Note 4 - Property and Equipment

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Notes to Financial Statements

Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure [Text Block]

4. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

A summary of property and equipment, at cost, as of

December 31, 

2018

and 

2017

is as follows:

(in thousands)	Estimated Useful Lives		2018		2017
Revenue equipment		3-10 years	$	504,192	$	519,797
Communications equipment		5-10 years		3,850		4,585
Land and improvements		0-15 years		25,240		25,061
Buildings and leasehold improvements		7-40 years		75,134		74,513
Construction in-progress		-		3,121		2,023
Other		2-10 years		27,233		25,009
			$	638,770	$	650,988

Depreciation expense was

$74.4

million

,

$72.4

million

, and

$71.4

million

, in

2018

,

2017

, and

2016

, respectively. This depreciation expense excludes net losses on the sale of property and equipment totaling 

$0.3

million

,

$4.0

million

, and 

$0.8

million

in

2018

,

2017

, and

2016

, respectively, which are presented net of gains on sale in depreciation and amortization expense in the consolidated statements of operations.

We lease certain revenue equipment under capital leases with terms of approximately

60

to

84

months. At

December 31,

2018

and

2017

, property and equipment included capitalized leases, which had capitalized costs of 

$55.4

million

and 

$30.5

million

and accumulated amortization of 

$15.6

million

and

$5.4

million

, respectively. Amortization of these leased assets is included in depreciation and amortization expense in the consolidated statement of operations and totaled

$5.4

million

,

$2.6

million

, and 

$1.6

million

during

2018

,

2017

, and

2016

, respectively.