Werner Enterprises (WERN) 10-Q 7 Aug 19 2019 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document And Entity Information

Document And Entity Information - shares	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jul. 29, 2019
Entity Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2019
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	0-14690
Entity Registrant Name	WERNER ENTERPRISES, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0000793074
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	NE
Entity Tax Identification Number	47-0648386
Entity Address, Address Line One	14507 Frontier Road
Entity Address, Address Line Two	Post Office Box 45308
Entity Address, City or Town	Omaha
Entity Address, State or Province	NE
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	68145-0308
City Area Code	402
Local Phone Number	895-6640
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value
Trading Symbol	WERN
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		69,195,003

Consolidated Statements Of Inco

Consolidated Statements Of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Operating revenues	$ 627,533	$ 619,130	$ 1,223,650	$ 1,181,814
Operating expenses:
Salaries, wages and benefits	206,001	196,115	408,800	378,909
Fuel	61,064	65,665	117,202	124,697
Supplies and maintenance	44,371	45,681	90,056	91,420
Taxes and licenses	23,643	22,651	46,544	45,144
Insurance and claims	20,992	30,689	43,701	51,847
Depreciation	61,437	56,551	122,196	112,057
Rent and purchased transportation	146,176	151,433	279,012	287,355
Communications and utilities	3,903	3,928	7,914	8,035
Other	1,504	(4,366)	1,764	(3,548)
Total operating expenses	569,091	568,347	1,117,189	1,095,916
Operating income	58,442	50,783	106,461	85,898
Other expense (income):
Interest expense	1,429	490	2,287	972
Interest income	(989)	(693)	(1,892)	(1,433)
Other	58	78	(58)	131
Total other expense (income)	498	(125)	337	(330)
Income before income taxes	57,944	50,908	106,124	86,228
Income taxes	14,626	12,644	26,720	20,157
Net income	$ 43,318	$ 38,264	$ 79,404	$ 66,071
Earnings per share:
Basic	$ 0.62	$ 0.53	$ 1.14	$ 0.91
Diluted	$ 0.62	$ 0.53	$ 1.13	$ 0.91
Weighted-average common shares outstanding:
Basic	69,593	72,144	69,932	72,289
Diluted	69,893	72,376	70,229	72,522

Consolidated Statements Of Comp

Consolidated Statements Of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Net income	$ 43,318	$ 38,264	$ 79,404	$ 66,071
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments	526	(2,537)	1,144	(212)
Change in fair value of interest rate swap, net of tax	(106)	94	(211)	372
Other comprehensive income	420	(2,443)	933	160
Comprehensive income	$ 43,738	$ 35,821	$ 80,337	$ 66,231

Consolidated Condensed Balance

Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 46,420	$ 33,930
Accounts receivable, trade, less allowance of $8,409 and $8,613, respectively	331,239	337,927
Other receivables	23,635	26,545
Inventories and supplies	10,282	10,060
Prepaid taxes, licenses and permits	8,008	16,619
Other current assets	33,717	31,577
Total current assets	453,301	456,658
Property and equipment	2,312,594	2,247,577
Less – accumulated depreciation	787,214	760,015
Property and equipment, net	1,525,380	1,487,562
Other non-current assets	149,936	139,284
Total assets	2,128,617	2,083,504
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	92,713	97,781
Current portion of long-term debt	0	75,000
Insurance and claims accruals	70,483	67,304
Accrued payroll	37,432	40,271
Other current liabilities	27,942	30,004
Total current liabilities	228,570	310,360
Long-term debt, net of current portion	390,000	50,000
Other long-term liabilities	17,424	10,911
Insurance and claims accruals, net of current portion	225,997	214,030
Deferred income taxes	234,282	233,450
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized; 80,533,536 shares issued; 69,195,003 and 70,441,973 shares outstanding, respectively	805	805
Paid-in capital	110,102	107,455
Retained earnings	1,219,529	1,413,746
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(15,140)	(16,073)
Treasury stock, at cost; 11,338,533 and 10,091,563 shares, respectively	(282,952)	(241,180)
Total stockholders’ equity	1,032,344	1,264,753
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 2,128,617	$ 2,083,504

Consolidated Condensed Balanc_2

Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Allowance for doubtful trade accounts receivable	$ 8,409	$ 8,613
Common stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	200,000,000	200,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	80,533,536	80,533,536
Common stock, shares outstanding	69,195,003	70,441,973
Treasury stock, shares	11,338,533	10,091,563

Consolidated Statements Of Cash

Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 79,404	$ 66,071
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	122,196	112,057
Deferred income taxes	1,088	16,269
Gain on disposal of property and equipment	(10,383)	(11,346)
Non-cash equity compensation	4,365	3,389
Insurance and claims accruals, net of current portion	11,967	14,081
Other	(3,365)	(2,795)
Changes in certain working capital items:
Accounts receivable, net	6,688	(28,960)
Other current assets	7,028	3,791
Accounts payable	5,554	10,745
Other current liabilities	(4,206)	(851)
Net cash provided by operating activities	220,336	182,451
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions to property and equipment	(239,289)	(256,202)
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment	76,936	81,367
Issuance of notes receivable	0	(3,300)
Decrease in notes receivable	6,505	11,727
Net cash used in investing activities	(155,848)	(166,408)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	265,000	20,000
Change in net checks issued in excess of cash balances	0	(7,842)
Dividends on common stock	(273,734)	(10,140)
Repurchases of common stock	(42,301)	(22,884)
Tax withholding related to net share settlements of restricted stock awards	(1,189)	(679)
Stock options exercised	0	248
Net cash used in financing activities	(52,224)	(21,297)
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash	226	47
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	12,490	(5,207)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	33,930	15,131
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	46,420	9,924
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Interest paid	1,830	972
Income taxes paid	36,805	5,463
Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Notes receivable issued upon sale of property and equipment	3,732	3,816
Change in fair value of interest rate swap	(211)	372
Property and equipment acquired included in accounts payable	6,126	7,697
Property and equipment disposed included in other receivables	0	265
Dividends accrued but not yet paid at end of period	$ 6,227	$ 6,466

