The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

March 31, 2018

1.    Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

Forward Air Corporation is a leading asset-light freight and logistics company. Forward Air Corporation's ("the Company", "We", "Our") services can be classified into four reportable segments: Expedited LTL, Truckload Premium Services ("TLS"), Intermodal and Pool Distribution ("Pool") (See note 11).

 

Through the Expedited LTL segment, we operate a comprehensive national network to provide expedited regional, inter-regional and national less-than-truckload ("LTL") services. Expedited LTL offers customers local pick-up and delivery and other services including shipment consolidation and deconsolidation, warehousing, customs brokerage and other handling.

Through our TLS segment, we provide expedited truckload brokerage, dedicated fleet services, as well as high security and temperature-controlled logistics services in the United States and Canada.

Our Intermodal segment provides first- and last-mile high value intermodal container drayage services both to and from seaports and railheads. Intermodal also offers dedicated contract and CFS warehouse and handling services. Today, Intermodal operates primarily in the Midwest and Southeast, with a smaller operational presence in the Southwest.

In our Pool Distribution segment, we provide high-frequency handling and distribution of time sensitive product to numerous destinations within a specific geographic region. We offer this service throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest and Southwest United States.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by United States generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. The Company’s operating results are subject to seasonal trends when measured on a quarterly basis; therefore operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2018 . For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Forward Air Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 .

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company include Forward Air Corporation and its subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period financial information to conform to the current year presentation.

2.    Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): "Simplifying the Accounting for Goodwill Impairment." Under the current guidance for assessing goodwill for impairment, an entity can first assess qualitative factors to determine whether a two-step goodwill impairment test is necessary. Under the new standard, a goodwill impairment loss will instead be measured at the amount by which a reporting unit's carrying amount exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill, thus no longer requiring the two-step method. The guidance requires prospective adoption and will be effective for annual or interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption of this guidance is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. We have adopted this guidance and do not expect any impact to the consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB, issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which introduces the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under previous guidance. The guidance will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted. We are evaluating the impact of the future adoption of this standard on our consolidated financial statements.

    

In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance on revenue from contracts with customers that will supersede most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The underlying principle is that an entity will recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those

goods or services. The guidance provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized. Other major provisions include capitalization of certain contract costs, consideration of time value of money in the transaction price, and allowing estimates of variable consideration to be recognized before contingencies are resolved in certain circumstances. The guidance also requires enhanced disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from an entity’s contracts with customers. The guidance is effective for the interim and annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2017. The guidance permits the use of either a full retrospective or modified retrospective adoption approach with a cumulative effect adjustment recorded in either scenario as necessary upon transition.

As permitted by the guidance, we implemented the use of full retrospective presentation, which required the Company to restate each prior reporting period presented. While evaluating principal versus agent relationships under the new standard, we determined that we will transition the fuel surcharge revenue stream from an agent to principal relationship. This caused this revenue stream and associated costs to be recognized on a gross basis that have historically been recognized on a net basis, increasing revenue and expenses by approximately $14,203 for the three months ended March 31, 2017 with no impact on operating income.

In addition, based on a review of our customer shipping arrangements, we have concluded that revenue recognition for our performance obligations should be over time. This is because the customer will simultaneously receive and consume the benefits of these services as the entity performs over the related service period. A performance obligation is performed over time if an entity determines that another entity would not need to substantially reperform the work completed to date if another entity were to fulfill the remaining performance obligation to the applicable customer. Applying this language to our performance obligations, if we were to move a customer’s freight partially to its destination but were unable to complete the remaining obligation, a replacement vendor would only have to complete the transit as opposed to initiating at shipment origin. Therefore, we believe our customers simultaneously receive and consume the benefits we provide and as a result we will recognize the revenue for each shipment over the course of time.

Management notes that the FASB’s basis for conclusions to the new revenue standard includes an example of a transportation contract to move goods from one city to another. In paragraph BC126 of ASU 2014-09 (ASC 606), the FASB explained the application of over time revenue recognition guidance to transportation services. Forward Air’s conclusion is consistent with the FASB’s conclusion in BC126.

