UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 or
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from _____ to _____
Commission File No. 0-27754
HUB GROUP, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
36-4007085
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
2001 Hub Group Way
Oak Brook, IL 60523
(Address, including zip code of principal executive offices)
(630) 271-3600
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:
Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
Title of each class
Trading Symbol(s)
HUBG
Name of each exchange on which registered
NASDAQ
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for
such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 229.405 of this chapter)
during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer”,
“accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Accelerated Filer ☐
Emerging Growth Company ☐
Smaller Reporting Company ☐
Non-Accelerated Filer ☐
Large accelerated Filer ☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting
standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section
404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to
previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive
officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the Registrant’s voting stock held by non-affiliates on June 30, 2023, based upon the last reported sale price on that date on the NASDAQ Global Select Market of
$40.16 per share, was $2,487,094,182.
On February 16, 2024, the Registrant had 62,252,354 outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, and 574,903 outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock, par
value $.01 per share.
Documents Incorporated by Reference
The Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 23, 2024 (the “Proxy Statement”) is incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K
to the extent stated herein. Except with respect to information specifically incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K, the Proxy Statement is not deemed to be filed as a part hereof.
HUB GROUP, INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I
Item 1 Business
Item 1A Risk Factors
Item 1B Unresolved Staff Comments
Item 1C Cybersecurity
Item 2 Properties
Item 3 Legal Proceedings
Item 4 Mine Safe Disclosures
PART II
Item 5 Market For Registrant's Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Item 6 Reserved
Item 7 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Item 7A Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplemental Data
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PART I
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, provided pursuant to the safe harbor
established under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and
involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that might cause the actual performance of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied
by this discussion and, therefore, should be viewed with caution. Further information on the risks that may affect the Company’s business is included under
Item 1A “Risk Factors” and in subsequent filings the Company makes with the SEC from time to time. The Company assumes no obligation to update any
such forward-looking statements.
Item 1. BUSINESS
General
Hub Group, Inc. (the “Company”, “Hub”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is a leading supply chain solutions provider that offers comprehensive transportation
and logistics management services focused on reliability, visibility and value for our customers. Our mission is to continuously elevate each customer’s
business to drive long term success. Our vision is to build the industry’s premier supply chain solution. Our service offerings include a full range of freight
transportation and logistics services, some of which are provided using assets we own and operate, and some of which are provided by third parties with
whom we contract. As we have continued to expand our service offerings and diversify our business, we have also made changes to the financial
information that our CEO, who has been identified as our Chief Operating Decision Maker (CODM), uses to make operating and capital decisions.
Beginning in the first quarter of 2023, we concluded that we have two reportable segments: Intermodal and Transportation Solutions (“ITS”) and Logistics
which are based primarily on the services each segment provides. We have recast the prior period information to conform with current year presentation.
Our ITS segment includes our intermodal and dedicated trucking. Our Logistics segment includes full outsource logistics solutions, transportation
management services, freight consolidation, warehousing and fulfillment, and final mile delivery services. Logistics also includes our brokerage business
which provides third-party truckload, less-than-truckload (“LTL”), flatbed and temperature-controlled needs.
We are one of the largest freight transportation providers in North America. Hub services a large and diversified customer base in a broad range of
industries, including retail, consumer products, automotive and durable goods. We believe our strategy to offer multi-modal supply chain management
solutions serves to strengthen and deepen our relationships with our customers and allows us to provide a more cost effective and higher service solution.
We employ sales and marketing representatives throughout North America who service local, regional and national accounts. We believe that fostering
long-term customer relationships is critical to our success and allows us to better understand our customers’ needs and specifically tailor the transportation
and logistics services we provide to them.
Our business is seasonal to the extent that certain customer groups and their shipping demand, such as retail, are seasonal. A significant portion of our
revenue and earnings is related to the provision of services to customers who serve consumer end markets in North America. As such our business
generally experiences a higher level of demand during the time leading up to the December holidays, as our customers seek to build their inventories by
moving their goods into distribution centers (both their own, as well as locations that we operate) and retail store locations in the second half of the
calendar year.
The transportation and logistics services industry is highly competitive. We compete against intermodal providers, logistics companies, third-party
brokers, trucking carriers, transportation management providers, warehousing providers and railroads that market their own services. Competition is based
primarily on rates charged for services provided, quality of service, reliability, transit time and scope of operations.
Our service offering facilitates our customers’ desires for energy-efficient transportation and logistics solutions and assists in meeting their objectives
to reduce their environmental footprint. Our intermodal service is significantly more fuel efficient as compared to trucking transportation, and we
continually seek opportunities to convert our customers’ transportation needs from trucking to intermodal. In addition, our logistics offering includes
shipment consolidation and network optimization services that seek to maximize the amount of freight carried per mile which reduces fuel consumption.
One of the objectives of our investment strategy is to replace older model tractors with newer, more energy-efficient equipment. We also are investing in
new technologies such as electric-powered tractors that offer attractive environmental benefits to us and our customers. Our GPS-enabled container fleet
allows for our truck drivers and third-party carriers to efficiently locate our containers without driving wasted miles. We are an Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) SmartWay® Transport Partner, having been awarded the EPA’s SmartWay® Excellence Award nine times since 2008. Our headquarter
buildings in Oak Brook, IL are certified as “Gold” by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) organization. Please see the Investors
section of our website (investors.hubgroup.com) for additional information on our environmental, social and governance attributes.
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Our strategy to grow revenue, net income and cash flow includes the following elements:
• Deepen and diversify our customer relationships through a best-in-class customer experience across all of our service offerings;
• Acquire and organically develop new service offerings for our customers that will diversify our revenue streams and deliver sophisticated supply
chain solutions;
•
Invest in assets, such as containers and tractors, to drive organic growth and reduce our costs;
• Build an industry leading information technology platform to drive growth and efficiency and support future innovations; and
• Sustain a culture that continues to enable innovation, service and teamwork.
We are committed to investing in technology to facilitate the growth of our business while enabling efficiency in our operations. Our digital strategy
leverages advanced technology for our core operating systems, while we invest in emerging technologies to achieve our business goals and enable
innovative solutions for our stakeholders, which include customers, drivers, vendors and employees. Consistent with our strategy of acquiring companies
that strengthen our offering to our customers, in 2022 we achieved system integration of Choptank and TAGG into our tech landscape which enabled cross-
selling of our brokerage and fulfillment services for our expended customer base. We expect to complete the same type of integration with the Forward Air
Final Mile business during 2024. We continue to make significant investment in refreshing critical technology for key functions including customer
management, pricing, and order to cash processes, while enabling advanced technologies for data mining and trend analysis.
Development of the Business
We have been a leader in the intermodal industry since our business was founded in 1971. Today we generate over $4 billion in annual revenue,
having grown through the addition of new customers, through cross-selling our services to our customer base, by investing in equipment such as containers
and tractors, by developing new service offerings, and through the acquisitions of new business lines. For example, over the past several years we have
invested in a fleet of refrigerated intermodal containers that represents a new service line which we marketed to our existing customer base.
We regularly evaluate acquisitions as a component of our strategy to enhance our core business lines and diversify our service offerings. Our recent
strategic transactions include the following:
Forward Air Final Mile Acquisition. On December 20, 2023, we acquired 100% of the equity interests of Forward Air Final Mile (“FAFM”). FAFM
provides residential last mile delivery services and installation of big and bulky goods, with a focus on appliances, throughout the United States. The
financial results of FAFM, since the date of acquisition, are included in our Logistics segment.
TAGG Acquisition. On August 22, 2022, we acquired 100% of the equity interests of TAGG Logistics, LLC (“TAGG”). The acquisition expanded our
presence in the consolidation and fulfillment space and added a complementary e-commerce offering to serve our customers' multimodal transportation and
logistics needs. The acquisition added scale to our logistics service line and has enabled cross-selling opportunities. The financial results of TAGG, since
the date of acquisition, are primarily included in our Logistics segment.
Choptank Acquisition. On October 19, 2021, we acquired 100% of the equity interests of Choptank Transport, LLC (“Choptank”). The acquisition
added scale to our truck brokerage operation, enhanced our refrigerated trucking transportation services offering and complemented our growing fleet of
refrigerated intermodal containers. The financial results of Choptank, since the date of acquisition, are primarily included in our Logistics segment.
Services Provided
As part of our profit improvement initiatives, we have focused on realizing efficiencies between our drayage trucking operation (which supports our
intermodal service) and our dedicated trucking operation, including through the sharing of equipment and drivers, and by leveraging a combined set of
driver support services including driver recruiting, asset management and safety functions. As a result, beginning in the first quarter of 2023, we concluded
we have two reportable segments - Intermodal and Transportation Solutions and Logistics, which are based primarily on the services each segment
provides. We have recast the prior period information to conform with current year presentation. We operate the following segments:
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Intermodal and transportation solutions. Our intermodal and transportation solutions segment offers high service, nationwide door-to-door intermodal
transportation, providing value, visibility and reliability in both transcontinental and local lanes by combining rail transportation with local trucking. Our
service offering is well positioned to assist our customers in reducing their transportation spend and achieving their carbon emissions objectives. As an
intermodal provider, we arrange for the movement of our customers’ freight in one of our containers, typically over long distances of 750 miles or more.
We contract with railroads to provide transportation for the long-haul portion of the shipment between rail terminals. Local pickup and delivery services
(referred to as “drayage”) between origin or destination and rail terminals are provided by our own trucking operations and third parties with whom we
contract. Our predictive track and trace technology monitors the shipment to ensure that it arrives as scheduled and provides notification to our customer
service personnel if there are service delays. As of December 31, 2023, we owned approximately 50,000 dry, 53-foot containers and 900 refrigerated 53-
foot containers.
As of December 31, 2023, our trucking transportation operation consisted of approximately 2,300 tractors, 2,900 employee drivers and 4,300 trailers.
We also contract for services with approximately 460 independent owner-operators who supply their own equipment and operate under our regulatory
authority. These assets and contractual services are used to support drayage for our intermodal service offering and to serve our customers who require high
service local and regional trucking transportation using equipment dedicated to their needs. Our dedicated service operation offers fleets of equipment and
drivers to each customer on a contract basis, as well as the management and infrastructure to operate according to the customer’s high service expectations.
During 2023, approximately 78% of Hub’s drayage needs were provided by our own fleet, which includes our drivers and tractors and owner
operators with whom we contracted operating under our motor carrier authority. As of December 31, 2023, we operated trucking terminals at 26 locations
throughout the United States, with locations in many large metropolitan areas.
Logistics. Our Logistics segment offers a wide range of non-asset-based services including transportation management, freight brokerage services,
shipment optimization, load consolidation, mode selection, carrier management, load planning and execution, warehousing, fulfillment, cross-docking,
consolidation services and final mile delivery. Logistics includes our brokerage business which consists of a full range of trucking transportation services,
including dry van, expedited, less-than-truckload (“LTL”), refrigerated and flatbed, all of which is provided by third-party carriers with whom we contract.
We leverage proprietary technology along with collaborative relationships with third-party service providers to deliver cost savings and performance-
enhancing supply chain services to our clients. Our transportation management offering also serves as a source of volume for our ITS segment. Many of the
customers for these solutions are consumer goods companies who sell into the retail channel. Our final mile delivery offering provides residential final mile
delivery and installation of appliances and big and bulky goods. Final mile operates through a network of independent service providers in company,
customer and third-party facilities throughout the continental United States. Our business operates or has access to approximately 11 million square feet of
warehousing and cross-dock space across North America, to which our customers ship their goods to be stored and distributed to destinations including
residences, retail stores and other commercial locations. These services offer our customers shipment visibility, transportation cost savings, high service
and compliance with retailers’ increasingly stringent supply chain requirements.
