Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Risks Related to the Company

If we do not obtain sufficient additional capital or generate substantial revenue, we may be unable to pursue our objectives. This raises substantial doubt related to our ability to continue as a going concern.

As disclosed in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in this report, our historical operating losses, net losses and cash used in operations, continued net losses during 2020 and 2021, continued cash used in operations during 2020, continued working capital deficit and stockholders’ deficit as of March 31, 2021, the structure of our factoring arrangement, existing defaults on certain of our debt obligations, and uncertainty regarding our ability to obtain additional financing in the future raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to improve our liquidity position, we might be unable to continue as a going concern. This could significantly reduce or eliminate the value of our investors’ investment in the Company.

The Company’s level of indebtedness could adversely affect its financial condition and its ability to fulfill its obligations and operate its business.

The Company has incurred significant liabilities, and the Company’s ongoing capital needs are extensive relative to its current cash position. Unless the Company is able to restructure some or all of its outstanding debt and/or raise sufficient capital to fund its continued operations and its debt obligations, the Company will be unable to pay these obligations as they become due.  The Company has been unable to pay its obligations under its liabilities as they have become due in the past.

The Company is heavily reliant on its factoring arrangement, and any reductions to the Company’s ability to obtain credit under its factoring arrangement could significantly impact the Company’s liquidity.

The Company obtains liquidity under an accounts receivable factoring arrangement with a financial institution (the “Factor”).  Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, the Company, from time to time, sells to the Factor certain of its accounts receivable balances on a recourse basis for approved accounts. The Factor may also advance payment, in its discretion, for unearned future contract amounts.   The Factor remits 95% of the purchased accounts receivable balance and accepted unearned future contract amounts for a given month to the Company (the “Advance Amount”) with the remaining balance, less fees, to be forwarded once the Factor collects the full accounts receivable balance or unearned future contract amount, as applicable, from the customer. This is one of our primary sources of liquidity.

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The Factor has no obligation to purchase the full amount of accounts receivable balances or unearned future contract amounts that the Company offers to sell, and there can be no assurance that the Factor will continue to purchase accounts receivable or unearned future contract amounts at the same levels as it has in the past.  If the Factor determines in its sole discretion to decrease the amount it advances under the factoring arrangement or to terminate the factoring agreement entirely and we are unable to obtain a replacement source of credit on substantially similar terms, it would significantly decrease the Company’s liquidity, which would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition.

We have a limited operating history on which to base an investment decision.

EVO did not begin trucking operations until June 2018. Thus, we are subject to all the risks associated with any business enterprise with a limited operating history. Our prospects must be considered in light of the risks, expenses and difficulties frequently encountered by companies in their early stages of operation. We have a limited relevant operating history for you to consider in evaluating our business and prospects. When evaluating our business and prospects, you must consider the risks, expenses and difficulties that we may encounter as a company that acquired substantially all of its operations in the past two years.

We will need substantial additional capital to fund our growth plans and operate our business.

We require substantial additional capital to fund our working capital deficiency, capital expenditures, debt service, planned marketing and sales activities, to achieve profitability and to otherwise execute on our business plan. The most likely sources of such additional capital include private placements and public offerings of shares of our capital stock, including shares of our common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock, debt financing or funds from potential strategic transactions. We may seek additional capital from available sources, which may include hedge funds, private equity funds, venture capitalists, lenders/banks and other financial institutions, as well as additional private placements. Any financings in which we sell shares of our capital stock will likely be dilutive to our current stockholders. If we raise additional capital by incurring debt a portion of our cash flow would have to be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on such indebtedness. In addition, typical loan agreements also might contain restrictive covenants that may impair our operating flexibility. Such loan agreements, loans, or debentures would also provide for default under certain circumstances, such as failure to meet certain financial covenants. A default under a loan agreement could result in the loan becoming immediately due and payable and, if unpaid, a judgment in favor of such lender which would be senior to the rights of our stockholders. A judgment creditor would have the right to foreclose on any of our assets resulting in a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.

Our ability to raise additional capital may depend in part on our success in meeting sales and marketing goals. We currently have no committed sources of additional capital and there is no assurance that additional financing will be available in the amounts or at the times required, or if it is, on terms acceptable or favorable to us. If we are unable to obtain additional financing when and if needed, our business will be materially impacted and our investors may lose the value of their entire investment.

Our response to a letter from the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis of the U.S. House of Representatives could have a significant adverse effect on us and our financial condition.

On May 8, 2020, we received a letter from the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis of the U.S. House of Representatives demanding that we return the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan that we applied for and received under the CARES Act.  We elected not to return the PPP loan proceeds as requested and do not intend to do so.  Our decision to retain the PPP loan may require members of our management team to devote attention to future correspondence and requests from the Select Subcommittee, which would reduce the amount of time available to management to focus on our operations and strategic initiatives.  Additionally, if we are required to return the PPP loan proceeds that we received it would result in a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

The Company has applied for forgiveness with respect to the PPP loan. Under the terms of the CARES Act, PPP loan recipients can apply for and be granted forgiveness for all or a portion of loans granted under the PPP. Eligibility for forgiveness is determined, subject to limitations, based on the use of loan proceeds for payment of permitted and program-eligible expenses. No assurance is provided that the Company will obtain forgiveness of the PPP loan in whole or in part. The Company will be obligated to repay any portion of the principal amount of the Loan that is not forgiven together with accrued interest.