Once management concluded that revenue would be recognized over time under ASC 606, management determined an appropriate measure of progress of recognizing revenue over time toward complete satisfaction of a performance obligation. Most of the company’s services are completed in a short amount of time; therefore, a relatively small number of contracts in a quarter are open as of the end of the quarter. Consequently, any reasonable measure of progress will result in materially the same amount of revenue in a quarter. Management concluded that the measure of progress would be days of shipping. For example, if a transportation service performance obligation takes three days to complete and a quarter ends on day two of the services, management would recognize two-thirds of the revenue for the transportation performance obligation.

Our revenue from contracts with customers is separated by our four reportable segments: Expedited LTL, TLS, Intermodal and Pool. This is consistent with our disclosures in earnings releases and annual reports and with the information regularly reviewed by the chief operating decision maker for evaluating financial performance.

We recast certain prior period amounts to conform with the adoption of the revenue recognition standard, as shown in the following tables:

Forward Air Corporation

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

March 31, 2018

3.    Acquisitions and Goodwill

CST Acquisitions

As part of the Company's strategy to expand its Intermodal operations, in May 2017, we acquired certain assets of Atlantic Trucking Company, Inc., Heavy Duty Equipment Leasing, LLC, Atlantic Logistics, LLC and Transportation Holdings, Inc. (together referred to as “Atlantic” in this note) for $22,500 and a potential earnout of $1,000 . The acquisition was funded by a combination of cash on hand and funds from our revolving credit facility. Atlantic was a privately held provider of intermodal, drayage and related services headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina. It also has terminal operations in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Jacksonville, Memphis, Nashville, Norfolk and Savannah. These locations allowed Intermodal to significantly expand its footprint in the southeastern region. In October 2017, we also acquired certain assets of Kansas City Logistics, LLC ("KCL") for $640 and a potential earnout of $100 . KCL provided CST with an expanded footprint in the Kansas and Missouri markets. The assets, liabilities, and operating results of these collective acquisitions have been included in the Company's consolidated financial statements from their dates of acquisition and have been included in the Intermodal reportable segment.

Allocations of Purchase Prices

The following table presents the allocation of the Atlantic purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values and resulting residual goodwill (in thousands):

Forward Air Corporation

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

March 31, 2018

The acquired definite-lived intangible assets have the following useful lives:

The fair value of the non-compete agreements and customer relationships assets were estimated using an income approach (level 3). Under this method, an intangible asset's fair value is equal to the present value of the incremental after-tax cash flows (excess earnings) attributable solely to the intangible asset over its remaining useful life. To estimate fair value, the Company used cash flows discounted at rates considered appropriate given the inherent risks associated with each type of asset. The Company believes that the level and timing of cash flows appropriately reflect market participant assumptions. Cash flows were assumed to extend through the remaining economic useful life of each class of intangible asset.

Goodwill

There were no changes to goodwill for the three months ended March 31, 2018 . Approximately $112,527 of goodwill is deductible for tax purposes. The following is a summary of the goodwill balances as of March 31, 2018 .

4.    Share-Based Payments

The Company’s general practice has been to make a single annual grant of share-based compensation to key employees and to make other employee grants only in connection with new employment or promotions.  Forms of share-based compensation granted to employees by the Company include stock options, non-vested shares of common stock (“non-vested share”), and performance shares.  The Company also typically makes a single annual grant of non-vested shares to non-employee directors in conjunction with the annual election of non-employee directors to the Board of Directors.  Share-based compensation is based on the grant date fair value of the instrument and is recognized ratably over the requisite service period, or vesting period. All share-based compensation expense is recognized in salaries, wages and employee benefits.

The following tables summarize the Company’s employee stock option activity and related information:

Forward Air Corporation

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

March 31, 2018

Employee Activity - Performance Shares

The Company annually grants performance shares to key employees.  Under the terms of the performance share agreements, following the end of a three-year performance period, the Company will issue to the employees a calculated number of common stock shares based on the three year performance of the Company’s total shareholder return as compared to the total shareholder return of a selected peer group.  No shares may be issued if the Company's total shareholder return outperforms 25% or less of the peer group, but the number of shares issued may be doubled if the Company's total shareholder return performs better than 90% of the peer group.  The fair value of the performance shares was estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation. The weighted average assumptions used in the Monte Carlo estimate were as follows:

Forward Air Corporation

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

March 31, 2018

The following tables summarize the Company’s employee performance share activity, assuming median share awards, and related information:

Forward Air Corporation

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

March 31, 2018

5.    Senior Credit Facility

On September 29, 2017, the Company, entered into a five -year senior unsecured revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) with a maximum aggregate principal amount of $150,000 , with a sublimit of $30,000 for letters of credit and a sublimit of $30,000 for swing line loans. The Facility may be increased by up to $100,000 to a maximum aggregate principal amount of $250,000 pursuant to the terms of the credit agreement, subject to the lenders’ agreement to increase their commitments or the addition of new lenders extending such commitments. Such increases to the Facility may be in the form of additional revolving credit loans, term loans or a combination thereof, and are contingent upon there being no events of default under the Facility and satisfaction of other conditions precedent and are subject to the other limitations set forth in the credit agreement.