Relationships with Transportation and Warehouse Vendors
We utilize an asset-light strategy that employs a combination of our company-operated equipment as well as assets operated by third parties to
transport and store our customers’ goods, which allows us to optimize our investment in equipment and facilities and reduce the level of capital we employ
in our business. We are one of the largest purchasers of rail transportation services in North America and generally have multi-year contractual agreements
with our railroad providers that specify the costs we pay for transportation and related services, as well as service levels and other provisions. Due to the
importance of our relationship, some of our railroad providers have dedicated support personnel to focus on our day-to-day service requirements. On a
regular basis, our senior executives and our railroad providers meet to discuss major strategic issues concerning intermodal transportation.
Approximately 78% of our drayage services are provided by our fleet. We contract with approximately 460 owner-operators who supply their own
equipment and operate under our regulatory authority. We also procure drayage services from third parties, and we believe we are one of the largest
purchasers of drayage transportation in the United States.
Our brokerage and logistics business lines are significant purchasers of truckload and less-than-truckload transportation from third parties. We
contract with a large number of trucking companies that we use to provide these transportation services. Our relationships with these trucking companies
are important since these relationships determine pricing, load coverage and service that we provide to our customers.
We have relationships with several national and local operators of warehouses and cross-dock facilities who provide a range of services to us
including storage, product handling and related activities. We also operate our own warehouse locations which are leased from third-party landlords. Our
final mile operation contracts with nearly 570 vendors across the United States who provide warehousing and delivery services.
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We require all of our trucking vendors to carry auto liability and cargo insurance. Railroads, which typically carry higher self-insured retentions,
provide limited cargo protection. To cover freight loss or damage we carry our own cargo insurance. We also carry general and auto liability insurance with
an umbrella policy to cover potential exposure from our company-owned drayage and dedicated operations.
Government Regulations
The Company and several of our subsidiaries are licensed by the United States Department of Transportation (“DOT”) as brokers in arranging for the
transportation of general commodities by motor vehicle. To the extent that we perform truck brokerage services, we do so under these licenses. The DOT
prescribes qualifications for acting in this capacity. Our trucking subsidiaries operate under DOT motor carrier authority. We are licensed by the United
States Federal Maritime Commissions (“FMC”) as an Ocean Transportation Intermediary authorized to provide ocean freight forwarding and non-vessel
operating common carrier services, which are regulated by the FMC. Our business is also subject to requirements published by the United States Food and
Drug Administration under the Food Safety Modernization Act regarding the use of sanitary transportation practices to ensure the safety of food
transported by motor vehicle and rail. To date, compliance with these regulations and licensing requirements has not had a material adverse effect on our
capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position.
There are federal, state and local laws and regulations concerning environmental matters and employee health and safety that apply to the Company’s
operations. The Company is also subject to various federal, state and local laws and government regulations related to employment in the jurisdictions
where we conduct business. Complying with these and other laws and regulations has not had a materially adverse effect on the Company’s business.
Custom-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism
One of our subsidiaries achieved Custom-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (“C-TPAT”) certification in 2013 and has maintained it since then. C-
TPAT is a voluntary supply chain security program led by United States Customs and Border Protection focused on improving the security of private
companies’ supply chains. Companies who achieve C-TPAT certification must have a documented process for determining and alleviating risks throughout
their international supply chain. This certification allows us to be considered low risk, resulting in expedited processing of our customers’ cargo, including
fewer customs examinations.
Human Capital
Hub conducts business with and provides services to customers through a combination of office employees, driver employees and warehouse
employees. We also contract with independent contractors and with staffing firms who provide personnel who provide their services in our warehouse
operations. As of December 31, 2023, Hub had approximately 5,950 employees, which included approximately 2,900 drivers and 1,050 warehouse
employees. In addition, as of December 31, 2023, we contracted with approximately 460 independent contractor drivers and had approximately 530
contractors working in our warehouse locations. We are not a party to any collective bargaining agreements and consider our relationship with our
employees to be satisfactory.
Hub’s success depends in part on our ability to attract and retain skilled staff members, drivers and warehouse employees. Our executive management
team receives regular updates regarding headcount changes, turnover rates, hiring rates, manager training and employee satisfaction. We invest in the
development of our employees through our Hub University learning management system, which provides access to a variety of e-learning courses and
modules to further develop job skills, increase knowledge of our business, and promote adherence to safety and compliance procedures. We seek to offer a
competitive compensation package, which may include incentive compensation elements, as well as an attractive package of employee benefits. We are
committed to employee engagement and an inclusive culture that values and respects every employee.
Hub strives to create a culture of accountability, safety and teamwork. We set annual performance goals for our operations teams relative to collisions
and injuries and track performance monthly to ensure accountability. Further, we provide company-wide recognition on a monthly basis for employees who
are nominated for performance that demonstrates our guiding principles of winning together, innovating with purpose and acting with integrity.
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Information About Our Executive Officers
There exists no arrangement or understanding between any executive officer and any other person pursuant to which such executive officer was
selected.
The table sets forth certain information as of February 1, 2024 with respect to each person who is an executive officer of the Company.
Name
David P. Yeager
Phillip D. Yeager
Brian D. Alexander
Kevin W. Beth
Dhruv Bansal
Thomas P. LaFrance
Brian H. Meents
Age
70
36
44
49
48
62
39
Position
Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Human Resource Officer and Corporate Secretary
Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer and President of Intermodal and Transportation
Solutions
David P. Yeager has served as the Executive Chairman of our Board of Directors since January 2023. Mr. Yeager previously served as Chairman of the
Board between November 2008 and December 2022 and as Chief Executive Officer between March 1995 and December 2022. From March 1995 through
November 2008, Mr. Yeager served as Vice Chairman of the Board. From October 1985 through December 1991, Mr. Yeager was President of Hub City
Terminals (Hub Chicago). From 1983 to October 1985, he served as Vice President, Marketing of Hub Chicago. Mr. Yeager founded our St. Louis office in
1980 and served as its President from 1980 to 1983. Mr. Yeager founded our Pittsburgh office in 1975 and served as its President from 1975 to 1977. Mr.
Yeager received a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts degree
from the University of Dayton. Mr. Yeager is the father of Phillip D. Yeager.
Phillip D. Yeager became our President and Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2023 and was appointed Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
in February 2024. Previously Mr. Yeager served as President and Chief Operating Officer since July 2019, and as Chief Commercial Officer overseeing
Intermodal and Truck Brokerage operations as well as sales, pricing, solutions and account management since January 2018. Mr. Yeager formerly held the
role of Executive Vice President, Account Management and Intermodal Operations since January 2016 after serving as Vice President of Account
Management and Business Development from February 2014 to January 2016. Mr. Yeager joined the Company in 2011 as the Director of Strategy and
Acquisitions. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Yeager served as Assistant Vice President of Commercial Banking at BMO Harris Bank, and as an
investment banking analyst for Lazard Freres & Co. Mr. Yeager earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College and a Master of Business
Administration degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Mr. Yeager is the son of David P. Yeager.
Brian D. Alexander became our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer on January 1, 2023. Mr. Alexander previously served as
Executive Vice President, Logistics between September 2015 and December 2022. Before being named Executive Vice President, Mr. Alexander served as
Vice President of Operations of Logistics from December 2010 to September 2015 and was responsible for the operational execution and excellence for
manufacturing, retail and consumer packaged goods clients. Prior to that, Mr. Alexander was Senior Director of Strategic Accounts, where he had a ten-
year history of managing and directing continuous improvement initiatives for key accounts. Mr. Alexander earned a Bachelor of Business Administration
degree from Marquette University and Masters of Business Administration degree from Cardinal Stritch University.
Kevin W. Beth was named Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasure on January 1, 2024 with responsibility over the
organization’s financial activities, acquisitions, investor relations and relationships with the company’s lenders. Prior to this role, Mr. Beth served as
Executive Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer since July 2020 where he transformed Hub Group’s financial systems and was instrumental in
leading the accounting organization through the integration of acquisitions, divestitures and the implementation of new accounting standards. Mr. Beth
joined the Company in October 2003 as Corporate Controller and served as Controller and Assistant Treasurer beginning in March 2007. Mr. Beth is a
Certified Public Accountant and held various auditing and corporate accounting positions prior to joining the Company. Mr. Beth received a Bachelor of
Science degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois.
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Dhruv Bansal was named Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer in March 2022. Previously, Mr. Bansal served as Senior Vice
President of Application Development and was responsible for the development, configuration, and delivery of Hub’s software as well as the product
development strategy, architecture, and technical solutions. Mr. Bansal has spent over 20 years in engineering and product development roles. Before
joining Hub in 2020, Mr. Bansal served as Vice President Transport IT Solutions for XPO Logistics, Inc. where he led IT for multiple North American
transportation business units and was Vice President, Product Development at E2Open, a developer of a SaaS-based supply-chain management platform.
Mr. Bansal earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, India and a Bachelor’s degree in
Engineering from V.J.T.I. in Bombay, India.
Thomas P. LaFrance became our Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Human Resources Officer and Corporate Secretary in February 2024 after
joining the Company as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary in August 2021. In this role, Mr. LaFrance leads the
Company’s legal, claims and compliance, and human resource efforts. Mr. LaFrance has over 30 years of global legal experience in multiple sectors,
including having served as general counsel of General Electric Company's transportation and security technology divisions, as well as senior legal roles at
Wabtec Corporation, National Grid plc and United Technologies Corporation. Earlier in his career, Mr. LaFrance was a partner at the law firm Goodwin
Proctor. Mr. LaFrance graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Boston College and received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law
Center.
Brian Meents became our Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer and President of Intermodal and Transportation Solutions in February
2024 after previously holding the role of Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer since 2023. Mr. Meents is responsible for our intermodal
business as well as pricing, analytics, continuous improvement, and marketing. Mr. Meents joined Hub Group in 2009 and held roles with increasing
responsibility in business development, as Vice President of Account Management, where he focused on the development of client relationships, account
strategy and innovation, and as Executive Vice President of Account Management, Sales, and Marketing. In addition to his responsibilities at Hub, Mr.
Meents serves on the board of the University of Denver’s Transportation and Supply Chain Institute. Mr. Meents received his Bachelor’s degree from North
Central College and an Executive Master’s degree in Transportation from the University of Denver.
Available Information
Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to reports filed pursuant to
Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”). We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and file or furnish reports, proxy statements and other information with the
SEC. The reports and other information that we file with the SEC are available free of charge on our website at www.hubgroup.com as soon as reasonably
practicable after we electronically file or furnish such reports to the SEC. In addition, the SEC maintains a website (www.sec.gov) that contains our annual,
quarterly, and current reports, proxy and information statements, and other information we electronically file with, or furnish to, the SEC. Information on
the websites referenced in this Form 10-K is not incorporated by reference into this filing. Further, our references to website URLs are intended to be
inactive textual references only.
Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
Business Environment and Competition Risks
A significant portion of our revenue is derived from intermodal and transportation solutions and from our significant customers.