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We have a history of losses and may incur additional losses in the future.

In 2019 and 2018, we incurred net losses of $32.7 million and $6.6 million, respectively. We may continue to incur losses, the amount of our losses may increase, and we may never achieve or sustain profitability, any of which would adversely affect our business, prospects and financial condition and may cause the price of our common stock to fall. In addition, to try to achieve or sustain profitability, we may take actions that result in material costs or material asset or goodwill impairments.

We may experience impairment of our long-lived assets and our goodwill.

Long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment, are tested for impairment whenever circumstances indicate that the carrying value of these assets may not be recoverable. Long-lived assets are considered impaired if the carrying value of the asset exceeds the sum of the future expected undiscounted cash flows to be derived from the asset. We also periodically evaluate our goodwill for potential impairment. When we perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test, we compare the fair value of the reporting unit to the carrying value, which includes goodwill. If the carrying value is higher than the fair value, the goodwill is considered impaired. Once an asset is considered impaired, an impairment loss is recorded within operating expense for the difference between the asset’s carrying value and its fair value. For assets held and used in the business, management generally determines fair value using estimated future cash flows to be derived from the asset, discounted to a net present value using an appropriate discount rate. For assets held for sale or for investment purposes, management determines fair value by estimating the proceeds to be received upon sale of the asset, less disposition costs.

We may incur significant costs to comply with public company reporting requirements and other costs associated with being a public company.

We may incur significant costs associated with our public company reporting requirements and other rules implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission. We expect all of these applicable rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costlier. As a public company, we are required to comply with rules and regulations of the SEC, including expanded disclosure and more complex accounting rules. We will need to implement additional finance and accounting systems, procedures and controls as we grow to satisfy these reporting requirements. In addition, we may need to hire additional legal and accounting staff to enable us to comply with these reporting requirements. These costs could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and limit our ability to realize our objectives.

We may not be able to meet the internal control reporting requirements imposed by the SEC.

As directed by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the SEC adopted rules requiring each public company to include a report of management on the company’s internal controls over financial reporting in its annual reports. While we expect to expend significant resources in developing the necessary documentation and testing procedures required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, there is a risk that we may not be able to comply timely with all of the requirements imposed by this rule. If we are unable to timely comply with all of these requirements, potential investors might deem our financial statements to be unreliable and our ability to obtain additional capital could suffer.

The Company identified a number of deficiencies in internal control that it considered to be material weaknesses and other deficiencies that it considered to be significant deficiencies. A deficiency in internal control exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect and correct misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies in internal controls, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the entity’s financial statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected on a timely basis. A significant deficiency is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies in internal control that is less severe than a material weakness, yet important enough to merit attention by those charged with governance. In addition, the Company’s management has concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2019 due to the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting described in Item 9A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. As a result, we will be required to expend significant resources to develop the necessary documentation and testing procedures required by Section 404, and there is a risk that we will not comply with all of the necessary requirements. If we cannot remediate the material weaknesses in internal controls identified by our independent registered public accounting firm or if we identify additional material weaknesses in internal controls that cannot be remediated in a timely manner, investors and others with whom we do business may lose confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, and in our ability to obtain equity or debt financing could suffer.

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We partially funded the construction of certain of our fueling stations using grant funds that we are required to repay if we do not satisfy certain operational metrics.

EVO CNG, LLC received grants in the amounts of $0.4 million and $0.1 million to assist in the construction and equipping of our San Antonio and Fort Worth fueling stations, respectively. The grants must be repaid if EVO CNG, LLC sells, transfers, destroys or otherwise loses title, possession, ownership or control of the equipment funded with the grants during the terms of the respective grant agreements.

We depend on certain key personnel, and our operating performance may be adversely impacted by the loss of any such key personnel.

Our ability to execute our business plans and objectives depends, in large part, on our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel. Competition for personnel is intense and there can be no assurance that we will be able to attract and retain personnel. In particular, we are dependent upon the services of our management team. Our inability to utilize the services of our management team members could have an adverse effect on us and there would likely be a difficult transition period in finding replacements for any of them. The execution of our strategic plan will place increasing demands on our management and operations. If we lose or are unable to obtain the services of key personnel, our ability to manage our business and implement our strategic plan could be delayed or hindered, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are controlled by our current executive officers, directors and principal stockholders.

Our executive officers, directors and principal stockholders beneficially own a substantial majority of our outstanding common stock. Accordingly, our executive officers, directors and principal stockholders will have the ability to exert substantial influence over our business affairs, including electing directors, appointing officers, determining officers’ compensation, issuing additional equity securities or incurring additional debt, effecting or preventing a merger, sale of assets or other corporate transaction and amending our articles of incorporation.

We may not successfully manage our recent and planned growth.

