality driving jobs for our driving associates and successful business opportunities for owner-operators.
 

 
 
 
 

 

INCOME STATEMENT DATA:
 
Three Months Ended Sept 30,
   
Nine Months Ended Sept 30,
 
   
(Unaudited, in thousands, except per share amounts)
 
                         
   
2011
   
2010
   
2011
   
2010
 
REVENUE:
                       
  Revenue, before fuel surcharge
  $ 183,436     $ 162,066     $ 516,285     $ 457,672  
  Fuel surcharge
    43,707       29,233       125,814       84,726  
TOTAL REVENUE
    227,143       191,299       642,099       542,398  
                                 
OPERATING  EXPENSES:
                               
    Salaries, wages and benefits
    55,428       53,468       162,219       153,632  
    Fuel expense - gross
    59,726       44,585       169,503       128,795  
    Operations and maintenance
    13,725       12,091       40,312       34,693  
    Insurance and claims
    8,012       6,100       23,027       18,441  
    Operating taxes and licenses
    3,634       3,596       11,239       10,214  
    Communications
    1,376       1,341       4,097       4,054  
    Depreciation and amortization
    19,115       16,955       55,941       52,885  
    Purchased transportation
    35,304       23,099       95,544       58,903  
    Miscellaneous operating expenses
    3,118       2,880       9,430       9,022  
      199,438       164,115       571,312       470,639  
    Income From Operations
    27,705       27,184       70,787       71,759  
                                 
    Interest income
    130       487       937       1,426  
    Interest expense
    (49 )     -       (49 )     -  
    Other (expense) income
    (1 )     (91 )     7       571  
    Income before income taxes
    27,785       27,580       71,682       73,756  
INCOME  TAXES
    11,115       10,965       28,680       28,990  
Net Income
    16,670       16,615       43,002       44,766  
Net (income)/loss attributable to noncontrolling interest
    (107 )     36       (224 )     64  
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO KNIGHT TRANSPORTATION
  $ 16,563     $ 16,651     $ 42,778     $ 44,830  
Net Income Per Share
                               
                                     - Basic
  $ 0.21     $ 0.20     $ 0.52     $ 0.54  
                                     - Diluted
  $ 0.21     $ 0.20     $ 0.52     $ 0.53  
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding
                               
                                     - Basic
    79,895       83,590       82,136       83,482  
                                     - Diluted
    80,212       84,403       82,621       84,317  

 

 
 

 

BALANCE SHEET DATA:
           
   
09/30/11
   
12/31/10
 
ASSETS
 
(Unaudited, in thousands)
 
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 10,034     $ 28,013  
Short-term investments
    -       24,379  
Accounts receivable, net
    99,285       78,479  
Notes receivable, net
    1,166       1,391  
Related party notes and interest receivable
    2,868       3,038  
Prepaid expenses
    13,478       8,514  
Assets held for sale
    14,886       4,132  
Other current assets
    10,118       4,717  
Income tax receivable
    -       6,914  
Current deferred tax asset
    3,208       5,671  
     Total Current Assets
    155,043       165,248  
                 
Property and equipment, net
    526,934       483,709  
Notes receivable, long-term
    4,257       4,246  
Goodwill
    10,300       10,313  
Intangible assets, net
    5       52  
Other assets and restricted cash
    16,152       13,419  
     Total Assets
  $ 712,691     $ 676,987  
                 
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
               
Accounts payable
  $ 17,280     $ 7,571  
Accrued payroll and purchased transportation
    10,116       6,547  
Accrued liabilities
    15,693       11,075  
Claims accrual - current portion
    14,124       13,843  
Dividend payable - current portion
    74       1,433  
Current debt
    50,000       -  
     Total Current Liabilities
    107,287       40,469  
                 
Claims accrual - long-term portion
    10,132       10,168  
Dividend payable - long-term portion
    1,401       -  
Deferred income taxes
    130,903       118,886  
     Total Long-term Liabilities
    142,436       129,054  
                 
     Total Liabilities
    249,723       169,523  
                 
                 
                 