We derived 59% of our revenue from our intermodal and transportation solutions in 2023, 62% in 2022 and 63% in 2021. As a result, any decrease in
demand for intermodal transportation services could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
Our 10 largest customers accounted for approximately 42% of our total revenue in 2023, 43% in 2022 and 42% in 2021. In each of the years ended
December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, one customer accounted for more than 10% of our annual revenue in both segments. While our dedicated and logistics
businesses may involve long-term customer contracts, those contracts may contain cancellation clauses, and there is no assurance that our current
customers will continue to utilize our services or continue at the same levels. A reduction in or termination of our services by one or more of our largest
customers could have a material adverse effect on our revenue and business. While we continue to focus our efforts on diversifying our customer base, we
may not be successful in doing so.
Because we depend on railroads for our operations, our operating results and financial condition are likely to be adversely affected by any
increase in rates, reduction or deterioration in rail service or change in the railroads’ reliance on us to market their intermodal transportation
services.
We depend on major railroads in North America for the intermodal services we provide. In many regions, rail service is provided by one or a limited
number of railroads. We primarily rely on contractual relationships with two railroads to support our intermodal business. Consequently, a reduction in, or
elimination of, rail service to a particular market is likely to materially adversely affect our ability to provide intermodal transportation services to some of
our customers. Rate increases to our customers may reduce the attractiveness of intermodal transportation compared to truck or other transportation modes,
which could cause a decrease in demand
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for our services. Further, our ability to continue to expand our intermodal transportation business is dependent upon the railroads’ ability to increase
capacity for intermodal freight and provide consistent and reliable service. Our business has, at times, been adversely affected by situations impacting one
or more railroads, including labor shortages, slowdowns or stoppages, adverse weather conditions, changes to rail operations, or other factors that hinder
the railroads’ ability to provide reliable transportation services and these situations may occur again in the future. To date, our primary railroad providers
have chosen to rely on us and other intermodal providers to market their intermodal services rather than fully developing their own marketing capabilities.
If one or more of the major railroads reduced their dependence on us or decreased the capacity that they made available to us, including by servicing
additional intermodal marketing companies, the volume of intermodal shipments we arrange would likely decline, which could have a material adverse
effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Our ability to expand our business or maintain our profitability is adversely affected by a shortage of drivers and capacity.
We derive significant revenue from our transportation services and depend on qualified drivers to provide these services. There is significant
competition for qualified drivers in the transportation industry. Additionally, interventions and enforcement under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (“FMCSA”) Compliance, Safety, Accountability program or other programs may shrink the industry’s pool of drivers as those drivers with
unfavorable scores may no longer be eligible to drive for us. Driver shortages and reliance on third-party companies for the operation of our services has,
and in the future could, adversely affect our profitability and limit our ability to expand our business or retain customers. Most drayage, truckload, final
mile, and certain less-than-truckload companies operate relatively small fleets and have limited access to capital for fleet expansion. Particularly during
recent and future periods of economic expansion, it is difficult for our trucking operations and third-party trucking companies, to expand their fleets due to
chronic driver shortages. Driver shortages have resulted in increases to drivers’ compensation that we may be unable to fully pass on to our customers and
have left trucks sitting idle and created difficulty meeting customer demands, all of which could adversely affect our growth and profitability.
We operate in a highly competitive industry and our business may suffer if we are unable to adequately address potential downward pricing
pressures and other competitive factors.
The transportation and logistics industry is highly competitive and cyclical. We face competition in all geographic markets and each industry sector in
which we operate. Increased competition or our inability to compete successfully may lead to a reduction in our volume, reduced revenues, reduced profit
margins, increased pricing pressure, or a loss of customer relationships, any one of which could affect our business and financial results. Numerous
competitive factors could impair our ability to maintain our current profitability, including the following:
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our competitors may periodically reduce their prices to gain business, especially during times of weak economic conditions, which may limit our
ability to maintain or increase prices or impede our ability to maintain or grow our customer relationships;
our inability to achieve expected customer retention levels or sales growth targets;
• we compete with many other transportation and logistics service providers, some of which have greater capital resources or lower cost structures
than us;
•
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our inability to compete with new entrants in the transportation and logistics market that may offer similar services at lower cost or have greater
technological capabilities, including capabilities offering lower greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions with competitive pricing;
customers may choose to provide for themselves the services that we now provide;
• many customers periodically accept proposals from multiple carriers for their shipping needs, and this process may depress rates or result in the loss
of some of our business to competitors;
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•
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•
consolidation in the trucking industry may result in larger competitors with greater financial resources than we have;
disruptions to the supply chain or other market factors may limit our ability to purchase equipment from our suppliers;
advances in technology require increased investments to remain competitive, and our customers may not be willing to accept higher prices to cover
the cost of these investments; and
because cost of capital is a significant competitive factor, any increase in either the cost of our debt or equity as a result of increases in our level of
credit risk or stock price volatility could have a significant impact on our competitive position.
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Our customers’ and suppliers’ businesses may be negatively affected by various economic and other factors such as recessions, downturns in the
economy, global uncertainty and instability, the effects of pandemics, the effects of climate change, changes in United States social, political, and
regulatory conditions or a disruption of financial markets, which may decrease demand for our services or increase our costs.
Our primary business is to transport, and arrange for the transport of, goods and, as a result, our business levels are directly tied to the purchase and
production of goods and the rate of growth or decline in domestic and global trade, which are key macroeconomic measurements influenced by, among
other things, inflation and deflation, supply chain disruptions, interest rates and currency exchange rates, labor costs and unemployment levels, regulatory
initiatives and other government activity, fuel and energy prices, public health crises, inventory levels, buying patterns and disposable income, debt levels,
and credit and capital availability. When companies purchase and produce fewer goods, we transport and arrange for the transport of fewer goods. Any
broad decline in the activity of our customers could result in a decline in our revenue and our ability to maintain our profitability unless we are able to
continue growing our business and replace such declining customer demand with new customers and demand.
In general, while we endeavor to prepare for changes in macroeconomic conditions, we have limited ability to foresee macroeconomic changes,
including the drivers influencing such changes. Nonetheless, we believe certain trends will likely affect the economy, and by extension our business, in the
near and long term. Among these are, uncertainty and instability in the global or domestic economy, geopolitical events, and any other action that
governments may take to withdraw from or materially modify international trade arrangements or decrease economic production, consumption and
inflation. Significant weather events or patterns, which may become more frequent or common as a result of climate-change, could also affect market
conditions in ways that we cannot foresee and impact the volume or health of our customers’ business or our suppliers’ ability to provide us with goods or
services. The United States government and foreign governments may take other actions that may impact the purchase and production of goods, including
imposing tariffs or other regulations on certain goods shipped by our customers, that may increase costs for goods transported globally and reduce end-user
demand for these products. Demand for, or production of, goods could also decline due to capital constraints, increased interest rates, and non-trade related
regulatory actions such as regulations to address climate change.
Customers encountering adverse economic or other conditions, including a high interest rate environment, may be unable to obtain additional
financing or financing under acceptable terms. These customers represent a greater potential for bad debt losses, which may require us to increase our
reserve for bad debt. Economic conditions resulting in bankruptcies of one or more of our large customers could have a significant impact on our financial
position, results of operations or liquidity in a particular year or quarter. Further, when adverse economic times arise, customers may select competitors that
offer lower rates in an attempt to lower their costs and we might be forced to lower our rates or lose freight volumes.
Our suppliers’ business levels also may be negatively affected by adverse economic and other conditions, which could lead to disruptions in the
supply and availability of equipment, parts and services critical to our operations. A significant interruption in our normal supply chain could disrupt our
operations, increase our costs and negatively impact our ability to serve our customers.
We are also subject to cost increases outside of our control that could materially reduce our profitability if we are unable to increase our rates
sufficiently. Such cost increases include capital expenditures to update our tractor fleet to meet climate change-focused regulatory requirements or market
demands for lower emission equipment, increases in wage rates, fuel prices, interest rates, taxes, tolls, license and registration fees, insurance, equipment
and healthcare for our employees.
We also rely on the timely and free flow of goods through open and operational international shipping lanes and ports. Disruptions of these shipping
lanes, such as the drought impacting the Panama Canal and ongoing geopolitical conditions, including terrorist acts, impacting the Suez Canal, could create
significant risks for our business or provide opportunities with changes to shipping patterns.
Our business could be adversely affected by strikes or work stoppages by truck drivers, warehouse employees, port employees and railroad
employees, or the decision of our employees to unionize.
There may be labor unrest, including strikes and work stoppages, among workers at various transportation providers and in industries affecting the
transportation industry, such as warehousing and ports. We could lose business due to any significant work stoppage or slowdown and, if labor unrest
results in increased rates for transportation providers, we may not be able to pass these cost increases on to our customers. Strikes, work slowdowns, or
labor shortages among longshoremen and other workers at ports may result in reduced activity at the ports for a time, creating an impact on the
transportation industry. Work stoppages occurring among owner-operators in a specific market have increased our operating costs periodically in the past.
Strikes, work slowdowns, or labor shortages among railroad employees in the United States, Canada or anywhere else that our customers’ freight travels by
railroad would impact our operations. Any significant work stoppage, slowdown or other disruption, including disruption due to restrictions imposed as a
result of a pandemic, involving port employees, railroad employees, warehouse employees or truck drivers could adversely affect our business and results
of operations.
Currently, none of our employees are represented by a collective bargaining agreement. If in the future our employees decide to unionize, this would
increase our operating costs and force us to alter the way we operate causing an adverse effect on our operating results.
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Relatively small increases in our transportation and warehouse costs, including fuel, that we are unable to pass through to our customers are likely
to have a significant adverse effect on our operating income.
Purchased transportation and warehousing costs represented 75% of our consolidated revenue in 2023, 76% in 2022 and 75% in 2021. Because
transportation and warehouse costs represent such a significant portion of our costs, any increases in the operating costs of railroads, warehouse vendors,
and other transportation providers can be expected to result in higher rates that we pay to such providers. Transportation costs may increase if we are
unable to contract with owner-operators or recruit Company employee drivers as this may increase the costs we pay for drivers or force us to use more
expensive purchased transportation. Any inability to pass cost increases to our customers is likely to have a significant adverse effect on our gross margin
and operating income and cash flows.
Our business depends on the availability of fuel. Fuel availability and cost are affected by natural or man-made disasters, adverse weather conditions,
political events, disruption or failure of technology or information systems, price and supply decisions by oil producing countries and cartels, government
actions including climate change regulations, terrorist activities, armed conflict and world supply and demand imbalance. We do not maintain fuel storage
and pumping stations at all of our facilities. Therefore, a disruption in the global fuel supply resulting from factors outside of our control, that increases the
demand for fuel traditionally used by trucks, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Fuel costs can be very volatile and fuel price fluctuations occur due to factors outside our control. Significant increase in fuel prices or fuel taxes that
we are unable to offset by any fuel surcharges or freight rate increases could have an adverse impact on our business operations. We have a fuel surcharge
program in place with many of our customers that typically allows us to recover the costs associated with volatile fuel prices. Our inability to time the fuel
surcharges billed to customers with the change in fuel costs could affect our operations. Rapid increases in fuel costs could also have a material adverse
effect on our operations or future profitability.
