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Dec 31, 2022

Knight-Swift Q4 2022 Earnings Report

Knight-Swift reported a decrease in revenue and earnings for Q4 2022 due to a benign peak shipping season and inventory overhang.

Key Takeaways

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. reported a decrease in net income attributable to Knight-Swift to $148.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2022, with an adjusted EPS of $1.00. The company faced a challenging environment with muted volumes and inventory overhang, but its three largest segments, Truckload, LTL, and Logistics, performed well.

Consolidated total revenue decreased by 4.0% to $1.7 billion compared to Q4 2021.

GAAP earnings per diluted share were $0.92, compared to $1.52 for the fourth quarter of 2021.

Adjusted Operating Ratios were 82.7% in Truckload, 85.5% in Less-than-Truckload, and 86.4% in Logistics.

The company anticipates improvement later in the year as excess inventories are worked through and carrier supply softens.

Total Revenue
$1.74B
Previous year: $1.82B
-4.0%
EPS
$1
Previous year: $1.61
-37.9%
Miles per Tractor
18.66K
Previous year: 19.54K
-4.5%
LTL Shipments per Day
17.25K
Previous year: 16.45K
+4.9%
LTL Weight per Shipment (pounds)
1.05K
Previous year: 1.11K
-5.1%
Gross Profit
$402M
Previous year: $475M
-15.4%
Cash and Equivalents
$197M
Previous year: $261M
-24.6%
Total Assets
$11B
Previous year: $10.7B
+2.8%

Knight-Swift

Knight-Swift

Knight-Swift Revenue by Segment

Forward Guidance

The company expects Adjusted EPS for full-year 2023 to range from $4.05 to $4.25, based on current market conditions and management's expectations.

Positive Outlook

  • Truckload tractor count stable with miles per tractor improving on a year-over-year basis in the 2nd half of the year
  • LTL revenue increases modestly year-over-year with relatively stable margin profile and typical seasonality
  • Logistics revenue per load and load volumes down from the fourth quarter to the first quarter and then improving on a sequential basis for the rest of the year
  • Easing inflationary pressure on costs
  • Continued growth in revenue and operating income in non-reportable

Challenges Ahead

  • Truckload rates continue to be pressured with year-over-year decreases in the mid-to-high single digits before inflecting positive in the fourth quarter
  • Logistics operating ratio in the high 80's to low 90's
  • Intermodal Operating Ratio in the mid 90's for the full year
  • Equipment gains to be in the range of $10M to $15M quarterly
  • Sequential increase in interest expense due to higher rates

Revenue & Expenses

Visualization of income flow from segment revenue to net income