Note 5 - Property and Equipment

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure [Text Block]

5. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

A summary of property and equipment, at cost, as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 is as follows:

(in thousands)	Estimated Useful Lives (years)			2012		2011
Revenue equipment	3	-	10	$	331,761	$	351,433
Communications equipment	5	-	10		13,089		12,706
Land and improvements	0	-	10		16,658		18,910
Buildings and leasehold improvements	7	-	40		41,050		39,025
Construction in-progress		-			1,310		1,221
Other	2	-	7		16,079		16,756
				$	419,947	$	440,051

Depreciation expense was $47.8 million, $52.6 million, and $55.5 million in 2012, 2011, and 2010, respectively. The aforementioned depreciation expense excludes net gains on the sale of property and equipment totaling $4.9 million, $6.7 million and $4.3 million in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively, which are presented net in depreciation and amortization expense in the consolidated statements of operations.

We lease certain revenue equipment under capital leases with terms of 60 months. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, property and equipment included capitalized leases, which had capitalized costs of $21.3 million and accumulated amortization of $5.5 million and $3.4 million, respectively. Amortization of these leased assets is included in depreciation and amortization expense in the consolidated statement of operations and totaled $2.1 million, $1.8 million, and $1.4 million during 2012, 2011, and 2010, respectively.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for long-lived, physical assets that are used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and other types of furniture and equipment including, but not limited to, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment and software. This disclosure may include property plant and equipment accounting policies and methodology, a schedule of property, plant and equipment gross, additions, deletions, transfers and other changes, depreciation, depletion and amortization expense, net, accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization expense and useful lives, income statement disclosures, assets held for sale and public utility disclosures.

+ References+ Details