Additionally, proposed and potential new legislation intended to encourage the adoption of alternative fuel technologies, including electric vehicles
(“EVs”), as well as potential customer demand driven by similar legislation and market-driven expectations, could accelerate or expand our plans for a
transition to EVs. The Company has piloted the use of EVs but has no immediate plans for a broad transition to EVs. The Company’s broader usage of EVs
will depend on several factors including availability of EVs, access to charging infrastructure, consistent availability of electrical supply, and availability of
tax or other incentives to mitigate the required capital expenditures for EV fleet purchases, charging, maintenance, replenishment and expansion. If
legislative or market forces require the accelerated deployment of EVs before other cost and operational factors are adequately addressed, then such
transition could have a material adverse effect on our operations and future profitability.
Extreme or unusual weather conditions can disrupt our operations, impact freight volumes, and increase our costs, all of which could have a
material adverse effect on our business results.
Our operations are affected by external factors such as severe weather and other natural occurrences, which may increase in frequency and severity
due to climate change, that adversely impact operating locations where we have vehicles, warehouses and other facilities. These events may disrupt fuel
supplies, increase fuel costs, affect the performance of our vehicles, disrupt freight shipments or routes, restrict the availability of our workforce, affect
regional economies, destroy our assets, interrupt our business, adversely affect the business or financial condition of our customers, or limit or interrupt the
availability of goods or services from our suppliers. While we have been able to avoid or mitigate the impact of these events by, for example, re-routing our
equipment or passing on increased costs associated with these events, we may not be able to do so in the future. Insurance to protect against loss of
business and other related consequences resulting from these natural occurrences is subject to coverage limitations, depending on the nature of the risk
insured. Such insurance may not be sufficient to cover all of our damages or damages to others and this insurance may not continue to be available at
commercially reasonable rates. Even with insurance, if any natural occurrence leads to a catastrophic interruption of service, we may not be able to mitigate
a significant interruption in operations.
Our insurance program may not be sufficient to cover all anticipated risks and liabilities associated with our operations.
We are partially self-insured for certain employee medical coverage losses, excluding employees covered by health maintenance organizations. We
generally have an individual stop loss deductible per enrollee unless specific exposures are separately insured. We accrue a contingent liability based upon
examination of historical trends, historical actuarial analysis, our claims experience, total plan enrollment (including employee contributions), population
demographics, and other various estimates. Self-insurance reserves, net income, and cash flows could be materially affected if future claims differ
significantly from our historical trends and assumptions.
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We are partially self-insured for vehicle liability and workers’ compensation claims. Our self-insurance accruals are based on actuarially estimated,
undiscounted cost of claims, which includes claims incurred but not reported. While we believe that our estimation processes are well designed and comply
with generally accepted accounting principles and other accounting and finance best practices, any projection of losses concerning workers’ compensation
and vehicle liability is subject to a considerable degree of variability. The causes of this variability include litigation trends, changes in medical costs, claim
settlement patterns and fluctuations in the frequency or severity of accidents. If actual losses incurred are greater than those anticipated, our self-insurance
reserves may be insufficient and additional costs could be recorded in our consolidated financial statements. If we suffer a substantial loss in excess of our
self-insured limits, the loss and attendant expenses may be covered by traditional insurance and excess insurance the Company has in place, but if not
covered or above such coverages, losses could harm our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We also are exposed to various other types of claims, including cargo loss and damage, property damage, and personal injury. We maintain insurance
coverage with third-party insurance carriers for these types of claims as well as for other business and operational risks (including cybersecurity, data
privacy, directors & officers), but we assume a significant portion of the risk associated with these claims due to high self-insured retention (“SIR”) and
deductibles. Our operating results could be adversely affected if any of the following were to occur: (i) the number or the severity of claims increases; (ii)
we are required to accrue or pay additional amounts because claims prove to be more severe than our original assessment; or (iii) claims exceed our
coverage amounts. If the number or severity of claims increases, our operating results could also be adversely affected if the cost to renew our insurance
was increased when our current coverage expires. If these expenses increase, and we are unable to offset the increase with higher rates to our customers,
our earnings could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, insurance companies generally require us to collateralize our SIR or deductible levels.
At December 31, 2023, we had insurance-related surety bonds totaling $46.9 million and letters of credit totaling $0.2 million. If these collateralization
requirements increase, our borrowing capacity could be adversely affected.
Technology and Cybersecurity Risks
If we fail to maintain and enhance our information technology systems, or if we fail to successfully implement new technology or enhancements,
we may be at a competitive disadvantage and lose customers.
Technology is critical to our operations and our ability to compete effectively as a transportation and logistics provider. We expect our customers to
continue to demand more sophisticated technology-driven solutions from their suppliers and we must enhance or replace our information technology
systems in response. This may involve significant research and development costs, implementation costs and potential operational challenges. To keep pace
with changing technologies and customer demand, we continue to make investments in our technology, as well as invest in emerging technology to further
drive innovation and efficiency. Recent investments include implementing new order management, transportation management, warehouse automation,
contract management and financial management processes and systems. Technology and new market entrants may also disrupt the way we and our
competitors operate. As technology improves and new companies enter the freight brokerage sector, our customers may be able to find alternatives to our
services for matching shipments with available freight hauling capacity. We must continue to develop innovative emerging technologies to source, track
and provide visibility to capacity to further improve customer outcomes.
If we fail to successfully implement critical technology, if our technology does not provide the anticipated benefits or it does not meet market
demands, we may be placed at a competitive disadvantage and could lose customers, materially adversely impacting our financial condition and results of
operations.
Our information technology systems also depend upon the internet, third-party service providers, global communications providers, satellite-based
communications systems, the electric utilities grid, electric utility providers and telecommunications providers as well as their respective vendors. The
services and service providers have all experienced significant system failures and outages at some point in the past. We have minimal control over the
operation, quality, or maintenance of these services or whether vendors will improve their services or continue to provide services that are essential to our
business. Disruptions due to transitional challenges in upgrading or enhancing our technology systems; failures in the services upon which our information
technology platforms rely, including those that may arise from adverse weather conditions or natural calamities, such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes or
tornadoes; illegal acts, including terrorist attacks; human error or systems modernization initiatives; or other disruptions, may adversely affect our business,
which could increase our costs or result in a loss of customers that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial position.
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Our information technology systems are subject to cyber and other risks some of which are beyond our control. A security breach, failure or
disruption of these services could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial position.
We rely heavily on the proper functioning and availability of our information systems for our operations as well as for providing value-added services
to our customers. Our information systems, including our accounting, communications and data processing systems, are integral to the efficient operation
of our business. It is critical that the data processed by these systems remain secure, as it often includes competitive customer information, confidential
transaction data, employee records and key financial and operational results and statistics. The sophistication of efforts by hackers, foreign governments,
cyber-terrorists, and cyber-criminals, acting individually or in coordinated groups, to launch distributed denial of service attacks, ransomware or other
coordinated attacks that may cause service outages, gain inappropriate or block legitimate access to systems or information, or result in other business
interruptions has continued to increase in recent years. We utilize third-party service providers who have access to our systems and certain sensitive data,
which exposes us to additional security risks, particularly given the complex and evolving laws and regulations regarding privacy and data protection.
While we and our third-party service providers have experienced cyber-attacks and attempted breaches of our and their information technology systems and
networks or similar events from time to time, no such incidents have been, individually or in the aggregate, material to us. Cyber incidents that impact the
security, availability, reliability, speed, accuracy or other proper functioning of our systems, information and measures, including outages, computer
viruses, theft or misuse by third parties or insiders, break-ins and similar disruptions, could have a significant adverse impact on our operations.
It is difficult to fully protect against the possibility of power loss, telecommunications failures, cyber-attacks, ransomware and other cyber incidents in
every potential circumstance that may arise. In addition, the rapid evolution and increased adoption of artificial intelligence technologies may intensify our
cybersecurity risks. A significant cyber incident, including system failure, security breach, disruption by malware or ransomware, or other damage, could
interrupt or delay our operations, damage our reputation and brand, cause a loss of customers, expose us to a risk of loss or litigation, result in regulatory
scrutiny, investigations, actions, fines or penalties or cause us to incur significant time and expense to remedy such an event, any of which could have a
material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial position. Furthermore, any failure to comply with data privacy, biometric privacy, data
security or other laws and regulations could result in claims, legal or regulatory proceedings, inquiries or investigations. To comply with this changing
landscape, we may be required to further segregate our systems and operations, implement additional controls, or adopt new systems, all of which could
increase the cost and complexity of our operations. In addition, our insurance intended to address costs associated with aspects of cyber incidents, network
failures and privacy-related concerns, may not sufficiently cover all types of losses or claims that may arise.
Operational Risks
We depend on third parties for equipment and services essential to operate our business, and if we fail to secure sufficient equipment and services,
we could lose customers and revenue.
We depend on third parties for transportation equipment, such as tractors, containers, chassis, and trailers and certain services such as transportation,
warehousing and cross docks necessary for the operation of our business. Our industry has experienced equipment, transportation and warehouse capacity
shortages in the past, particularly during the peak shipping season leading up to the December holidays. A substantial amount of intermodal freight
originates at or near major West Coast ports, which have historically had the most severe equipment shortages. If we cannot secure sufficient transportation
equipment and warehouse services at a reasonable price from third parties to meet our customers’ needs, our customers may seek to have their
transportation and warehousing needs met by other providers with their own assets. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of
operations and financial position.
Our residential final mile delivery service exposes us to risks associated with our and our vendors’ trucks and drivers delivering to residential
customers.
While we operate limited equipment and employ limited drivers that are used in the provision of final mile services, our and our vendors’ trucks and
drivers operate in residential environments, including the in-home installation of appliances and other over-the-threshold services, that expose them and us
to the risk of property damage, personal injury and other claims including from operating on residential streets and from entering into end-consumers’
homes. If we or any of these vendors do not reliably and safely perform their obligations, we and our vendors could be exposed to liability or reputational
harm.
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The ability to hire or retain management and other employees is critical to our continued success, and the loss of or inability to hire such
personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
There is substantial competition for qualified personnel in the transportation and logistics services industry. The loss of any member of our
management team, or other key persons, or the inability to hire key persons, could have an adverse effect on us. We do not have written employment
agreements with any of our executive officers and do not maintain key person insurance on any of our executive officers, although we do have restrictive
covenant agreements with all of them. Many individuals in the industry are subject to non-competition agreements, reducing the immediate availability of
some qualified candidates for job openings. A proposed rulemaking by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), if it is made effective and withstands
effective legal challenges, would prevent the use of non-competition agreements in most circumstances in the future. We cannot predict the impact this
proposed rule, or potential future rulemaking at the state level, might have on the recruiting and retention of management and other employees (or our
ability to enforce post-termination restrictive covenants). If we lose key members of our senior management team or are unable to effect successful
transitions from one executive to another as part of our succession plan, we may not be able to effectively manage our current operations or meet ongoing
and future business challenges, and this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our growth could be adversely affected if we are not able to pursue our acquisition strategy, to successfully integrate acquired businesses or to
achieve the anticipated benefit from acquired companies.
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to execute acquisitions on commercially acceptable terms. Furthermore, the failure to successfully integrate
an acquired business or assets, including implementing financial controls and measures or achieving cross-selling objectives, could significantly impact our
financial results. Although we believe we have adequate liquidity and capital resources to fund our operations internally, our inability to access the capital
markets on favorable terms, or at all, to obtain adequate financing could adversely affect our ability to pursue growth through acquisitions. Financial results
most likely to be negatively affected include revenue, gross margin, salaries and benefits, general and administrative expenses, depreciation and
amortization, interest expense, net income and our debt level.
