Investments include primarily investment-grade corporate bonds and U.S. Treasury obligations having maturities of up to five years (the “bond portfolio”) and money market investments. Investments in the bond portfolio are reported as
available-for-sale
and are carried at fair value. Investments maturing less than one year from the balance sheet date are included in short-term investments and investments maturing more than one year from the balance sheet date are included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets. Management performs an analysis of the nature of the unrealized losses on
available-for-sale
investments to determine whether an allowance for credit loss is necessary. Unrealized losses, representing the excess of the purchase price of an investment over its fair value as of the end of a period, considered to be a result of credit-related factors, are to be included as a charge in the statement of income, while unrealized losses considered to be a result of noncredit-related factors are to be included as a component of shareholders’ equity.
Investments whose values are based on quoted market prices in active markets are classified within Level 1. Investments that trade in markets that are not considered to be active, but are valued based on quoted market prices, are classified within Level 2. As Level 2 investments include positions that are not traded in active markets, valuations may be adjusted to reflect illiquidity and/or
non-transferability,
which are generally based on available market information. Any transfers between levels are recognized as of the beginning of any reporting period. Fair value of the bond portfolio was determined using Level 1 inputs related to U.S. Treasury obligations and money market investments and Level 2 inputs related to investment-grade corporate bonds, asset-backed securities and direct obligations of government agencies. Unrealized losses, net of unrealized gains, on the investments in the bond portfolio were $584,000 at March 28, 2020, while unrealized gains, net of unrealized losses, on the investments in the bond portfolio were $1,427,000 at December 28, 2019, respectively.
The amortized cost and fair values of
available-for-sale
investments are as follows at March 28, 2020 and December 28, 2019 (in thousands):
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| | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | |
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Corporate bonds and direct obligations of government agencies | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
U.S. Treasury obligations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | |
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| | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | |
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Corporate bonds and direct obligations of government agencies | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
U.S. Treasury obligations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | |
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For those
available-for-sale
investments with unrealized losses at March 28, 2020 and December 28, 2019, the following table summarizes the duration of the unrealized loss (in thousands):
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| | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | |
Corporate bonds and direct obligations of | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | |
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| | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | |
Corporate bonds and direct obligations of | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
U.S. Treasury obligations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | | | $ | | |
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The Company believes that unrealized losses on investments were primarily due to the widening of credit spreads in the fixed income market related to the coronavirus
(“COVID-19”)
worldwide pandemic. The Company expects to recover, through collection of all of the contractual cash flows of each security, the amortized cost basis of these securities as it does not intend to sell, and does not anticipate being required to sell, these securities before recovery of the cost basis. For these reasons, no losses have been recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements of income.
Landstar’s noncancelable leases are primarily comprised of finance leases for the acquisition of new trailing equipment. Each finance lease for the acquisition of trailing equipment is a five year lease with a $1 purchase option for the applicable equipment at lease expiration. Substantially all of Landstar’s operating lease
right-of-use
assets and operating lease liabilities represent leases for orientation centers for BCO Independent Contractors and office space used to conduct Landstar’s business. These leases do not have significant rent escalation holidays, concessions, leasehold improvement incentives or other
build-out
clauses. Further, the leases do not contain contingent rent provisions. Landstar also leases certain trailing equipment to supplement the Company-owned trailer fleet under
“month-to-month”
lease terms, which are not required to be recorded on the balance sheet due to the less than twelve month lease term exemption. Sublease income is primarily comprised of weekly trailing equipment rentals to our BCO Independent Contractors.
Most of Landstar’s operating leases include one or more options to renew. The exercise of lease renewal options is typically at Landstar’s sole discretion, and, as such, the majority of renewals to extend the lease terms are not included in the
right-of-use
assets and lease liabilities as they are not reasonably certain of exercise. Landstar regularly evaluates the renewal options, and when they are reasonably certain of exercise, Landstar includes the renewal period in the lease term.
As most of Landstar’s operating leases do not provide an implicit rate, Landstar utilized its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date in determining the present value of the lease payments. Landstar has a centrally managed treasury function; therefore, based on the applicable lease terms and the current economic environment, we apply a portfolio approach for determining the incremental borrowing rate.