Consolidated Statements of Stoc

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Paid-in Capital	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Treasury Stock
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 1,184,782	$ 805	$ 102,563	$ 1,267,871	$ (15,835)	$ (170,622)
Comprehensive income	30,410	0	0	27,807	2,603	0
Dividends on common stock	(5,071)	0	0	(5,071)	0	0
Equity compensation activity	(438)	0	(1,069)	0	0	631
Non-cash equity compensation expense	1,410	0	1,410	0	0	0
Cumulative effect of accounting change	2,011	0	0	2,011	0	0
BALANCE at Mar. 31, 2018	1,213,104	805	102,904	1,292,618	(13,232)	(169,991)
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2017	1,184,782	805	102,563	1,267,871	(15,835)	(170,622)
Comprehensive income	66,231
BALANCE at Jun. 30, 2018	1,221,561	805	104,799	1,324,416	(15,675)	(192,784)
BALANCE at Mar. 31, 2018	1,213,104	805	102,904	1,292,618	(13,232)	(169,991)
Comprehensive income	35,821	0	0	38,264	(2,443)	0
Purchases of common stock	(22,884)	0	0	0	0	(22,884)
Dividends on common stock	(6,466)	0	0	(6,466)	0	0
Equity compensation activity	7	0	(84)	0	0	91
Non-cash equity compensation expense	1,979	0	1,979	0	0	0
BALANCE at Jun. 30, 2018	1,221,561	805	104,799	1,324,416	(15,675)	(192,784)
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2018	1,264,753	805	107,455	1,413,746	(16,073)	(241,180)
Comprehensive income	36,599	0	0	36,086	513	0
Purchases of common stock	(20,545)	0	0	0	0	(20,545)
Dividends on common stock	(6,290)	0	0	(6,290)	0	0
Equity compensation activity	(1,179)	0	(1,578)	0	0	399
Non-cash equity compensation expense	2,051	0	2,051	0	0	0
BALANCE at Mar. 31, 2019	1,275,389	805	107,928	1,443,542	(15,560)	(261,326)
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2018	1,264,753	805	107,455	1,413,746	(16,073)	(241,180)
Comprehensive income	80,337
BALANCE at Jun. 30, 2019	1,032,344	805	110,102	1,219,529	(15,140)	(282,952)
BALANCE at Mar. 31, 2019	1,275,389	805	107,928	1,443,542	(15,560)	(261,326)
Comprehensive income	43,738	0	0	43,318	420	0
Purchases of common stock	(21,756)	0	0	0	0	(21,756)
Dividends on common stock	(267,331)	0	0	(267,331)	0	0
Equity compensation activity	(10)	0	(140)	0	0	130
Non-cash equity compensation expense	2,314	0	2,314	0	0	0
BALANCE at Jun. 30, 2019	$ 1,032,344	$ 805	$ 110,102	$ 1,219,529	$ (15,140)	$ (282,952)

Consolidated Statements of St_2

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	3 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Dividends declared per share	$ 3.84	$ 0.09	$ 0.09	$ 0.07
Purchase of common stock, shares	700,000	600,000	627,652	0
Equity compensation activity, shares	6,901	46,129	4,935	44,980

Accounting Policies

Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Accounting Policies	Accounting Policies New Accounting Pronouncements Adopted In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, “Leases,” to increase transparency and comparability by recognizing a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The Company adopted ASU No. 2016-02 and related amendments as of January 1, 2019, using the optional transition method. See Note 3 - Leases for additional adoption information and disclosures required by Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 842. In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12, “Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities,” with the objective of improving the financial reporting of hedging relationships to better portray the economic results of an entity’s risk management activities in its financial statements. The Company adopted ASU 2017-12 as of January 1, 2019. Upon adoption, this update had no effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, “Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Comprehensive Income,” which allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The Company adopted ASU No. 2018-02 as of January 1, 2019. Upon adoption, this update had no effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Accounting Standards Updates Not Yet Effective In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Statements,” which requires measurement and recognition of expected versus incurred credit losses for financial assets. The provisions of this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. We are evaluating the impact of adopting ASU No. 2016-13 on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement,” which modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. As part of its disclosure framework project, the FASB has eliminated, amended and added disclosure requirements for fair value measurements in Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement. The provisions of this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Although we are evaluating the impact of adopting ASU No. 2018-13 on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows, we do not expect a material effect upon adoption because we do not currently disclose any fair value measurements subject to the amendments. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force),” which updates the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract to align with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. The provisions of this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. We are evaluating the impact of adopting ASU No. 2018-15 on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Revenue

Revenue	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	Revenue Revenue Recognition Revenues are recognized over time as control of the promised services is transferred to our customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those services. The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by revenue source (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2019 2018 2019 2018 Truckload Transportation Services $ 479,959 $ 470,277 $ 942,850 $ 901,833 Werner Logistics 130,883 134,012 248,253 251,432 Inter-segment eliminations (34 ) (212 ) (239 ) (670 ) Transportation services 610,808 604,077 1,190,864 1,152,595 Other revenues 16,725 15,053 32,786 29,219 Total revenues $ 627,533 $ 619,130 $ 1,223,650 $ 1,181,814 The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by geographic areas in which we conduct business (in thousands). Operating revenues for foreign countries include revenues for (i) shipments with an origin or destination in that country and (ii) other services provided in that country. If both the origin and destination are in a foreign country, the revenues are attributed to the country of origin. Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2019 2018 2019 2018 United States $ 554,261 $ 540,284 $ 1,080,853 $ 1,028,305 Mexico 51,958 59,741 104,772 116,151 Other 21,314 19,105 38,025 37,358 Total revenues $ 627,533 $ 619,130 $ 1,223,650 $ 1,181,814 Contract Balances and Accounts Receivable A receivable is an unconditional right to consideration and is recognized when shipments have been completed and the related performance obligation has been fully satisfied. At June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , the accounts receivable, net, balance was $331.2 million and $337.9 million , respectively. Contract assets represent a conditional right to consideration in exchange for goods or services and are transferred to receivables when the rights become unconditional. At June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the balance of contract assets was $9.4 million and $7.4 million , respectively. The Company has recognized contract assets within the other current assets financial statement caption on the balance sheet. These contract assets are considered current assets as they will be settled in less than 12 months. Contract liabilities represent advance consideration received from customers and are recognized as revenues over time as the related performance obligation is satisfied. At June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , the balance of contract liabilities was $2.3 million and $1.7 million , respectively. The amount of revenues recognized in the six months ended June 30, 2019 that was included in the December 31, 2018 contract liability balance was $1.7 million . The Company has recognized contract liabilities within the accounts payable and other current liabilities financial statement captions on the balance sheet. These contract liabilities are considered current liabilities as they will be settled in less than 12 months. Performance Obligations We have elected to apply the practical expedient in ASC Topic 606 to not disclose the value of remaining performance obligations for contracts with an original expected length of one year or less. Remaining performance obligations represent the transaction price allocated to future reporting periods for freight shipments started but not completed at the reporting date that we expect to recognize as revenue in the period subsequent to the reporting date; transit times generally average approximately 3 days . During the six months ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018, revenues recognized from performance obligations related to prior periods (for example, due to changes in transaction price) were not material.

