Landstar System Reports Fourth Quarter Revenue of $1.209B and Earnings Per Share of $1.31

Written by Customer Service on January 29, 2025. Posted in Earnings Releases And Operating Results.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Landstar System, Inc. (NASDAQ: LSTR) (“Landstar” or the “Company”) today reported basic and diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) of $1.31 in the 2024 fourth quarter on revenue of $1.209 billion. “The Landstar team of independent business owners and employees continued to perform admirably, despite the continuation of a challenging freight backdrop,” said Landstar President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Lonegro. “I was encouraged to see year-over-year quarterly revenue growth for the first time since the 2022 third quarter. The year-over-year revenue growth was achieved via a sequential increase in overall truck pricing as compared to the 2024 third quarter and a strong revenue performance specific to our unsided/platform service offering. We look to build on this revenue per load momentum as we begin the 2025 fiscal year. Our network of Landstar BCOs, agents and employees are optimistic for an improved freight transportation environment and will continue to strive each day to improve our safety performance and deliver great service to our customers.”

Landstar continues to return capital to stockholders through the Company’s stock purchase program and dividends. During the 2024 fiscal year, Landstar purchased approximately 452,000 shares of its common stock at an aggregate cost of $82.1 million and paid $120.5 million to stockholders in the form of cash dividends. The Company is currently authorized to purchase up to an additional 2,547,981 shares of the Company’s common stock under its longstanding share purchase program. Landstar also announced today that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.36 per share payable on March 11, 2025, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 18, 2025.

	4Q 2024		4Q 2023
Revenue	$	1,209,330	$	1,204,445
Gross profit	$	109,423	$	124,594
Variable contribution	$	166,523	$	178,146
Operating income	$	57,771	$	74,567
Basic and diluted earnings per share	$	1.31	$	1.62

(1) Dollars above in thousands, except per share amounts.

(2) Please refer to the Consolidated Statements of Income and Reconciliation of Gross Profit to Variable Contribution included below.

Total revenue was $1,209 million in the 2024 fourth quarter, compared to $1,204 million in the 2023 fourth quarter. Truck transportation revenue hauled by independent business capacity owners (“BCOs”) and truck brokerage carriers in the 2024 fourth quarter was $1,081 million, or 89% of revenue, compared to $1,085 million, or 90% of revenue, in the 2023 fourth quarter. Truckload transportation revenue hauled via van equipment in the 2024 fourth quarter was $597 million, compared to $619 million in the 2023 fourth quarter. Truckload transportation revenue hauled via unsided/platform equipment in the 2024 fourth quarter was $362 million, compared to $340 million in the 2023 fourth quarter. Revenue from other truck transportation, which is largely related to power-only services, in each of the 2024 and 2023 fourth quarters was $100 million. Revenue hauled by rail, air and ocean cargo carriers was $107 million, or 9% of revenue, in the 2024 fourth quarter, compared to $89 million, or 7% of revenue, in the 2023 fourth quarter.

The number of loads hauled via truck declined 3.4% in the 2024 fourth quarter as compared to the 2023 fourth quarter. This performance was slightly better than the low-end of the Company’s guidance included in its 2024 third quarter earnings release slide presentation, dated October 29, 2024. Truck revenue per load increased 3.1% in the 2024 fourth quarter as compared to the 2023 fourth quarter, in the upper half of the range of the Company’s previously provided guidance. While actual fourth quarter revenue exceeded the mid-point of the Company’s previously issued guidance, basic and diluted earnings per share fell below the mid-point of the guidance, primarily attributable to a lower than anticipated variable contribution margin and elevated insurance and claim costs, partially offset by a lower than anticipated effective income tax rate. Insurance and claims costs were 6.7% of BCO revenue during the 2024 fourth quarter, well above the Company’s average historical experience from the 2019 fiscal year through the 2023 fiscal year of 4.7%, primarily driven by both increased cargo claim costs related to fraud and theft in the supply chain and increased auto liability claim costs.

Gross profit in the 2024 fourth quarter was $109 million and variable contribution (defined as revenue less the cost of purchased transportation and commissions to agents) in the 2024 fourth quarter was $167 million. Gross profit in the 2023 fourth quarter was $125 million and variable contribution in the 2023 fourth quarter was $178 million. Reconciliations of gross profit to variable contribution and gross profit margin to variable contribution margin for the 2024 and 2023 fourth quarters and year-to-date periods are provided in the Company’s accompanying financial disclosures.