The Facility is scheduled to mature in September 2022 and may be used to refinance existing indebtedness of the Company and for working capital, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes. The Facility refinanced the Company’s existing obligations for its unsecured credit facility under the credit agreement dated as of February 4, 2015, as amended, which was terminated as of the date of the new Facility.

Unless the Company elects otherwise under the credit agreement, interest on borrowings under the Facility is based on the highest of (a) the federal funds rate (not less than 0%) plus 0.5% , (b) the administrative agent's prime rate and (c) the LIBOR Rate plus 1.0% , in each case plus a margin that can range from 0.3% to 0.8% with respect to the Facility depending on the Company’s ratio of consolidated funded indebtedness to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, as set forth in the credit agreement. Payments of interest for each loan that is based on the LIBOR Rate are due in arrears on the last day of the interest period applicable to such loan (with interest periods of one, two or three months being available, at the Company’s option). Payments of interest on loans that are not based on the LIBOR Rate are due on the last day of each quarter ended March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of each year. All unpaid amounts of principal and interest are due at maturity. As of March 31, 2018 , we had $40,500 in borrowings outstanding under the revolving credit facility, $7,932 utilized for outstanding letters of credit and $101,568 of available borrowing capacity under the revolving credit facility.  The interest rate on the outstanding borrowing under the revolving credit facility was 3.6% at March 31, 2018.

The Facility contains customary events of default including, among other things, payment defaults, breach of covenants, cross acceleration to material indebtedness, bankruptcy-related defaults, material judgment defaults, and the occurrence of certain change of control events. The occurrence of an event of default may result in, among other things, the termination of the Facilities, acceleration of repayment obligations and the exercise of remedies by the lenders with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries that are party to the Facility. The Facility also contains financial covenants and other covenants that, among other things, restrict the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries, without the approval of the required lenders, to engage in certain mergers, consolidations, asset sales, dividends and stock repurchases, investments, and other transactions or to incur liens or indebtedness in excess of agreed thresholds, as set forth in the credit agreement.

Our new facility replaced our previously existing unsecured credit facility, which had a maximum aggregate principal amount of $275,000 , including a revolving credit facility of $150,000 and a term loan facility of $125,000 . The previous revolving credit facility was scheduled to expire in February 2020.

Forward Air Corporation

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

March 31, 2018

6.    Net Income Per Share

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income per share:

The number of instruments that could potentially dilute net income per basic share in the future, but that were not included in the computation of net income per diluted share because to do so would have been anti-dilutive for the periods presented, are as follows:

7.    Income Taxes

Tax Reform

On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law H.R. 1, “An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018” (this legislation was formerly called the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” and is referred to herein as the “U.S. Tax Act”). The U.S. Tax Act provides for significant changes in the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The U.S. Tax Act contains provisions with separate effective dates but is generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Beginning on January 1, 2018, the U.S. Tax Act lowers the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% on our U.S. earnings from that date and beyond.

The ultimate impact of the U.S. Tax Act on our reported results in 2018 may differ from the estimates provided herein, possibly materially, due to, among other things, changes in interpretations and assumptions we have made, guidance that may be issued, and other actions we may take as a result of the U.S. Tax Act different from that presently contemplated. On December 22, 2017, the SEC staff issued SAB 118 that allows us to record provisional amounts during a measurement period not to extend beyond one year of the enactment date. We currently are analyzing the 2017 Tax Act, and in certain areas, have made reasonable estimates of the effects on our consolidated financial statements and tax disclosures, including the changes to our existing deferred tax balances.