We have recently expanded our business through acquiring additional companies that provide contract trucking services to the USPS and leveraging our expanded operations to bid on additional USPS trucking contracts.  We plan to continue to expand through acquisitions and bidding on additional USPS trucking contracts in the future. Any expansion of operations we have undertaken or may undertake entail and will entail risks and such actions may involve specific operational activities that may negatively impact our profitability. Consequently, investors must assume the risk that (i) such expansion may ultimately involve expenditures of funds beyond the resources available to us at that time, and (ii) management of such expanded operations may divert management’s attention and resources away from its existing operations. These factors may have a material adverse effect on our present and prospective business activities.

Risks Related to the Company’s Operations

The Company derives substantially all of its revenue from one customer, the loss of which would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business. 

Substantially all of the Company’s revenue is generated from the USPS, the loss or reduction of which would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business.

Economic conditions may adversely affect the USPS and its ability to remain solvent. The United States Government Accountability Office described the USPS’s financial condition as “deteriorating and unsustainable” and reported that the USPS lost approximately $69 billion from fiscal years 2007 through 2018. The USPS’s financial difficulties can negatively impact the Company’s results of operations and financial condition and the Company’s ability to comply with the covenants in its debt agreements, especially if the USPS were to delay or default on payments to us. There can be no assurance that the Company’s relationship with the USPS will continue as presently in effect. The Company’s contracts with the USPS are terminable for convenience by the USPS upon advance notice ranging from 60 days for some contracts to 180 days for DRO contracts. A default in performance by the Company under one USPS contract can constitute a cross-default allowing the USPS to terminate some or all of the Company’s other contracts with the USPS. A reduction in, or termination of, the Company’s services by the USPS would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and operating results.

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The Company has significant ongoing capital expenditure requirements. If the Company is unable to obtain additional capital on favorable terms or at all, it may not be able to execute on its business plans and its business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects may be adversely affected.

The Company’s business is capital intensive. Its capital expenditures focus primarily on equipment replacement and, to a lesser extent, facilities, equipment growth, and investments in information technology. The Company also expects to devote substantial financial resources to grow its operations and fund its acquisition activities. As a result of the Company’s funding requirements, it likely will need to raise funds through the sale of additional equity or debt securities or seek additional financing through other arrangements to increase its cash resources. Any sale of additional equity or debt securities may result in dilution to its stockholders. Public or private financing may not be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to the Company, if at all.

If the Company is unable to obtain additional financing, it may be required to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate future acquisition activities or growth initiatives, which could adversely affect its business, financial condition and operating results. In such case, the Company may also operate its equipment (including tractors and trailers) for longer periods, which would result in increased maintenance costs, which would in turn reduce its operating income.

The Company’s trucking business is affected by general economic and business risks that are largely beyond its control.

The Company’s trucking business is highly cyclical and is dependent on a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. The Company believes that some of the most significant of these factors are economic changes that affect supply and demand in transportation markets in general, including excess tractor capacity in comparison with shipping demand and recessionary economic cycles.

The Company also is subject to cost increases outside of its control that could materially reduce its profitability if it is unable to increase its rates sufficiently. Such cost increases include, but are not limited to, increases in fuel prices, driver wages, owner-operator contracted rates, interest rates, taxes, tolls, license and registration fees, insurance, equipment and healthcare for its employees. In addition, the USPS contracts include a monthly adjustment for changes in the price of fuel.

The Company’s suppliers’ business levels also may be negatively affected by adverse economic conditions or financial constraints, which could lead to disruptions in the supply and availability of equipment, parts and services critical to its operations. A significant interruption in the Company’s normal supply chain could disrupt its operations, increase its costs and negatively impact its ability to serve its customers.

In addition, events outside the Company’s control, such as strikes or other work stoppages at its facilities or at customer, port, border or other shipping locations, or actual or threatened armed conflicts or terrorist attacks, efforts to combat terrorism, military action against a foreign state or group located in a foreign state, or heightened security requirements could lead to reduced economic demand, reduced availability of credit or temporary closing of the shipping locations or United States borders. Such events or enhanced security measures in connection with such events could impair the Company’s operating efficiency and productivity and result in higher operating costs.

The trucking industry is highly competitive and fragmented, and the Company’s business and results of operations may suffer if it is unable to adequately address downward pricing and other competitive pressures.

The Company competes with many truckload carriers of varying sizes, including some that may have greater access to equipment, a wider range of services, greater capital resources, less indebtedness or other competitive advantages. The Company also competes with smaller, regional service providers that cover specific shipping lanes or that offer niche services. Numerous competitive factors could impair the Company’s ability to maintain or improve its profitability. These factors include the following:

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Driver shortages and increases in driver compensation could adversely affect the Company’s profitability and ability to maintain or grow its trucking business.

