Werner Enterprises Inc

Freight broker RXO said Tuesday that its truckload spot rate index recorded its biggest sequential gain in five years during the second quarter, with the surge extending into the third quarter. The index, which tracks linehaul rates excluding fuel surcharges, rose 32.4% year over year in the second quarter, up from 16.5% in the first quarter, and is up 43% year over year so far in the third quarter. RXO's all-in cost-per-mile index, including fuel surcharges, hit 154.9 in the second quarter, the highest since the first quarter of 2022. The company attributed the tightness to a steady exodus of capacity from regulatory enforcement and poor carrier economics, with carrier operating costs up 29% excluding fuel from the prior cycle peak. RXO executives said spot rates have consistently outpaced contract rates, straining shipper routing guides, and expect further rate volatility through peak season.

Truckload linehaul rates surged in July despite weaker freight volumes, according to Cass Information Systems. Cass' truckload linehaul index, which excludes fuel and accessorial surcharges, rose 2.3% from June and was 8.6% higher year over year, marking 19 consecutive annual increases and the largest in four years. Freight shipments captured by Cass fell 4.8% year over year in July, accelerating from a 4.1% decline in June, while total freight expenditures rose 9.1% year over year. The report attributed soft volumes partly to higher fuel prices and declining capacity, noting that rail intermodal is gaining share from trucking. Werner Enterprises CEO Derek Leathers said the supply-led recovery is still in early stages, and the carrier forecasts a 10% to 13% year-over-year increase in rate per mile for the third quarter.

Werner Enterprises executives expressed confidence that the supply-driven recovery in truckload markets will persist despite a seasonal July slowdown. Chairman and CEO Derek Leathers told investors at Deutsche Bank's Chicago Industrials Summit that regulatory crackdowns on bad actors continue to constrict capacity, with 850 to 900 CDL schools forced to close and roughly 10,000 training programs removed from the FMCSA registry. Werner's one-way TL fleet saw revenue per truck per week jump 28% year over year in the second quarter following a restructuring that shrank the fleet by 34% to 1,700 units, and the company expects one-way rate per mile to increase 10% to 13% year over year in the third quarter. The dedicated fleet, which accounts for 80% of Werner's total TL network, is capturing low- to mid-single-digit contractual rate renewals, and management reiterated a path to low-double-digit margins during the middle of the freight cycle, which could occur next year.

Transportation capacity contracted at a faster pace in July while pricing growth remained robust, according to the Logistics Managers' Index. The LMI's transportation capacity reading fell to 28.4, a decline of 2.4 percentage points from June and tying the second-fastest contraction rate in the index's ten-year history. Transportation prices registered 86.9, slowing 5.5 points from June but still indicating very strong expansion, and transportation utilization stood at 65, down 9.7 points yet historically elevated. The report noted that tight capacity has pushed tender booking lead times to an average of 3.74 days, up 11% year over year. Werner Enterprises reported a 28% year-over-year jump in revenue per truck per week after restructuring its one-way fleet, while Schneider National captured double-digit rate increases on contract renewals and sees the truckload market in the early stages of rate recovery. The overall LMI dipped 2.2 points to 68.9 but remains on track for its highest annual reading since 2021, with inventory costs, warehouse prices, and aggregate logistics costs all staying elevated.

Werner Enterprises reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of 22 cents per share, matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate and surging more than 100% from a year ago. Revenues rose 24% to $933.9 million, slightly above the $932 million consensus, driven by a 36% increase in Truckload Transportation Services revenues to $702.6 million, which included $65.4 million in higher fuel surcharges. Adjusted operating income jumped 67% to $27.6 million, with the adjusted operating margin expanding 80 basis points to 3%. The company updated its 2026 guidance, lowering expected TTS average truck count growth to 16-18% from the prior 23-28% range, while raising Dedicated revenue per truck per week growth to 3-5% from flat-to-3%.

Werner Enterprises CEO Derek Leathers said the structural capacity attrition tightening the truckload market is only in the third inning, as the carrier reported second-quarter results that showed a sharp jump in One-Way revenue per truck per week to $6,114 from $4,787 a year ago. The adjusted operating margin for all trucking operations rose to 4.6% from 2.5%, while the One-Way segment's operating margin improved more than 700 basis points year-on-year. Leathers attributed the supply-driven upcycle to intensifying regulatory pressure, including enforcement around non-domiciled CDLs, English language proficiency, and cabotage, as well as the FMCSA's withdrawal of about one-third of ELD approvals, which he said is dismantling shadow capacity. He also cited the Montgomery vs. Caribe fallout and a recent Dallas jury decision against C.H. Robinson as boosting demand for carriers with strong reputations like Werner. The company raised its full-year forecast for Dedicated revenue per truck per week to an increase of 3% to 5% and for One-Way revenue per truck per mile to growth of 10% to 13%, reflecting significant productivity improvements and a tightening driver market.

Werner reported first-quarter revenues of $808.6 million, up 13.6% year on year and exceeding analyst expectations by 0.6%, with beats on EPS and adjusted operating income. Among the 15 ground transportation stocks tracked, the group overall beat revenue consensus by 2.1% and shares have risen 5.6% on average since reporting. Heartland Express posted the best performance relative to estimates with revenues of $176.3 million, down 19.7% year on year but beating by 2.6%, while Universal Logistics was the weakest, missing revenue estimates by 1.3% with a significant miss on adjusted operating income. RXO reported flat revenues of $1.43 billion, topping expectations by 5.9% and issuing strong EBITDA guidance, and ArcBest's revenues of $998.8 million, up 3.3%, were in line with estimates.