Continued weak demand for intermodal and truckload brokerage services

GREENEVILLE, Tenn.- (BUSINESS WIRE) - October 30, 2023 - Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ:FWRD) (the “Company”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) today reported financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 as presented in the tables below.

Tom Schmitt, Chairman, President and CEO, commenting on third quarter results said, “Precision execution of our revenue growth strategies led to positive volume trends and improved freight quality metrics. In the first weeks of the fourth quarter, we have seen continued momentum with +6% pounds per day growth over the same period in the prior year. In addition to the growth of our LTL volumes, our third quarter of 2023 weight per shipment increased +8% over the same period in the prior year. After a sluggish start to the third quarter, our LTL line of business achieved an operating ratio of approximately 85.5% for September 2023, a sequential improvement of 80 basis points from June 2023.”

Mr. Schmitt continued, “We are growing with both our domestic freight forwarder and direct shipper customers. Subsequent to the announcement of our proposed acquisition of Omni Logistics on August 10, our average daily volumes with domestic freight forwarders increased by more than 14%. In addition, we grew our LTL direct shipper customer count by more than 33% from third quarter of 2022 to third quarter of 2023 to over 240 direct shipper customers. We are winning market share with the direct shipper customer who does not use a domestic freight forwarder. A key focus area has been the expansion of our door-to-door solution. We built a commercial team dedicated to working closely with customers on selecting, pricing and handling freight, and we added new terminals in 2023 that were strategically located in markets closer to current and future customers. In the third quarter of 2023, our door-to-door revenue increased 12% over the same period in the prior year. We believe our service, being the best in the LTL industry in damage-free, intact, on-time shipments, continues to make us the most compelling choice for customers with high value freight needs.”

In closing, Mr. Schmitt said, “Over the next few weeks, we are excited to share the next phase of the Grow Forward revenue strategy that includes a further enhanced LTL focus. Also, to ensure corporate clarity, we are accelerating our strategic portfolio review.”

Regarding the third quarter results, Rebecca J. Garbrick, CFO, said, “Market demand continues to be challenged for our intermodal and truckload brokerage services as both lines of business are navigating an extended weak freight environment. Softer demand for our intermodal and truckload brokerage services combined with a decrease in the price of diesel over the same period in the prior year resulted in a 19% decline in revenues on a consolidated basis, and reported net income per diluted share of $0.36 and adjusted net income per diluted share of $0.99.”

Ms. Garbrick continued, regarding fourth quarter of 2023 guidance, “We expect our year-over-year revenue to decline 7% to 17% and adjusted net income per diluted share in the range of $0.98 to $1.02, compared to reported net income per diluted share of $1.60 and adjusted net income per diluted share of $1.65 in the fourth quarter of 2022.”

On October 24, 2023, our Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.24 per share of common stock. The dividend is payable to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 22, 2023 and is expected to be paid on December 7, 2023. This quarterly dividend is made pursuant to a cash dividend policy approved by the Board of Directors, which anticipates a total annual dividend of $0.96 for the full year 2023, payable in quarterly increments of $0.24 per share of common stock. The actual declaration of future cash dividends, and the establishment of record and payment dates, is subject to final determination by the Board of Directors each quarter after its review of the Company’s financial performance and position.

Forward Air will hold a conference call to discuss third quarter 2023 results on Tuesday, October 31, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. EDT. The Company’s conference call will be available online on the Investor Relations portion of the Company’s website at www.forwardaircorp.com, or by dialing (844) 767-5679, Access Code: 7274129.

A replay of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations portion of the Company’s website at www.forwardaircorp.com, which we use as a primary mechanism to communicate with our investors. Investors are urged to monitor the Investor Relations portion of the Company’s website to easily find or navigate to current and pertinent information about us.