Driver shortages could require the Company to spend more to attract and retain drivers. The market for qualified drivers is intensely competitive, which may subject the Company to increased payments for driver compensation. Also, because of the competition for drivers, the Company may face difficulty maintaining or increasing its number of drivers. Compliance and enforcement initiatives included in the CSA program implemented by the FMCSA and regulations of the DOT relating to driver time and safety and fitness could also reduce the availability of qualified drivers. In addition, the Company suffers from a high turnover rate of drivers. The high turnover rate requires the Company to continually recruit a substantial number of drivers in order to operate existing equipment. If the Company is unable to continue to attract and retain a sufficient number of drivers, it could be required to operate with fewer trucks and face difficulty meeting customer demands or be forced to forego business that would otherwise be available to it, which could adversely affect its profitability and ability to maintain or grow its business.

Seasonality and the impact of weather and other catastrophic events adversely affect the Company’s trucking operations and profitability.

The Company’s tractor productivity decreases during the winter season because inclement weather impedes operations. At the same time, operating expenses increase due to, among other things, a decline in fuel efficiency because of engine idling and harsh weather that creates higher accident frequency, increased claims and higher equipment repair expenditures. The Company also may suffer from weather-related or other events, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms, floods, fires, earthquakes and explosions, which may disrupt fuel supplies, increase fuel costs, disrupt freight shipments or routes, affect regional economies, destroy its assets or the assets of its customers or otherwise adversely affect the business or financial condition of its customers, any of which could adversely affect its results or make its results more volatile.

The Company may be adversely affected by fluctuations in the price or availability of CNG and diesel fuel.

Fuel is one of the Company’s largest operating expenses. Fuel prices fluctuate greatly due to factors beyond the Company’s control, such as political events, price and supply decisions by oil producing countries and cartels, terrorist activities, environmental laws and regulations, armed conflicts, depreciation of the dollar against other currencies, world supply and demand imbalances, and hurricanes and other natural or man-made disasters, each of which may lead to an increase in the cost of fuel. Such events may lead not only to increases in fuel prices, but also to fuel shortages and disruptions in the fuel supply chain. Because the Company’s operations are dependent upon fuel, significant fuel cost increases, shortages or supply disruptions could materially and adversely affect its results of operations and financial condition.

Increased prices for, or decreases in the availability of, new equipment and decreases in the value of used equipment could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and cash flows.

Investment in new equipment is a significant part of the Company’s annual capital expenditures, and the Company’s trucking business requires an available supply of tractors and trailers from equipment manufacturers to operate and grow its business. In recent years, manufacturers have raised the prices of new equipment significantly due to increased costs of materials and, in part, to offset their costs of compliance with new tractor engine and emission system design requirements mandated by the EPA and various state agencies, which are intended to reduce emissions. Federal and state regulators may continue to individually mandate, additional emission-control requirements for equipment that could increase equipment or other costs for entire fleets. Further equipment price increases may result from these federal and state requirements. If new equipment prices increase more than anticipated, the Company could incur higher depreciation and rental expenses than anticipated. If the Company is unable to fully offset any such increases in expenses with freight rate increases and/or improved fuel economy, its results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected.

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The Company may also face difficulty in purchasing new equipment due to decreased supply. From time to time, some original equipment manufacturers (OEM) of tractors and trailers may reduce their manufacturing output due to lower demand for their products in economic downturns or a shortage of component parts. Component suppliers may either reduce production or be unable to increase production to meet OEM demand, creating periodic difficulty for OEMs to react in a timely manner to increased demand for new equipment and/or increased demand for replacement components as economic conditions change. In those situations, the Company may face reduced supply levels and increased acquisition costs. An inability to continue to obtain an adequate supply of new tractors or trailers for its operations could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations and financial condition.

During prolonged periods of decreased tonnage levels, the Company and other trucking companies may make strategic fleet reductions, which could result in an increase in the supply of used equipment. When the supply exceeds the demand for used equipment, the general market value of used equipment decreases. Used equipment prices are also subject to substantial fluctuations based on availability of financing and commodity prices for scrap metal. A depressed market for used equipment could require the Company to trade its equipment at depressed values or to record losses on disposal or an impairment of the carrying values of its equipment that is not protected by residual value arrangements. Trades at depressed values and decreases in proceeds under equipment disposals and impairment of the carrying values of its equipment could adversely affect its results of operations and financial condition.

Our use of natural gas vehicles “NGVs” might not produce expected competitive advantages, and costs associated with using NGVs could exceed the related benefits that we are able to realize, both of which could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and cash flows.

We operate a high percentage of NGVs because we believe our use of NGVs provides us with a competitive advantage when bidding on USPS and other freight contracts.  However, higher costs associated with purchasing and repairing NGVs might exceed any benefits attributable to our use of NGVs.  For example, there are a limited number of original equipment manufacturers of NGVs and the engines, fuel tanks and other equipment required to upfit a gasoline or diesel engine to run on natural gas, which can increase costs related to purchasing and repairing NGVs as well limit the supply of NGVs available to purchase and therefore our ability to add to our fleet.  Also, some of the higher costs of owning and operating NGVs have historically been offset by federal and state government incentives, including those that offset part or all of the additional up-front cost to acquire NGVs or convert vehicles to run on natural gas, those that waive vehicle weight limits for NGVs, and those that offer tax credits.  However, those incentives may not continue.  If those government incentives are discontinued or not renewed, our operating costs could significantly increase.