Furthermore, we may not be able to realize the anticipated benefits from acquired companies. Achieving those benefits depends on the timely,
efficient and successful execution of a number of post-acquisition events. Factors that could affect our ability to achieve these benefits include the
integration risks described above as well as the failure of acquired businesses to perform in accordance with our expectations; the failure to achieve
anticipated synergies between our business units and the business units of acquired businesses; the loss of customers of acquired businesses; or the loss of
key managers of acquired businesses.
If acquired businesses do not operate as we anticipate, it could materially impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. In
addition, acquired businesses may operate in new markets in which we have little or no experience. In such instances, we will be highly dependent on
existing managers and employees to manage those businesses, and the loss of any key managers or employees of the acquired business could have a
material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Risks
We use a significant number of contingent workers, including independent contractors, such as owner operators, independent service providers,
contract carriers and warehouse staff, in our businesses. Legislative, judicial and regulatory authorities may continue to take actions or render
decisions that could affect the independent contractor classification, which could have a significant adverse impact on our operating income.
We do business with many independent contractors, such as owner operators, contract carriers and warehouse staff, consistent with longstanding
industry practices. Legislative, judicial, and regulatory (including tax) authorities have taken actions and rendered decisions that could affect independent
contractor classifications. Class action and individual lawsuits have been filed against us and others in our industry, challenging independent contractor
classifications. If contingent workers, including independent contractors and temporary workers used for our trucking, warehousing, consolidation,
fulfillment or final mile delivery business, are determined to be employees, or the Company a joint employer, then we may incur legal liabilities associated
with that determination, such as liability for unpaid wages, overtime, employee health insurance and taxes. If we were to change how we treat contingent
workers or reclassify them as employees, then we would likely incur expenses associated with that reclassification, could incur additional ongoing
expenses and face the loss of those contingent workers who choose not to become employees. The costs associated with these matters could have a material
adverse effect on results of operations and our financial position.
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We operate in a highly regulated industry, and changes in existing regulations or costs of compliance with, or liability for violation of, existing
or future regulations or antiterrorism measures could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The Company and various subsidiaries are regulated by the DOT as motor carriers or freight brokers. The DOT prescribes qualifications for acting in
these capacities, including surety bond requirements. The transportation industry is subject to DOT regulations regarding, among other things, driver breaks
and “restart” rules that can affect the economics of the industry by requiring changes in operating practices or influencing the demand for, and cost of
providing, transportation services. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”), under the DOT, also manages a compliance and
enforcement initiative partnering with state agencies designed to monitor and improve commercial vehicle motor safety. We are audited periodically by the
DOT to ensure that we are in compliance with various safety, hours-of-service, and other rules and regulations. If we were found to be out of compliance,
the DOT could levy fines and restrict or otherwise impact our operations. We may also become subject to new or more restrictive regulations relating to
carbon emissions under climate change legislation or limits on vehicle weight and size. Future laws and regulations may be more stringent and require
changes in operating practices, influence the demand for transportation services or increase the cost of providing transportation and logistics services, any
of which could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.
We are subject to a wide variety of U.S. federal, state and local non-U.S. laws, regulations and government policies, including in the areas of
employment, privacy, cybersecurity, securities, anti-corruption, competition and trade, that may change in significant ways. We are not able to accurately
predict how new governmental laws and regulations, or changes to existing laws and regulations, will affect the transportation and logistics industry
generally, or us in particular. We are also unable to predict how political changes will affect government regulation of the transportation industry. If we
incur higher costs as a result of any new regulations and are unable to pass along such costs to our customers, our business may be adversely affected.
Our failure to comply with any existing or future laws, rules or regulations to which we are, or may become, subject, whether actual or alleged, could
have a material adverse effect on our business and on our ability to access the capital required to operate our business. Among other things, any such failure
could expose us to reputational harm, loss of business, fines, penalties or potential litigation liabilities, including costs, settlements and judgments, as well
as the loss of operating authority and restrictions on our operations.
Furthermore, terrorist attacks or other geopolitical events, along with any government response to such events, may adversely affect our financial
condition, results of operations or liquidity. Our fleet, other key infrastructure and information technology systems may be targets or indirect casualties of
acts of terror, other harmful acts, or war. Further, because transportation assets have been a target of terrorist activities, federal, state, local and foreign
governmental bodies are proposing and, in some cases, have adopted legislation and regulations relating to security issues that impact the transportation
industry, including checkpoints and travel restrictions on large trucks. If additional security measures disrupt or impede the timing of our operations, we
may fail to meet the requirements of our customers or incur increased expenses to do so. In addition, complying with these or future regulations could
continue to increase our operating costs and reduce operating efficiencies. We maintain insurance coverages addressing these risks; however, such
insurance may be inadequate, become unavailable or be limited in scope of coverage, premiums charged for some or all of the insurance could increase
dramatically, or regulations may change. These changes could exacerbate the effects of an act of terrorism or other event on our business, resulting in a
significant business interruption, increased costs and liabilities and decreased revenues or an adverse impact on results of operation.
Our operations are subject to various environmental laws and regulations, including legislative and regulatory responses to climate change.
Compliance with environmental requirements could result in significant expenditures and the violation of these requirements could result in
substantial fines or penalties.
We are subject to various federal, state and local governmental laws and regulations that govern, among other things, the emission and discharge of
hazardous materials into the environment, the presence of hazardous materials at our properties or in our vehicles, fuel storage tanks, the transportation of
certain materials and the discharge or retention of storm water. Under certain environmental laws, we could also be held responsible for any costs relating
to contamination at our past or present facilities and at third-party waste disposal sites, as well as costs associated with the clean-up of accidents involving
our vehicles. Environmental laws have become and may continue to be increasingly more stringent over time, and there can be no assurance that our costs
of complying with current or future environmental laws or liabilities arising under such laws will not have a material adverse effect on our business,
operations or financial condition.
From time to time, we arrange for the movement or warehousing of hazardous materials at the request of our customers. As a result, we may be
subject to various environmental laws and regulations relating to the handling of hazardous materials. If we are involved in a spill or other accident
involving hazardous materials, or if we are found to be in violation of applicable laws or regulations, we could be subject to substantial fines or penalties
and to civil and criminal liability, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
The Company is also subject to certain federal and state environmental laws and regulations, including those of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (“EPA”) and the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”). We may become subject to enforcement
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actions, new or more restrictive regulations, or differing interpretations of existing regulations, which may increase the cost of providing transportation
services or adversely affect our results of operations. In addition to EPA and state agency regulations on exhaust emissions with which we must comply,
there is an increased legislative and regulatory focus on climate change, greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions and the impact of climate change that
enhances the possibility of increased regulation of GHG emissions and potentially exposes us to significant new capital or operating expenditures, taxes,
fees and other costs. Additionally, the State of California recently passed legislation and the SEC has proposed regulations regarding the disclosure of
Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions. Compliance with these regulations could add material costs to our business, including securities and other potential
litigation costs arising from our reporting of our GHG emissions, and could increase customer focus on our GHG direct and indirect emissions, which may
affect the market for transportation and logistics services in ways that we cannot foresee. Such regulations, together with increased investor and stakeholder
interest in climate change and other environmental topics may result in new regulations or customer, supplier or market requirements that could adversely
impact our business, or certain stockholders may reduce their holdings of our stock. Limitations on the emission of GHGs, other environmental legislation,
or customer GHG requirements could also have an adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
We are subject to the risks of litigation and governmental inquiries, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The nature of our business exposes us to a variety of litigation risks related to a number of issues, including without limitation, accidents involving our
trucks and employees, alleged violations of federal and state labor and employment laws, securities laws, environmental liability, privacy and other matters.
Accordingly, we are, and in the future may be, subject to legal proceedings and claims that have arisen in the ordinary course of our business, including
class and collective allegations. We are also subject to potential governmental proceedings, inquiries, and claims. The parties in such actions may seek
amounts from us that may not be covered in whole or in part by insurance. The defense of such lawsuits could result in significant expense and the
diversion of our management’s time and attention from the operation of our business. In recent years, several insurance companies have stopped offering
coverage to trucking companies as a result of increases in the severity of automobile liability claims and higher costs of settlements and verdicts. This trend
has and could continue to adversely affect our ability to obtain suitable insurance coverage and significantly increase our cost for obtaining such coverage,
which would adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and cash flows. Costs we incur to defend or to satisfy a judgment or
settlement of these claims may not be covered by insurance or could exceed the amount of that coverage or increase our insurance costs and could have a
material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and cash flows.
Changes in immigration laws could increase the costs of doing business or otherwise disrupt our operations.
We have hired individuals, including Information Technology (“IT”) employees, from outside the United States. We have employee drivers and
owner-operator drivers who are immigrants to the United States. We engage third-party consultants, including for various IT projects, who may utilize
personnel from outside the United States. If immigration laws are changed or if new more restrictive government regulations are enacted or increased, our
access to qualified and skilled personnel may be limited, the costs of doing business may increase and our operations may be disrupted.
Our business may be affected by uncertainty or changes in United States or global social, political or regulatory conditions.
We arrange for the movement of freight, a portion of which originates from other countries, including China, into and out of the United States, Mexico
and Canada, and we import 53-foot intermodal containers manufactured in China. Adverse developments in laws, policies or practices in the United States
and internationally can negatively impact our business and the business of our customers. Recent legislative initiatives, including the Inflation Reduction
Act of 2022 and the CHIPs and Science Act of 2022, have included provisions designed to reduce dependence on goods from China and restrict the transfer
of certain intellectual property to China. Some importers are considering changes in their supply chain that may include shifting manufacturing capacity to
North America or an increase in the importation of goods that are manufactured offshore through ports other than ports on the West Coast of the United
States. These initiatives, and future potential initiatives, may result in changes to demand for our services including the potential for less demand for longer
haul routes including intermodal services which could materially affect our business, financial conditions and results of operations. Negative domestic and
international global trade conditions as a result of social, political or regulatory changes or perceptions (such as those that might be associated with
pandemics or an increased focus on production in the United States), could reduce demand for our intermodal services and materially affect our business,
financial conditions and results of operations. We provide services both domestically and to a lesser extent outside of the United States, which subjects our
business to various additional risks, including:
15
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
changes in tariffs, trade restrictions, trade agreements and taxes;
varying tax regimes, including consequences from changes in applicable tax laws and tax incentives;
difficulties in managing or overseeing foreign operations and agents;
the burden of complying with laws applicable to international business, such as anti-corruption, trade, foreign currency and maritime laws;
different liability standards;
the price and availability of fuel;
foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations;
exposure to local economic conditions and local laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate;
higher levels of credit risk;
difficulties in integrating acquired companies with foreign operations;
uncertainty and changes to political and regulatory regimes as a result of changing social, political, regulatory and economic environments in the
United States and internationally; and
geopolitical conditions, such as national and international conflict, including terrorist acts and the effects of pandemics and government responses to
pandemics.
If we do not correctly anticipate changes in social, political or regulatory conditions or their impact on the transportation and logistics industry, we
may not alter our business practices in time to avoid adverse effects. Additionally, the occurrence or consequences of any of these factors may restrict our
ability to operate in the affected region or decrease the profitability of our operations in that region.
Our suppliers may also be affected by changes in the political and regulatory environment, both in the United States and internationally. Negative
impacts on our suppliers could result in disruptions in the supply and availability of equipment or services needed for our business that could in turn affect
our ability to operate and serve our customers as planned. Additionally, changes to current United States international trade agreements may lead to fewer
goods transported and we may need to restructure certain terms of business with suppliers or customers.
