EX-99.1 2 p71358exv99w1.htm EX-99.1 exv99w1
 

Exhibit 99.1
SWIFT TRANSPORTATION CO., INC. REPORTS
THIRD QUARTER RESULTS
Phoenix, AZ — October 24, 2005 — Swift Transportation Co., Inc. (NASDAQ-NMS: SWFT) today reported its results for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2005.
Revenues for the third quarter of 2005 increased 11.8% to $812.9 million compared with $727.3 million for the corresponding quarter of 2004. The third quarter of 2005 includes $108.1 million of fuel surcharge revenue versus $47.7 million in 2004. Excluding this fuel surcharge revenue, revenues increased 3.7%. Net earnings were $12.6 million, or 17 cents per share, for the third quarter of 2005, compared to $25.7 million, or 32 cents per share, for the third quarter of 2004. The results for the third quarter of 2005 include the following non cash pre-tax items: a $12.4 million expense to accelerate the vesting period of 7.3 million stock options, a $7.7 million expense to reduce the carrying value of certain trailers and real estate to the estimated fair value less cost to sell and a $1.3 million pre-tax benefit to recognize the decrease in market value of interest rate derivative agreements. The results for the third quarter of 2004 include an $841,000 non cash pre-tax expense to recognize the increase in the market value of interest rate derivative agreements. The Company’s net earnings per share prior to the adjustments noted above would have been 33 cents for each of the third quarters of 2005 and 2004.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2005, the Company’s revenues increased 15.3% to $2.35 billion compared to $2.04 billion in 2004. The first nine months of 2005 includes $263.9 million of fuel surcharge revenue versus $115.1 million in 2004. Excluding this fuel surcharge revenue, revenues increased 8.5%. Net earnings for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 were $61.9 million, or 84 cents per share, compared to $66.7 million, or 81 cents per share, for the same period in 2004. The results for 2005 include the following non cash pre-tax items: a $12.4 million expense to accelerate the vesting period of 7.3 million stock options, a $7.7 million expense to reduce the carrying value of certain trailers and real estate to the estimated fair value less cost to sell, a $4.4 million gain from the sale of real estate and a $2.6 million pre-tax benefit to recognize the decrease in the market value of interest rate derivative agreements. The results for 2004 include the following non cash pre-tax items: a $3.9 million expense for the cost of the Company’s voluntary early retirement program, a $2.4 million gain from the sale of real estate, and a $1.6 million benefit to recognize the decrease in the market value of interest rate derivative agreements. The Company’s net earnings per share prior to the adjustments noted above would have been 95 cents and 81 cents for the first nine months of 2005 and 2004, respectively.
Management believes the presentation of earnings (see the following Reconciliation Table) without the adjustments noted above is useful in comparing the results from period to period due to the infrequent nature of the acceleration of stock options, impairments, early retirement expense and real estate sales and the historical volatility of the interest rate derivative agreements.
Robert W. Cunningham, President and Chief Operating Officer, commented, “Our results in this quarter were impacted by a very soft freight environment in July and most of August. Excluding the adjustments discussed above, our operating ratio would have been 94.2%for the quarter. We saw strengthening in September and to date, October freight has remained robust. With the resolution of the SEC matter and the satisfactory rating from the FMCSA, our organization is focused on improving key metrics to drive operating productivity and efficiency.”
Swift will hold a conference call with a slide presentation to discuss these results at 10:00AM

 


 

