Covenant Logistics Group, Inc., a Nevada holding company, together with its wholly owned subsidiaries offers transportation and logistics services to customers throughout the continental United States.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Covenant Logistics Group, Inc., a holding company incorporated in the state of Nevada in 1994, and its wholly owned subsidiaries: Covenant Transport, Inc., a Tennessee corporation; Star Transportation, LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company, each d/b/a Covenant Transport Services and Covenant Logistics; Southern Refrigerated Transport, LLC, an Arkansas limited liability company; Covenant Transport Solutions, LLC, a Nevada limited liability company; Covenant Logistics, Inc., a Nevada corporation; Covenant Asset Management, LLC, a Nevada limited liability company; CTG Leasing Company, a Nevada corporation; IQS Insurance Risk Retention Group, Inc., a Vermont corporation; Heritage Insurance, Inc., a Tennessee corporation; Landair Holdings, Inc., a Tennessee corporation (collectively "Landair"); Landair Transport, Inc., a Tennessee corporation; Landair Logistics, Inc., a Tennessee corporation; Landair Leasing, Inc., a Tennessee corporation; AAT Carriers, Inc., a Tennessee corporation ("AAT"), Lew Thompson & Son Trucking, Inc., an Arkansas corporation, Lew Thompson & Son Leasing, Inc., an Arkansas corporation, Lew Thompson & Son Dedicated Leasing Inc., an Arkansas corporation, Josh Thompson Trucking, Inc., an Arkansas corporation, Sims Transport Services LLC, a Georgia limited liability company, and Transport Management Services, LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company.

References in this report to "it," "we," "us," "our," the "Company," and similar expressions refer to Covenant Logistics Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

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Expedited: The Expedited reportable segment primarily provides truckload services to customers with high service freight and delivery standards, such as 1,000 miles in 22 hours, or 15-minute delivery windows. Expedited services generally require two-person driver teams on equipment either owned or leased by the Company.

●	Dedicated: The Dedicated reportable segment provides customers with committed truckload capacity over contracted periods with the goal of three to five years in length. Equipment is either owned or leased by the Company.

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Managed Freight: The Managed Freight reportable segment includes our brokerage and transport management services ("TMS"). Brokerage services provide logistics capacity by outsourcing the carriage of customers' freight to third-parties. TMS provides comprehensive logistics services on a contractual basis to customers who prefer to outsource their logistics needs.

●	Warehousing: The Warehousing reportable segment provides day-to-day warehouse management services to customers who have chosen to outsource this function. We also provide shuttle and switching services related to shuttling containers and trailers in or around freight yards and to/from warehouses.

The following table summarizes our revenue by our four reportable segments, at the service offering level, as used by our chief operating decision maker in making decisions regarding allocation of resources, etc., for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021:

Transport Enterprise Leasing, LLC ("TEL") is a tractor and trailer equipment leasing company and used equipment reseller. We evaluated our investment in TEL to determine whether it should be recorded on a consolidated basis. Our percentage of ownership interest (49%), an evaluation of control, and whether a variable interest entity ("VIE") existed were all considered in our consolidation assessment. Based on the analysis, the Company is not the primary beneficiary of TEL and TEL should not be consolidated. We have accounted for our investment in TEL using the equity method of accounting given our 49% ownership interest and ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies. Under the equity method, the cost of our investment is adjusted for our share of equity in the earnings of TEL and reduced by distributions received and our proportionate share of TEL's net income is included in our earnings.

On a periodic basis, we assess whether there are any indicators that the fair value of our investment in TEL may be impaired. The investment is impaired only if the estimate of the fair value of the investment is less than the carrying value of the investment, and such decline in value is deemed to be other than temporary. To the extent impairment has occurred, the loss would be measured as the excess of the carrying amount of the investment over the fair value of the investment. As a result of TEL's earnings, no impairment indicators were noted that would provide for impairment of our investment during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.