Leases

Leases	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Leases	Leases Adoption of ASC Topic 842, “Leases” On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASC Topic 842, “Leases”, which requires lessees to recognize most leases in the consolidated balance sheet as a right-of-use asset and a lease obligation. Expenses are recognized in the consolidated statement of income in a manner similar to previous accounting guidance. The Company adopted the accounting standard using the optional transition approach, which applies the provisions of the new guidance at the effective date without adjusting the comparative periods presented. The Company elected the following practical expedients upon adoption: not to reassess whether any existing contracts are or contain leases, not to reassess the lease classification for any existing leases, not to reassess initial direct costs for any existing leases and not to separately identify lease and non-lease components for all underlying classes of assets. Additionally, the Company made a short-term lease accounting policy election to not recognize right-of-use assets and liabilities for leases with a term of 12 months or less. Adoption of the new standard resulted in recognition of right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities of $8.7 million as of January 1, 2019. The new standard did not have a significant impact on the consolidated statement of income. The Company has entered into operating leases primarily for real estate. The leases have terms which range from 1 year to 11 years , and some include options to renew. Renewal terms are included in the lease term when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise the option to renew. Operating leases are included in the other non-current assets, other current liabilities and other long-term liabilities on the consolidated condensed balance sheets. These assets and liabilities are recognized based on the present value of future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date, using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate because the rate implicit in each lease in not readily determinable. The Company has certain contracts for real estate that may contain lease and non-lease components which it has elected to treat as a single lease component. Lease expense for operating leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Variable lease expense is recognized in the period in which the obligation for those payments is incurred. Lease expense is reported in rent and purchase transportation on the consolidated statements of income. The following table presents information about the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from the Company’s operating leases as of June 30, 2019 . (In thousands) June 30, 2019 Maturity of Lease Liabilities 2019 (remaining) $ 1,619 2020 2,829 2021 2,005 2022 1,171 2023 331 Thereafter 749 Total undiscounted operating lease payments $ 8,704 Less: Imputed interest (523 ) Present value of operating lease liabilities $ 8,181 Balance Sheet Classification Right-of-use assets (recorded in other non-current assets) $ 7,910 Current lease liabilities (recorded in other current liabilities) $ 2,892 Long-term lease liabilities (recorded in other long-term liabilities) 5,289 Total operating lease liabilities $ 8,181 Other Information Weighted-average remaining lease term for operating leases 3.55 years Weighted-average discount rate for operating leases 3.5 % Cash Flows An initial right-of-use asset of $8.7 million was recognized as a non-cash asset addition with the adoption of the new lease accounting standard. Additional right-of-use assets of $0.8 million were recognized as non-cash asset additions that resulted from new operating lease liabilities during the six months ended June 30, 2019 . Cash paid for amounts included in the present value of operating lease liabilities was $1.8 million during the six months ended June 30, 2019 , and is included in operating cash flows. Operating Lease Expense Operating lease expense was $2.0 million and $4.3 million during the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 , respectively. This expense included $0.9 million and $1.8 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively, for long-term operating leases, with the remainder for variable and short-term lease expense . Lessor Operating Leases We are the lessor of tractors and trailers under operating leases with initial terms of 2 to 10 years . We recognize revenue for such leases on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease, and revenues for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 were $3.5 million and $6.8 million , respectively. The following table presents information about the maturities of these operating leases as of June 30, 2019 . (In thousands) June 30, 2019 2019 (remaining) $ 6,145 2020 5,162 2021 248 2022 62 2023 — Thereafter — Total $ 11,617

Credit Facilities

Credit Facilities	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Credit Facilities	Credit Facilities On May 14, 2019, we entered into new five-year, unsecured revolving credit facilities with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and BMO Harris Bank N.A., replacing the previous credit facilities with both lenders. We replaced our previous $100.0 million credit facility and $75.0 million term commitment with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. with a $300.0 million credit facility which will expire on May 14, 2024 . Also on May 14, 2019, we replaced our previous $75.0 million credit facility with BMO Harris Bank N.A. with a $200.0 million credit facility which will expire on May 14, 2024 . We also have an unsecured line of credit of $75.0 million with U.S. Bank, N.A., which will expire on July 13, 2020 . Borrowings under these credit facilities bear variable interest based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). As of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , our outstanding debt totaled $390.0 million and $125.0 million , respectively. We had $315.0 million outstanding under the credit facilities at a weighted average variable interest rate of 3.07% as of June 30, 2019 , and we had an additional $75.0 million outstanding under the Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility at a variable rate of 2.99% as of June 30, 2019 , which is effectively fixed at 2.5% with an interest rate swap agreement through September 15, 2019 . On July 2, 2019 , we (i) terminated our previous $75.0 million interest rate swap agreement with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., (ii) entered into a $75.0 million interest rate swap agreement with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., that effectively fixes our interest rate at 2.32% through May 14, 2024 , and (iii) entered into a $75.0 million interest rate swap agreement with BMO Harris Bank N.A. that effectively fixes our interest rate at 2.36% through May 14, 2024 . The $575.0 million of borrowing capacity under our credit facilities at June 30, 2019 , is further reduced by $30.0 million in stand-by letters of credit under which we are obligated. Each of the debt agreements includes, among other things, financial covenants requiring us (i) to exceed a minimum ratio of earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization to interest expense and/or (ii) not to exceed a maximum ratio of total funded debt to earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (as such terms are defined in each credit facility). At June 30, 2019 , we were in compliance with these covenants. At June 30, 2019 , the aggregate future maturities of long-term debt by year are as follows (in thousands): 2019 $ — 2020 75,000 2021 — 2022 — 2023 — 2024 315,000 Total $ 390,000 The carrying amounts of our long-term debt approximate fair value due to the duration of the notes and the variable interest rates.