In addition to potential increases in expenses and other operating costs related to our use of NGVs, if technologies are developed that either reduce the emissions in gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles or improve the operating capabilities of electric, solar, or other alternative fuel technology vehicles, the benefits of NGVs could be significantly reduced. Any such reduction could adversely affect our ability to retain existing freight contracts when they are up for renewal and receive new contracts, which would adversely impact our financial performance.

The trucking industry is highly regulated and changes in existing laws or regulations, or liability under existing or future laws or regulations, could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations and profitability.

The Company operates in the United States pursuant to operating authority granted by the DOT. The Company, as well as its company and leased labor drivers, must also comply with governmental regulations regarding safety, equipment, environmental protection and operating methods. Examples include regulation of equipment weight, equipment dimensions, fuel emissions, driver hours-of-service, driver eligibility requirements, on-board reporting of operations and ergonomics. The Company may become subject to new or more restrictive regulations relating to such matters that may require changes in its operating practices, influence the demand for transportation services or require it to incur significant additional costs. Possible changes to laws and regulations include:

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From time to time, various legislative proposals are introduced, including proposals to increase federal, state or local taxes, including taxes on motor fuels and emissions, which may increase the Company’s or its independent affiliates’ operating costs, require capital expenditures or adversely impact the recruitment of drivers.

Restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions or climate change laws or regulations could also affect the Company’s customers that use significant amounts of energy or burn fossil fuels in producing or delivering the products the Company carries, which, in turn, could adversely impact the demand for the Company’s services as well as its operations. The Company also could lose revenue if its customers divert business from it because it has not complied with their sustainability requirements.

Safety-related evaluations and rankings under the CSA program could adversely impact the Company’s relationships with its trucking customers and its ability to maintain or grow its fleet, each of which could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations and profitability.

The Compliance, Safety and Accountability (the “CSA”) program includes compliance and enforcement initiatives designed to monitor and improve commercial motor vehicle safety by measuring the safety record of both the motor carrier and the driver. These measurements are scored and used by the FMCSA to identify potential safety risks and to direct enforcement action. The FMCSA issues three categories of safety ratings: satisfactory, conditional, and unsatisfactory. The Company currently has a “satisfactory” FMCSA rating on 100% of its fleet.

The Company’s CSA scores are dependent upon its safety and compliance experience, which could change at any time. In addition, the safety standards prescribed in the CSA program or the underlying methodology used by the FMCSA to determine a carrier’s safety rating could change and, as a result, the Company’s ability to maintain an acceptable score could be adversely impacted. If the FMCSA adopts rulemakings in the future that revise the methodology used to determine a carrier’s safety rating in a manner that incorporates more stringent standards, then the Company’s CSA scores could be adversely affected. If the Company receives an unacceptable CSA score, its relationships with customers could be damaged, which could result in a loss of business or otherwise adversely affect the Company.

The CSA program affects drivers because their safety performance and compliance impact their safety records and, while working for a carrier, will impact their carrier’s safety record. The methodology for determining a carrier’s DOT safety rating relies upon implementation of Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (“BASIC”) applicable to the on-road safety performance of the carrier’s drivers and certain of those rating results are provided on the FMCSA’s Carrier Safety Measurement System website. As a result, certain current and potential drivers may no longer be eligible to drive for the Company, the Company’s fleet could be ranked poorly as compared to its peer firms, and the Company’s safety rating could be adversely impacted. The occurrence of future deficiencies could affect driver recruiting and retention by causing high-quality drivers to seek employment (in the case of company drivers) or contracts (in the case of owner-operator drivers) with other carriers, or could cause the Company’s customers to direct their business away from the Company and to carriers with better fleet safety rankings, either of which would adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and productivity. Additionally, the Company may incur greater than expected expenses in its attempts to improve its scores as a result of poor rankings. Those carriers and drivers identified under the CSA program as exhibiting poor BASIC scores are prioritized for interventions, such as warning letters and roadside investigations, either of which may adversely affect the Company’s results of operations.

The requirements of CSA could also shrink the trucking industry’s pool of drivers if drivers with unfavorable scores leave the industry. As a result, the costs to attract, train and retain qualified drivers could increase. A shortage of qualified drivers could also increase driver turnover, decrease asset utilization, limit growth and adversely impact the Company’s results of operations and profitability.

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The Company is subject to environmental and worker health and safety laws and regulations that may expose it to significant costs and liabilities and have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, competitive position and financial condition.

The Company is subject to stringent and comprehensive federal, state, and local environmental and worker health and safety laws and regulations governing, among other matters, the operation of fuel storage tanks, release of emissions from its vehicles (including engine idling) and facilities, the health and safety of its workers in conducting operations, and adverse impacts to the environment. Under certain environmental laws, the Company could be subject to strict liability, without regard to fault or legality of conduct, for costs relating to contamination at facilities the Company owns or operates or previously owned or operated and at third-party sites where the Company disposed of waste, as well as costs associated with the clean-up of releases arising from accidents involving the Company’s vehicles. The Company often operates in industrial areas, where truck terminals and other industrial activities are located, and where soil, groundwater or other forms of environmental contamination have occurred from historical or recent releases and for which the Company may incur remedial or other environmental liabilities. The Company also maintains aboveground and underground bulk fuel storage tanks and fueling islands at some of its facilities and vehicle maintenance operations at certain of its facilities. The Company’s operations involve the risks of fuel spillage or seepage into the environment, environmental damage and unauthorized hazardous material spills, releases or disposal actions, among others. 

