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Arcbest Corp.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 April 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose to $998.8 million: Consolidated revenue was $998.8 million against $967.1 million a year earlier. Operating income was $3.4 million against $6.6 million. Source
  • Net loss against prior-year profit: The company reported a GAAP net loss of $0.05 per diluted share, against net income of $0.13 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Asset-Light operating income $0.2M: Asset-Light operating income was $0.2 million, against an operating loss of $4.4 million in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Asset-Based operating ratio rose: Asset-Based operating income was $17.5 million, with an operating ratio of 97.3 percent against 95.9 percent a year earlier. Source
  • Managed shipments offset truckload exits: Asset-Light revenue growth came from Managed shipments, which more than offset the company's planned reduction in less profitable truckload volume. Source
  • Operating expenses rose on labor, fuel: Asset-Based operating expenses rose on added labor for shipment growth, annual union wage adjustments, higher fuel prices and higher equipment depreciation. Source
  • Daily revenue down 1.5% sequentially: Asset-Based daily revenue fell 1.5 percent from the fourth quarter of 2025, with tonnage and billed revenue per shipment moving in opposite directions. Source
  • Over $10 million returned to shareholders: The company reported returning more than $10 million to shareholders in the quarter through a capital allocation approach it called balanced. Source

“We began 2026 with growth in Asset-Based shipments and tonnage and continued improvement in Asset-Light profitability,”

Seth Runser, ArcBest President and CEO

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose to $998.8 million: Consolidated revenue was $998.8 million against $967.1 million a year earlier. Operating income was $3.4 million against $6.6 million. Source
  • Net loss against prior-year profit: The company reported a GAAP net loss of $0.05 per diluted share, against net income of $0.13 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Non-GAAP net income declined: Non-GAAP net income was $7.2 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, against $11.9 million, or $0.51 per diluted share, a year earlier. Source

Segment results

  • Asset-Based revenue up per day: Asset-Based revenue was $655.0 million, up 2.2 percent per day from the prior-year period. Source
  • Asset-Light revenue up per day: Asset-Light revenue was $377.7 million, up 7.0 percent per day, led by Managed shipment growth. Source
  • Asset-Light adjusted EBITDA higher: Asset-Light Adjusted EBITDA was $4.2 million against $0.2 million. The company defines the measure in its non-GAAP reconciliation tables. Source
  • Asset-Light operating income $0.2M: Asset-Light operating income was $0.2 million, against an operating loss of $4.4 million in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Asset-Based operating ratio rose: Asset-Based operating income was $17.5 million, with an operating ratio of 97.3 percent against 95.9 percent a year earlier. Source

“Our teams continue to deliver a premium experience for our customers despite a dynamic and uncertain environment, and their alignment around our strategy and priorities gives us confidence in our ability to execute and deliver on our long-term targets.”

Seth Runser, ArcBest President and CEO

Customers and freight mix

  • Managed shipments offset truckload exits: Asset-Light revenue growth came from Managed shipments, which more than offset the company's planned reduction in less profitable truckload volume. Source
  • Asset-Based tonnage on heavier freight: Asset-Based tonnage growth came from more shipments and higher weight per shipment, which management linked to a change in freight profile. Source
  • Billed revenue per shipment up 0.6%: Asset-Based billed revenue per shipment rose 0.6 percent year over year, while weight per shipment rose 4.6 percent. Source

Costs and purchased transportation

  • Operating expenses rose on labor, fuel: Asset-Based operating expenses rose on added labor for shipment growth, annual union wage adjustments, higher fuel prices and higher equipment depreciation. Source
  • Purchased transportation at 86.2% of revenue: Asset-Light purchased transportation was 86.2 percent of revenue, against 85.6 percent a year earlier. Source
  • Other segment costs for Vaux and technology: Other and eliminations carried an operating loss of $14.3 million, against $15.4 million, and includes corporate costs and technology investments. Source