Eastern time on Tuesday, October 25, 2005. Investors with questions may dial in at 1-800-480-8614. For others, and to view a copy of the slide presentation, the conference call will be broadcast live on the Internet at http://www.earnings.com/ and may also be accessed through the Company’s web site, http://www.swifttrans.com/. Replays will be available on these websites for two weeks.
Swift is the holding company for Swift Transportation Co., Inc., a truckload carrier headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Swift’s trucking subsidiary operates the largest fleet of truckload carrier equipment in the United States with regional operations throughout the continental United States.
Forward-looking statement disclosure:
This press release contains statements that may constitute forward-looking statements, usually identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “projects,” “expects,” or similar expressions. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the Company’s focus on improving operating productivity and efficiency, as well as other information. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Swift’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
As to Swift’s business and financial performance generally, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements: an adverse determination by the FMCSA with respect to Swift’s safety rating and any resulting loss of customers or potential customers or material increase in insurance costs; excess capacity in the trucking industry; significant increases or rapid fluctuations in fuel prices, interest rates, fuel taxes, tolls, license and registration fees, insurance premiums and driver compensation, to the extent not offset by increases in freight rates or fuel surcharges; recessionary economic cycles and downturns in customers’ business cycles, particularly in market segments and industries (such as retail and manufacturing) in which Swift has a significant concentration of customers; seasonal factors such as harsh weather conditions that increase operating costs; increases in driver compensation to the extent not offset by increases in freight rates; the inability of Swift to continue to secure acceptable financing arrangements; the ability of Swift to continue to identify and combine acquisition candidates that will result in successful combinations; an unanticipated increase in the number of claims for which Swift is self insured; the potential impact of current litigation, regulatory issues or other government actions; competition from trucking, rail and intermodal competitors; and a significant reduction in or termination of Swift’s trucking services by a key customer.
A discussion of these and other factors that could cause Swift’s results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K of Swift, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s internet site (http://www.sec.gov). Swift undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Further, nothing herein shall constitute an adoption or approval of any analyst report regarding Swift, nor any undertaking to update or comment upon analysts’ expectations in the future.
Condensed, consolidated statements of earnings for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004 are as follows:

 


 

Swift Transportation Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings
(unaudited)
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
                                                                 
    Three months ended     Nine months ended  
    September 30,     September 30,  
    2005             2004             2005             2004          
 
                                                               
Operating revenue
  $ 812,934       100 %   $ 727,318       100 %   $ 2,353,807       100 %   $ 2,040,724       100 %
Operating expenses:
                                                               
Salaries, wages and benefits
    265,505       32.7       245,328       33.7       765,172       32.5       715,980       35.1  
Operating supplies and expenses
    77,300       9.5       70,218       9.7       215,635       9.2       200,488       9.8  
Fuel
    162,782       20.0       119,751       16.5       444,232       18.9       312,722       15.3  
Purchased transportation
    152,841       18.8       131,128       18.0       427,355       18.1       359,358       17.6  
Rental expense
    13,244       1.6       18,808       2.6       45,517       1.9       60,608       3.0  
Insurance and claims
    32,355       4.0       22,739       3.1       112,369       4.8       69,563       3.4  
Depreciation and amortization
    56,592       7.0       49,874       6.9       152,859       6.5       133,952       6.6  
Communication and utilities
    6,890       .8       7,628       1.0       22,570       1.0       22,792       1.1  
Operating taxes and licenses
    17,338       2.1       16,768       2.3       51,957       2.2       46,027       2.3  
 
                                               
Total operating expenses
    784,847       96.5       682,242       93.8       2,237,666       95.1       1,921,490       94.2  
 
                                               
 
                                                               
Operating income
    28,087       3.5       45,076       6.2       116,141       4.9       119,234       5.8  
 
                                                               
Interest expense
    6,419       .8       5,980       .9       19,291       .8       13,451       .6  
Interest income
    (576 )             (135 )             (1,324 )     (.1 )     (775 )        
Other (income) expense
    1,534       .2       319               (3,241 )     (.1 )     2,570       .1  
 
                                               
 
                                                               
Earnings before income taxes
    20,710       2.5       38,912       5.3       101,415       4.3       103,988       5.1  
Income taxes
    8,078       1.0       13,213       1.8       39,555       1.7       37,301       1.8  
 
                                               
 
                                                               
Net earnings
  $ 12,632       1.5 %   $ 25,699       3.5 %   $ 61,860       2.6 %   $ 66,687       3.3 %
 
                                               
 
                                                               
Diluted earnings per share
  $ .17             $ .32             $ .84             $ .81          
 
                                                       
 