The Company’s balance sheet continues to be very strong, with cash and short-term investments of approximately $567 million as of December 28, 2024. Trailing twelve-month return on average shareholders’ equity was 20%, and return on invested capital, representing net income divided by the sum of average equity plus average debt, was 18%.

Landstar will provide a live webcast of its quarterly earnings conference call this evening at 4:30 p.m. ET. To access the webcast, visit www.investor.landstar.com; click on “Webcasts,” then click on “Landstar’s Fourth Quarter 2024 Earnings Release Conference Call.” A slide presentation to accompany the webcast presentation is also available on Landstar’s investor relations website at https://investor.landstar.com/.

About Landstar:
Landstar System, Inc., is a technology-enabled, asset-light provider of integrated transportation management solutions delivering safe, specialized transportation services to a broad range of customers utilizing a network of agents, third-party capacity providers and employees. Landstar transportation services companies are certified to ISO 9001:2015 quality management system standards and RC14001:2015 environmental, health, safety and security management system standards. Landstar System, Inc. is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Its common stock trades on The NASDAQ Stock Market® under the symbol LSTR.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures:
In this earnings release and accompanying financial disclosures, the Company provides the following information that may be deemed non-GAAP financial measures: variable contribution and variable contribution margin. The Company believes variable contribution and variable contribution margin are useful measures of the variable costs that we incur at a shipment-by-shipment level attributable to our transportation network of third-party capacity providers and independent agents in order to provide services to our customers. The Company also believes that it is appropriate to present each of the financial measures that may be deemed a non-GAAP financial measure, as referred to above, for the following reasons: (1) disclosure of these matters will allow investors to better understand the underlying trends in the Company’s financial condition and results of operations; (2) this information will facilitate comparisons by investors of the Company’s results as compared to the results of peer companies; and (3) management considers this financial information in its decision making.

Forward Looking Statements Disclaimer:
The following is a “safe harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements contained in this press release that are not based on historical facts are “forward-looking statements.” This press release contains forward-looking statements, such as statements which relate to Landstar’s business objectives, plans, strategies and expectations. Terms such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “intention,” “expects,” “plans,” “predicts,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “will,” the negative thereof and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are by nature subject to uncertainties and risks, including but not limited to: an increase in the frequency or severity of accidents or other claims; unfavorable development of existing accident claims; dependence on third party insurance companies; dependence on independent commission sales agents; dependence on third party capacity providers; the impact of the Russian conflict with Ukraine on the operations of certain independent commission sales agents, including the Company’s largest such agent by revenue in the 2023 fiscal year; decreased demand for transportation services; U.S. trade relationships; substantial industry competition; disruptions or failures in the Company’s computer systems; cyber and other information security incidents; dependence on key vendors; potential changes in taxes; status of independent contractors; regulatory and legislative changes; regulations focused on diesel emissions and other air quality matters; regulations requiring the purchase and use of zero-emission vehicles; intellectual property; and other operational, financial or legal risks or uncertainties detailed in Landstar’s Form 10-K for the 2023 fiscal year, described in Item 1A Risk Factors, and in other SEC filings from time to time. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results or events to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated. Investors should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.


Landstar System, Inc. and Subsidiary
Consolidated Statements of Income
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)


			Fiscal Years Ended						Fiscal Quarters Ended
			December 28,			December 30,			December 28,			December 30,
			2024			2023			2024			2023

Revenue			$	4,819,245		$	5,303,322		$	1,209,330		$	1,204,445
Investment income				14,810			10,141			3,822			3,267

Costs and expenses:
	Purchased transportation			3,745,241			4,068,262			945,857			927,028
	Commissions to agents			392,751			462,668			96,950			99,271
	Other operating costs, net of gains on asset sales/dispositions			58,781			54,191			14,643			13,193
	Insurance and claims			113,929			114,241			30,099			27,270
	Selling, general and administrative			217,708			211,799			55,095			52,728
	Depreciation and amortization			56,738			58,153			12,737			13,655

		Total costs and expenses		4,585,148			4,969,314			1,155,381			1,133,145

Operating income				248,907			344,149			57,771			74,567
Interest and debt (income) expense				(5,419	)		(3,946	)		(964	)		(1,867	)