Increasing efforts to control air emissions, including greenhouse gases, may have an adverse effect on the Company. Federal and state lawmakers have implemented various climate-change initiatives and greenhouse gas regulations and may implement additional initiatives in the future, all of which could increase the cost of new tractors, impair productivity and increase the Company’s operating expenses.

Compliance with environmental laws and regulations may also increase the price of the Company’s equipment and otherwise affect the economics of the Company’s trucking business by requiring changes in operating practices or by influencing the demand for, or the costs of providing, transportation services. For example, regulations issued by the EPA and various state agencies that require progressive reductions in exhaust emissions from diesel engines have resulted in higher prices for tractors and diesel engines and increased operating and maintenance costs. Also, in order to reduce exhaust emissions, some states and municipalities have begun to restrict the locations and amount of time where diesel-powered tractors, such as the Company’s, may idle. These restrictions could force the Company to alter its drivers’ behavior, purchase on-board power units that do not require the engine to idle or face a decrease in productivity. The Company is also subject to potentially stringent rulemaking related to sustainability practices, including conservation of resources by decreasing fuel consumption. This increased focus on sustainability practices may result in new regulations and/or customer requirements that could adversely impact the Company’s business. Historically, the Company’s environmental compliance costs have not had a material adverse effect on its results of operations; however, there can be no assurance that such costs will not be material in the future or that future compliance will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and operating results.

If the Company has operational spills or accidents or if it is found to be in violation of, or otherwise liable under, environmental or worker health or safety laws or regulations, the Company could incur significant costs and liabilities. Those costs and liabilities may include the assessment of sanctions, including administrative, civil and criminal penalties, the imposition of investigatory, remedial or corrective action obligations, the occurrence of delays in permitting or performance of projects, and the issuance of orders enjoining performance of some or all of the Company’s operations in a particular area. The occurrence of any one or more of these developments could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, competitive position and financial condition. Environmental and worker health and safety laws are becoming increasingly more stringent and there can be no assurances that compliance with, or liabilities under, existing or future environmental and worker health or safety laws or regulations will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or prospects.

Insurance and claims expenses could significantly reduce the Company’s profitability.

The Company is exposed to claims related to cargo loss and damage, property damage, personal injury, workers’ compensation, group health and group dental. The Company has insurance coverage with third-party insurance carriers, but it assumes a significant portion of the risk associated with these claims due to its self-insured retention and deductibles, which can make its insurance and claims expense higher or more volatile. Additionally, the Company faces the risks of increasing premiums and collateral requirements and the risk of carriers or underwriters leaving the transportation sector, which may materially affect its insurance costs or make insurance more difficult to find, as well as increase its collateral requirements. The Company could experience increases in its insurance premiums in the future if it decides to increase its coverage or if its claims experience deteriorates. In addition, the Company is subject to changing conditions and pricing in the insurance marketplace and the cost or availability of various types of insurance may change dramatically in the future. If the Company’s insurance or claims expense increases, and the Company is unable to offset the increase with higher freight rates, its results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. The Company’s results of operations may also be materially and adversely affected if it experiences a claim in excess of its coverage limits, a claim for which coverage is not provided or a covered claim for which its insurance company fails to perform. 

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Difficulty in obtaining goods and services from the Company’s vendors and suppliers could adversely affect the Company’s business.

The Company is dependent upon its vendors and suppliers, including equipment manufacturers, for tractors, trailers and other products and materials. The Company believes that it has positive vendor and supplier relationships and is generally able to obtain favorable pricing and other terms from such parties. If the Company fails to maintain amenable relationships with its vendors and suppliers, or if its vendors and suppliers are unable to provide the products and materials the Company needs or undergo financial hardship, the Company could experience difficulty in obtaining needed goods and services, and subsequently, its business and operations could be adversely affected.

The Company’s contractual agreements with its sub-contracted operators expose it to risks that it does not face with its company drivers.

The Company relies, in part, upon independent sub-contractors to perform the services for which it contracts with customers. The Company’s reliance on sub-contractors creates numerous risks for the Company’s business.

If the Company’s sub-contractors fail to meet the Company’s contractual obligations or otherwise fail to perform in a manner consistent with the Company’s requirements, the Company may be required to utilize alternative service providers at potentially higher prices or with some degree of disruption of the services that the Company provides to customers. If the Company fails to deliver on time, if its contractual obligations are not otherwise met, or if the costs of its services increase, then the Company’s profitability and customer relationships could be harmed.

