Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Consolidation

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Landstar System, Inc. and its subsidiary, Landstar System Holdings, Inc. (“LSHI”). Landstar System, Inc. and its subsidiary are herein referred to as “Landstar” or the “Company.” Significant intercompany accounts have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with current year presentation.

Estimates

Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires the use of management’s estimates. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Fiscal Year

Fiscal Year

Landstar’s fiscal year is the 52 or 53 week period ending the last Saturday in December.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

When providing the physical transportation of freight, the Company is the primary obligor with respect to freight delivery and assumes the related credit risk. Accordingly, transportation revenue billed to customers for the physical transportation of freight and the related direct freight expenses are recognized on a gross basis upon completion of freight delivery. Reinsurance premiums of the insurance segment are recognized over the period earned, which is usually on a monthly basis. Fuel surcharges billed to customers for freight hauled by independent contractors who provide truck capacity to the Company under exclusive lease arrangements (the “BCO Independent Contractors”) are excluded from revenue and paid in entirety to the BCO Independent Contractors.

Insurance Claim Costs

Insurance Claim Costs

Landstar provides, primarily on an actuarially determined basis, for the estimated costs of cargo, property, casualty, general liability and workers’ compensation claims both reported and for claims incurred but not reported. For commercial trucking claims, Landstar retains liability up to $5,000,000 per occurrence. In addition, for commercial trucking claims incurred on or after May 1, 2016 through April 30, 2017, the Company retains liability up to an additional $700,000 in the aggregate on any claims exceeding its $5,000,000 per occurrence self-insured retention. The Company also retains liability of up to $1,000,000 for each general liability claim, up to $250,000 for each workers’ compensation claim and up to $250,000 for each cargo claim.

Tires

Tires

Tires purchased as part of trailing equipment are capitalized as part of the cost of the equipment. Replacement tires are charged to expense when placed in service.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Included in cash and cash equivalents are all investments, except those provided for collateral, with an original maturity of 3 months or less.

Financial Instruments

Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments include cash equivalents, short and long-term investments, trade and other accounts receivable, accounts payable, other accrued liabilities, current and non-current insurance claims and long-term debt plus current maturities (“Debt”). The carrying value of cash equivalents, trade and other accounts receivable, accounts payable, current insurance claims and other accrued liabilities approximate fair value as the assets and liabilities are short term in nature. Short and long-term investments are carried at fair value as further described in the “Investments” footnote below. The carrying value of non-current insurance claims approximates fair value as the Company generally has the ability to, but is not required to, settle claims in a short term. The Company’s Debt includes borrowings under the Company’s revolving credit facility, to the extent there are any, plus borrowings relating to capital lease obligations used to finance trailing equipment. The interest rates on borrowings under the revolving credit facility are typically tied to short-term LIBOR rates that adjust monthly and, as such, carrying value approximates fair value. Interest rates on borrowings under capital leases approximate the interest rates that would currently be available to the Company under similar terms and, as such, carrying value approximates fair value.

Trade and Other Receivables

Trade and Other Receivables

The allowance for doubtful accounts for both trade and other receivables represents management’s estimate of the amount of outstanding receivables that will not be collected. Estimates are used to determine the allowance for doubtful accounts for both trade and other receivables and are generally based on specific identification, historical collection results, current economic trends and changes in payment trends. Following is a summary of the activity in the allowance for doubtful accounts for fiscal years ending December 31, 2016, December 26, 2015 and December 27, 2014 (in thousands):

	Balance at Beginning of Period		Charged to Costs and Expenses		Write-offs, Net of Recoveries			Balance at End of Period
For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2016
Trade receivables	$	4,327	$	2,772	$	(1,938	)	$	5,161
Other receivables		5,555		2,963		(1,969	)		6,549
Other non-current receivables		238		—		6			244
	$	10,120	$	5,735	$	(3,901	)	$	11,954
For the Fiscal Year Ended December 26, 2015
Trade receivables	$	4,338	$	3,985	$	(3,996	)	$	4,327
Other receivables		5,103		1,897		(1,445	)		5,555
Other non-current receivables		230		8		—			238
	$	9,671	$	5,890	$	(5,441	)	$	10,120
For the Fiscal Year Ended December 27, 2014
Trade receivables	$	3,773	$	2,893	$	(2,328	)	$	4,338
Other receivables		4,994		2,414		(2,305	)		5,103
Other non-current receivables		222		8		—			230
	$	8,989	$	5,315	$	(4,633	)	$	9,671

Operating Property

Operating Property

Operating property is recorded at cost. Depreciation is provided on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Buildings and improvements are being depreciated over 30 years. Trailing equipment is being depreciated over 7 to 10 years. Information technology hardware and software included in other equipment is generally being depreciated over 3 to 7 years.

