Employee Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 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
	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
(Dollars in thousands)	2013			2012			2013			2012
Interest cost on benefit obligation	$	17,506		$	17,542		$	52,517		$	52,626
Expected return on plan assets	(22,831		)	(21,102		)	(68,493		)	(63,308		)
Amortization of actuarial loss	4,568			4,858			13,704			14,574
Amortization of prior-service costs	418			4			1,253			11
Net periodic benefit expense (income)	$	(339	)	$	1,302		$	(1,019	)	$	3,903
	Non-Qualified Pension Plans
	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
(Dollars in thousands)	2013			2012			2013			2012
Interest cost on benefit obligation	$	803		$	860		$	2,410		$	2,579
Amortization of actuarial loss	280			240			839			763
Amortization of prior-service costs	1			—			4			—
Net periodic benefit expense	$	1,084		$	1,100		$	3,253		$	3,342

Con-way has made $55.3 million in contributions to its Qualified Pension Plans in 2013. Con-way does not anticipate making any further contributions to the plans in 2013.

Defined Contribution Retirement Plans

Con-way’s expense for defined contribution retirement plans was $14.1 million and $41.3 million in the third quarter and first nine months of 2013, respectively, compared to $12.0 million and $37.6 million in the same periods of 2012.

Postretirement Medical Plan

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

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
(Dollars in thousands)	2013			2012			2013			2012
Service cost	$	370		$	419		$	1,112		$	1,259
Interest cost on benefit obligation	869			1,080			2,608			3,239
Amortization of prior-service credit	(263		)	(302		)	(789		)	(905		)
Net periodic benefit expense	$	976		$	1,197		$	2,931		$	3,593