| | | Contact: | | Ray Harlin |
| | | | | Chief Financial Officer |
| | | | | (423) 510-3323 |
| | | | | |
U.S. XPRESS ENTERPRISES REPORTS HIGHER FIRST QUARTER RESULTS
Posts Fifth Consecutive Quarter of Year-Over-Year Earnings Improvement
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (April 21, 2003)—U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ/NM: XPRSA) announced higher operating revenues and earnings for the first quarter ended March 31, 2003. Operating revenues increased 11.9% to $220.7 million, compared with $197.2 million for the first quarter of 2002. Net income for the first quarter was $121,000, or $0.01 per diluted share, compared with a loss of $1.4 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2002. The first quarter of 2002 included a non-cash charge for the early extinguishment of debt of approximately $1.1 million, or $0.08 per diluted share.
Commenting on the announcement, Patrick Quinn, Co-Chairman of U.S. Xpress, stated, “Although we posted year-over-year improvement in earnings for the fifth consecutive quarter, the impact from difficult weather conditions, the rapid spike in fuel prices that averaged approximately 38 percent above prior-year levels and a sluggish freight environment served to lessen the extent of year-over-year improvements achieved in our truckload operation. The higher fuel prices alone, net of fuel surcharges, reduced operating income in our truckload segment by approximately $3 million and earnings by $0.11 per diluted share.
“We are encouraged by the trend of improved operating results within each of our business segments. In the truckload segment, we posted an increase of 7.3% in revenues, net of fuel surcharges; realized a 2.8% increase in revenue per mile; and increased the average number of tractors by 4.7%. The end result was an 8.8% increase in truckload operating income to $3.0 million – a figure that would have been nearly twice as much had we not experienced the dramatic rise in fuel costs during the quarter.”
Co-Chairman Max Fuller, added, “The Xpress Global Systems segment also continued to show improvement, despite the first quarter being its weakest period due to seasonality. This segment posted a 17.8% increase in revenues to $29.1 million, consisting of a 34.0% increase in airport-to-airport operations revenues to $11.0 million and a 9.8% increase in revenue in our floorcovering logistics operations to $18.1 million. Operating income of Xpress Global Systems increased from essentially a breakeven level in the first quarter of 2002 to $126,000 in the first quarter of 2003. With the trend of improving pricing and margins in the floorcovering operation and continued revenue expansion in the airport-to-airport business, we believe this segment can make a significant contribution to earnings in 2003.”
Investor Conference Call and Simulcast
U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. will conduct a conference call, at 11:00 am EDT on April 21, 2003, to discuss this quarter’s results. The number to call for this interactive teleconference is (913) 981-5510. A seven-day replay of the conference call will be available by dialing (719) 457-0820 and entering the passcode, 734531.
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4080 Jenkins Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421
423.510.3000
XPRSA Reports First Quarter Results
Page 2
April 21, 2003
The Company will also provide an online Web simulcast and rebroadcast of its 2003 first quarter earnings release conference call. The live broadcast of U.S. Xpress’ quarterly conference call will be available online at the Company’s website,www.usxpress.com, as well aswww.firstcallevents.com/service/ajwz378830974gf12.html on April 21, 2003, beginning at 11:00 a.m. EDT. The online replay will follow shortly after the call and continue through May 5, 2003.
U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. is the fifth-largest publicly owned truckload carrier in the United States. The Company provides regional, dedicated and expedited truckload services throughout North America, with regional capabilities in the West, Midwest and Southeastern United States. The Company is one of the largest providers of expedited and time-definite services in the truckload sector. U.S. Xpress focuses on customers operating in dedicated, just-in-time or deferred airfreight market segments, while utilizing one of the largest team-operated fleets in the industry. Xpress Global Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, is the leading provider of transportation, warehousing and distribution services to the floor coverings industry and provides airport-to-airport transportation services to the airfreight and airfreight forwarding industries through a network of over 80 locations in North America. Xpress Global Systems also provides distribution-related services to a number of other industries, including retail, automotive and building materials. The Company also offers logistic services through its joint ownership of Transplace, an Internet-based global transportation logistics company.
This press release contains certain forward-looking information that is subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Without limitation, these risks and uncertainties include economic recession or downturns in customers’ business cycles, rapid fluctuations in fuel pricing or availability, increases in interest rates, the availability of adequate sources of financing and the availability of qualified drivers. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by the company in this press release and in the company’s periodic reports on forms 10-K and 10-Q.
