Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Accounting Policies Accounting Policies (Policies)

v3.10.0.1
Accounting Policies Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant areas requiring management estimates include the following key financial areas:

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
 
The Company evaluates the collectability of its accounts receivable based on a combination of factors. In circumstances in which the Company is aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations to the Company (for example, bankruptcy filings, accounts turned over for collection, or litigation), the Company records a specific reserve for these bad debts against amounts due to reduce the net recognized receivable to the amount the Company reasonably believes will be collected. For all other customers, the Company recognizes reserves for these bad debts based on the length of time the receivables are past due. Specifically, amounts that are 90 days or more past due are reserved at 50.0% for Expedited LTL, 10.0% for Intermodal, 25.0% for Pool and up to 50.0% for TLS. If circumstances change (i.e., the Company experiences higher than expected defaults or an unexpected material adverse change in a customer’s ability to meet its financial obligations to the Company), the estimates of the recoverability of amounts due to the Company could be changed by a material amount. Accounts are written off after all means of collection, including legal action, have been exhausted.

Allowance for Revenue Adjustments
 
The Company’s allowance for revenue adjustments consists of amounts reserved for billing rate changes that are not captured upon load initiation. These adjustments are recorded in revenue from operations and generally arise: (1) when the sales department contemporaneously grants small rate changes (“spot quotes”) to customers that differ from the standard rates in the system; (2) when freight requires dimensionalization or is reweighed resulting in a different required rate; (3) when billing errors occur; and (4) when data entry errors occur. When appropriate, permanent rate changes are initiated and reflected in the system. The Company monitors the manual revenue adjustments closely through the employment of various controls that are in place to ensure that revenue recognition is not compromised. During 2018, average revenue adjustments per month were approximately $302 on average revenue per month of approximately $110,074 (0.3% of monthly revenue). In order to estimate the allowance for revenue adjustments related to ending accounts receivable, the Company prepares an analysis that considers average monthly revenue adjustments and the average lag for identifying and quantifying these revenue adjustments. Based on this analysis, the Company establishes an allowance covering approximately 35-85 days (dependent upon experience in the last twelve months) of average revenue adjustments, adjusted for rebates and billing errors. The lag is periodically adjusted based on actual historical experience. Additionally, the average amount of revenue adjustments per month can vary in relation to the level of sales or based on other factors (such as personnel issues that could result in excessive manual errors or in excessive spot quotes being granted). Both of these significant assumptions are continually evaluated for appropriateness.

Self-Insurance Loss Reserves

Under U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”) regulations, the Company is liable for property damage and personal injuries caused by owner-operators and Company-employed drivers while they are operating on our behalf. Additionally, from time to time, the drivers employed and engaged by the third-party transportation carriers we contract with are involved in accidents, which may result in serious personal injuries. The resulting types and/or amounts of damages may be excluded by or exceed the amount of insurance coverage maintained by the contracted carrier. Although these drivers are not our employees, all of these drivers are employees, owner-operators, or independent contractors working for carriers and, from time to time, claims may be asserted against us for their actions, or for our actions in retaining them.

The Company currently maintains liability insurance coverage that it believes is adequate to cover third-party claims. The Company has a self-insured retention ("SIR") of $3,000 per occurrence for vehicle and general liability claims and will be responsible for any damages and personal injuries below that self-insured amount. The Company is also responsible for varying annual aggregate deductible amounts of liability for claims in excess of the SIR/deductible. For the policy year that began April 1, 2018, the Company had an annual $6,000 aggregate deductible for claims between $3,000 and $5,000. The Company also had a $2,500 aggregate deductible for claims between $5,000 and $10,000. As a result, the Company is responsible for the first $7,500 per claim, until it meets the $6,000 aggregate deductible for claims between $3,000 and $5,000 and the $2,500 aggregate deductible for claims between $5,000 and $10,000. This insurance covers claims for the LTL Expedited and Pool Distribution segments. TLS maintains separate liability insurance coverage for claims between $0 and $5,000, and for the policy year that began April 1, 2018, TLS had no SIR for claims in this layer. Intermodal maintains separate liability insurance coverage for all liability claims. For the policy year that began April 1, 2018, Intermodal had an SIR of $50 for each claim.