                                                               
Shares used in per share calculations
    73,843               80,623               73,838               82,168          
 
                                                       
Contact: Jerry Moyes, CEO, or Glynis Bryan, CFO of
Swift Transportation Co., Inc.
(602) 269-9700

 


 

Swift Transportation Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries
Net Earnings Reconciliation Table
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
                                 
    Three months ended     Nine months ended  
    September 30,     September 30,  
    2005     2004     2005     2004  
 
                               
Net earnings
  $ 12,632     $ 25,699     $ 61,860     $ 66,687  
 
                               
Adjustment to market value of interest derivative agreements
    (1,340 )     841       (2,648 )     (1,582 )
Acceleration of stock options
    12,397               12,397          
Impairment of property
    7,697               7,697          
Real estate sales
                    (4,351 )     (2,400 )
Early retirement program expense
                            3,900  
 
                       
 
    31,386       26,540       74,955       66,605  
Income tax effect
    (7,314 )     (286 )     (5,107 )     30  
 
                       
Adjusted net earnings
  $ 24,072     $ 26,254     $ 69,848     $ 66,635  
 
                       
 
                               
Shares used in per share calculations
    73,843       80,623       73,838       82,168  
 
                       
 
                               
Adjusted earnings per share
  $ .33     $ .33     $ .95     $ .81  
 
                       
Swift Transportation Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries
Operating Ratio Reconciliation Table
(Dollars in thousands)
         
    Three months  
    ended  
    September 30,  
    2005  
 
       
Operating revenue
  $ 812,934  
 
     
Operating expenses
    784,847  
Less:
       
Acceleration of vesting of stock options
    (12,397 )
Impairment of trailers
    (6,377 )
 
     
Adjusted operating expenses
    766,073  
 
     
 
       
Adjusted operating ratio
    94.2 %
 
     

 


 

Swift Transportation Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries
Operating Statistics
(Excluding Fuel Surcharge)
                                 
    Three months ended     Nine months ended  
    September 30,     September 30,  
    2005     2004     2005     2004  
Total Miles *
    489,190       498,831       1,483,949       1,426,492  
Loaded Miles *
    432,412       435,878       1,302,255       1,242,070  
Trucking Revenue *
  $ 683,084     $ 662,269     $ 2,036,736     $ 1,877,048  
Revenue per Tractor per day
  $ 620     $ 590     $ 605     $ 571  
Revenue per loaded mile
  $ 1.5797     $ 1.5194     $ 1.5640     $ 1.5112  
Average Linehaul Tractors
    17,224       17,536       17,618       17,136  
Deadhead Percentage
    11.61 %     12.62 %     12.24 %     12.93 %
Period End Linehaul Tractor Count
                               
Company
    14,713       15,167       14,713       15,167  
Owner Operator
    3,673       3,676       3,673       3,676  
 
                       
Total
    18,386       18,843       18,386       18,843  
 
                       
 
*   In Thousands
Swift Transportation Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries
Selected Balance Sheet Data
(in thousands)
                 
    September 30,     December 31,  
    2005     2004  
Cash
  $ 11,304     $ 28,245  
Total Assets
  $ 2,169,690     $ 2,030,158  
Debt, capital leases and securitization
  $ 608,260     $ 621,992  
Total Liabilities
  $ 1,341,574     $ 1,291,889  
Equity
  $ 828,116     $ 738,269  

 


 

Swift Transportation Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries
Selected Cash Flow Statement Data
(in thousands)
                 
    Nine months ended  
    September 30,  
    2005     2004  
 
               
Net cash provided by operating activities
  $ 263,612     $ 272,456  
 
           
 
               
Capital Expenditures (net of disposal proceeds)
  $ (280,764 )   $ (242,330 )
Other investing activities
    2,135       (4,813 )
 
           
Net cash used in investing activities
  $ (278,629 )   $ (247,143 )
 
           
 
               
Purchase of treasury stock
  $ (0 )   $ (131,155 )
Other financing activities
    (1,716 )     100,226  
 
           
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
  $ (1,716 )   $ (30,929 )