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XPRSA Reports First Quarter Results
Page 3
April 21, 2003
U.S. XPRESS ENTERPRISES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In Thousands, Except Per Share Data)
(Unaudited)
| | | Three Months Ended March 31,
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| | | 2003
| | 2002
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Operating Revenue | | $ | 220,666 | | $ | 197,220 | |
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Operating Expenses: | | | | | | | |
Salaries, wages and benefits | | | 75,592 | | | 73,338 | |
Fuel and fuel taxes | | | 37,431 | | | 26,336 | |
Vehicle rents | | | 17,917 | | | 17,922 | |
Depreciation and amortization, net of gain on sale | | | 9,148 | | | 8,883 | |
Purchased transportation | | | 36,206 | | | 30,778 | |
Operating expense and supplies | | | 15,753 | | | 13,136 | |
Insurance premiums and claims | | | 10,904 | | | 8,996 | |
Operating taxes and licenses | | | 3,097 | | | 3,174 | |
Communications and utilities | | | 2,963 | | | 2,823 | |
General and other operating | | | 8,485 | | | 8,994 | |
Early extinguishment of debt | | | — | | | 1,776 | |
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Total operating expenses | | $ | 217,496 | | $ | 196,156 | |
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Income from Operations | | | 3,170 | | | 1,064 | |
Interest Expense, net | | | 2,928 | | | 3,405 | |
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Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes | | | 242 | | | (2,341 | ) |
Income Tax Provision (Benefit) | | | 121 | | | (904 | ) |
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Net Income (Loss) | | $ | 121 | | $ | (1,437 | ) |
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Earnings (Loss) Per Share—basic | | $ | 0.01 | | $ | (0.10 | ) |
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Weighted average shares—basic | | | 13,931 | | | 13,850 | |
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Earnings (Loss) Per Share—diluted | | $ | 0.01 | | $ | (0.10 | ) |
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Weighted average shares—diluted | | | 14,033 | | | 13,850 | |
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XPRSA Reports First Quarter Results
Page 4
April 21, 2003
U.S. XPRESS ENTERPRISES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In Thousands, Except Per Share Data)
(Unaudited)
| | | Three Months Ended March 31,
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| | | 2003
| | | 2002
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Operating Revenue | | 100.0 | % | | 100.0 | % |
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Operating Expenses: | | | | | | |
Salaries, wages and benefits | | 34.3 | | | 37.2 | |
Fuel and fuel taxes | | 17.0 | | | 13.4 | |
Vehicle rents | | 8.1 | | | 9.1 | |
Depreciation and amortization, net of gain on sale | | 4.1 | | | 4.5 | |
Purchased transportation | | 16.4 | | | 15.6 | |
Operating expense and supplies | | 7.1 | | | 6.7 | |
Insurance premiums and claims | | 4.9 | | | 4.6 | |
Operating taxes and licenses | | 1.4 | | | 1.6 | |
Communications and utilities | | 1.4 | | | 1.4 | |
General and other operating | | 3.9 | | | 4.5 | |
Early extinguishment of debt | | 0.0 | | | 0.9 | |
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Total operating expenses | | 98.6 | | | 99.5 | |
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Income from Operations | | 1.4 | | | 0.5 | |
Interest Expense, net | | 1.3 | | | 1.7 | |
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Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes | | 0.1 | | | (1.2 | ) |
Income Tax Provision ( Benefit) | | 0.1 | | | (0.5 | ) |
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Net Income (Loss) | | 0.0 | % | | (0.7 | )% |
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XPRSA Reports First Quarter Results
Page 5
April 21, 2003
U.S. XPRESS ENTERPRISES, INC.
KEY OPERATING FACTORS
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| | | Three Months Ended March 31,
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| | | 2003
| | | 2002
| | | Change
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OPERATING RATIO | | | 98.6 | % | | | 99.5 | % | | | -0.9 | % |
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OPERATING REVENUE: | | | | | | | | | | | | |
US Xpress, net of fuel surcharge | | $ | 189,900 | | | $ | 176,933 | | | | 7.3 | % |
Fuel Surcharge | | | 10,267 | | | | 1,144 | | | | 797.5 | % |
Xpress Global Systems | | | 29,109 | | | | 24,712 | | | | 17.8 | % |
Inter-company | | | (8,610 | ) | | | (5,569 | ) | | | 54.6 | % |
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Total Operating Revenue | | $ | 220,666 | | | $ | 197,220 | | | | 11.9 | % |
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OPERATING INCOME: | | | | | | | | | | | | |
US Xpress | | $ | 3,044 | | | $ | 2,799 | | | | 8.8 | % |
Xpress Global Systems | | | 126 | | | | 41 | | | | 207.3 | % |
Early extinguishment of debt | | | — | | | | (1,776 | ) | | | — | |
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Total Operating Income | | $ | 3,170 | | | $ | 1,064 | | | | 197.9 | % |
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TRUCKLOAD STATISTICS: | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Revenue Per Mile (a) | | $ | 1.270 | | | $ | 1.235 | | | | 2.8 | % |
Revenue Per Total Mile (a) | | $ | 1.138 | | | $ | 1.111 | | | | 2.4 | % |
Tractors (at end of period)— | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Company Owned | | | 4,598 | | | | 4,393 | | | | 4.7 | % |
Owner Operators | | | 978 | | | | 915 | | | | 6.9 | % |
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Total Tractors (at end of period) | | | 5,576 | | | | 5,308 | | | | 5.0 | % |
Average Number of Tractors in Fleet During Period | | | 5,507 | | | | 5,261 | | | | 4.7 | % |
Average Revenue Miles Per Tractor Per Period | | | 26,669 | | | | 26,783 | | | | -0.4 | % |
Average Revenue Per Tractor Per Period | | $ | 33,887 | | | $ | 33,384 | | | | 1.4 | % |
Empty Miles Percentage | | | 10.33 | % | | | 10.06 | % | | | 2.7 | % |
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| | | March 31, 2003
| | | December 31, 2002
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BALANCE SHEET DATA | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total Assets | | $ | 430,281 | | | | | | | $ | 438,539 | |
Total Equity | | | 158,953 | | | | | | | | 158,432 | |
Long-term Debt, including Current Maturities | | | 158,661 | | | | | | | | 167,863 | |
(a) Net of fuel surcharges.