General Risks
Our failure to implement or market new and existing services to existing and potential customers could have an adverse effect on our operations.
We expect to continue expanding our service offerings. In the event we implement new service offerings, we may devote substantial resources to
educating our employees and customers on such offerings with no assurance that a sufficient number of customers will use such additional services. If we
add new services, we may not identify trends correctly or may not be able to bring new services as quickly, effectively or price-competitively as our
competitors. Our failure to implement new services or market any existing or future services to our current customer base or new customers could have a
material adverse impact on our operations and profitability.
Our inability to defend our intellectual property could damage our reputation and incur costs that have a negative impact on our operations or
financial condition.
The Company has registered various trademarks and designs in the United States, Mexico and Canada. These marks play a major role in our business
as they strengthen our brand recognition while helping accomplish our marketing strategy. Some of our intellectual property rights related to trademarks,
trade secrets, domain names, copyrights, or other intellectual property could be challenged or invalidated or misappropriated or infringed upon, by third
parties. Our continued efforts to obtain, enforce, protect and defend our intellectual property against a third-party infringement claim may be ineffective
and could result in substantial costs which could adversely impact our corporate reputation, business, results of operations, and financial conditions.
16
Damage to our reputation through unfavorable publicity or the actions of our employees, certain suppliers or independent contractors could
adversely affect our financial condition.
Our success depends on our ability to consistently deliver operational excellence and strong customer service. Our inability to deliver our services and
solutions as promised on a consistent basis, or our customers having a negative experience or otherwise becoming dissatisfied, can negatively impact our
relationships with new or existing customers and adversely affect our brand and reputation, which could, in turn, adversely affect revenue and earnings
growth. Adverse publicity (whether or not justified) relating to activities by our employees, contractors, suppliers, agents or others with whom we do
business, such as customer service mishaps or noncompliance with laws, could tarnish our reputation and reduce the value of our brand. With the increase
in the use of social media outlets such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter), adverse publicity can be
disseminated quickly and broadly, making it increasingly difficult for us to effectively respond. This unfavorable publicity could also require us to allocate
significant resources to rebuild our reputation.
The market value of our Class A Common Stock may fluctuate and could be substantially adversely affected by various factors.
We expect that the market price of our Class A Common Stock will continue to fluctuate due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our
control. These factors include, among others:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
actual or anticipated variations in earnings, financial or operating performance or liquidity;
changes in industry research analysts’ recommendations or projections;
failure to meet analysts’ and our Company's projections;
general political, social, economic and capital market conditions;
announcements of developments related to our business or the business of our key customers or vendors;
operating and stock performance of other companies deemed to be peers;
actions by government regulators;
news reports of trends, concerns and other issues related to us or our industry, including changes in regulations; and
geopolitical conditions such as acts or threats of terrorism, military conflicts, and the effects of pandemics (such as the coronavirus).
Our Class A Common Stock price may fluctuate significantly in the future, and these fluctuations may be unrelated to our performance. General
market price declines or market volatility in the future could adversely affect the price of our Class A Common Stock, and the current market price of our
Class A Common Stock may not be indicative of future market prices.
Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
Item 1C. CYBERSECURITY
Hub operates in the transportation and logistics sector, which is subject to various cybersecurity risks that could adversely affect our business,
financial condition and results of operations. We have implemented a risk-based approach aligned with industry standards to identify and assess the
cybersecurity threats that could affect our business and information systems. We conduct periodic risk assessments to identify the potential impact and
likelihood of various cyber scenarios, including those involving third-party service providers, and to determine the appropriate mitigation strategies and
controls. We use various tools and methodologies to manage cybersecurity risk, including implementation of a business continuity process that includes a
comprehensive Incident Response Protocol that is tested on a regular cadence and an information security training and awareness program. We also
monitor and evaluate our cybersecurity posture and performance on an ongoing basis through regular vulnerability scans, penetration tests and threat
intelligence feeds. We require third-party service providers with access to personal, confidential or proprietary information to implement and maintain
comprehensive cybersecurity practices consistent with applicable legal standards and industry best practices.
17
Our business depends on the availability, reliability, and security of our information systems, networks, data and intellectual property. Any disruption,
compromise or breach of our systems or data due to a cybersecurity threat or incident could adversely affect our operations, customer service, product
development and competitive position. They might also result in a breach of our contractual obligations or legal duties to protect the privacy and
confidentiality of our stakeholders. Such a breach could expose us to business interruption, lost revenue, ransom payments, remediation costs, liabilities to
affected parties, cybersecurity protection costs, lost assets, litigation, regulatory scrutiny and actions, reputational harm, customer dissatisfaction, harm to
our vendor relationships or loss of market share. In the last three years prior to filing of this Form 10-K, the Company has not experienced any significant
information security breach.
Our Board has direct oversight of cybersecurity risks and strategy and receives quarterly updates from our Chief Information Officer (CIO). The
Board has also delegated to the Audit Committee responsibilities related to cybersecurity and other risks of the Company. Our CIO has spent over 20 years
in engineering and product development roles and our VP of Information Security and Operations has spent over 25 years in infrastructure and
cybersecurity roles including in the finance and insurance industries. Additionally, one of the independent directors on our Board and a member of our
Audit Committee has significant experience leading technology and information systems at some of the country’s leading hospitals and adds to our Board
substantial expertise and knowledge in information technology, privacy, data governance and cybersecurity. A cross-functional incident response team,
which includes members of our management team, determines the apparent severity of reported potential incidents and operationalizes the cybersecurity
incident response protocol.
Item 2. PROPERTIES
As of December 31, 2023, we directly, or indirectly through our subsidiaries, operated 91 offices, terminals and warehouses throughout the United
States, Canada and Mexico, including our headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. All of our facilities are leased except for our headquarters. Most office,
terminal and warehouse leases have initial terms of more than one year and many include options to renew. While some of our leases expire in the near
term, we do not believe that we will have difficulty in renewing them or in finding alternative office, warehouse or terminal space. We believe that our
offices, warehouses and terminals are adequate for the purposes for which they are currently used.
Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
The Company is a party to litigation in the ordinary course of our business, including at various times, claims for personal injury or property damage,
bankruptcy preference claims, employment-related claims, including putative class actions, commercial and intellectual property disputes, and claims
regarding freight lost or damaged in transit, improperly shipped or improperly billed. Some of the lawsuits to which we are a party are covered by
insurance. For a further discussion of litigation involving the Company, see Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements under “Legal Matters,” which
discussion and note are incorporated herein by reference.
Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES
OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Our Class A Common Stock (“Class A Common Stock”) trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market tier of the Nasdaq Stock Market under the
symbol “HUBG.” There is no established trading market for shares of our Class B Common Stock (the “Class B Common Stock” together with the Class A
Common Stock, the “Common Stock”).
On February 16, 2024, there were approximately 379 stockholders of record of the Class A Common Stock and in addition, there were an estimated
33,067 beneficial owners of the Class A Common Stock whose shares were held by brokers and other fiduciary institutions. On February 16, 2024, there
were 10 holders of record of our Class B Common Stock.
18
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
On January 4, 2024, the Company announced a two-for-one stock split of the Company’s Class A and Class B common stock. Refer to the Note 1 to
the consolidated financial statements for the effect of this stock split.
In October 2022, our Board of Directors (the “Board”) authorized the purchase of up to $200 million of our Class A Common Stock pursuant to a
share repurchase program (the “2022 Program”). Under the 2022 Program, the shares may be repurchased in the open market or in privately negotiated
transactions, from time to time subject to market and other conditions. The approved share repurchase program does not obligate us to repurchase any
dollar amount or number of shares and the program may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. The 2022 Program was terminated in October
2023 in conjunction with the authorization of the 2023 Program (as defined below) and as a result, no shares were purchased under the 2022 Program in the
fourth quarter of 2023.
In October 2023, the Board authorized the purchase of up to $250 million of our Class A Common Stock pursuant to a share repurchase program (the
“2023 Program”), which replaces the 2022 Program. Under the 2023 Program, the shares may be repurchased in the open market or in privately negotiated
transactions, from time to time subject to market and other conditions. The approved share repurchase program does not obligate us to repurchase any
dollar amount or number of shares and the program may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time.
We purchased 56,564 shares of Class A Common Stock for $2.1 million related to employee withholding upon vesting of restricted stock in the fourth
quarter of 2023 and 67,830 shares for $2.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. The table below includes information on a monthly basis regarding the
number of shares delivered to us by employees to satisfy the mandatory tax withholding requirement upon vesting of restricted stock during the fourth
quarter of 2023. These shares do not reduce the repurchase authority under the 2023 Program. The table below also includes information on a monthly
basis regarding the number of shares purchased under the 2023 Program. All share and per share amounts have been revised to give effect to the two-for-
one stock split that was announced by the Company on January 4, 2024.
Total
Number of
Shares
Purchased
Average
Price Paid
Per Share
Total Number of
Shares Purchased
as Part of the
2023 Program
Maximum Value of
Shares that May Yet
Be Purchased Under
the 2023 Program
(in 000’s)
36,568
476,538
242,916
756,022
$
$
$
$
37.64
36.76
39.77
37.77
-
469,826
229,632
699,458
$
$
$
$
250,000
232,715
223,589
223,589
10/1/2023 - 10/31/2023
11/1/2023 - 11/30/2023
12/1/2023 - 12/31/2023
Total
Quarterly Cash Dividend
On February 22, 2024, the Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.125 per share on the Company’s Class A and Class B common stock. The
dividend is scheduled to be paid on March 27, 2024 to stockholders of record as of March 8, 2024. The declaration and payment of quarterly cash
dividends are subject to the approval of the Board at its sole discretion and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Accordingly, there can be no
assurance that the Board will declare or pay cash dividends on the shares of Common Stock in the future. Our certificate of incorporation requires that any
cash dividends must be paid equally on each outstanding share of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock. Our credit facility prohibits us from
paying dividends on the Common Stock if there has been, or immediately following the payment of a dividend there would be, a default or an event of
default under the credit facility. We are currently in compliance with the covenants contained in the credit facility.
19
Performance Graph
The following line graph compares the Company’s cumulative total stockholder return on its Class A Common Stock since December 31, 2018 with
the cumulative total return of the Nasdaq Stock Market Index (NQUSBT) and the Nasdaq Transportation Index (NQUSB27707). These comparisons
assume the investment of $100 on December 31, 2018 in each index and in the Company’s Class A Common Stock and the reinvestment of dividends.
Item 6. [RESERVED]
20
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
We are a leading supply chain solutions provider in North America that offers comprehensive transportation and logistics management services
focused on reliability, visibility and value for our customers. Our service offerings include a full range of freight transportation and logistics services, some
of which are provided using assets we own and operate, and some of which are provided by third parties with whom we contract. Our services include
intermodal, truckload, less-than-truckload, flatbed, temperature-controlled, dedicated and regional trucking. Other services include full outsource logistics
solutions, transportation management services, freight consolidation, warehousing and fulfillment, and final mile delivery services.
We service a large and diversified customer base in a broad range of industries, including retail, consumer products and durable goods. We believe our
strategy to offer multi-modal supply chain management solutions serves to strengthen and deepen our relationships with our customers and allows us to
provide a more cost effective and higher service solution.
Beginning in the first quarter of 2023, we concluded we have two reportable segments - Intermodal and Transportation Solutions, and Logistics,
which are based primarily on the services each segment provides. Results for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 have been recast to conform
with current year presentation.