Income before income taxes				254,326			348,095			58,735			76,434
Income taxes				58,380			83,701			12,542			18,447

Net income			$	195,946		$	264,394		$	46,193		$	57,987

Basic and diluted earnings per share			$	5.51		$	7.36		$	1.31		$	1.62

Average basic and diluted shares outstanding				35,538,000			35,920,000			35,328,000			35,804,000

Dividends per common share			$	3.38		$	3.26		$	2.36		$	2.33


Landstar System, Inc. and Subsidiary
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)


				December 28,			December 30,
				2024			2023
ASSETS
Current assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents			$	515,018		$	481,043
	Short-term investments				51,619			59,661
	Trade accounts receivable, less allowance
		of $12,904 and $11,738			683,841			743,762
	Other receivables, including advances to independent
		contractors, less allowance of $17,812 and $14,010			47,160			43,339
	Other current assets				22,229			24,936
		Total current assets			1,319,867			1,352,741

Operating property, less accumulated depreciation
			and amortization of $456,547 and $436,682		311,345			284,300
Goodwill					40,933			42,275
Other assets					141,166			122,530
Total assets				$	1,813,311		$	1,801,846

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
	Cash overdraft			$	61,033		$	61,541
	Accounts payable				383,625			395,980
	Current maturities of long-term debt				33,116			27,876
	Insurance claims				40,511			41,825
	Dividends payable				70,632			71,433
	Other current liabilities				84,237			76,569
		Total current liabilities			673,154			675,224

Long-term debt, excluding current maturities					69,191			43,264
Insurance claims					62,842			58,922
Deferred income taxes and other non-current liabilities					35,685			40,513

Shareholders’ equity:
	Common stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 160,000,000
		shares, issued 68,559,269 and 68,497,324			686			685
	Additional paid-in capital				255,260			254,642
	Retained earnings				2,859,916			2,783,645
	Cost of 33,243,196 and 32,780,651 shares of common
		stock in treasury			(2,131,413	)		(2,048,184	)
	Accumulated other comprehensive loss				(12,010	)		(6,865	)
		Total shareholders’ equity			972,439			983,923
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity				$	1,813,311		$	1,801,846


Landstar System, Inc. and Subsidiary
Supplemental Information
(Unaudited)


				Fiscal Years Ended						Fiscal Quarters Ended
				December 28,			December 30,			December 28,			December 30,
				2024			2023			2024			2023
Revenue generated through (in thousands):

	Truck transportation
		Truckload:
			Van equipment	$	2,447,810		$	2,742,281		$	596,573		$	618,588
			Unsided/platform equipment		1,455,663			1,490,393			361,910			339,910
		Less-than-truckload			99,828			117,683			21,926			26,913
		Other truck transportation ⁽¹⁾			343,253			479,173			100,400			99,702
			Total truck transportation		4,346,554			4,829,530			1,080,809			1,085,113
	Rail intermodal				84,328			98,297			18,347			24,344
	Ocean and air cargo carriers				289,902			266,638			88,173			64,280
	Other ⁽²⁾				98,461			108,857			22,001			30,708
				$	4,819,245		$	5,303,322		$	1,209,330		$	1,204,445

	Revenue on loads hauled via BCO Independent Contractors ⁽³⁾
		included in total truck transportation		$	1,821,989		$	1,998,408		$	447,074		$	454,774

Number of loads:

	Truck transportation
		Truckload:
			Van equipment		1,170,772			1,259,578			282,877			292,711
			Unsided/platform equipment		476,815			504,765			114,188			115,294
		Less-than-truckload			153,253			175,650			33,907			41,070
		Other truck transportation ⁽¹⁾			160,120			201,407			45,568			44,295
			Total truck transportation		1,960,960			2,141,400			476,540			493,370
	Rail intermodal				27,970			29,620			6,550			7,470
	Ocean and air cargo carriers				34,440			32,820			8,320			7,440
					2,023,370			2,203,840			491,410			508,280

	Loads hauled via BCO Independent Contractors ⁽³⁾
		included in total truck transportation			814,150			898,610			193,510			209,350

Revenue per load:

