LANDSTAR SYSTEM/2
Landstar did not purchase any shares of its common stock during the 2018 third quarter. Currently, the Company is authorized to purchase up to an additional 2,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock under Landstar’s previously announced share purchase programs. As of September 29, 2018, the Company had $254 million in cash and short term investments and $216 million available for borrowings under the Company’s senior credit facility.
In addition, Landstar announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.165 per share payable on December 7, 2018, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 13, 2018. It is currently the intention of the Board to pay dividends on a quarterly basis going forward.
“I am extremely pleased with Landstar’s financial performance during the 2018 third quarter,” said Landstar’s President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Gattoni. “The 2018 third quarter establishedall-time Landstar quarterly records for revenue, operating income and diluted earnings per share while gross profit was a third quarter record. The Company also set newall-time Landstar records for trucks provided by BCOs with 10,443 as of the end of the quarter and net truck additions in a single quarter with the net addition of 288 trucks in the third quarter.”
Gattoni continued, “Demand for our services continued to be strong in the 2018 third quarter. The number of loads hauled via truck in the 2018 third quarter was a third quarter record and increased 7 percent over the 2017 third quarter, driven by a 7 percent increase in the number of loads hauled via van equipment, a 5 percent increase in the number of loads hauled via unsided/platform equipment and a 5 percent increase in less-than-truckload volume. Excluding the approximately 16,000 truckloads hauled by Landstar in September 2017 related to the storms that impacted the southeastern U.S. and Texas, truckload volumes increased 10 percent over the 2017 third quarter. The number of loads hauled via railroads, ocean cargo carriers and air cargo carriers was 25 percent higher in the 2018 third quarter compared to the 2017 third quarter, primarily due to a 21 percent increase in rail intermodal volume and a 46 percent increase in ocean volume.”