Intermodal and Transportation Solutions. Our Intermodal and Transportation Solutions segment offers high service, nationwide door-to-door
intermodal transportation, providing value, visibility and reliability in both transcontinental and local lanes by combining rail transportation with local
trucking. This segment includes our trucking operations which provides our customers with local pickup and delivery as well as high service local and
regional trucking transportation using equipment dedicated to their needs. In 2023, approximately 78% of our drayage services was provided by our own
fleet. We arrange for the movement of our customers’ freight in one of our approximately 50,000 containers. We contract with railroads to provide
transportation for the long-haul portion of the shipment between rail terminals. Drayage between origin or destination and rail terminals are provided by
our own trucking operations and third parties with whom we contract. Our dedicated service operation offers fleets of equipment and drivers to each
customer on a contract basis, as well as the management and infrastructure to operate according to the customer’s high service expectations. As of
December 31, 2023, our trucking transportation operation consisted of approximately 2,300 tractors, 2,900 employee drivers and 4,300 trailers. We also
contract for services with approximately 460 independent owner-operators. These assets and contractual services are used to support drayage for our
intermodal service offering and to serve our customers who require high service local and regional trucking transportation using equipment dedicated to
their needs. Our dedicated service operation offers fleets of equipment and drivers to each customer on a contract basis, as well as the management and
infrastructure to operate according to the customer’s high service expectations.
Logistics. Our Logistics segment offers a wide range of non-asset-based services including transportation management, freight brokerage services,
shipment optimization, load consolidation, mode selection, carrier management, load planning and execution, warehousing, fulfillment, cross-docking,
consolidation services and final mile delivery. Logistics includes our brokerage business which consists of a full range of trucking transportation services,
including dry van, expedited, less-than-truckload (“LTL”), refrigerated and flatbed, all of which is provided by third-party carriers with whom we contract.
We leverage proprietary technology along with collaborative relationships with third-party service providers to deliver cost savings and performance-
enhancing supply chain services to our clients. Our transportation management offering also serves as a source of volume for our ITS segment. Many of the
customers for these solutions are consumer goods companies who sell into the retail channel. Our final mile delivery offering provides residential final mile
delivery and installation of appliances and big and bulky goods. Final mile operates through a network of independent service providers in company,
customer and third-party facilities throughout the continental United States. Our business operates or has access to approximately 11 million square feet of
warehousing and cross-dock space across North America, to which our customers ship their goods to be stored and distributed to destinations including
residences, retail stores and other commercial locations. These services offer our customers shipment visibility, transportation cost savings, high service
and compliance with retailers’ increasingly stringent supply chain requirements.
We are focused on several margin enhancement projects including network optimization, matching of inbound and outbound loads, reducing empty
miles, improving our recovery of accessorial costs, increasing our driver and asset utilization, reducing repositioning costs, providing holistic solutions and
improving low profit freight. Hub’s top 50 customers represent approximately 64% of revenue for fiscal 2023 while one customer accounted for more than
10% of our annual revenue in 2023 in both segments. We use various performance indicators to manage our business. We closely monitor profit levels for
our top customers. We also evaluate on-time performance, customer service, cost per load and daily sales outstanding by customer account. Vendor cost
changes and vendor service levels are also monitored closely.
21
Uncertainties and risks to our outlook include inflation, increased healthcare costs, a slowdown in consumer spending (driven by, among other factors,
rising inflation, increases in interest rates, an economic recession and geopolitical concerns), a shift by consumers to spending on services at the expense of
goods, an increase of retailers’ inventory levels, the ability of customers to pay our accounts receivable, a significant increase in transportation supply in the
marketplace, aggressive pricing actions by our competitors and any inability to pass cost increases, such as transportation and warehouse costs, through to
our customers, all of which could have a materially negative impact on our revenue, profitability and cash flow in 2024. Exiting of truckload capacity,
retail inventory levels declining leading to restocking demand, a return of typical shipping peak season demands and a stronger used tractor market could
have a materially positive impact on our revenue, profitability and cash flows in 2024.
Strategic Transactions
On December 20, 2023, we acquired 100% of the equity interests of Forward Air Final Mile (“FAFM”). Total consideration for the transaction was
approximately $261 million in cash.
On August 22, 2022, we acquired 100% of the equity interests of TAGG. Total consideration for the transaction was approximately $103.4 million in
cash.
On October 19, 2021, we acquired 100% of the equity interests of Choptank. Total consideration for the transaction was $127.6 million in cash and
the settlement of accounts receivable due from Choptank of $0.3 million. In connection with the acquisition, we granted approximately $22 million of
restricted stock to Choptank's senior management team, which is subject to certain vesting conditions.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022
The following table summarizes our operating revenue by segment (in thousands):
Operating Revenue
Intermodal and Transportation Solutions
Logistics
Inter-segment eliminations
Total operating revenue
The following table summarizes our operating income by segment (in thousands):
Operating Income
Intermodal and Transportation Solutions
Logistics
Total operating income
Years Ended
December 31,
$
$
2023
107,117
105,114
212,231
Years Ended
December 31,
2023
2022
$
$
2,495,663
1,820,856
(113,934 )
4,202,585
$
$
$
$
3,312,431
2,121,818
(93,759 )
5,340,490
2022
348,537
126,184
474,721
Total consolidated operating revenue decreased 21% to $4.2 billion in 2023 from $5.3 billion in 2022.
Intermodal and Transportation Solutions (“ITS”) revenue decreased 25% to $2.5 billion primarily due to a 14% decrease in intermodal volume due to
low transportation demand and an oversupply of truckload carrier capacity, a 14% decrease in intermodal revenue per load (primarily due to lower price,
fuel prices and mix) and a 4% decline in dedicated revenues due to lost customers partially offset by growth with existing and new customers.
ITS operating income decreased to $107 million, 4% of revenue, as compared to $349 million, 11% of revenue in the prior year due to lower volume,
lower customer rates, and lower surcharges and accessorial income. These headwinds were partially offset by lower drayage costs as we increased the
portion of drayage handled on our own fleet to 78% in 2023 as compared to 55% in the prior year, as well as an improvement in profitability at our
dedicated trucking service line.
22
Logistics revenue decreased 14% to $1.8 billion primarily driven by lower revenue per load in our brokerage service line and lower managed
transportation and final mile service line revenue, partially offset by an increase in fulfillment revenue. Brokerage volumes were flat compared to the prior
year. Logistics operating income was 6% of revenue in both 2023 and 2022. Operating income was $105 million as compared to $126 million last year, as
lower revenue was partially offset by lower purchased transportation costs and our yield management initiatives.
The following is a summary of operating results and certain items in the consolidated statements of income as a percentage of revenue (in thousands):
Operating revenue
Operating expenses:
Purchased transportation and warehousing
Salaries and benefits
Depreciation and amortization
Insurance and claims
General and administrative
Gain on sale of assets, net
Total operating expenses
Years Ended
December 31,
2023
2022
$
4,202,585
100.0%
$
5,340,490
100.0%
3,145,595
553,326
143,523
49,040
105,705
(6,835 )
3,990,354
74.8%
13.2%
3.4%
1.2%
2.5%
-0.2%
94.9%
4,036,503
543,010
131,789
58,064
120,579
(24,176 )
4,865,769
75.6%
10.2%
2.5%
1.1%
2.2%
-0.5%
91.1%
Operating income
$
212,231
5.1%
$
474,721
8.9%
CONSOLIDATED OPERATING EXPENSES
Purchased Transportation and Warehousing
Purchased transportation and warehousing costs decreased 22% to $3.1 billion in 2023 from $4.0 billion in 2022. As a percentage of revenue,
purchased transportation and warehousing costs decreased to 74.8% in 2023 versus 75.6% in 2022 due to cost control initiatives and less third-party
drayage usage.
Purchased transportation and warehousing costs declined as compared to prior year due to lower volumes, reductions in third party carrier costs and
decreased use of third-party carriers for drayage in ITS.
Salaries and Benefits
Salaries and benefits increased to $553 million in 2023 from $543 million in 2022. As a percentage of revenue, salaries and benefits increased to
13.2% in 2023 from 10.2% in 2022.
This increase was primarily due to $81 million of incremental expense related to the increase of our average company driver count and warehouse
employees. The increase includes a $5 million increase in medical benefits, as well as increased expenses resulting from TAGG, which incurred twelve
months of expenses in 2023 as compared to just over seven months of expenses in 2022 and FAFM which was acquired in December 2023. These increases
were partially offset by a $71 million reduction in office employee compensation due to lower headcount and lower incentive compensation expense.
Headcount, which includes drivers, warehouse personnel and office employees, was 5,956, which includes 641 employees of FAFM, as of December
31, 2023 and 5,921 as of December 31, 2022. The increase in headcount was due primarily to the acquisition of FAFM partially offset by decreases in both
office employees and company drivers.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense increased to $144 million in 2023 from $132 million in 2022. This increase was primarily due to increased
container, tractor and warehouse equipment depreciation expense as well as the amortization of intangibles related to the acquisitions of TAGG and FAFM.
This expense, as a percentage of revenue, increased to 3.4% in 2023 from 2.5% in 2022. Depreciation expense includes transportation equipment,
technology investments, leasehold improvements, warehouse equipment, office equipment and building improvements.
Insurance and Claims
Insurance and claims expense decreased to $49 million in 2023 from $58 million in 2022. This decrease was primarily due to less claim expenses
related to both auto liability and workers compensation claims in 2023. These expenses, as a percentage of revenue, increased to 1.2% in 2023 from 1.1%
in 2022.
23
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses decreased to $106 million in 2023 from $121 million in 2022. These expenses, as a percentage of revenue,
increased to 2.5% in 2023 from 2.2% in 2022.
This expense decrease was primarily due to less impairment of a right-of-use asset and decreases in use tax expense, outside sales commissions, bad
debt expense and professional services expense including IT software expense. These decreases were partially offset by higher rent expense, the closing
costs related to the FAFM acquisition, higher temporary labor expense as well as increased expenses resulting from TAGG, which incurred twelve months
of expenses in 2023 as compared to just over four months of expenses in 2022 and FAFM which was acquired in December 2023.
Gain on Sale of Assets, Net
Net gains on the sale of equipment decreased to $7 million in 2023 from $24 million in 2022. This decrease resulted from both less units sold and a
lower average gain per unit sold in 2023 as compared to 2022. We expect gains in 2024 to continue to be lower than prior years due to a softer used tractor
market.
Other Income (Expense)
Other Expense decreased to $3 million in 2023 from $7 million in 2022. Interest expense increased to $13 million in 2023 from $7 million in 2022
due primarily to higher interest rates on our debt and higher average debt balances. The expense increase was partially offset by increased interest income
of $10 million in 2023 due to higher interest rates on our cash balance and higher cash balances throughout the year.
Provision for Income Taxes
The provision for income taxes decreased to $42 million in 2023 from $111 million in 2022 due a decrease in pre-tax income. We provided for income
taxes using an effective rate of 19.9% in 2023 and an effective rate of 23.7% in 2022. The lower effective tax rate in 2023 resulted primarily from a change
in state apportionment methodology.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021
The following table summarizes our operating revenue by segment (in thousands):
Operating Revenue
Intermodal and Transportation Solutions
Logistics
Inter-segment eliminations
Total operating revenue
The following table summarizes our operating income by segment (in thousands):
Operating Income
Intermodal and Transportation Solutions
Logistics
Total operating income
Years Ended
December 31,
$
$
2022
348,537
126,184
474,721
Years Ended
December 31,
2022
2021
$
$
3,312,431
2,121,818
(93,759 )
5,340,490
$
$
$
$
2,661,160
1,643,849
(72,626 )
4,232,383
2021
169,105
69,352
238,457
Total consolidated operating revenue increased 26% to $5.3 billion in 2022 from $4.2 billion in 2021.