In connection with the impact of the
COVID-19
pandemic, the Company experienced a significant decline in truckload volumes during the last week of its fiscal quarter ended March 28, 2020. The Company believes the
COVID-19
pandemic is likely to have a significant adverse impact on truckload volumes in its 2020 second fiscal quarter. Although it does not appear the impact of the
COVID-19
pandemic had a significant impact on truckload pricing in the 2020 first quarter, no assurance can be given regarding the potential impact of the pandemic on truckload pricing in future periods, including the 2020 second quarter. The extent to which the
COVID-19
pandemic impacts the Company’s results in the 2020 second quarter as well as in future quarters will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the duration of the pandemic, new information that may emerge concerning the severity of the pandemic, the actions taken to contain its impact and the role of federal, state and local governments in lifting
stay-at-home
orders and taking other measures that will be needed to help the economy transition back to more normal operating conditions. These and other factors could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
In an effort to support BCO Independent Contractors and independent commission sales agents in the Landstar network, the Company announced that for each load delivered by a BCO Independent Contractor with a confirmed delivery date from April 1, 2020 through April 30, 2020, the Company will pay an extra $50 to both the BCO hauling the load and the Landstar agent dispatching the load. The Company subsequently announced the extension of this program through May 15, 2020. The Company estimates that Landstar BCOs will deliver between 60,000 and 70,000 loads in April 2020 and 30,000 to 35,000 from May 1, 2020 through May 15, 2020. In addition, if a Landstar BCO tests positive for
COVID-19
or is placed under a mandatory quarantine by a public health authority, the Company will provide up to $2,000 to the affected BCO. Further, in the event that current market conditions persist, it is possible that Landstar will provide additional financial support to its independent agents and/or BCO Independent Contractors during the 2020 second quarter as part of the Company’s pandemic relief efforts. These pandemic relief efforts will have an impact on the Company’s financial results for the 2020 second quarter.
Moreover, the
COVID-19
virus continues to spread in areas where we provide services. The Landstar network includes over 1,200 independent agent locations throughout North America where such independent agents provide shipment coordination and dispatch services, freight tracking, trailer management and numerous other operational functions. Similarly, the Landstar network includes tens of thousands of truck capacity providers who operate throughout North America without any Landstar truck terminals. Management believes the decentralized nature of our model should insulate Landstar’s freight operations in an environment where social distancing can disrupt centralized business structures. A significant impact to our independent agent network and/or a significant decrease in available truck capacity providers due to illness or government restrictions related to the
COVID-19
pandemic could have a material adverse effect on our ability to source capacity to service our customers and could have a significant impact on Landstar, including our results of operations, revenue and cash flows.
In addition, the
COVID-19
pandemic along with other factors such as issues in the international oil and gas sector have caused significant disruptions in the Mexican economy. These conditions also are expected to continue and worsen in the near term. During the Company’s 2020 fiscal first quarter, the value of the Mexican peso to the U.S. dollar significantly depreciated and may continue to depreciate further. No assurances can be given regarding the potential impact of the
COVID-19
pandemic and other factors on the Mexican economy and the value of the Mexican peso relative to the U.S. dollar and could have a significant adverse impact on the financial condition and results of operations of our Mexican subsidiaries as well as the value of the tangible and intangible assets associated with their operations. Moreover, we annually perform impairment tests of the carrying values of our goodwill, other indefinite-lived intangible assets and other long-lived assets. We may also perform an evaluation whenever events may indicate an impairment has occurred. In assessing whether an impairment has occurred, we consider whether the performance of our reporting units may be below projections, negative macroeconomic trends or negative industry and company-specific trends. If we conclude that the carrying values of assets associated with our Mexican operations exceed their fair value, we may be required to record an impairment.
Disruptions or failures in the Company’s computer systems; cyber and other information security incidents.
The Company’s information technology systems used in connection with its operations are located in Jacksonville, Florida and to a lesser extent in Rockford, Illinois. In addition, the Company utilizes several third party data centers throughout the U.S. Landstar relies, in the regular course of its business, on the proper operation of its information technology systems to link its extensive network of customers, employees, agents and third party capacity providers, including its BCO Independent Contractors. Moreover, in connection with the
COVID-19
pandemic, the Company has temporarily transitioned the vast majority of its office-based employees to
work-at-home
arrangements. Although the Company has redundant systems for its critical operations, any significant disruption or failure of its technology systems or those of third party data centers on which it relies could significantly disrupt the Company’s operations and impose significant costs on the Company. Moreover, it is critical that the data processed by or stored in the Company’s information technology systems or otherwise in the
Company’s possession remain confidential, as it often includes confidential, proprietary and/or competitively sensitive information regarding our customers, employees, agents and third party capacity providers, key financial and operational results and statistics, and our strategic plans, including technology innovations, developments and enhancements. Cyber incidents that impact the security, availability, reliability, speed, accuracy or other proper functioning of these systems and data, including outages, computer viruses,
break-ins
and similar disruptions, could have a significant impact on our operations. Accordingly, information security and the continued development and enhancement of the controls and processes designed to protect our systems, computers, software, data and networks from attack, damage or unauthorized access remain a priority for us. Although we believe that we have robust security procedures and other safeguards in place, as threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend additional resources to continue to enhance our information security measures and/or to investigate and remediate any security vulnerabilities. For example, in the first quarter of 2016, we were subject to “spear-phishing” attacks through which third parties were able to obtain personal employee data. We have undertaken a number of remedial measures in response, including enhancing our security systems and additional training for our employees. Additional incidents may occur in the future and may have a material adverse effect on our business and operations. A significant incident, including system failure, security breach, disruption by malware, or other damage, could interrupt or delay our operations, damage our reputation, cause a loss of customers, agents and/or third party capacity providers, expose us to a risk of loss or litigation, and/or cause us to incur significant time and expense to remedy such an event, any of which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.
Increased severity or frequency of accidents and other claims or a material unfavorable development of existing claims.
