Old Dominion Freight Line Reports 30.6% Growth In 2013 First-Quarter

First-Quarter Operating Ratio Improves 150 Basis Points to 87.6%

 

Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. today announced financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2013. Revenue for the quarter was $532.6 million, a 7.1% increase over $497.1 million for the first quarter of 2012. Net income increased 30.4% to $40.6 million for the first quarter of 2013 from $31.1 million for the first quarter last year, while earnings per diluted share rose 30.6% to $0.47 from $0.36. Old Dominion's operating ratio was 87.6% for the first quarter of 2013 compared with 89.1% for the first quarter of 2012. All prior-period share and per share data in this release have been adjusted to reflect the Company's September 2012 three-for-two stock split.
 
David S. Congdon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Old Dominion, commented, “Old Dominion is off to a strong start in 2013, as we set a new Company record for our first-quarter operating ratio and increased our earnings per share by 30.6%. We produced these results despite the fact that the 2013 first quarter included Good Friday, which occurred in the second quarter of 2012, and had one less business day than the first quarter of last year. In addition, the winter weather in the first quarter of 2013 was more severe than we experienced in the first quarter of 2012. Even with these headwinds and a less than robust economic environment, we generated revenue growth for the quarter that consisted of a 5.2% increase in tons per day and a 2.9% increase in revenue per hundredweight, excluding fuel surcharges. We believe our growth reflects our ongoing ability to win market share by providing a value proposition that consists of delivering on-time, claims-free service at a fair and equitable price.
 
“We improved our primary service metrics during the first quarter of 2013, lowering our cargo claims ratio to a record 0.34% and driving our on-time delivery percentage above 99%. We believe the quality of our service, and a positive yield environment, also supported our ability to improve pricing. As a result, our revenue per hundredweight increased for the quarter despite the negative pressure on this metric caused by the 0.9% increase in weight per shipment and 1.1% decline in length of 
haul. The combination of the increase in revenue per hundredweight and our tonnage growth, which improved freight density and certain operational efficiencies, was primarily responsible for the 150 basis-point improvement in our operating ratio to 87.6% as compared to the first quarter of 2012. 
 
“Net capital expenditures for the first quarter were $26.1 million, which included the expansion and relocation of eight service centers to improve our capacity. We also opened two new service centers in Flagstaff, Arizona and Santa Maria, California, 
bringing our total service centers in operation at the end of the quarter to 219. We expect net capital expenditures for 2013 to total approximately $270 million, which we plan to fund primarily with cash flow from operations. These expenditures include $95 
million for real estate purchases and expansion projects at existing service centers, $150 million for trailers, tractors and other equipment and $25 million for technology and other assets. Our 2013 capital expenditures should provide additional service center and equipment capacity to support continued increases in our market share. The strength of our balance sheet also provides us with the ability to capitalize on future growth opportunities and market consolidation. At March 31, 2013, our ratio of total debt to capitalization improved 190 basis points to 17.1% from 19.0% at the end of 2012.” 
 
Mr. Congdon concluded, “Old Dominion's strong financial and operating performance in a challenging operating environment reflects the dedication of the entire Old Dominion team and validates our value proposition and business model. We are confident in our proven ability to execute our growth strategies, win additional market share and outperform our industry. As a result, we look forward to the remainder of 2013 and our prospects for creating additional value for our shareholders.”
 
comments powered by Disqus