Our insurance program includes multi-year policies with specific insurance limits that may be eroded over the course of the policy term. If that occurs, we will be operating with less liability coverage insurance at various levels of our insurance tower. For the policy period that ran from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2021, the aggregate limits available in the coverage layer $9.0 million in excess of $1.0 million were fully eroded based on claims expense accruals. We replaced our $9.0 million in excess of $1.0 million layer with a new $7.0 million in excess of $3.0 million policy that runs from January 28, 2021 to April 1, 2024. Due to the erosion of the $9.0 million in excess of $1.0 million layer, any adverse developments in claims filed between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2021, could result in additional expense accruals. Due to these developments, we may experience additional expense accruals, increased insurance and claims expenses, and greater volatility in our insurance and claims expenses, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Revenue, drivers' wages, and other direct operating expenses generated by our Expedited and Dedicated reportable segments are recognized proportionally as the transportation service is performed based on the percentage of miles completed as of the period end. Revenue is recognized on a gross basis at amounts charged to our customers because we control and are primarily responsible for the fulfillment of the promised service. Revenue includes transportation revenue, fuel surcharges, loading and unloading activities, equipment detention, and other accessorial services.

Revenue generated by our Managed Freight reportable segment is recognized proportionally as the services are provided based on the percentage of completion method using the estimated time elapsed as of the period end. Revenue is recorded on a gross basis, without deducting third-party purchased transportation costs, as we act as a principal with substantial risks as primary obligor. Revenue for the Warehousing reportable segment is generally recognized as the service is performed, based upon a weekly rate.

There are no assets or liabilities recorded in conjunction with revenue recognized, other than accounts receivable and allowance for credit losses. We recognized in-process revenue of $1.1 million, $1.4 million, and $0.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. We had accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses, of $142.5 million and $119.8 million at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires us to make decisions based upon estimates, assumptions, and factors we consider as relevant to the circumstances. Such decisions include the selection of applicable accounting principles and the use of judgment in their application, the results of which impact reported amounts and disclosures. Changes in future economic conditions or other business circumstances may affect the outcomes of our estimates and assumptions. Accordingly, actual results could differ from those anticipated.

We consider all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less at acquisition to be cash equivalents. Additionally, we are also subject to concentrations of credit risk related to deposits in banks in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation limits. At December 31, 2023, we had $1.5 million in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insured limits.

We extend credit to our customers in the normal course of business, which are generally due within 30-45 days of the services performed, however, we have extended terms of up to 120 days with a small number of larger customers. We perform ongoing credit evaluations and generally do not require collateral. Trade accounts receivable are recorded at their invoiced amounts, net of allowance for credit losses. We evaluate the adequacy of our allowance for credit losses quarterly. Accounts outstanding longer than contractual payment terms are considered past due and are reviewed individually for collectability. We maintain reserves for potential credit losses based upon loss history, specific receivables aging analysis, and other factors, including those related to current market conditions and events. Receivable balances are written off when collection is deemed unlikely.

Accounts receivable are comprised of a diversified customer base that mitigates the level of concentration of credit risk. During 2023, 2022, and 2021, our top ten customers generated 44%, 43%, and 53% of total revenue, respectively. There was one customer in 2023, and none in 2022 or 2021 that accounted for more than 10% of our consolidated revenue. The carrying amount reported in the consolidated balance sheet for accounts receivable approximates fair value based on the fact that the receivables collection averaged approximately 49 days and 40 days in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The following table provides a summary (in thousands) of the activity in the allowance for credit losses for 2023, 2022, and 2021:

Inventories and supplies consist of parts, tires, fuel, and supplies. Tires on new revenue equipment are capitalized as a component of the related equipment cost when the tractor or trailer is placed in service and recognized through depreciation over the life of the vehicle. Replacement tires and parts on hand at year end are recorded at the lower of cost or net realizable value with cost determined using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. Replacement tires are expensed when placed in service.

Assets held for sale include property and revenue equipment no longer utilized in continuing operations which are available and held for sale. Assets held for sale are no longer subject to depreciation, and are recorded at the lower of depreciated book value or fair market value less selling costs. We periodically review the carrying value of these assets for possible impairment. We expect to sell these assets within twelve months.

Property and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation for book purposes is determined using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Depreciation of revenue equipment is our largest item of depreciation. We generally depreciate new tractors over five years to salvage values that range from 0% to 35% of their cost, depending on the reportable segment profile of the equipment. We generally depreciate new trailers over seven years for refrigerated trailers and ten years for dry van trailers to salvage values of approximately 28% and 25% of their cost, respectively. We annually review the reasonableness of our estimates regarding useful lives and salvage values of our revenue equipment and other long-lived assets based upon, among other things, our experience with similar assets, conditions in the used revenue equipment market, and prevailing industry practice. Changes in the useful life or salvage value estimates, or fluctuations in market values that are not reflected in our estimates, could have a material effect on our results of operations.