The Company may also be subject to claims for workers’ compensation. The Company maintains workers’ compensation insurance coverage that it believes is adequate to cover such claims. The Company has a SIR of approximately $350 for each such claim, except in Ohio, where it is a qualified self-insured entity with an approximately $500 SIR.

The amount of self-insurance loss reserves and loss adjustment expenses is determined based on an estimation process that uses information obtained from both company-specific and industry data, as well as general economic information. The estimation process for self-insurance loss exposure requires management to continuously monitor and evaluate the life cycle of claims. Using data obtained from this monitoring and the Company’s assumptions about the emerging trends, management develops information about the size of ultimate claims based on its historical experience and other available market information. The most significant assumptions used in the estimation process include determining the trend in loss costs, the expected consistency in the frequency and severity of claims incurred but not yet reported, changes in the timing of the reporting of losses from the loss date to the notification date, and expected costs to settle unpaid claims. The Company utilizes a quarterly actuarial analyses to evaluate open claims and estimate the ongoing development exposure.

As of December 31, 2018, we have recognized an insurance proceeds receivable and claims payable of $28,520 for open vehicle and workers’ compensation claims in excess of our stop-loss limits. As of December 31, 2017, we recognized an insurance proceeds receivable and claims payable of $8,133 for open vehicle and workers’ compensation claims in excess of our stop-loss limits. These balances are recorded in other assets and other long-term liabilities, respectively, in the Company's consolidated balance sheets.
Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Revenue and Expense Recognition
The Company's revenue is generated from providing transportation and related services to customers in accordance with contractual agreements, bill of lading ("BOL") contracts and general tariff provisions. Related services include accessorial charges such as terminal handling, storage, equipment rentals and customs brokerage. These services are distinct and are accounted for as separate performance obligations. Generally, the Company's performance obligations begin when a customer's BOL is received and are satisfied when the delivery of a shipment and related services is completed. The Company recognizes revenue for its services over time to coincide with when its customers simultaneously receive and consume the benefits of these services. Performance obligations are short-term with transit days less than a week. Upon delivery of a shipment or related service, customers are billed and remit payment according to payment terms.

Revenue is categorized by line of business as the Company believes this best depicts the nature, timing and amount of revenue and cash flows. For all lines of business, the Company reports revenue on a gross basis as it is the principal in the transaction. In addition, the Company has discretion in setting its service pricing and as a result, the amount earned for these services varies. The Company also has the discretion to select its drivers and other vendors for the services provided to its customers. These factors, discretion in setting prices and discretion in selecting drivers and other vendors, further support reporting revenue on a gross basis. See additional discussion in the Recent Accounting Pronouncements section of this Note and in Note 10, Segment Reporting.

All expenses are recognized when incurred. Purchased transportations expenses are typically due to the owner-operator or third-party transportation provider once the delivery of a shipment and related services is completed. To ensure these expenses are properly recognized when incurred, these costs are recognized over time to coincide with the service performance.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash and cash equivalents.
Inventories, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Inventories

Inventories of tires, replacement parts, supplies, and fuel for equipment are stated at the lower of cost or market utilizing the FIFO (first-in, first-out) method of determining cost. Inventories of tires and replacement parts are not material in the aggregate. Replacement parts are expensed when placed in service, while tires are capitalized and amortized over their expected life. Replacement parts and tires are included as a component of other operating expenses in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income.
Property and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost. Expenditures for normal repair and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Depreciation of property and equipment is calculated based upon the cost of the asset, reduced by its estimated salvage value, using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives as follows:
Buildings
 
30-40 years
Equipment
 
3-10 years
Leasehold improvements
 
Lesser of Useful Life or Initial Lease Term


Depreciation expense for each of the three years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $33,044, $30,862 and $28,088 respectively.