Commitments And Contingencies

Commitments And Contingencies	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies As of June 30, 2019 , we have committed to property and equipment purchases of approximately $176.5 million . We are involved in certain claims and pending litigation, including those described herein, arising in the ordinary course of business. The majority of these claims relate to bodily injury, property damage, cargo and workers’ compensation incurred in the transportation of freight, as well as certain class action litigation related to personnel and employment matters. We accrue for the uninsured portion of contingent losses from these and other pending claims when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Based on the knowledge of the facts, management believes the resolution of claims and pending litigation, taking into account existing reserves, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements. Moreover, the results of complex legal proceedings are difficult to predict, and our view of these matters may change in the future as the litigation and related events unfold. On May 17, 2018, in Harris County District Court in Houston, Texas, a jury rendered an adverse verdict against Werner Enterprises, Inc. (the “Company”) in a lawsuit arising from a December 30, 2014 accident between a Werner tractor-trailer and a passenger vehicle. On July 30, 2018, the court entered a final judgment against Werner for $92 million , including pre-judgment interest. The Company has premium-based liability insurance to cover the potential outcome from this jury verdict. Under the Company’s insurance policies in effect on the date of this accident, the Company’s maximum liability for this accident is $10.0 million (plus pre-judgment and post-judgment interest) with premium-based coverage that exceeds the jury verdict amount. As a result of this jury verdict, the Company had recorded a liability of $17.1 million as of June 30, 2019, and $15.2 million as of December 31, 2018. Under the terms of the Company’s insurance policies, the Company is the primary obligor of the verdict, and as such, the Company has also recorded a $79.2 million receivable from its third-party insurance providers in other non-current assets and a corresponding liability of the same amount in the long-term portion of insurance and claims accruals in the consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018. The Company is pursuing an appeal of this verdict. No assurances can be given regarding the outcome of any such appeal. We are involved in class action litigation in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska, in which the plaintiffs allege that we owe drivers for unpaid wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and the Nebraska Wage Payment and Collection Act and that we failed to pay minimum wage per hour for drivers in our student driver training program, related to short break time and sleeper berth time. The period covered by this class action suit is August 2008 through March 2014. The case was tried to a jury in May 2017, resulting in a verdict of $0.8 million in plaintiffs’ favor on the short break matter and a verdict in our favor on the sleeper berth matter. As a result of various post-trial motions, the court has awarded $0.5 million to the plaintiffs for attorney fees and costs. As of June 30, 2019 , we had accrued for the jury’s award, attorney fees and costs in the short break matter and had not accrued for the sleeper berth matter. Plaintiffs have appealed the post-verdict amounts awarded by the trial court for fees, costs and liquidated damages.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	Earnings Per Share Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the effect of dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method. Dilutive potential common shares include outstanding stock options and restricted stock awards. There are no differences in the numerators of our computations of basic and diluted earnings per share for any periods presented. The computation of basic and diluted earnings per share is shown below (in thousands, except per share amounts). Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2019 2018 2019 2018 Net income $ 43,318 $ 38,264 $ 79,404 $ 66,071 Weighted average common shares outstanding 69,593 72,144 69,932 72,289 Dilutive effect of stock-based awards 300 232 297 233 Shares used in computing diluted earnings per share 69,893 72,376 70,229 72,522 Basic earnings per share $ 0.62 $ 0.53 $ 1.14 $ 0.91 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.62 $ 0.53 $ 1.13 $ 0.91 There were no options to purchase shares of common stock that were outstanding during the periods indicated above that were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share because the option purchase price was greater than the average market price of the common shares during the period. Performance awards are excluded from the calculation of dilutive potential common shares until the threshold performance conditions have been satisfied.