We lease certain revenue equipment under finance and operating leases with terms of approximately 48 to 84 months. Amortization of assets under finance and operating leases are included in depreciation and amortization expense and revenue and equipment rentals and purchased transportation, respectively.

A portion of our tractors are protected by binding trade-back agreements with the manufacturers. The remainder of our tractors and substantially all of our owned trailers are subject to fluctuations in market prices for used revenue equipment. Moreover, our trade-back agreements are contingent upon reaching acceptable terms for the purchase of new equipment. Declines in the price of used revenue equipment or failure to reach agreement for the purchase of new tractors with the manufacturers issuing trade-back agreements could result in impairment of, or losses on the sale of, revenue equipment.

We classify intangible assets into two categories: (i) intangible assets with finite lives subject to amortization and (ii) goodwill. We test goodwill for impairment annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. We test intangible assets with finite lives for impairment if conditions exist that indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Such conditions may include an economic downturn in a geographic market or a change in the assessment of future operations. We record an impairment charge when the carrying value of the finite lived intangible asset is not recoverable by the cash flows generated from the use of the asset.

We determine the useful lives of our identifiable intangible assets after considering the specific facts and circumstances related to each intangible asset. Factors we consider when determining useful lives include the contractual term of any agreement, the history of the asset, our long-term strategy for the use of the asset, any laws or other local regulations which could impact the useful life of the asset, and other economic factors, including competition and specific market conditions. Intangible assets that are deemed to have finite lives are amortized, generally on a straight-line basis, over their remaining useful lives, ranging from 3 to 17 years.

Pursuant to applicable accounting standards, revenue equipment and other long-lived assets are tested for impairment whenever an event occurs that indicates an impairment may exist. Expected future cash flows are used to analyze whether an impairment has occurred. If the sum of expected undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying value of the long-lived asset, then an impairment loss is recognized. We measure the impairment loss by comparing the fair value of the asset less its disposal cost to its carrying value. Fair value is determined based on a discounted cash flow analysis or the appraised value of the assets, as appropriate.

Pursuant to applicable accounting standards, revenue equipment and other long-lived assets are tested for impairment whenever an event occurs that indicates impairment may exist. Expected future cash flows are used to analyze whether an impairment has occurred. If the sum of expected undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying value of the long-lived asset, then an impairment loss is recognized. We measure the impairment loss by comparing the fair value of the asset to its carrying value. Fair value is determined based on a discounted cash flow analysis or the appraised value of the assets, as appropriate. There were no impairment events during the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.

Accrued expenses as of December 31, 2023, were $59.1 million of which $25.9 million related to accrued payroll and related items and $8.4 million related to accrued purchased transportation. As of December 31, 2022, accrued expenses were $59.1 million of which $24.6 million related to accrued payroll and related items and $7.8 million related to accrued purchased transportation.

The primary claims arising against us consist of auto liability (personal injury and property damage), workers' compensation, cargo, commercial liability, and employee medical expenses. At December 31, 2023, our insurance program involves self-insurance with the following risk retention levels (before giving effect to any commutation of an auto liability policy):

Due to our significant self-insured retention amounts, we have exposure to fluctuations in the number and severity of claims and to variations between our estimated and actual ultimate payouts. We record a liability for the estimated cost of the uninsured portion of pending claims and the estimated allocated loss adjustment expenses including legal and other direct costs associated with a claim. Estimates require judgments concerning the nature and severity of the claim, historical trends, advice from third-party administrators and insurers, the size of any potential damage award based on factors such as the specific facts of individual cases, the jurisdictions involved, the prospect of punitive damages, future medical costs, and inflation estimates of future claims development, and the legal and other costs to settle or defend the claims. We have significant exposure to fluctuations in the number and severity of claims. If there is an increase in the frequency or severity of claims, or we are required to accrue or pay additional amounts if the claims prove to be more severe than originally assessed, or any of the claims would exceed the limits of our insurance coverage, our profitability could be adversely affected.

