Employee Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans

Employee Benefit Plans

In the periods presented, certain employees of Con-way and its subsidiaries in the U.S. were covered under several retirement benefit plans, including defined benefit pension plans, defined contribution retirement plans and a postretirement medical plan. See Note 10, “Employee Benefit Plans,” of Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” in Con-way’s 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information concerning its employee benefit plans.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans

As a result of plan amendments in previous years, no additional benefits accrue under these plans and already-accrued benefits will not be adjusted for future increases in compensation. The following table summarizes the components of net periodic benefit expense for Con-way’s domestic defined benefit pension plans:

	Qualified Pension Plans						Non-Qualified Pension Plans
	Three Months Ended March 31,						Three Months Ended March 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2013			2012			2013		2012
Interest cost on benefit obligation	$	17,589		$	17,502		$	804	$	856
Expected return on plan assets	(22,657		)	(21,111		)	—		—
Amortization of actuarial loss	4,650			4,827			279		281
Amortization of prior-service costs	418			3			1		—
Net periodic benefit expense	$	—		$	1,221		$	1,084	$	1,137

Con-way expects to make contributions of $55.3 million to its Qualified Pension Plans in 2013, including $8.3 million contributed through March 2013. Con-way's estimate of its 2013 contribution is subject to change based on variations in interest rates, asset returns, Pension Protection Act requirements and other factors.

Defined Contribution Retirement Plans

Con-way’s expense for defined contribution retirement plans was $13.3 million in the first quarter of 2013, compared to $12.9 million in the same period of 2012.

Postretirement Medical Plan

The following table summarizes the components of net periodic benefit expense for the postretirement medical plan:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2013			2012
Service cost	$	429		$	423
Interest cost on benefit obligation	891			1,021
Amortization of prior-service credit	(263		)	(302		)
Net periodic benefit expense	$	1,057		$	1,142