Common stock
    794       837  
Additional paid-in capital
    131,685       126,975  
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss)/income
    (308 )     7  
Retained earnings
    330,642       379,714  
     Total Knight Transportation Shareholders' Equity
    462,813       507,533  
     Noncontrolling interest
    155       (69 )
     Total Shareholders' Equity
    462,968       507,464  
     Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
  $ 712,691     $ 676,987  

 
 

 


OPERATING  STATISTICS:
                                   
     Three Months Ended Sept 30,
,
    Nine Months Ended Sept 30,    
   
2011
   
2010
   
% Change
   
2011
   
2010
   
% Change
 
   
(Unaudited)
   
(Unaudited)
         
(Unaudited)
   
(Unaudited)
       
                                     
Average Revenue Per Tractor*
  $ 40,823     $ 39,032       4.6 %   $ 117,079     $ 113,571       3.1 %
                                                 
Non-paid Empty Mile Percent
    10.7 %     11.0 %     -2.7 %     10.6 %     10.7 %     -0.9 %
                                                 
Average Length of Haul
    480       496       -3.2 %     490       481       1.9 %
                                                 
Operating Ratio**
    84.9 %     83.2 %             86.3 %     84.3 %        
                                                 
Average Tractors - Total
    3,919       3,851               3,890       3,787          
                                                 
Tractors - End of Quarter:
                                               
    Company
    3,485       3,486               3,485       3,486          
    Owner - Operator
    454       426               454       426          
      3,939       3,912               3,939       3,912          
                                                 
Trailers - End of Quarter
    8,951       8,751               8,951       8,751          
                                                 
Net Capital Expenditures (in thousands)
  $ 64,107     $ 41,798             $ 97,981     $ 87,119          
                                                 
Adjusted Cash Flow From Operations Excluding Change in Short-term Investments (in thousands) ***
  $ 32,501     $ 24,809             $ 97,977     $ 81,579          

* Includes dry van, refrigerated, and port services revenue excluding fuel surcharge, brokerage revenue, intermodal revenue, and other revenue.
               
** Operating ratio as reported in this press release is based upon total operating expenses, net of fuel surcharge, as a percentage of revenue, before fuel surcharge. Revenue from fuel surcharge is available on the accompanying income statements.  We measure our revenue, before fuel surcharge, and our operating expenses, net of fuel surcharge, because we believe that eliminating this potentially volatile source of revenue affords a more consistent basis for comparing our results of operations from period to period.
 
   
*** Adjusted cash flow from operations of $24,809 for prior year quarter ended September 30, 2010 does not include $22,253 decrease in short-term trading investments. This item is needed to tie back to cash flow from operations.
               
*** Adjusted cash flow from operations of $97,977 for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2011 does not include $24,379 decrease in short-term trading investments, and adjusted cash flow from operations of $81,579 for the comparative nine-month period ended September 30, 2010 does not include $3,448 increase in short-term trading investments. These are the reconciling items needed to tie back to cash flow from operations.
               
In the press release, we provided adjusted cash flow from operations excluding change in short-term investments.  The exclusion of the change in short-term investments is not in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP").  This non-GAAP financial measure is intended to supplement, but not substitute for, the most directly comparable GAAP measure.  We believe that the non-GAAP financial measure provides meaningful information to assist investors and analysts in understanding our financial results because it excludes an item that may not be indicative or is unrelated to our core operating results.  However, because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, investors are strongly encouraged to review our financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety and not rely on any single financial measure.  A reconciliation to the most closely-related GAAP measure is provided in the preceding paragraphs.
               
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements generally may be identified by their use of terms or phrases such as "expects," "estimates," "anticipates," "projects," "believes," "plans," "intends," "may," "will," "should," "could," "potential," "continue," "future," and terms or phrases of similar substance.  Forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, which could cause future events and actual results to differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements.  Accordingly, actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.  Readers should review and consider the factors that may affect future results and other disclosures by the Company in its press releases, stockholder reports, Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We disclaim any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in the factors affecting the forward-looking information.
               
Contact:      Dave Jackson, President & CFO, at (602) 269-2000