In addition to estimates within our self-insured retention layers, we also must make judgments concerning claims where we have third-party insurance and for claims outside our coverage limits. Upon settling claims and expenses associated with claims where we have third-party coverage, we are generally required to initially fund payment to the claimant and seek reimbursement from the insurer. We had $0.8 million and $0.0 million receivables from insurers for claims and expenses we paid on behalf of insurers at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively which are included in drivers' advances and other receivables on our consolidated balance sheet. Additionally, we accrue claims above our self-insured retention and record a corresponding receivable for amounts we expect to collect from insurers upon settlement of such claims. We have $0.0 million and $0.7 million as other short-term assets and a corresponding accrual in the short-term portion of insurance and claims accruals and $1.3 million and $0.0 million as other long-term assets and as a corresponding accrual in the long-term portion of insurance and claims accruals on our consolidated balance sheet for claims above our self-insured retention for which we believe it is reasonably assured that the insurers will provide their portion of such claims at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We evaluate collectability of the receivables based on the credit worthiness and surplus of the insurers, along with our prior experience and contractual terms with each. If any claim occurrence were to exceed our aggregate coverage limits, we would have to accrue for the excess amount. Our critical estimates include evaluating whether a claim may exceed such limits and, if so, by how much.

We also make judgments regarding the ultimate benefit versus risk of commuting certain periods within our auto liability policy. If we commute a policy, we assume 100% risk for covered claims in exchange for a policy refund.

Our prior auto liability policies have sometimes included a release premium refund or commutation option that we have sometimes exercised, although we do not have either of these options in our current policies. Management cannot predict whether or not future claims or the development of existing claims will justify a commutation of other policy periods, and accordingly, no related amounts were recorded at December 31, 2023 or 2022. We carry excess policy layers above the primary auto liability policy described above.

We capitalize interest on major projects during construction. Interest is capitalized based on the average interest rate on related debt. Capitalized interest was $0.3 million, $0.3 million, and less than $0.1 million in 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

Our financial instruments consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, available-for-sale securities, accounts payable, debt, and interest rate swaps. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and current debt approximates their fair value because of the short-term maturity of these instruments. Interest rates that are currently available to us for issuance of long-term debt with similar terms and remaining maturities are used to estimate the fair value of our long-term debt, which primarily consists of revenue equipment installment notes. The fair value of our revenue equipment installment notes approximated the carrying value at December 31, 2023, as the weighted average interest rate on these notes approximates the market rate for similar debt. Borrowings under our revolving Credit Facility approximate fair value due to the variable interest rate on the facility. The fair value of our interest rate swap agreement is determined using the market-standard methodology of netting the discounted future fixed-cash payments and the discounted expected variable-cash receipts. The variable-cash receipts are based on an expectation of future interest rates (forward curves) derived from observable market interest rate curves. These analyses reflect the contractual terms of the swap, including the period to maturity, and use observable market-based inputs, including interest rate curves and implied volatilities. The fair value calculation also includes an amount for risk of non-performance of our counterparties using "significant unobservable inputs" such as estimates of current credit spreads to evaluate the likelihood of default, which we have determined to be insignificant to the overall fair value of our interest rate swap agreements.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. We have reflected the net liability after offsetting our deferred tax assets and liabilities in the deferred income taxes line in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. We believe the future tax deductions will be realized principally through future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences and future taxable income, except for when a valuation allowance has been provided as discussed in Note 12.

In the ordinary course of business there is inherent uncertainty in quantifying our income tax positions. We assess our income tax positions and record tax benefits for all years subject to examination based upon management's evaluation of the facts, circumstances, and information available at the reporting dates. For those tax positions where it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will be sustained, we have recorded the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. For those income tax positions where it is not more likely than not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit has been recognized in the financial statements. Potential accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are recognized as a component of income tax expense.

Our policy is to recognize income tax benefit arising from the exercise of stock options and restricted share vesting based on the ordering provisions of the tax law as prescribed by the Internal Revenue Code, including indirect tax effects, if any.

At the commencement date of a new lease agreement with contractual terms longer than twelve months, we recognize an asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet and categorize the lease as either finance or operating. Certain lease agreements have lease and non-lease components, and we have elected to account for these components separately.