Forward Air is a leading asset-light provider of transportation services across the United States, Canada and Mexico. We provide expedited less-than-truckload (“LTL”) services, including local pick-up and delivery, shipment consolidation/deconsolidation, warehousing, and customs brokerage by utilizing a comprehensive national network of terminals. In addition, we offer final mile services, including delivery of heavy-bulky freight, truckload brokerage services, including dedicated fleet services; and intermodal, first-and last-mile, high-value drayage services, both to and from seaports and railheads, dedicated contract and Container Freight Station warehouse and handling services. We are more than a transportation company. Forward is a single resource for your shipping needs. For more information, visit our website at www.forwardaircorp.com.

In this press release, the Company uses non-GAAP financial measures that are derived on the basis of methodologies other than in accordance with GAAP. The Company believes that meaningful analysis of its financial performance requires an understanding of the factors underlying that performance, including an understanding of items that are non-operational. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in making financial, operating, compensation and planning decisions as well as evaluating the Company’s performance.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, this press release contains the following non-GAAP financial measures: earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), free cash flow, adjusted income from operations, adjusted net income, and adjusted net income per diluted share.

The Company believes that EBITDA improves comparability from period to period by removing the impact of its capital structure (interest and financing expenses), asset base (depreciation and amortization) and tax impacts. The Company believes that free cash flow is an important measure of its ability to repay maturing debt or fund other uses of capital that it believes will enhance shareholder value. The Company believes providing adjusted income from operations, net income and net income per share allows investors to compare Company performance consistently over various periods without regard to the impact of unusual, nonrecurring or nonoperational items.

Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, the Company’s financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP financial information does not represent a comprehensive basis of accounting. As required by the Securities and Exchange Act of 1933 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the Company has included, for the periods indicated, a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

Due to the forward-looking nature of the fourth quarter 2023 guidance for adjusted net income per diluted share, the Company is unable to reconcile this non-GAAP measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure because the comparable GAAP measure is not reasonably accessible or reliable due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting and quantifying measures that would be required for such reconciliation.

The following is a reconciliation of net income to EBITDA for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):

The following is a reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):

The following is a reconciliation of reported income from operations, net income, and net income per diluted share to adjusted income from operations, net income, and net income per diluted share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands, except net income per diluted share):

The following is a reconciliation of reported net income per diluted share to adjusted net income per diluted share for the three months ended December 31, 2022:

1 Net income per diluted share is after tax

The following information is provided to supplement this press release.

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. The following is a list of factors, among others, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements: economic factors such as recessions, inflation, higher interest rates and downturns in customer business cycles, the outcome and related impact of the proposed acquisition of Omni Logistics, continued weakening of the freight environment, future debt and financing levels, the outcome of the transactions involving Omni Logistics, including any legal proceedings related to such transactions, our ability to manage our growth and ability to grow, in part, through acquisitions, (including the acquisition involving Omni Logistics) while being able to successfully integrate such acquisitions, our ability to secure terminal facilities in desirable locations at reasonable rates, more limited liquidity than expected which limits our ability to make key investments, the creditworthiness of our customers and their ability to pay for services rendered, our inability to maintain our historical growth rate because of a decreased volume of freight or decreased average revenue per pound of freight moving through our network, the availability and compensation of qualified Leased Capacity Providers and freight handlers as well as contracted, third-party carriers needed to serve our customers’ transportation needs, our inability to manage our information systems and inability of our information systems to handle an increased volume of freight moving through our network, the occurrence of cybersecurity risks and events, market acceptance of our service offerings, claims for property damage, personal injuries or workers’ compensation, enforcement of and changes in governmental regulations, environmental, tax, insurance and accounting matters, the handling of hazardous materials, changes in fuel prices, loss of a major customer, increasing competition, and pricing pressure, our dependence on our senior management team and the potential effects of changes in employee status, seasonal trends, the occurrence of certain weather events, restrictions in our charter and bylaws and the risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and as may be identified in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

SOURCE: Forward Air Corporation

Forward Air Corporation

Brandon Hammer, 423-636-7173

bhammer@forwardair.com