The Company reviews its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Impairment is recognized on assets classified as held and used when the sum of undiscounted estimated cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset is less than the carrying value. If such measurement indicates a possible impairment, the estimated fair value of the asset is compared to its net book value to measure the impairment charge, if any. When the criteria have been met for long-lived assets to be classified as held for sale, the assets are recorded at the lower of carrying value or fair market value (less selling costs). See additional discussion in Note 2, Acquisition, Goodwill and Other Long-Lived Assets.
Operating Leases, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Operating Leases
 
Certain operating leases include rent increases during the initial lease term. For these leases, the Company recognizes the related rental expenses on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease, which includes any rent holiday period, and records the difference between the amounts charged to operations and amount paid as rent as a rent liability. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the estimated useful life or the initial term of the lease. Reserves for idle facilities are initially measured at the fair value of the portion of the lease payments associated with the vacated facilities, reduced by estimated sublease rentals. See Recent Accounting Pronouncements for expected changes to lease accounting. In addition, see further discussion in Note 6, Operating Leases.
Business Combinations Policy [Policy Text Block]
Business Combinations

Upon the acquisition of a business, the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed must be estimated. This requires judgments regarding the identification of acquired assets and liabilities assumed, some of which may not have been previously recorded by the acquired business, as well as judgments regarding the valuation of all identified acquired assets and assumed liabilities. The assets acquired and liabilities assumed are determined by reviewing the operations, interviewing management and reviewing the financial and contractual information of the acquired business. Consideration is typically paid in the form of cash paid upon closing or contingent consideration paid upon satisfaction of a future obligation. If contingent consideration is included in the purchase price, the Company values that consideration as of the acquisition date and it is recorded to goodwill.

Once the acquired assets and assumed liabilities are identified, the fair values of the assets and liabilities are estimated using a variety of approaches that require significant judgments. For example, intangible assets are typically valued using a discounted cash flow (“DCF”) analysis, which requires estimates of the future cash flows that are attributable to the intangible asset. A DCF analysis also requires significant judgments regarding the selection of discount rates that are intended to reflect the risks that are inherent in the projected cash flows, the determination of terminal growth rates, and judgments about the useful life and pattern of use of the underlying intangible asset. The valuation of acquired property, plant and equipment requires judgments about current market values, replacement costs, the physical and functional obsolescence of the assets and their remaining useful lives. A failure to appropriately assign fair values to acquired assets and assumed liabilities could significantly impact the amount and timing of future depreciation and amortization expense, as well as significantly overstate or understate assets or liabilities.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill is recorded at cost based on the excess of purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized but the Company conducts an annual (or more frequently if circumstances indicate possible impairment) impairment test of goodwill for each reporting unit at June 30 of each year.  Examples of such events or circumstances could include a significant change in business climate or a loss of significant customers. Other intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives. Results of impairment testing are described in Note 2, Acquisition, Goodwill and Other Long-Lived Assets.

Acquisitions are accounted for using the purchase method.  The definite-lived intangible assets of the Company resulting from acquisition activity and the related amortization are described in Note 2, Acquisition, Goodwill and Other Long-Lived Assets.
Software Development, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Software Development

Costs related to software developed or acquired for internal use are expensed or capitalized based on the applicable stage of software development and any capitalized costs are amortized over their estimated useful life.  The Company typically uses a five-year straight line amortization for the capitalized amounts of software development costs.  At December 31, 2018 and 2017 the Company had $21,492 and $19,567, respectively, of capitalized software development costs included in property and equipment.  Accumulated amortization on these assets was $15,611 and $13,706 at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.  Included in depreciation expense is amortization of capitalized software development costs.  Amortization of capitalized software development for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $1,905, $1,816 and $1,658 respectively.  

As of December 31, 2018 the estimated amortization expense for the next five years of capitalized software development costs is as follows:

2019
$
1,605

2020
1,263

2021
932

2022
653

2023
382

Total
$
4,835

Income Taxes, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using the liability method, whereby deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to be recovered or settled.  We report a liability for unrecognized tax benefits resulting from uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return.  We recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense and operating expenses, respectively. See additional discussion in the Note 5, Income Taxes.

Net Income Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Net Income Per Share

The Company calculates net income per share in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Earnings per Share (“ASC 260”).  Under ASC 260, basic net income per share is computed by dividing net income available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. The Company's non-vested shares contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends and are therefore considered participating securities for purposes of computing net income per share pursuant to the two-class method. Net income allocated to participating securities was $881 in 2018, $700 in 2017 and $210 in 2016. Net losses are not allocated to participating securities in periods in which the Company incurs a net loss. Diluted net income per share is computed by dividing net income available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding after considering the additional dilution from any dilutive non-participating securities. The Company's non-participating securities include options and performance shares.
Share-based Payments, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Share-Based Payments
 
The Company’s general practice has been to make a single annual grant of share-based compensation to key employees and to make other grants only in connection with new employment or promotions.  In addition, the Company makes annual grants to non-employee directors in conjunction with their annual election to our Board of Directors or at the time of their appointment to the Board of Directors.  For employees, the Company has granted stock options, non-vested shares and performance shares.  For non-employee directors, the Company has generally issued non-vested shares.

