Knight-Swift again eyes big rate increases as new bid season nears

Knight-Swift Transportation is benefitting from its high exposure to one-way truckload, the portion of the market experiencing the largest gains from the regulatory-fueled capacity shakeout. The carrier said Wednesday, in conjunction with its better-than-expected third-quarter report, that its tender rejections and spot rates are well ahead of industry averages, which is allowing it to quickly restore margins.

“On the pricing front, our spot pricing trended better than public indicators in the quarter, staying well above contractual rates that continued to accelerate throughout the period,” said CEO Adam Miller in a news release. “Similarly, our tender rejection rates continue to run at levels two to three times that of the broader market measures.”

Knight-Swift (NYSE: KNX) reported third-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 83 cents Wednesday after the market closed. The result was 51 cents higher than the year-ago quarter and 7 cents better than analysts’ expectations. (Management’s EPS guidance range was 71 to 77 cents.)

Revenue of $2.2 billion was up 14% year over year (plus-8% y/y excluding fuel surcharges) and slightly ahead of the $2.17 billion consensus estimate.

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