Right-of-use assets and lease liabilities are initially recorded based on the present value of lease payments over the term of the lease. When the rate implicit in the lease is readily determinable, this rate is used for calculating the present value of remaining lease payments; otherwise, our incremental borrowing rate is used. The incremental borrowing rate represents an estimate of the interest rate we would incur at the lease commencement to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments on a collateralized basis over the term of the lease. Right-of-use assets also include prepaid lease expenses and initial direct costs of executing the leases, which are reduced by landlord incentives. Options to extend or terminate a lease agreement are included in or excluded from the lease term, respectively, when those options are reasonably certain to be exercised. Right-of-use assets are tested for impairment in the same manner as long-lived assets.

Finance lease obligations are utilized to finance a portion of our revenue equipment and are entered into with certain finance companies who are not parties to our Credit Facility and may contain guarantees of the residual value of the related equipment by us. As such, the residual guarantees are included in the related debt balance as a balloon payment at the end of the related term as well as included in the future minimum finance lease payments. These lease agreements require us to pay personal property taxes, maintenance, and operating expenses. Our operating lease obligations do not typically include residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.

Right-of-use assets are included in net property and equipment. For finance leases, right-of-use assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the expected useful life or the lease term, and the carrying amount of the lease liability is adjusted to reflect interest expense, which is recorded in interest expense, net. Operating lease right-of-use assets are amortized over the lease term on a straight-line basis, and the lease liability is measured at the present value of the remaining lease payments. Variable lease payments not included in the lease liability for mileage charges on leased revenue equipment are expensed as incurred. Operating lease costs are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease within operating expenses.

The shares of Class A and B common stock are substantially identical except that the Class B shares are entitled to two votes per share and immediately convert to Class A shares if beneficially owned by anyone other than our Chief Executive Officer or certain members of his immediate family, while Class A shares are entitled to one vote per share. The terms of any future issuances of preferred shares will be set by our Board.

Basic income per share excludes dilution and is computed by dividing earnings available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted income per share reflects the dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock that then shared in our earnings. There were approximately 245,000 shares, 358,000 shares, and 217,000 shares issuable upon conversion of unvested restricted shares for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. There were no unvested shares excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share as the effect of any assumed exercise of the related awards would not have been anti-dilutive for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021. There were approximately 541,000 shares, 161,000 shares, and no shares issuable upon conversion of unvested employee stock options for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. There were no, 104, and 124,000 unvested options excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share since the effect of any assumed exercise of the related awards would be anti-dilutive for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

The following table sets forth the calculation of net income per share included in the consolidated statements of operations for each of the three years ended December 31:

We issue several types of stock-based compensation, including awards that vest based on service, market, and performance conditions or a combination of the conditions. Performance-based and market-based awards vest contingent upon meeting certain performance or market criteria, respectively, established by the Compensation Committee of the Board. All awards require future service. For performance-based awards, determining the appropriate amount to expense in each period is based on likelihood and timing of achieving the stated targets for performance-based awards and requires judgment, including forecasting future financial results. The estimates are revised periodically based on the probability and timing of achieving the required performance and adjustments are made as appropriate. Awards that are only subject to time vesting provisions are amortized using the straight-line method.

In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2023-07, Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures (Topic 280). This ASU updates reportable segment disclosure requirements by requiring disclosures of significant reportable segment expenses that are regularly provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) and included within each reported measure of a segment's profit or loss. This ASU also requires disclosure of the title and position of the individual identified as the CODM and an explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measures of a segment’s profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources. The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Adoption of the ASU should be applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. Early adoption is also permitted. This ASU will likely result in us including the additional required disclosures when adopted. We are currently evaluating the provisions of this ASU and expect to adopt them for the year ending December 31, 2024.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. This new guidance is designed to enhance the transparency and decision usefulness of income tax disclosures. The amendments of this update are related to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid, requiring (1) consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information in the rate reconciliation and (2) income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. ASU 2023-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact that adopting this new accounting standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which will require an entity to measure credit losses for certain financial instruments and financial assets, including trade receivables. Under this update, on initial recognition and at each reporting period, an entity will be required to recognize an allowance that reflects the entity’s current estimate of credit losses expected to be incurred over the life of the financial instrument. This update became effective for us for our annual reporting period beginning January 1, 2023, including interim periods within that reporting period. The adoption of this standard had an immaterial impact on our consolidated financial statements.

There are no other new accounting pronouncements that are expected to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.