NOTE J – OPERATING SEGMENT DATA

The Company uses the “management approach” to determine its reportable operating segments, as well as to determine the basis of reporting the operating segment information. The management approach focuses on financial information that the Company’s management uses to make operating decisions. Management uses revenues, operating expense categories, operating ratios, operating income, and key operating statistics to evaluate performance and allocate resources to the Company’s operations.

As disclosed in the Company’s 2017 10-K, the Company modified the presentation of segment expenses allocated from shared services, during the third quarter of 2017. Previously, expenses related to company-wide functions were allocated to segment expense line items by type of expense. Allocated expenses are now presented on a single shared services line within the Company’s operating segment disclosures. Reclassifications have been made to the prior period operating segment expenses to conform to the current year presentation. There was no impact on each segment’s total expenses as a result of the reclassifications.

Shared services represent costs incurred to support all segments, including sales, pricing, customer service, marketing, capacity sourcing functions, human resources, financial services, information technology, legal, and other company-wide services. Certain overhead costs are not attributable to any segment and remain unallocated in “Other and eliminations.” Included in unallocated costs are expenses related to investor relations, legal, the ArcBest Board of Directors, and certain executive compensation. Shared services costs attributable to the operating segments are predominantly allocated based upon estimated and planned resource utilization-related metrics such as estimated shipment levels, number of pricing proposals, or number of personnel supported. The bases for such charges are modified and adjusted by management when necessary or appropriate to reflect fairly and equitably the actual incidence of cost incurred by the operating segments. Management believes the methods used to allocate expenses are reasonable.

Effective January 1, 2018, the Company retrospectively adopted an amendment to ASC Topic 715 which requires changes to the financial statement presentation of certain components of net periodic benefit cost related to pension and other postretirement benefits accounted for under ASC Topic 715. As a result of adopting this amendment, the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost continues to be included in operating expenses in the consolidated financial statements, but the other components of net periodic benefit cost, including pension settlement expense, are presented in other income (costs) for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017. The adoption of this accounting policy is further discussed in Note A and the detail of our net periodic benefit costs are presented in Note F.

The Company’s reportable operating segments are impacted by seasonal fluctuations which affect tonnage, shipment levels, and demand for services, as described below; therefore, operating results for the interim periods presented may not necessarily be indicative of the results for the fiscal year.

The Company’s reportable operating segments are as follows:

Asset-Based, which includes the results of operations of ABF Freight System, Inc. and certain other subsidiaries. The operations include national, inter-regional, and regional transportation of general commodities through standard, expedited, and guaranteed LTL services. In addition, the segment operations include freight transportation related to certain consumer household goods self-move services.

Freight shipments and operating costs of the Asset-Based segment can be adversely affected by inclement weather conditions. The second and third calendar quarters of each year usually have the highest tonnage levels while the first quarter generally has the lowest, although other factors, including the state of the U.S. and global economies, may influence quarterly freight tonnage levels.

The ArcBest segment includes the results of operations of the Company’s expedite, truckload, and truckload-dedicated businesses as well as its premium logistics services; international freight transportation with air, ocean, and ground service offerings; household goods moving services to consumer, commercial, and government customers; warehousing management and distribution services; and managed transportation solutions. Under the Company’s enhanced marketing approach to offer customers a single source of end-to-end logistics, the service offerings of the ArcBest segment continue to become more integrated. As such, management’s operating decisions have become more focused on the segment’s combined operations, rather than on individual service offerings within the segment’s operations.

ArcBest segment operations are influenced by seasonal fluctuations that impact customers’ supply chains. The second and third calendar quarters of each year usually have the highest shipment levels while the first quarter generally has the lowest, although other factors, including the state of the U.S. and global economies, may impact quarterly business levels. Shipments of the ArcBest segment may decline during winter months because of post-holiday slowdowns, but expedite shipments can be subject to short-term increases depending on the impact of weather disruptions to customers’ supply chains. Plant shutdowns during summer months may affect shipments for automotive and manufacturing customers of the ArcBest segment, but severe weather events can result in higher demand for expedite services. Moving services of the ArcBest segment are impacted by seasonal fluctuations, generally resulting in higher business levels in the second and third quarters as the demand for household goods moving services is typically stronger in the summer months.

