Equity Compensation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

The Werner Enterprises, Inc. Amended and Restated Equity Plan (the “Equity Plan”), approved by the Company’s shareholders in 2013, provides for grants to employees and non-employee directors of the Company in the form of nonqualified stock options, restricted stock and units (“restricted awards”), performance awards, and stock appreciation rights. The Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors determines the terms of each award, including the type, recipients, number of shares subject to and vesting conditions of each award. No awards of stock appreciation rights have been issued under the Equity Plan to date, and no stock option awards are outstanding. The maximum number of shares of common stock that may be awarded under the Equity Plan is 20,000,000 shares. The maximum aggregate number of shares that may be awarded to any one person in any one calendar year under the Equity Plan is 500,000. As of March 31, 2021, there were 6,537,930 shares available for granting additional awards.

Equity compensation expense is included in salaries, wages and benefits within the Consolidated Statements of Income. As of March 31, 2021, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested equity compensation awards was approximately $16.1 million and is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.0 years. The following table summarizes the equity compensation expense and related income tax benefit recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021		2020
Restricted awards:
Pre-tax compensation expense	$	1,549	$	1,398
Tax benefit	395		356
Restricted stock expense, net of tax	$	1,154	$	1,042
Performance awards:
Pre-tax compensation expense	$	946	$	1,010
Tax benefit	241		258
Performance award expense, net of tax	$	705	$	752

We do not have a formal policy for issuing shares upon vesting of restricted and performance awards. Such shares are generally issued from treasury stock. From time to time, we repurchase shares of our common stock, the timing and amount of which depends on market and other factors. Historically, the shares acquired from such repurchases have provided us with sufficient quantities of stock to issue for equity compensation. Based on current treasury stock levels, we do not expect to repurchase additional shares specifically for equity compensation during 2021.

Restricted Awards

Restricted stock entitles the holder to shares of common stock when the award vests. Restricted stock units entitle the holder to a combination of cash or stock equal to the value of common stock when the unit vests. The value of these shares may fluctuate according to market conditions and other factors. Restricted awards currently outstanding vest over periods ranging from 12 to 60 months from the grant date of the award. The restricted awards do not confer any voting or dividend rights to recipients until such shares vest and do not have any post-vesting sales restrictions.

The following table summarizes restricted award activity for the three months ended March 31, 2021:


	Number of Restricted Awards (in thousands)	Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value ($)
Nonvested at beginning of period	367	$	35.78
Granted	114	41.30
Vested	(107)	34.96
Forfeited	(2)	35.53
Nonvested at end of period	372	37.70

We estimate the fair value of restricted awards based upon the market price of the underlying common stock on the date of grant, reduced by the present value of estimated future dividends because the awards are not entitled to receive dividends prior to vesting. Our estimate of future dividends is based on the most recent quarterly dividend rate at the time of grant, adjusted for any known future changes in the dividend rate. Cash settled restricted stock units are recorded as a liability within the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are adjusted to fair value each reporting period.

The total fair value of previously granted restricted awards vested during the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and March 31, 2020 was $4.5 million and $2.9 million, respectively. We withheld shares based on the closing stock price on the vesting date to settle the employees’ statutory obligation for the applicable income and other employment taxes. The shares withheld to satisfy the tax withholding obligations were recorded as treasury stock.

Performance Awards

Performance awards entitle the recipient to shares of common stock upon attainment of performance objectives as pre-established by the Compensation Committee. If the performance objectives are achieved, performance awards currently outstanding vest, subject to continued employment, 36 months after the grant date of the award. The performance awards do not confer any voting or dividend rights to recipients until such shares vest and do not have any post-vesting sales restrictions.

The following table summarizes performance award activity for the three months ended March 31, 2021:


	Number of Performance Awards (in thousands)	Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value ($)
Nonvested at beginning of period	262	$	32.96
Granted	74	40.93
Vested	(100)	33.04
Forfeited	—	—
Nonvested at end of period	236	35.42

The 2021 performance awards are earned based upon the level of attainment by the Company of specified performance objectives related to cumulative diluted earnings per share for the two-year period from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022. Shares earned based on cumulative diluted earnings per share may be capped based on the Company’s total shareholder return during the three-year period ended December 31, 2023, relative to the total shareholder return of a peer group of companies for the same period. The 2021 performance awards will vest in one installment on the third anniversary from the grant date. In January 2021, the Compensation Committee determined the 2018 fiscal year performance objectives were achieved at a level above the target level; the additional shares earned above the target level were included in 2020 shares granted.

We estimate the fair value of performance awards based upon the market price of the underlying common stock on the date of grant, reduced by the present value of estimated future dividends because the awards are not entitled to receive dividends prior to vesting. Our estimate of future dividends is based on the most recent quarterly dividend rate at the time of grant, adjusted for any known future changes in the dividend rate.

The vesting date fair value of performance awards that vested during the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and March 31, 2020 was $4.1 million and $5.8 million, respectively. We withheld shares based on the closing stock price on the vesting date to settle the employees’ statutory obligation for the applicable income and other employment taxes. The shares withheld to satisfy the tax withholding obligations were recorded as treasury stock.