The financial condition and operating costs of the Company’s sub-contractors are affected by conditions and events that are beyond the Company’s control and may also be beyond their control. Adverse changes in the financial condition of the Company’s sub-contractors or increases in their equipment or operating costs could cause them to seek higher revenues or to cease their business relationships with the Company. The prices the Company charges its customers could be impacted by such issues, which may in turn limit pricing flexibility with customers, resulting in fewer customer contracts and decreasing the Company’s revenues.

Sub-contractors typically use tractors, trailers and other equipment bearing the Company’s trade names and trademarks. If one of the Company’s sub-contractors is subject to negative publicity, it could reflect on the Company and have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, brand and financial performance. Under certain laws, the Company could also be subject to allegations of liability for the activities of its sub-contractors.

Sub-contractors are third-party service providers, as compared to company drivers who are employed by the Company. As independent business owners, the Company’s sub-contractors may make business or personal decisions that conflict with the Company’s best interests. For example, if a load is unprofitable, route distance is too far from home or personal scheduling conflicts arise, a sub-contractor may deny loads of freight from time to time. In these circumstances, the Company must be able to timely deliver the freight in order to maintain relationships with customers.

If the Company’s sub-contractors are deemed by regulators or judicial process to be employees, the Company’s business and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Tax and other regulatory authorities have in the past sought to assert that sub-contractors in the trucking industry are employees rather than independent contractors. Taxing and other regulatory authorities and courts apply a variety of standards in their determination of independent contractor status. If the Company’s sub-contractors are determined to be its employees, it would incur additional exposure under federal and state tax, workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits, labor, employment, and tort laws, including for prior periods, as well as potential liability for employee benefits and tax withholdings.

15

The Company is dependent on computer and communications systems, and a systems failure or data breach could cause a significant disruption to its business.

The Company’s business depends on the efficient and uninterrupted operation of its computer and communications hardware systems and infrastructure. The Company currently maintains its computer systems at multiple locations, including several of its offices and terminals and third-party data centers, along with computer equipment at each of its terminals. The Company’s operations and those of its technology and communications service providers are vulnerable to interruption by fire, earthquake, power loss, telecommunications failure, terrorist attacks, Internet failures, computer viruses, data breaches (including cyber-attacks or cyber intrusions over the Internet, malware and the like) and other events generally beyond its control. Although the Company believes that it has robust information security procedures and other safeguards in place, as cyber threats continue to evolve, it may be required to expend additional resources to continue to enhance its information security measures and investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities. A significant cyber incident, including system failure, security breach, disruption by malware or other damage, could interrupt or delay the Company’s operations, damage its reputation, cause a loss of customers, agents or third party capacity providers, expose the Company to a risk of loss or litigation, or cause the Company to incur significant time and expense to remedy such an event, any of which could have a material adverse impact on its results of operations and financial position.

If the Company’s employees were to unionize, the Company’s operating costs could increase and its ability to compete could be impaired.

None of the Company’s employees are currently represented under a collective bargaining agreement; however, the Company always faces the risk that its employees will try to unionize, and if its owner-operators were ever re-classified as employees, the magnitude of this risk would increase. Further, Congress or one or more states could approve legislation and/or the National Labor Relations Board (the NLRB) could render decisions or implement rule changes that could significantly affect the Company’s business and its relationship with employees, including actions that could substantially liberalize the procedures for union organization. For example, in December 2014, the NLRB implemented a final rule amending the agency’s representation-case proceedings that govern the procedures for union representation. Pursuant to this amendment, union elections can now be held within 10 to 21 days after the union requests a vote, which makes it easier for unions to successfully organize all employees, in all industries. In addition, the Company can offer no assurance that the Department of Labor will not adopt new regulations or interpret existing regulations in a manner that would favor the agenda of unions.

Any attempt to organize by the Company’s employees could result in increased legal and other associated costs and divert management attention, and if the Company entered into a collective bargaining agreement, the terms could negatively affect its costs, efficiency and ability to generate acceptable returns on the affected operations. In particular, the unionization of the Company’s employees could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects because:

Higher health care costs and labor costs could adversely affect the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

With the passage in 2010 of the United States Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the PPACA), the Company is required to provide health care benefits to all full-time employees that meet certain minimum requirements of coverage and affordability, or otherwise be subject to a payment per employee based on the affordability criteria set forth in the PPACA. Many of these requirements have been phased in over a period of time, with the majority of the most impactful provisions affecting the Company having begun in the second quarter of 2015. Additionally, some states and localities have passed state and local laws mandating the provision of certain levels of health benefits by some employers. The PPACA also requires individuals to obtain coverage or face individual penalties, so employees who are currently eligible but have elected not to participate in the Company’s health care plans may ultimately find it more advantageous to do so. It is also possible that by making changes or failing to make changes in the health care plans the Company offers it will have difficulty attracting and retaining employees, including drivers. The costs and other effects of these healthcare requirements may significantly increase the Company’s health care coverage costs and could materially adversely affect its financial condition and results of operations.

16

Our business and operations have been impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19, and COVID-19 and other similar outbreaks may have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations in the future.