Equity Compensation

Equity Compensation	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Equity Compensation	Equity Compensation The Werner Enterprises, Inc. Amended and Restated Equity Plan (the “Equity Plan”), approved by the Company’s shareholders, provides for grants to employees and non-employee directors of the Company in the form of nonqualified stock options, restricted stock and units (“restricted awards”), performance awards, and stock appreciation rights. The Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors determines the terms of each award, including the type, recipients, number of shares subject to and vesting conditions of each award. No awards of stock appreciation rights have been issued under the Equity Plan to date. The maximum number of shares of common stock that may be awarded under the Equity Plan is 20,000,000 shares. The maximum aggregate number of shares that may be awarded to any one person in any one calendar year under the Equity Plan is 500,000 . As of June 30, 2019 , there were 6,777,546 shares available for granting additional awards. Equity compensation expense is included in salaries, wages and benefits within the Consolidated Statements of Income. As of June 30, 2019 , the total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested equity compensation awards was approximately $13.8 million and is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.0 years . The following table summarizes the equity compensation expense and related income tax benefit recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2019 2018 2019 2018 Restricted awards: Pre-tax compensation expense $ 1,313 $ 1,127 $ 2,476 $ 2,063 Tax benefit 334 287 631 526 Restricted stock expense, net of tax $ 979 $ 840 $ 1,845 $ 1,537 Performance awards: Pre-tax compensation expense $ 1,001 $ 842 $ 1,897 $ 1,327 Tax benefit 256 214 484 338 Performance award expense, net of tax $ 745 $ 628 $ 1,413 $ 989 We do not have a formal policy for issuing shares upon an exercise of stock options or vesting of restricted and performance awards. Such shares are generally issued from treasury stock. From time to time, we repurchase shares of our common stock, the timing and amount of which depends on market and other factors. Historically, the shares acquired from such repurchases have provided us with sufficient quantities of stock to issue for equity compensation. Based on current treasury stock levels, we do not expect to repurchase additional shares specifically for equity compensation during 2019 . Stock Options Stock options are granted at prices equal to the market value of the common stock on the date the option award is granted. Option awards currently outstanding become exercisable in installments from 24 to 72 months after the date of grant. The options are exercisable over a period not to exceed ten years, one day from the date of grant. The following table summarizes stock option activity for the six months ended June 30, 2019 : Number of Options (in thousands) Weighted Average Exercise Price ($) Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years) Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands) Outstanding at beginning of period 9 $ 19.02 Granted — — Exercised — — Forfeited — — Expired — — Outstanding at end of period 9 19.02 0.43 $ 109 Exercisable at end of period 9 19.02 0.43 $ 109 We did not grant any stock options during the six -month periods ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 . The fair value of stock option grants is estimated using a Black-Scholes valuation model. There were no stock options exercised in the six -month period ended June 30, 2019 , and the total intrinsic value of stock options exercised in the six -month period ended June 30, 2018 was $235 thousand . Restricted Awards Restricted stock entitles the holder to shares of common stock when the award vests. Restricted stock units entitle the holder to a combination of cash or stock equal to the value of common stock when the unit vests. The value of these shares may fluctuate according to market conditions and other factors. Restricted awards currently outstanding vest over periods ranging from 12 to 60 months from the grant date of the award. The restricted awards do not confer any voting or dividend rights to recipients until such shares vest and do not have any post-vesting sales restrictions. The following table summarizes restricted award activity for the six months ended June 30, 2019 : Number of Restricted Awards (in thousands) Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value ($) Nonvested at beginning of period 326 $ 31.93 Granted 145 32.54 Vested (52 ) 33.04 Forfeited (5 ) 30.94 Nonvested at end of period 414 32.02 We estimate the fair value of restricted awards based upon the market price of the underlying common stock on the date of grant, reduced by the present value of estimated future dividends because the awards are not entitled to receive dividends prior to vesting. Our estimate of future dividends is based on the most recent quarterly dividend rate at the time of grant, adjusted for any known future changes in the dividend rate. Cash settled restricted stock units are recorded as a liability within the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are adjusted to fair value each reporting period. The total fair value of previously granted restricted awards vested during the six -month periods ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 was $1.8 million and $0.8 million , respectively. We withheld shares based on the closing stock price on the vesting date to settle the employees’ statutory obligation for the applicable income and other employment taxes. The shares withheld to satisfy the tax withholding obligations were recorded as treasury stock. Performance Awards Performance awards entitle the recipient to shares of common stock upon attainment of performance objectives as pre-established by the Compensation Committee. If the performance objectives are achieved, performance awards currently outstanding vest, subject to continued employment, over periods ranging from 12 to 60 months from the grant date of the award. The performance awards do not confer any voting or dividend rights to recipients until such shares vest and do not have any post-vesting sales restrictions. The following table summarizes performance award activity for the six months ended June 30, 2019 : Number of Performance Awards (in thousands) Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value ($) Nonvested at beginning of period 207 $ 27.92 Granted 97 32.88 Vested (35 ) 27.07 Forfeited — — Nonvested at end of period 269 29.83 The 2019 performance awards are earned based upon the level of attainment by the Company of specified performance objectives related to cumulative diluted earnings per share for the two-year period from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020. Shares earned based on cumulative diluted earnings per share may be capped based on absolute total shareholder return during the three-year period ended December 31, 2021. The 2019 performance awards will vest in one installment on the third anniversary from the grant date. We estimate the fair value of performance awards based upon the market price of the underlying common stock on the date of grant, reduced by the present value of estimated future dividends because the awards are not entitled to receive dividends prior to vesting. Our estimate of future dividends is based on the most recent quarterly dividend rate at the time of grant, adjusted for any known future changes in the dividend rate. The vesting date fair value of performance awards that vested during the six -month periods ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 was $1.2 million and $1.3 million , respectively. We withheld shares based on the closing stock price on the vesting date to settle the employees’ statutory obligation for the applicable income and other employment taxes. The shares withheld to satisfy the tax withholding obligations were recorded as treasury stock.

Segment Information

Segment Information	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	Segment Information We have two reportable segments – Truckload Transportation Services (“TTS”) and Werner Logistics. The TTS segment consists of two operating units, Dedicated and One-Way Truckload. These units are aggregated because they have similar economic characteristics and meet the other aggregation criteria described in the accounting guidance for segment reporting. Dedicated provides truckload services dedicated to a specific customer, generally for a retail distribution center or manufacturing facility, utilizing either dry van or specialized trailers. One-Way Truckload is comprised of the following operating fleets: (i) the medium-to-long-haul van (“Van”) fleet transports a variety of consumer nondurable products and other commodities in truckload quantities over irregular routes using dry van trailers, including Mexico cross-border routes; (ii) the expedited (“Expedited”) fleet provides time-sensitive truckload services utilizing driver teams; and (iii) the regional short-haul (“Regional”) fleet provides comparable truckload van service within geographic regions across the United States; and (iv) the Temperature Controlled fleet provides truckload services for temperature sensitive products over irregular routes utilizing temperature-controlled trailers. Revenues for the TTS segment include a small amount of non-trucking revenues which consist primarily of the intra-Mexico portion of cross-border shipments delivered to or from Mexico where we utilize a third-party capacity provider. The Werner Logistics segment generates the majority of our non-trucking revenues through four operating units that provide non-trucking services to our customers. These four Werner Logistics operating units are as follows: (i) Truckload Logistics, which uses contracted carriers to complete shipments for brokerage customers and freight management customers for which we offer a full range of single-source logistics management services and solutions; (ii) the intermodal (“Intermodal”) unit offers rail transportation through alliances with rail and drayage providers as an alternative to truck transportation; (iii) Werner Global Logistics international (“WGL”) provides complete management of global shipments from origin to destination using a combination of air, ocean, truck and rail transportation modes; and (iv) Werner Final Mile (“Final Mile”) offers home and business deliveries of large or heavy items using third-party agents with two associates operating a liftgate straight truck. We generate other revenues from our driver training schools, transportation-related activities such as third-party equipment maintenance and equipment leasing, and other business activities. None of these operations meets the quantitative reporting thresholds. As a result, these operations are grouped in “Other” in the table below. “Corporate” includes revenues and expenses that are incidental to our activities and are not attributable to any of our operating segments, including gains and losses on sales of assets not attributable to our operating segments. We do not prepare separate balance sheets by segment and, as a result, assets are not separately identifiable by segment. Inter-segment eliminations in the table below represent transactions between reporting segments that are eliminated in consolidation. The following table summarizes our segment information (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2019 2018 2019 2018 Revenues Truckload Transportation Services $ 479,959 $ 470,277 $ 942,850 $ 901,833 Werner Logistics 130,883 134,012 248,253 251,432 Other 16,096 14,422 31,568 27,681 Corporate 629 631 1,218 1,538 Subtotal 627,567 619,342 1,223,889 1,182,484 Inter-segment eliminations (34 ) (212 ) (239 ) (670 ) Total $ 627,533 $ 619,130 $ 1,223,650 $ 1,181,814 Operating Income Truckload Transportation Services $ 51,665 $ 43,432 $ 94,618 $ 76,854 Werner Logistics 5,182 5,602 9,893 8,359 Other 2,293 243 3,472 (143 ) Corporate (698 ) 1,506 (1,522 ) 828 Total $ 58,442 $ 50,783 $ 106,461 $ 85,898