For periods prior to May 1, 2019, Landstar retains liability for commercial trucking claims up to $5,000,000 per occurrence and maintains various third party insurance arrangements for liabilities in excess of its $5,000,000 self-insured retention. Effective May 1, 2019, the Company entered into a new three year commercial auto liability insurance arrangement for losses incurred between $5,000,000 and $10,000,000 (the “Initial Excess Policy”) with a third party insurance company. For commercial trucking claims incurred on or after May 1, 2019 through April 30, 2022, the Initial Excess Policy initially provided for a limit for a single loss of $5,000,000, with an aggregate limit of $10,000,000 for each policy year, an aggregate limit of $15,000,000 for the
thirty-six
month term ended April 30, 2022, and options to increase such aggregate limits for
pre-established
amounts of additional premium. In the event paid aggregate losses under the Initial Excess Policy during any policy year (May 1 to April 30) exceeded $10,000,000, the Company would retain liability of up to $10,000,000 per occurrence, inclusive of its $5,000,000 self-insured retention, for the remainder of such policy year. Moreover, in the event paid aggregate losses under the Initial Excess Policy during the three year period ending April 30, 2022 exceeded a
pre-determined
threshold amount, the Initial Excess Policy would require the Company to pay additional premium up to a maximum amount of $3,500,000.
As previously disclosed, BCO Independent Contractors with a subsidiary of the Company have been involved in two tragic accidents during the policy year ending April 30, 2020, the first of which occurred in the 2019 third quarter and the second of which occurred in the 2020 first quarter. Following these two tragic accidents, the Company exercised its option under the Initial Excess Policy to increase its aggregate limits to $15,000,000 for each policy year and $20,000,000 for the
thirty-six
month term ended April 30, 2022. If aggregate losses under the Initial Excess Policy exceed either the new annual aggregate limit or the new aggregate limit for the three year period ending April 30, 2022, and the Company declined the option to increase such aggregate limits for a
pre-established
amount of additional premium, Landstar would retain liability of up to $10,000,000 per occurrence, inclusive of its self-insured retention for commercial trucking claims during the remainder of the applicable policy year(s). In addition, as a result of the Company’s aggregate loss experience since it entered into the Initial Excess Policy, it believes it is probable it will be required to pay additional premium under the Initial Excess Policy, which amount of additional premium was included in insurance and claims costs for the Company’s 2020 fiscal first quarter. The Company continues to maintain third party insurance arrangements providing excess coverage on a per occurrence basis for commercial trucking liabilities in excess of $10,000,000.
The Company also retains liability of up to $1,000,000 for each general liability claim, up to $250,000 for each workers’ compensation claim and up to $250,000 for each cargo claim. In addition, under reinsurance arrangements by Signature of certain risks of the Company’s BCO Independent Contractors, the Company retains liability of up to $500,000, $1,000,000 or $2,000,000 with respect to certain occupational accident claims and up to $750,000 with respect to certain workers’ compensation claims. The Company’s exposure to liability associated with accidents incurred by Truck Brokerage Carriers, railroads and air and ocean cargo carriers who transport freight on behalf of the Company is reduced by various factors including the extent to which such carriers maintain their own insurance coverage. A material increase in the frequency or severity of accidents, cargo claims or workers’ compensation claims or the material unfavorable development of existing claims could have a material adverse effect on Landstar’s cost of insurance and claims and its results of operations. For a discussion identifying additional risk factors and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, see the discussions under Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form
10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2019 and in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” in this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Company
The following table provides information regarding the Company’s purchase of its common stock during the period from December 29, 2019 to March 28, 2020, the Company’s first fiscal quarter:
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| | Total Number of Shares Purchased | | | Average Price Paid Per Share | | | Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Programs | | | Maximum Number of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under the Programs | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
December 29, 2019 – January 25, 2020 | | | | | | $ | | | | | | | | | | |
January 26, 2020 – February 22, 2020 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
February 23, 2020 – March 28, 2020 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | $ | | | | | | | | | | |
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On December 9, 2019, the Landstar System, Inc. Board of Directors authorized the Company to purchase up to 1,849,068 shares of the Company’s common stock from time to time in the open market and in privately negotiated transactions. As of March 28, 2020, the Company had authorization to purchase in the aggregate up to 1,821,030 shares of its common stock under this program. No specific expiration date has been assigned to the December 9, 2019 authorization.
On June 2, 2016, Landstar entered into a credit agreement with a syndicate of banks and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (the “Credit Agreement”). The Credit Agreement provides for a restriction on cash dividends and other distributions to stockholders on the Company’s capital stock in the event there is a default under the Credit Agreement. In addition, the Credit Agreement, under certain circumstances, limits the amount of such cash dividends and other distributions to stockholders to the extent that, after giving effect to any payment made to effect such cash dividend or other distribution, the Leverage Ratio, as defined in the Credit Agreement, would exceed 2.5 to 1 on a pro forma basis as of the end of the Company’s most recently completed fiscal quarter.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Item 5. Other Information
The exhibits listed on the Exhibit Index are furnished as part of this quarterly report on Form
10-Q.