Heartland Express(US:HTLD) Globenewswireยท2025-01-28 14:00Financial Performance - Heartland Express reported operating revenue of $242.6 million for Q4 2024, down from $275.3 million in Q4 2023, reflecting a decrease of 11.5% [4][5] - For the full year 2024, operating revenue was $1.0 billion, a decline of 13.2% compared to $1.2 billion in 2023 [5] - The company experienced a net loss of $1.9 million in Q4 2024, compared to a net income of $5.1 million in Q4 2023, resulting in a basic loss per share of $0.02 [2][4] - For the twelve-month period, the net loss was $29.7 million, compared to a net income of $14.8 million in 2023, with a basic loss per share of $0.38 [5] Operating Ratios - The operating ratio for Q4 2024 was reported at 99.6%, compared to 96.1% in Q4 2023, indicating a deterioration in operational efficiency [4][5] - The non-GAAP adjusted operating ratio for Q4 2024 was 98.9%, compared to 94.9% in the same quarter of the previous year [4][5] - For the full year 2024, the operating ratio was 101.9%, significantly worse than the 96.5% reported in 2023 [5] Debt Management - The company paid down $100.3 million in debt during 2024, with total debt and financing lease obligations at $200.7 million as of December 31, 2024 [6][3] - Since the acquisitions in 2022, Heartland Express has repaid nearly $300 million in debt and capitalized leases [3] Cash Flow and Liquidity - Net cash flows from operations for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2024, were $144.3 million, representing 13.8% of operating revenues [7] - The company ended the year with $12.8 million in cash, a decrease of $15.3 million from the previous year [6] Fleet and Assets - The average age of the tractor fleet was 2.5 years as of December 31, 2024, compared to 2.2 years in 2023, while the trailer fleet's average age increased to 7.4 years from 6.4 years [8] Shareholder Returns - Heartland Express declared regular dividends of $0.02 per share during each quarter of 2024, maintaining a commitment to returning capital to shareholders [9]