Accounting Policies (Policy)

Accounting Policies (Policy)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements Adopted	New Accounting Pronouncements Adopted In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, “Leases,” to increase transparency and comparability by recognizing a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The Company adopted ASU No. 2016-02 and related amendments as of January 1, 2019, using the optional transition method. See Note 3 - Leases for additional adoption information and disclosures required by Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 842. In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12, “Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities,” with the objective of improving the financial reporting of hedging relationships to better portray the economic results of an entity’s risk management activities in its financial statements. The Company adopted ASU 2017-12 as of January 1, 2019. Upon adoption, this update had no effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, “Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Comprehensive Income,” which allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The Company adopted ASU No. 2018-02 as of January 1, 2019. Upon adoption, this update had no effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
Accounting Standards Updates Not Yet Effective	Accounting Standards Updates Not Yet Effective In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Statements,” which requires measurement and recognition of expected versus incurred credit losses for financial assets. The provisions of this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. We are evaluating the impact of adopting ASU No. 2016-13 on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement,” which modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. As part of its disclosure framework project, the FASB has eliminated, amended and added disclosure requirements for fair value measurements in Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement. The provisions of this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Although we are evaluating the impact of adopting ASU No. 2018-13 on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows, we do not expect a material effect upon adoption because we do not currently disclose any fair value measurements subject to the amendments. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force),” which updates the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract to align with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. The provisions of this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. We are evaluating the impact of adopting ASU No. 2018-15 on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Revenue (Tables)

Revenue (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Revenue Recognition [Abstract]
Disaggregation of revenue by revenue source	The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by revenue source (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2019 2018 2019 2018 Truckload Transportation Services $ 479,959 $ 470,277 $ 942,850 $ 901,833 Werner Logistics 130,883 134,012 248,253 251,432 Inter-segment eliminations (34 ) (212 ) (239 ) (670 ) Transportation services 610,808 604,077 1,190,864 1,152,595 Other revenues 16,725 15,053 32,786 29,219 Total revenues $ 627,533 $ 619,130 $ 1,223,650 $ 1,181,814
Revenue by geographical location	The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by geographic areas in which we conduct business (in thousands). Operating revenues for foreign countries include revenues for (i) shipments with an origin or destination in that country and (ii) other services provided in that country. If both the origin and destination are in a foreign country, the revenues are attributed to the country of origin. Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2019 2018 2019 2018 United States $ 554,261 $ 540,284 $ 1,080,853 $ 1,028,305 Mexico 51,958 59,741 104,772 116,151 Other 21,314 19,105 38,025 37,358 Total revenues $ 627,533 $ 619,130 $ 1,223,650 $ 1,181,814

Leases (Tables)

Leases (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Schedule of Operating Lease Information	The following table presents information about the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from the Company’s operating leases as of June 30, 2019 . (In thousands) June 30, 2019 Maturity of Lease Liabilities 2019 (remaining) $ 1,619 2020 2,829 2021 2,005 2022 1,171 2023 331 Thereafter 749 Total undiscounted operating lease payments $ 8,704 Less: Imputed interest (523 ) Present value of operating lease liabilities $ 8,181 Balance Sheet Classification Right-of-use assets (recorded in other non-current assets) $ 7,910 Current lease liabilities (recorded in other current liabilities) $ 2,892 Long-term lease liabilities (recorded in other long-term liabilities) 5,289 Total operating lease liabilities $ 8,181 Other Information Weighted-average remaining lease term for operating leases 3.55 years Weighted-average discount rate for operating leases 3.5 %
Schedule of Lessor Operating Lease Maturities	The following table presents information about the maturities of these operating leases as of June 30, 2019 . (In thousands) June 30, 2019 2019 (remaining) $ 6,145 2020 5,162 2021 248 2022 62 2023 — Thereafter — Total $ 11,617

Credit Facilities (Tables)

Credit Facilities (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt	At June 30, 2019 , the aggregate future maturities of long-term debt by year are as follows (in thousands): 2019 $ — 2020 75,000 2021 — 2022 — 2023 — 2024 315,000 Total $ 390,000

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Basic And Diluted Earnings Per Share	The computation of basic and diluted earnings per share is shown below (in thousands, except per share amounts). Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2019 2018 2019 2018 Net income $ 43,318 $ 38,264 $ 79,404 $ 66,071 Weighted average common shares outstanding 69,593 72,144 69,932 72,289 Dilutive effect of stock-based awards 300 232 297 233 Shares used in computing diluted earnings per share 69,893 72,376 70,229 72,522 Basic earnings per share $ 0.62 $ 0.53 $ 1.14 $ 0.91 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.62 $ 0.53 $ 1.13 $ 0.91

Equity Compensation (Tables)

Equity Compensation (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Schedule of Equity Compensation Expense and Related Income Tax Benefit Recognized	The following table summarizes the equity compensation expense and related income tax benefit recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2019 2018 2019 2018 Restricted awards: Pre-tax compensation expense $ 1,313 $ 1,127 $ 2,476 $ 2,063 Tax benefit 334 287 631 526 Restricted stock expense, net of tax $ 979 $ 840 $ 1,845 $ 1,537 Performance awards: Pre-tax compensation expense $ 1,001 $ 842 $ 1,897 $ 1,327 Tax benefit 256 214 484 338 Performance award expense, net of tax $ 745 $ 628 $ 1,413 $ 989
Schedule of Equity Compensation Stock Options Activity	The following table summarizes stock option activity for the six months ended June 30, 2019 : Number of Options (in thousands) Weighted Average Exercise Price ($) Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years) Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands) Outstanding at beginning of period 9 $ 19.02 Granted — — Exercised — — Forfeited — — Expired — — Outstanding at end of period 9 19.02 0.43 $ 109 Exercisable at end of period 9 19.02 0.43 $ 109
Schedule of Equity Compensation, Restricted Award Activity	The following table summarizes restricted award activity for the six months ended June 30, 2019 : Number of Restricted Awards (in thousands) Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value ($) Nonvested at beginning of period 326 $ 31.93 Granted 145 32.54 Vested (52 ) 33.04 Forfeited (5 ) 30.94 Nonvested at end of period 414 32.02
Schedule of Equity Compensation Performance Award Activity	The following table summarizes performance award activity for the six months ended June 30, 2019 : Number of Performance Awards (in thousands) Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value ($) Nonvested at beginning of period 207 $ 27.92 Granted 97 32.88 Vested (35 ) 27.07 Forfeited — — Nonvested at end of period 269 29.83