	Truck transportation
		Truckload:
			Van equipment	$	2,091		$	2,177		$	2,109		$	2,113
			Unsided/platform equipment		3,053			2,953			3,169			2,948
		Less-than-truckload			651			670			647			655
		Other truck transportation ⁽¹⁾			2,144			2,379			2,203			2,251
			Total truck transportation		2,217			2,255			2,268			2,199
	Rail intermodal				3,015			3,319			2,801			3,259
	Ocean and air cargo carriers				8,418			8,124			10,598			8,640

	Revenue per load on loads hauled via BCO Independent Contractors ⁽³⁾			$	2,238		$	2,224		$	2,310		$	2,172

Revenue by capacity type (as a % of total revenue):

	Truck capacity providers:
		BCO Independent Contractors ⁽³⁾			38	%		38	%		37	%		38	%
		Truck Brokerage Carriers			52	%		53	%		52	%		52	%
	Rail intermodal				2	%		2	%		2	%		2	%
	Ocean and air cargo carriers				6	%		5	%		7	%		5	%
	Other				2	%		2	%		2	%		3	%


										December 28,			December 30,
										2024			2023
Truck Capacity Providers

	BCO Independent Contractors ⁽³⁾										8,082			9,024
	Truck Brokerage Carriers:
		Approved and active ⁽⁴⁾									43,718			49,111
		Other approved									26,527			27,524
											70,245			76,635
	Total available truck capacity providers										78,327			85,659

	Trucks provided by BCO Independent Contractors ⁽³⁾										8,843			9,809


(1)	Includes power-only, expedited, straight truck, cargo van, and miscellaneous other truck transportation revenue generated by the transportation logistics segment. Power-only refers to shipments where the Company furnishes a power unit and an operator but not trailing equipment, which is typically provided by the shipper or consignee.

(2)	Includes primarily reinsurance premium revenue generated by the insurance segment and intra-Mexico transportation services revenue generated by Landstar Metro.

(3)	BCO Independent Contractors are independent contractors who provide truck capacity to the Company under exclusive lease arrangements.

(4)	Active refers to Truck Brokerage Carriers who moved at least one load in the 180 days immediately preceding the fiscal quarter end.


Landstar System, Inc. and Subsidiary
Reconciliation of Gross Profit to Variable Contribution
(Dollars in thousands)
(Unaudited)


			Fiscal Years Ended						Fiscal Quarters Ended
			December 28,			December 30,			December 28,			December 30,
			2024			2023			2024			2023

Revenue			$	4,819,245		$	5,303,322		$	1,209,330		$	1,204,445

Costs of revenue:
		Purchased transportation		3,745,241			4,068,262			945,857			927,028
		Commissions to agents		392,751			462,668			96,950			99,271

	Variable costs of revenue			4,137,992			4,530,930			1,042,807			1,026,299

		Trailing equipment depreciation		27,950			31,319			7,186			7,079
		Information technology costs ⁽¹⁾		22,744			25,486			4,629			5,695
		Insurance-related costs ⁽²⁾		115,764			116,069			30,642			27,585
		Other operating costs		58,781			54,191			14,643			13,193

	Other costs of revenue			225,239			227,065			57,100			53,552

	Total costs of revenue			4,363,231			4,757,995			1,099,907			1,079,851

Gross profit			$	456,014		$	545,327		$	109,423		$	124,594

Gross profit margin				9.5	%		10.3	%		9.0	%		10.3	%

	Plus: other costs of revenue			225,239			227,065			57,100			53,552

Variable contribution			$	681,253		$	772,392		$	166,523		$	178,146

Variable contribution margin				14.1	%		14.6	%		13.8	%		14.8	%

(1)	Includes costs of revenue incurred related to internally developed software including ASC 350-40 amortization, implementation costs, hosting costs and other support costs utilized to support the Company’s independent commission sales agents, third party capacity providers, and customers, included as a portion of depreciation and amortization and of selling, general and administrative in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income.

(2)	Primarily includes (i) insurance premiums paid for commercial auto liability, general liability, cargo and other lines of coverage related to the transportation of freight; (ii) the related cost of claims incurred under those programs; and (iii) brokerage commissions and other fees incurred relating to the administration of insurance programs available to BCO Independent Contractors that are reinsured by the Company, which are included in selling, general and administrative in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income.

CONTACT: Contact:
Jim Todd
Chief Financial Officer
904-398-9400

Landstar System Reports Fourth Quarter Revenue of $1.209B and Earnings Per Share of $1.31

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