FleetNet includes the results of operations of FleetNet America, Inc. and certain other subsidiaries that provide roadside assistance and maintenance management services for commercial vehicles through a network of third-party service providers. FleetNet also provides services to the Asset-Based and ArcBest segments.

Emergency roadside service events of the FleetNet segment are favorably impacted by severe weather conditions that affect commercial vehicle operations and the segment’s results of operations will be influenced by seasonal variations in service event volume.

The Company’s other business activities and operating segments that are not reportable include ArcBest Corporation and certain other subsidiaries. Certain costs incurred by the parent holding company and the Company’s shared services subsidiary are allocated to the reporting segments. The Company eliminates intercompany transactions in consolidation. However, the information used by the Company’s management with respect to its reportable segments is before intersegment eliminations of revenues and expenses.

Further classifications of operations or revenues by geographic location are impracticable and, therefore, are not provided. The Company’s foreign operations are not significant.

The following tables reflect reportable operating segment information:


	Three Months Ended
	March 31
	2018		2017
	(in thousands)
REVENUES
Asset-Based	$	482,115	$	464,356
ArcBest		181,933		152,876
FleetNet		47,759		40,238
Other and eliminations		(11,806)		(6,382)
Total consolidated revenues	$	700,001	$	651,088

OPERATING EXPENSES(1)
Asset-Based
Salaries, wages, and benefits	$	269,779	$	279,380
Fuel, supplies, and expenses		62,193		58,390
Operating taxes and licenses		11,756		11,823
Insurance		6,628		7,118
Communications and utilities		4,521		4,517
Depreciation and amortization		20,930		20,519
Rents and purchased transportation		46,133		46,426
Shared services(2)		45,607		43,503
Gain on sale of property and equipment		(133)		(617)
Other		1,299		1,505
Restructuring costs(3)		—		140
Total Asset-Based		468,713		472,704

ArcBest
Purchased transportation		148,372		121,987
Supplies and expenses		3,230		3,670
Depreciation and amortization		3,408		3,266
Shared services(2)		21,868		19,586
Other		1,881		2,464
Restructuring costs(3)		9		810
Total ArcBest		178,768		151,783

FleetNet		46,238		39,217
Other and eliminations		(6,443)		(2,716)
Total consolidated operating expenses	$	687,276	$	660,988

⁽¹⁾

As previously discussed in this Note, the Company retrospectively adopted an amendment to ASC Topic 715, effective January 1, 2018, which requires the components of net periodic benefit cost other than service cost to be presented within other income (costs) in the consolidated financial statements and, therefore, excluded from the presentation of operating segment data within this table.

⁽²⁾

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year’s operating segment data to conform to the current year presentation, reflecting the modified presentation of segment expenses allocated from shared services as previously discussed in this Note.

⁽³⁾

Restructuring costs relate to the realignment of the Company’s corporate structure (see Note K).


	Three Months Ended
	March 31
	2018		2017
	(in thousands)
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)(1)
Asset-Based	$	13,402	$	(8,348)
ArcBest		3,165		1,093
FleetNet		1,521		1,021
Other and eliminations		(5,363)		(3,666)
Total consolidated operating income (loss)	$	12,725	$	(9,900)

OTHER INCOME (COSTS)
Interest and dividend income	$	526	$	274
Interest and other related financing costs		(2,059)		(1,315)
Other, net(1)(2)		(2,201)		(1,706)
Total other income (costs)		(3,734)		(2,747)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES	$	8,991	$	(12,647)

⁽¹⁾

As previously discussed in this Note, for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, the components of net periodic benefit cost other than service cost are presented within other income (costs) rather than within operating income (loss) in accordance with an amendment to ASC Topic 715, which the Company adopted retrospectively effective January 1, 2018.

⁽²⁾

Includes proceeds and changes in cash surrender value of life insurance policies.

The following table presents operating expenses by category on a consolidated basis:


	Three Months Ended
	2018		2017
	(in thousands)
OPERATING EXPENSES
Salaries, wages, and benefits	$	328,757	$	332,590
Rents, purchased transportation, and other costs of services		223,756		199,871
Fuel, supplies, and expenses		78,646		72,662
Depreciation and amortization(1)		26,486		25,394
Other		29,255		28,840
Restructuring costs(2)		376		1,631
	$	687,276	$	660,988

⁽¹⁾

Includes amortization of intangible assets.

⁽²⁾

Restructuring costs relate to the realignment of the Company’s corporate structure (see Note K).