Segment Information (Tables)

Segment Information (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Information	The following table summarizes our segment information (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2019 2018 2019 2018 Revenues Truckload Transportation Services $ 479,959 $ 470,277 $ 942,850 $ 901,833 Werner Logistics 130,883 134,012 248,253 251,432 Other 16,096 14,422 31,568 27,681 Corporate 629 631 1,218 1,538 Subtotal 627,567 619,342 1,223,889 1,182,484 Inter-segment eliminations (34 ) (212 ) (239 ) (670 ) Total $ 627,533 $ 619,130 $ 1,223,650 $ 1,181,814 Operating Income Truckload Transportation Services $ 51,665 $ 43,432 $ 94,618 $ 76,854 Werner Logistics 5,182 5,602 9,893 8,359 Other 2,293 243 3,472 (143 ) Corporate (698 ) 1,506 (1,522 ) 828 Total $ 58,442 $ 50,783 $ 106,461 $ 85,898

Revenue (Narrative) (Details)

Revenue (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Revenue from Contracts with Customer [Line Items]
Accounts receivable, net	$ 331,239	$ 337,927
Contract assets	9,400	7,400
Contract liabilities	2,300	$ 1,700
Revenue recognized from contract liability during the period	$ 1,700
Average transit time	3 days

Revenue (Disaggregation of Reve

Revenue (Disaggregation of Revenue by Revenue Source) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Disaggregation of revenue
Revenues	$ 627,533	$ 619,130	$ 1,223,650	$ 1,181,814
Truckload Transportation Services
Disaggregation of revenue
Revenues	479,959	470,277	942,850	901,833
Werner Logistics
Disaggregation of revenue
Revenues	130,883	134,012	248,253	251,432
Inter-segment eliminations
Disaggregation of revenue
Revenues	(34)	(212)	(239)	(670)
Transportation Services
Disaggregation of revenue
Revenues	610,808	604,077	1,190,864	1,152,595
Other revenues
Disaggregation of revenue
Revenues	$ 16,725	$ 15,053	$ 32,786	$ 29,219

Revenue (Disaggregation of Re_2

Revenue (Disaggregation of Revenue by Geographical Areas) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Disaggregation of revenue
Revenues	$ 627,533	$ 619,130	$ 1,223,650	$ 1,181,814
United States
Disaggregation of revenue
Revenues	554,261	540,284	1,080,853	1,028,305
Mexico
Disaggregation of revenue
Revenues	51,958	59,741	104,772	116,151
Others
Disaggregation of revenue
Revenues	$ 21,314	$ 19,105	$ 38,025	$ 37,358

Leases (Narrative) (Details)

Leases (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Right-of-use asset	$ 7,910	$ 7,910	$ 8,700
Operating lease liabilities	8,181	8,181	$ 8,700
Right-of-use asset recognized as non-cash asset addition		800
Cash paid for amounts included in measurement of operating lease liability		1,800
Total operating lease expense	2,000	4,300
Operating lease expense	900	1,800
Operating lease revenues	$ 3,500	$ 6,800
Minimum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating leases remaining term, lessee	1 year	1 year
Operating leases remaining term, lessor	2 years	2 years
Maximum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating leases remaining term, lessee	11 years	11 years
Operating leases remaining term, lessor	10 years	10 years

Leases (Schedule of Operating L

Leases (Schedule of Operating Lease Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
2019 (remaining)	$ 1,619
2020	2,829
2021	2,005
2022	1,171
2023	331
Thereafter	749
Total undiscounted operating lease payments	8,704
Less: Imputed interest	(523)
Present value of operating lease liabilities	8,181	$ 8,700
Right-of-use assets (recorded in other non-current assets)	7,910	$ 8,700
Current lease liabilities (recorded in other current liabilities)	2,892
Long-term lease liabilities (recorded in other long-term liabilities)	$ 5,289
Weighted-average remaining lease term for operating leases	3 years 6 months 18 days
Weighted-average discount rate for operating leases	3.50%

Leases (Schedule of Lessor Oper

Leases (Schedule of Lessor Operating Lease Maturities) (Details) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019USD ($)
Lessor, Operating Lease, Payments, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2019 (remaining)	$ 6,145
2020	5,162
2021	248
2022	62
2023	0
Thereafter	0
Total	$ 11,617

Credit Facilities (Narrative) (

Credit Facilities (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jul. 02, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Total of committed credit facilities with banks	$ 575
Borrowings outstanding	390		$ 125
Stand-by letters of credit	30
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Mature May 14, 2024
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Total of committed credit facilities with banks	$ 300
Committed credit facilities maturity	May 14, 2024
BMO Harris Bank N.A. Mature May 14, 2024
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Total of committed credit facilities with banks	$ 200
Committed credit facilities maturity	May 14, 2024
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Mature May 14, 2024
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Borrowings outstanding	$ 75
Line of credit facility, interest rate	2.99%
Interest rate swap facility, fixed interest	2.50%
Interest rate swap facility, maturity date	Sep. 15, 2019
Mature July 13, 2020
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Total of committed credit facilities with banks	$ 75
Committed credit facilities maturity	Jul. 13, 2020
Additional Outstanding Debt Under Credit Facilities
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Borrowings outstanding	$ 315
Line of credit facility, interest rate	3.07%
Subsequent Event | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Interest Rate Swap Line of Credit Mature May 14, 2024
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate swap facility, amount		$ 75
Interest rate swap facility, fixed interest		2.32%
Interest rate swap facility, maturity date	May 14, 2024
Subsequent Event | BMO Harris Bank N.A. Interest Rate Swap Line of Credit Mature May 14, 2024
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate swap facility, amount		$ 75
Interest rate swap facility, fixed interest		2.36%
Interest rate swap facility, maturity date	May 14, 2024