     Stock options typically expire seven years from the grant date and vest ratably over a three-year period. The share-based compensation for stock options is recognized ratably over the requisite service period, or vesting period. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to estimate the grant-date fair value of options granted.  

The following table contains the weighted-average assumptions used to estimate the fair value of options granted.  These assumptions are subjective and changes in these assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate.

December 31,
2018

December 31,
2017

December 31,
2016
Expected dividend yield
1.1
%

1.3
%

1.0
%
Expected stock price volatility
24.4
%

28.5
%

28.9
%
Weighted average risk-free interest rate
2.7
%

2.0
%

1.3
%
Expected life of options (years)
6.1


5.9


5.8


The fair value of non-vested shares issued were estimated using the closing market prices for the business day of the grant. The share-based compensation for the non-vested shares is recognized ratably over the requisite service period or vesting period.

The fair value of the performance shares was estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation. The share-based compensation for performance shares are recognized ratably over the requisite service period, or vesting period. The following table contains the weighted-average assumptions used to estimate the fair value of performance shares granted.  These assumptions are subjective and changes in these assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate.

 
 
Year ended
 
 

December 31,
2018
 
December 31,
2017

December 31,
2016
Expected stock price volatility
24.3
%
 
24.7
%

22.3
%
Weighted average risk-free interest rate
2.2
%
 
1.4
%

0.8
%


Under the 2005 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”), the Company is authorized to issue shares of Common Stock to eligible employees. These shares may be issued at a price equal to 90% of the lesser of the market value on the first day or the last day of each six-month purchase period. Common Stock purchases are paid for through periodic payroll deductions and/or up to two large lump sum contributions.  The Company recognizes share-based compensation on the date of purchase based on the difference between the purchase date fair market value and the employee purchase price. See Note 4, Shareholders' Equity, Stock Options and Net Income per Share for additional discussion.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): "Simplifying the Accounting for Goodwill Impairment." Under the new standard, a goodwill impairment loss will be measured at the amount by which a reporting unit's carrying amount exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill, thus no longer requiring the two-step method. The guidance requires prospective adoption and will be effective for annual or interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption of this guidance is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. We adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2018 and do not expect any impact to the consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which will require lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset with a corresponding lease liability on their balance sheet for most leases classified as operating leases under previous guidance. Lessors will be required to recognize a net lease investment for most leases. Additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures will also be required. We adopted this standard as of January 1, 2019 and therefore, the full impact of this new guidance will be reflected in the Company’s first quarter 2019 financial statements and disclosures. As a result, changes to processes and internal controls to meet the standard’s reporting and disclosure requirements have been implemented.
    
We elected several of the practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new standard. The practical expedients we elected will allow us to carryforward our conclusions over whether any expired or existing contracts contain a lease, to carryforward historical lease classification, and to carryforward our evaluation of initial direct costs for any existing leases. In addition, we elected the practical expedients to combine lease and non-lease components and to keep leases with an initial term of 12 months or less off the balance sheet. For leases with an initial term of 12 months or less, we will recognize the corresponding lease expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

We applied the transition requirements as of January 1, 2019 and will not present comparative financial statements as allowed per the guidance. In addition, we will recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the first quarter 2019 financial statements as allowed per the guidance. We estimate our adoption of the standard will result in the recognition of right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities of approximately $130,000 to $150,000 in the first quarter 2019 financial statements. This asset and corresponding liability could vary to the extent the Company enters into new leases during the quarter. This standard is not expected to materially affect our operating results or liquidity.
    
In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which provided guidance on revenue from contracts with customers that superseded most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The underlying principle is that an entity will recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized. Other major provisions include capitalization of certain contract costs, consideration of time value of money in the transaction price, and allowing estimates of variable consideration to be recognized before contingencies are resolved in certain circumstances. The guidance also requires enhanced disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from an entity’s contracts with customers. The guidance is effective for the interim and annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2017 and we adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2018. The guidance permits the use of either a full retrospective or modified retrospective adoption approach with a cumulative effect adjustment recorded in either scenario as necessary upon transition.