Pricing and margins

  • Billed revenue per hundredweight fell 3.9%: Asset-Based billed revenue per hundredweight fell 3.9 percent as the freight profile shifted toward heavier shipments. Source
  • Contract renewals averaged 6.3% increase: Contract renewals and deferred pricing agreements averaged a 6.3 percent increase. Management described LTL industry pricing as rational. Source
  • Asset-Based operating ratio up 110 basis points: The Asset-Based operating ratio rose 110 basis points sequentially, which management said was smaller than typical seasonality, partly due to a softer fourth quarter. Source
  • Asset-Light non-GAAP operating income $2.8M: On a non-GAAP basis, Asset-Light operating income was $2.8 million, against an operating loss of $1.2 million in the prior-year quarter. Source

Demand and sequential trends

  • Daily revenue down 1.5% sequentially: Asset-Based daily revenue fell 1.5 percent from the fourth quarter of 2025, with tonnage and billed revenue per shipment moving in opposite directions. Source
  • Sequential tonnage up, shipments down: Asset-Based tonnage per day rose 1.0 percent sequentially on heavier shipments, while daily shipments fell 1.6 percent. Source
  • Asset-Light daily revenue up 4.3% sequentially: Asset-Light daily revenue rose 4.3 percent from the fourth quarter, on a 7.4 percent rise in shipments per day, partly offset by lower revenue per shipment. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Over $10 million returned to shareholders: The company reported returning more than $10 million to shareholders in the quarter through a capital allocation approach it called balanced. Source
  • Operating cash flow $8.5M in quarter: Operating activities provided $8.5 million in the quarter, against $23.4 million used a year earlier. Receivables absorbed $58.4 million. Source
  • Equipment capex lower year over year: Purchases of property, plant and equipment, net of financings, were $9.8 million against $14.5 million a year earlier. Capitalized internal software was $3.6 million. Source
  • Buybacks and dividends in cash flow: Cash flow statement shows $2.7 million of common dividends and $7.4 million of treasury stock purchases in the quarter. Source
  • Cash balance fell over the quarter: Cash and cash equivalents decreased by $38.0 million in the quarter, ending at $64.1 million on the balance sheet. Source

People, technology and productivity

  • Asset-Light shipments per employee up: Asset-Light shipments per day rose 9.8 percent, and shipments per employee per day rose 26.1 percent year over year. Source
  • Workforce of 14,000 employees: The company's boilerplate describes 14,000 employees across 250 campuses and service centers. Source
  • Innovative technology costs in adjustments: Innovative technology costs were $7.4 million pre-tax, against $7.5 million, and are excluded from non-GAAP results. Purchase accounting amortization was $2.6 million. Source
  • Vaux pilot and technology initiatives: The company's footnote says innovative technology costs cover the Vaux customer pilot and initiatives to optimize performance through technology. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Asset-Based tonnage per day and shipments per day SourceTonnage 11,146 (up 6.5%); shipments 19,840 (up 1.8%)
Asset-Based billed revenue per hundredweight Source$47.48, down 3.9%
Asset-Based billed revenue per shipment Source$533.45, up 0.6%
Asset-Based operating ratio Source97.3%, versus 95.9%
Asset-Light operating ratio Source99.9%, versus 101.2%
Asset-Based fuel, supplies and expenses as share of revenue Source12.5%, versus 12.0%
Asset-Light revenue per shipment and shipments per day SourceRevenue per shipment down 2.6%; shipments per day up 9.8%
Fleet: revenue equipment at cost Source$1,199.6 million, versus $1,201.4 million at December 31, 2025

Risks management discussed

  • External: Management attributed higher Asset-Light rates to tightening capacity and fuel costs, offset by the lower revenue per shipment of Managed business. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The prior-quarter release said management planned to keep buying back shares opportunistically while prioritizing high-return capital investment and prudent leverage. The current release does not restate this.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.