Goodwill

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price paid over the fair value of the net assets of acquired businesses. The Company has one reporting unit within the transportation logistics segment that reports goodwill. The Company reviews its goodwill balance annually for impairment as a single reporting unit, unless circumstances dictate more frequent assessments, and in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2011-08, Testing Goodwill for Impairment. ASU 2011-08 permits an initial assessment, commonly referred to as “step zero”, of qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount and also provides a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test required by ASC Topic 350. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company performed the qualitative assessment of goodwill and determined it was more likely than not that the fair value of its reporting unit would be greater than its carrying amount. Therefore, the Company determined it was not necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. Furthermore, there has been no historical impairment of the Company’s goodwill.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

Income tax expense is equal to the current year’s liability for income taxes and a provision for deferred income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for the future tax effects attributable to temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to be applied to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. During fiscal year 2016, the Company retrospectively adopted Accounting Standards Update 2015-17 – Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes (“ASU 2015-17”), which requires an entity to present deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. Deferred tax assets in the prior period presented have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. See Note 4, Income Taxes, for further information.

Share-Based Payments

Share-Based Payments

The Company’s share-based payment arrangements include restricted stock units (“RSU”), stock options and non-vested restricted stock. The fair value of an RSU with a performance condition is determined based on the market value of the Company’s Common Stock on the date of grant, discounted for lack of marketability for a minimum post-vesting holding requirement. With respect to RSU awards with a performance condition, the Company reports compensation expense over the life of the award based on an estimated number of units that will vest over the life of the award, multiplied by the fair value of an RSU. The fair value of an RSU with a market condition is determined at the time of grant based on the expected achievement of the market condition at the end of each vesting period. With respect to RSU awards with a market condition, the Company recognizes compensation expense ratably over the requisite service period under an award based on the fair market value of the award at the time of grant, regardless of whether the market condition is satisfied. Previously recognized compensation cost would be reversed, however, if the employee terminated employment prior to completing such requisite service period. The Company estimates the fair value of stock option awards on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes pricing model and recognizes compensation cost for stock option awards expected to vest on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. Forfeitures are estimated at grant date based on historical experience and anticipated employee turnover. The fair value of each share of non-vested restricted stock is based on the fair value of such share on the date of grant and compensation costs for non-vested restricted stock are recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the award.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share

Earnings per common share are based on the weighted average number of shares outstanding, including outstanding non-vested restricted stock. Diluted earnings per share are based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the incremental shares that would have been outstanding upon the assumed exercise of all dilutive stock options.

The following table provides a reconciliation of the average number of common shares outstanding used to calculate earnings per common share to the average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding used to calculate diluted earnings per share (in thousands):

	Fiscal Years
	2016		2015		2014
Average number of common shares outstanding		42,112		43,664		44,956
Incremental shares from assumed exercises of stock options		124		149		213
Average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding		42,236		43,813		45,169

For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2016, December 26, 2015 and December 27, 2014, no options outstanding to purchase shares of Common Stock were antidilutive. Outstanding RSUs were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share for all periods because the performance metric requirements or market condition for vesting had not been satisfied.

Foreign Currency Translation

Foreign Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities of the Company’s Canadian operation are translated from their functional currency to U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date and revenue and expense accounts are translated at average monthly exchange rates during the period. Adjustments resulting from the translation process are included in accumulated other comprehensive income. Transactional gains and losses arising from receivable and payable balances, including intercompany balances, in the normal course of business that are denominated in a currency other than the functional currency of the operation are recorded in the statements of income when they occur.