Our business and operations have been negatively impacted by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and the continued spread and impact of COVID-19 might materially negatively impact our future results of operations and financial condition. COVID-19 has created, and any other outbreaks of similar contagious diseases or other adverse public health developments could create, significant volatility, uncertainty and economic disruption.  The outbreak and continued spread of COVID-19 prompted a significant downturn in the global economy, and the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be difficult to predict. COVID-19 or another similar outbreak could negatively impact our business in numerous ways, including, but not limited to, the following:

The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the Company will depend on numerous evolving factors and future developments that we are not able to predict, including: the geographic scope, severity, and duration of the pandemic; governmental, business and other actions in response to the pandemic (which could include limitations on the Company’s operations or mandates to provide services in a specified manner); the impact of the pandemic on economic activity; the response of the overall economy and the financial markets; expenses we have incurred and may incur in the future in connection with our response to the pandemic; the health of and the effect on our workforce and our ability to meet staffing needs; and the potential effects on our internal controls, including those over financial reporting, as a result of changes in working environments.  

In response to the spread of COVID-19, we have modified our business practices for the continued health and safety of our employees. Specifically, we have implemented measures to enhance the sanitization process of the Company’s equipment and properties, increased the social distancing of our employees by working remotely where possible, and provided driving associates with personal protective equipment (PPE). We may take further actions, or be required to take further actions, that are in the best interests of our employees in the future. The implementation of health and safety practices could impact our productivity and costs, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, the focus on managing and mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 on our business may cause us to divert or delay the application of our resources toward existing or new initiatives or investments, which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.

To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also exacerbate many of the other risks set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including those relating to our financial performance and debt obligations. There are no comparable recent events that provide guidance as to the effect the COVID-19 global pandemic may have, and as a result, the ultimate impact of the pandemic is highly uncertain and subject to change.

17

Risks Related to Our Securities

There is no established trading market for our common stock, and our stockholders may be unable to sell their shares.

There is no established market, private or public, for any of our securities and there can be no assurance that a trading market will ever develop or, if developed, that it will be maintained. There can be no assurance that the Company’s stockholders will ever be able to resell their shares.

Our common stock is subject to the “penny stock” rules of the SEC, which restrict transactions in our stock and may reduce the value of an investment in our stock.

Our common stock is currently regarded as a “penny stock” because our shares are not listed on a national stock exchange or quoted on the NASDAQ Market within the United States and our common stock has a market price less than $5.00 per share. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document prepared by the SEC, to provide a customer with additional information including current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction, monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account, to make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser, and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction. To the extent these requirements may be applicable; they will reduce the level of trading activity in the secondary market for our common stock and may severely and adversely affect the ability of broker-dealers to sell our common stock.

We are an “emerging growth company,” and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and intend to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These exemptions include:

We cannot predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, we will experience greater detail raising equity capital, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock, and our stock price may be more volatile.

We have never paid and do not expect to pay cash dividends on our shares.

We have never paid cash dividends, and we anticipate that any future profits received from operations will be retained for operations. We do not anticipate the payment of cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future and any decision to pay dividends will depend upon our profitability, available cash and other factors. Therefore, no assurance can be given that there will ever be any cash dividend or distribution in the future.

We may in the future issue additional shares of our common stock which would reduce investors’ ownership interests in us and which may dilute our share value. 

Our certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of 110,000,000 shares consisting of: (i) 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share; and (ii) 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. The future issuance of all or part of our remaining authorized common stock or preferred stock may result in substantial dilution in the percentage of our common stock held by our then existing stockholders. We may value any common stock issued in the future on an arbitrary basis. The issuance of common stock for future services or acquisitions or other corporate actions may have the effect of diluting the value of the shares held by our investors, and might have an adverse effect on any trading market for our common stock. 

18

The Company’s certificate of incorporation permits the board of directors to issue stock with terms that may subordinate the rights of common stockholders or discourage a third party from acquiring the Company in a manner that might result in a premium price to the Company’s stockholders.

The Company’s board of directors, without any action by the Company’s stockholders, may amend the Company’s certificate of incorporation from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares or the number of shares of any class or series of stock that the Company has authority to issue. The board of directors may also classify or reclassify any unissued common stock or preferred stock into other classes or series of stock and establish the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption of any class or series of stock. Thus, the board of directors could authorize the issuance of preferred stock with terms and conditions that could have a priority as to distributions and amounts payable upon liquidation over the rights of the holders of the Company’s common stock. For example, the Series A Preferred Stock authorized by the board of directors in April 2018 and the Series B Preferred Stock authorized by the board of directors in March 2020 both rank senior in preference and priority to the Company’s common stock with respect to dividend and liquidation rights and, generally votes with the common stock on an as converted basis on all matters presented for a vote of the holders of common stock, including directors, and entitle the holders of Series A Preferred Stock to fifteen votes for each share of Series A Preferred Stock held and the holders of Series B Preferred Stock to four votes for each share of Series B Preferred Stock held. The Series A Preferred stock and Series B Preferred stock, as well as any other series of preferred stock that the board of directors may authorize in the future could also have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us, including an extraordinary transaction (such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all our assets) that might provide a premium price for holders of the Company’s common stock.