Tax Rate

For the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, the effective income tax rates varied from the statutory federal income tax rate of 21.0% and 35.0% , primarily as a result of the effect of state income taxes, net of the federal benefit, and permanent differences between book and tax net income. The combined federal and state effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was 25.7% compared to a rate of 37.8%   for the same period in 2017.  The lower effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2018 is the result of the enactment of the U.S. Tax Act, which lowered the statutory federal income tax rate to 21.0% from 35.0%. The lower rate was partly offset by fuel tax benefits taken in the first quarter of 2018 that were not deductible for tax purposes and 2017 benefiting from qualified production property deductions that were not renewed in the U.S. Tax Act.

8.    Financial Instruments

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The following methods and assumptions were used by the Company in estimating its fair value disclosures for financial instruments:

Accounts receivable and accounts payable: The carrying amounts reported in the balance sheet for accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate their fair value based on their short-term nature.

 

The Company’s revolving credit facility bears variable interest rates plus additional basis points based upon covenants related to total indebtedness to earnings.  As the revolving credit facility bears a variable interest rate, the carrying value approximates fair value. Using interest rate quotes and discounted cash flows, the Company estimated the fair value of its outstanding capital lease obligations as follows:

 

The Company's fair value estimates for the above financial instruments are classified within level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

9.    Shareholders' Equity

During each quarter of 2017 and the first quarter of 2018, our Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.15 per share of common stock. The Company expects to continue to pay regular quarterly cash dividends, though each subsequent quarterly dividend is subject to review and approval by the Board of Directors.

On July 21, 2016, our Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase authorization for up to three million shares of the Company’s common stock. The following table summarizes our share repurchases for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017.

As of March 31, 2018, 1,454,379 shares are available to be purchased under the 2016 Plan.

10.    Commitments and Contingencies

From time to time, the Company is party to ordinary, routine litigation incidental to and arising in the normal course of business.  The Company does not believe that any of these pending actions, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition or results of operations.

The primary claims in the Company’s business relate to workers’ compensation, property damage, vehicle liability and medical benefits. Most of the Company’s insurance coverage provides for self-insurance levels with primary and excess coverage which management believes is sufficient to adequately protect the Company from catastrophic claims. We renewed our liability insurance policies on April 1, 2018 and took on additional risk exposure for vehicle liability claims by increasing our self-insurance retention and deductible levels for our LTL and Pool businesses. See “Item 1A - Risk Factors” for additional details related to the risks of our insurance coverage. In the opinion of management, adequate provision has been made for all incurred claims up to the self-insured limits, including provision for estimated claims incurred but not reported.

 

The Company estimates its self-insurance loss exposure by evaluating the merits and circumstances surrounding individual known claims and by performing hindsight and actuarial analysis to determine an estimate of probable losses on claims incurred but not reported.  Such losses should be realized immediately as the events underlying the claims have already occurred as of the balance sheet dates. 

Because of the uncertainty of the ultimate resolution of outstanding claims, as well as uncertainty regarding claims incurred but not reported, it is possible that management’s provision for these losses could change materially in the near term. However, no estimate can currently be made of the range of additional loss that is at least reasonably possible.

11.    Segment Reporting

The Company operates in four reportable segments based on information available to and used by the chief operating decision maker.  Expedited LTL operates a comprehensive national network that provides expedited regional, inter-regional and national LTL services.  The TLS segment provides expedited truckload brokerage, dedicated fleet services and high security and temperature-controlled logistics services. The Intermodal segment primarily provides first- and last-mile high value intermodal container drayage services both to and from seaports and railheads. Pool Distribution provides high-frequency handling and distribution of time sensitive product to numerous destinations.

Except for certain insurance activity, the accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies disclosed in Note 1 of the Forward Air Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 . For workers compensation and vehicle claims each segment is charged an insurance premium and is also charged a deductible that corresponds with our corporate deductibles. However, any losses beyond our deductibles and any loss development factors applied to our outstanding claims as a result of actuarial analysis are not passed to the segments, but reported at the corporate level.

Segment data includes intersegment revenues and shared costs.  Costs of the corporate headquarters, shared services and shared assets, such as trailers, are allocated to the segments based on usage. The cost basis of shared assets are not allocated.  The Company evaluates the performance of its segments based on income from operations.   The Company’s business is conducted in the U.S. and Canada.

The following tables summarize segment information about results from operations and assets used by the chief operating decision maker of the Company in making decisions regarding allocation of assets and resources as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017.

Forward Air Corporation

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

March 31, 2018