Credit Facilities (Details)

Credit Facilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
2019	$ 0
2020	75,000
2021	0
2022	0
2023	0
2024	315,000
Total	$ 390,000	$ 125,000

Commitments And Contingencies (

Commitments And Contingencies (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 30, 2014
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Commitment for property and equipment purchases			$ 176.5
Loss contingency, damages awarded, value		$ 0.8
Loss contingency, damages awarded, attorney fees and costs		$ 0.5
May 17, 2018 Verdict [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, damages awarded, value	$ 92
Self insurance retained liability				$ 10
Loss contingency, estimate of possible loss	15.2		17.1
Loss contingency, receivable, noncurrent	79.2		79.2
Loss contingency, accrual, noncurrent	$ 79.2		$ 79.2

Earnings Per Share (Basic And D

Earnings Per Share (Basic And Diluted Earnings Per Share) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net income	$ 43,318	$ 38,264	$ 79,404	$ 66,071
Weighted average common shares outstanding	69,593	72,144	69,932	72,289
Dilutive effect of stock-based awards	300	232	297	233
Shares used in computing diluted earnings per share	69,893	72,376	70,229	72,522
Basic earnings per share	$ 0.62	$ 0.53	$ 1.14	$ 0.91
Diluted earnings per share	$ 0.62	$ 0.53	$ 1.13	$ 0.91
Number of antidilutive options that were excluded from computation of earnings per share	0	0	0	0

Equity Compensation (Narrative)

Equity Compensation (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Maximum shares of common stock	20,000,000
Maximum annual shares awarded to employee	500,000
Shares available for granting additional awards	6,777,546
Unrecognized compensation cost of non-vested equity compensation awards	$ 13,800
Unrecognized compensation cost of non-vested equity compensation awards expected to be recognized over a weighted average period (years)	2 years
Number of options granted	0	0
Intrinsic value of stock options exercised	$ 0	$ 235
Stock Options
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Maximum period for exercisable options (years and days)	10 years 1 day
Stock Options | Minimum
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period (months)	24 months
Stock Options | Maximum
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period (months)	72 months
Restricted Stock
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Fair value of awards vested	$ 1,800	800
Restricted Stock | Minimum
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period (months)	12 months
Restricted Stock | Maximum
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period (months)	60 months
Performance Shares
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Fair value of awards vested	$ 1,200	$ 1,300
Performance Shares | Minimum
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period (months)	12 months
Performance Shares | Maximum
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period (months)	60 months

Equity Compensation (Equity Com

Equity Compensation (Equity Compensation Expense And Related Income Tax Benefit Recognized) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Restricted Stock
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Pre-tax compensation expense	$ 1,313	$ 1,127	$ 2,476	$ 2,063
Tax benefit	334	287	631	526
Stock expense, net of tax	979	840	1,845	1,537
Performance Shares
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Pre-tax compensation expense	1,001	842	1,897	1,327
Tax benefit	256	214	484	338
Stock expense, net of tax	$ 745	$ 628	$ 1,413	$ 989

Equity Compensation (Schedule o

Equity Compensation (Schedule of Equity Compensation Stock Options Activity) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Number of options outstanding at beginning of period	9
Number of options granted	0	0
Number of options exercised	0
Number of options forfeited	0
Number of options expired	0
Number of options outstanding at end of period	9
Number of options exercisable at end of period	9
Weighted average exercise price outstanding at beginning of period	$ 19.02
Weighted average exercise price options granted	0
Weighted average exercise price options exercised	0
Weighted average exercise price options forfeited	0
Weighted average exercise price options expired	0
Weighted average exercise price outstanding at end of period	19.02
Weighted average exercise price exercisable at end of period	$ 19.02
Weighted average remaining contractual term outstanding at end of period, years	5 months 4 days
Weighted average remaining contractual term exercisable at end of period, years	5 months 4 days
Aggregate intrinsic value outstanding at end of period	$ 109
Aggregate intrinsic value exercisable at end of period	$ 109

Equity Compensation (Schedule_2

Equity Compensation (Schedule of Equity Compensation Restricted Stock Activity) (Details) - Restricted Stock shares in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019$ / sharesshares
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Number of shares nonvested at beginning of period | shares	326
Number of shares granted | shares	145
Number of shares vested | shares	(52)
Number of shares forfeited | shares	(5)
Number of shares nonvested at end of period | shares	414
Weighted average grant date fair value nonvested at beginning of period | $ / shares	$ 31.93
Weighted average grant date fair value shares granted | $ / shares	32.54
Weighted average grant date fair value shares vested | $ / shares	33.04
Weighted average grant date fair value shares forfeited | $ / shares	30.94
Weighted average grant date fair value nonvested at end of period | $ / shares	$ 32.02

Equity Compensation (Schedule_3

Equity Compensation (Schedule of Equity Compensation Performance Shares Activity) (Details) - Performance Shares shares in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019$ / sharesshares
Equity Compensation [Abstract]
Number of shares nonvested at beginning of period | shares	207
Number of shares granted | shares	97
Number of shares vested | shares	(35)
Number of shares forfeited | shares	0
Number of shares nonvested at end of period | shares	269
Weighted average grant date fair value nonvested at beginning of period | $ / shares	$ 27.92
Weighted average grant date fair value shares granted | $ / shares	32.88
Weighted average grant date fair value shares vested | $ / shares	27.07
Weighted average grant date fair value shares forfeited | $ / shares	0
Weighted average grant date fair value nonvested at end of period | $ / shares	$ 29.83

Segment Information (Narratives

Segment Information (Narratives) (Details)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019Segments
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments	2

Segment Information (Summary Of

Segment Information (Summary Of Segment Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 627,533	$ 619,130	$ 1,223,650	$ 1,181,814
Operating Income	58,442	50,783	106,461	85,898
Truckload Transportation Services
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	479,959	470,277	942,850	901,833
Operating Income	51,665	43,432	94,618	76,854
Werner Logistics
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	130,883	134,012	248,253	251,432
Operating Income	5,182	5,602	9,893	8,359
Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	16,096	14,422	31,568	27,681
Operating Income	2,293	243	3,472	(143)
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	629	631	1,218	1,538
Operating Income	(698)	1,506	(1,522)	828
Subtotal
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	627,567	619,342	1,223,889	1,182,484
Inter-segment eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ (34)	$ (212)	$ (239)	$ (670)