As permitted by the guidance, we implemented the use of full retrospective presentation, which required the Company to adjust each prior reporting period presented to conform to the current year presentation. While evaluating principal versus agent relationships under the new standard, we determined that we will transition the fuel surcharge revenue stream from an agent to principal relationship. This caused this revenue stream and associated costs to be recognized on a gross basis that have historically been recognized on a net basis.

In addition, based on a review of our customer shipping arrangements, we have concluded that revenue recognition for our performance obligations should be over time. This is because the customer will simultaneously receive and consume the benefits of our services as we perform them over the related service period. A performance obligation is performed over time if an entity determines that another entity would not need to substantially reperform the work completed to date if another entity were to fulfill the remaining performance obligation to the applicable customer. Applying this guidance to our shipping performance obligations, if we were to move a customer’s freight partially to its destination but were unable to complete the remaining obligation, a replacement vendor would only have to complete the transit as opposed to initiating at shipment origin. Therefore, we believe our customers simultaneously receive and consume the benefits we provide and as a result we will recognize the revenue for each shipment over the course of time based on percentage of days in transit. All performance obligations related to the Company's services are completed within twelve months or less. Therefore, the Company has elected the practical expedient permitted under this guidance to not disclose the portion of revenue related to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied, or partially unsatisfied, as of the end of the reporting period.

Our revenue from contracts with customers is disclosed within our four reportable segments: Expedited LTL, TLS, Intermodal and Pool. This is consistent with our disclosures in earnings releases and annual reports and with the information regularly reviewed by the chief operating decision maker for evaluating financial performance.
    
    
The impact of implementing this guidance using the full retrospective approach on the prior period balance sheet and statements of comprehensive income are shown in the "As Adjusted" columns of the following tables:
 
 
As of December 31, 2017
 
 
(In thousands)
 
 
As Previously Reported
 
Adjustments
 
As Adjusted
Balance Sheet:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Accounts receivable, net
 
$
143,041

 
$
4,907

 
$
147,948

Accounts payable
 
24,704

 
6,019

 
30,723

Deferred income taxes
 
29,403

 
(323
)
 
29,080

Retained earnings
 
337,848

 
(790
)
 
337,058

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Year ended December 31, 2017
 
 
(In thousands, except per share data)
 
 
As Previously Reported
 
Adjustments
 
As Adjusted
Statement of Comprehensive Income:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating revenue
 
 
 
 
 
 
Expedited LTL
 
$
619,779

 
$
36,059

 
$
655,838

Truckload Premium Services
 
179,320

 
22,432

 
201,752

Intermodal
 
148,907

 
5,777

 
154,684

Pool Distribution
 
164,221

 
4,262

 
168,483

Eliminations and other operations
 
(11,411
)
 

 
(11,411
)
Consolidated operating revenue
 
1,100,816

 
68,530

 
1,169,346

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating expenses
 
992,144

 
68,445

 
1,060,589

Income from operations
 
108,672

 
85

 
108,757

Income taxes
 
20,131

 
151

 
20,282

Net income
 
87,321

 
(66
)
 
87,255

Diluted earnings per share
 
$
2.89

 
$

 
$
2.89

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Year ended December 31, 2016
 
 
(In thousands, except per share data)
 
 
As Previously Reported
 
Adjustments
 
As Adjusted
Statement of Comprehensive Income:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating revenue
 
 
 
 
 
 
Expedited LTL
 
$
570,778

 
$
25,761

 
$
596,539

Truckload Premium Services
 
164,272

 
16,735

 
181,007

Intermodal
 
103,671

 
1,993

 
105,664

Pool Distribution
 
148,661

 
3,191

 
151,852

Eliminations and other operations
 
(4,852
)
 

 
(4,852
)
Consolidated operating revenue
 
982,530

 
47,680

 
1,030,210

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating expenses
 
922,551

 
47,956

 
970,507

Income from operations
 
59,979

 
(276
)
 
59,703

Income taxes
 
30,716

 
(111
)
 
30,605

Net income
 
27,670

 
(165
)
 
27,505

Diluted earnings per share
 
$
0.90

 
$

 
$
0.90