Intermodal and Transportation Solutions (“ITS”) revenue increased 24% to $3.3 billion primarily due to a 32% increase in intermodal revenue per
load (a combination of price, accessorial, fuel and mix) driven by favorable industry demand and supply conditions, and a 4% increase in dedicated
revenues, offset by a 4% decrease in intermodal volume.
24
ITS operating income increased to $349 million, 11% of revenue, as compared to $169 million, 6% of revenue in the prior year due to higher customer
rates, as well as accessorial and surcharge income, partially offset by lower intermodal volume, higher drayage costs, and increased repositioning costs.
Logistics revenue increased 29% to $2.1 billion primarily driven by the impact of a full year of revenue from Choptank (acquired in October 2021)
and the partial year revenue contribution from TAGG (acquired in August 2022). We also experienced revenue growth at our Final Mile, Managed
Transportation, Consolidation and legacy Brokerage businesses.
Logistics operating income was 6% of revenue in 2022 and 4% of revenue in 2021. Operating income was $126 million as compared to $69 million in
2021, driven by the acquisitions of Choptank and TAGG, as well as yield improvements and higher operating efficiencies across all of our businesses.
The following is a summary of operating results and certain items in the consolidated statements of income as a percentage of revenue (in thousands):
Operating revenue
Operating expenses:
Purchased transportation and warehousing
Salaries and benefits
Depreciation and amortization
Insurance and claims
General and administrative
Gain on sale of assets, net
Total operating expenses
Years Ended
December 31,
2022
2021
$
5,340,490
100.0%
$
4,232,383
100.0%
4,036,503
543,010
131,789
58,064
120,579
(24,176 )
4,865,769
75.6%
10.2%
2.5%
1.1%
2.2%
-0.5%
91.1%
3,172,122
589,997
116,473
44,467
90,040
(19,173 )
3,993,926
74.9%
13.9%
2.8%
1.1%
2.1%
-0.5%
94.3%
Operating income
$
474,721
8.9%
$
238,457
5.7%
CONSOLIDATED OPERATING EXPENSES
Purchased Transportation and Warehousing
Purchased transportation and warehousing costs increased 27% to $4.0 billion in 2022 from $3.2 billion in 2021. As a percentage of revenue,
Purchased transportation and warehousing costs increased to 75.6% in 2022 versus 74.9% in 2021 due to increased fuel costs and accessorial expenses.
The increase in purchased transportation costs in 2022, as compared to 2021, was primarily due to increased rail costs, increased fuel costs, higher
brokerage volume, higher third-party carrier costs, increased repositioning costs as well as increased business activity.
Salaries and Benefits
Salaries and benefits decreased to $543 million in 2022 from $590 million in 2021. As a percentage of revenue, salaries and benefits decreased to
10.2% in 2022 from 13.9% in 2021.
This decrease was primarily due to $78 million less of incremental expense related to the decreased average company driver count, partially offset by
an $8 million increase in incentive compensation expense, a $4 million increase in office employee compensation due to higher headcount and increased
expenses resulting from the acquisitions of TAGG and Choptank.
Headcount, which includes drivers, warehouse personnel and office employees, was 5,921 and 4,718 as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
The increase in the number of drivers and warehouse personnel was partially offset by a decrease in the headcount of office employees. The above statistics
include the impact of both the TAGG and Choptank acquisitions.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense increased to $132 million in 2022 from $116 million in 2021. This increase was primarily due to increased
container, tractor and warehouse equipment depreciation expense as well as the amortization of intangibles related to the acquisitions of TAGG in August
of 2022 and Choptank in October 2021. This expense, as a percentage of revenue, decreased to 2.5% in 2022 from 2.8% in 2021. Depreciation expense
includes transportation equipment, technology investments, leasehold improvements, warehouse equipment, office equipment and building improvements.
25
Insurance and Claims
Insurance and claims expense increased to $58 million in 2022 from $44 million in 2021. This increase was primarily due to higher claims expenses
related to both auto liability and workers compensation claims in 2022 as well as higher premium costs. These expenses, as a percentage of revenue,
remained consistent at 1.1% in both 2022 and 2021.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses increased to $121 million in 2022 from $90 million in 2021. These expenses, as a percentage of revenue,
increased to 2.2% in 2022 from 2.1% in 2021.
This expense increase was primarily due to the acquisitions of TAGG in August 2022 and Choptank, which incurred twelve months of expenses in
2022 as compared to just two months of expenses in 2021, as well as increases in legal expenses, higher use tax expense, the impairment write-off of leased
assets and higher professional costs related to acquisitions and IT costs.
Gain on Sale of Assets, Net
Net gains on the sale of equipment increased to $24 million in 2022 from $19 million in 2021. This increase resulted from both more units sold and a
higher average gain per unit sold in 2022 as compared to 2021.
Other Income (Expense)
Other Expense decreased slightly to $7 million in 2022 from $8 million in 2021. Interest expense increased to $8 million in 2022 from $7 million in
2021 due primarily to higher interest rates on our debt and higher average debt balances. This expense increase was partially offset by increased interest
income of $1 million in 2022 due to higher interest rates on our cash balance and higher cash balances.
Provision for Income Taxes
Provision for income taxes increased to $111 million in 2022 from $59 million in 2021 due to significantly higher pre-tax income in 2022. Our
effective tax rate was 23.7% in 2022 and 25.7% in 2021. The lower effective tax rate in 2022 compared to 2021 was primarily related to a change in our
state apportionment factors, resulting in a reduction to the tax rate. Additionally, we decreased the valuation allowance on state tax incentives due to our
increase in pre-tax income.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Our financing and liquidity strategy is to fund operating cash payments and future dividends through cash received from the provision of services,
cash on hand, and to a lesser extent, from cash received from the sale of equipment. As of December 31, 2023, we had $187 million of cash and cash
equivalents and $21 million of restricted investments. We generally fund our purchases of transportation equipment through the issuance of secured, fixed
rate Equipment Notes. In prior years, we have funded our business acquisitions from cash on hand. Payments for our other investing activities, such as the
construction of our office buildings and our capitalized technology investments, have been funded by cash on hand or cash flows from operations. Cash
used in financing activities including the purchase of treasury stock has been funded by cash from operations or cash on hand. We expect our newly
declared dividend to be funded by cash on hand. We have not historically used our Credit Facility to fund our operating, investing, or financing cash needs,
though it is available to fund future cash requirements as needed. Based on past performance and current expectations, we believe cash on hand and cash
received from the provision of services, along with other financing sources, will provide us the necessary capital to fund transactions and achieve our
planned growth for the next twelve months and the foreseeable future.
Cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was approximately $422 million, which resulted primarily from non-cash
charges of $210 million, income of $168 million and changes in operating assets and liabilities of $44 million.
Cash provided by operating activities totaled $422 million in 2023 compared to $458 million in 2022. The $36 million decrease in cash flow was
primarily due to a decrease in net income of $189 million, partially offset by an increase in the change in assets and liabilities of $103 million and an
increase in non-cash charges of $50 million.
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $373 million which included cash used in acquisitions of $261 million
and capital expenditures of $140 million, partially offset by proceeds from the sale of equipment of $28 million. Capital expenditures of $140 million
related primarily to tractors of $71 million, containers of $41 million, technology investments of $14 million, warehouse equipment of $12 million and
leasehold improvements of $3 million.
Capital expenditures decreased by approximately $79 million in 2023 as compared to 2022. The 2023 decrease was due to decreased container
purchases of $60 million, less spend on our corporate headquarters of $17 million, less technology investments of $9 million
26
and less other transportation equipment purchases of $8 million. These decreases were partially offset by more purchases of warehouse equipment of $12
million, tractors of $3 million and the remainder related to leasehold improvements in 2023.
In 2024, we estimate capital expenditures will range from $55 million to $75 million. We expect transportation equipment purchases to range from
$40 million to $45 million, technology investments of approximately $20 million and warehouse equipment and other of approximately $10 million. We
plan to fund these expenditures with a combination of cash and debt.
Net cash used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $148 million which includes cash used for the purchase of treasury
stock of $144 million, repayments of long-term debt of $106 million, cash used for stock tendered for payments of withholding taxes of $10 million and
finance lease payments of $2 million, partially offset by proceeds from the issuance of debt of $114 million. Debt incurred in 2023 was used to fund the
purchase of transportation equipment.
The $96 million increase in cash used in financing activities for 2023 versus 2022 was primarily due to an increase in the purchase of treasury stock of
$34 million, an increase in cash paid for stock related to employee withholding taxes of $2 million and a decrease in proceeds from the issuance of debt of
$65 million, partially offset by a decrease in the repayments of long-term debt of $5 million.
In 2023, cash paid for income taxes was $35 million, of which $23 million related to 2023 and $12 million related to 2022. The $23 million of cash
paid for income taxes related to 2023 is less than the 2023 income tax expense of $41 million. This difference is a result of favorable book to tax
differences, primarily those related to compensation, which caused 2023 taxable income to be less than 2023 financial statement income before taxes. We
expect cash payments in 2024 for taxes to be greater than book tax expense.
See Note 10 of the consolidated financial statements for details related to interest rates and commitment fees.
We have standby letters of credit that expire in 2024. As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, our letters of credit were $1 million and $43
million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we had no borrowings under our respective credit agreements and our unused and available
borrowings were $349 million and $307 million, respectively. We were in compliance with the financial covenants in our credit agreements as of December
31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
Aggregated information about our obligations and commitments to make future contractual payments such as debt and lease obligations as of
December 31, 2023 is presented in the following table (in thousands).
Future Payments Due:
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Thereafter
$
$
Finance
Leases
$
Operating
Leases
55,516
49,997
41,650
33,067
26,363
54,863
261,456
$
Debt
Interest
on Debt
1,619
558
303
32
-
-
2,512
$
$
105,108
95,619
80,699
51,306
17,950
-
350,682
$
$
13,103
9,110
5,575
2,379
481
-
30,648
$
$
Total
175,346
155,284
128,227
86,784
44,794
54,863
645,298
As of February 16, 2024, Hub signed various operating and finance leases which had not commenced as of December 31, 2023. Based on the present
value of the lease payments, the estimated right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and lease liabilities related to these contracts will total approximately $7.1 million
and $0.3 million for operating and finance leases, respectively.
27
Deferred Compensation
Under our Non-qualified Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Plan”), participants can elect to defer certain compensation. Payments under the Plan are
due as follows (in thousands):
Future Payments Due:
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Thereafter
$
$
535
2,930
1,552
1,177
1,216
13,075
20,485
The above future payments are fully funded by our restricted investments comprised of mutual funds and other security instruments as noted in Note
14.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make
estimates and assumptions. In certain circumstances, those estimates and assumptions can affect amounts reported in the accompanying consolidated
financial statements. We have made our best estimates and judgments of certain amounts included in the financial statements, giving due consideration to
materiality. We do not believe there is a great likelihood that materially different amounts would be reported related to the accounting policies described
below. However, application of these accounting policies involves the exercise of judgment and use of assumptions as to future uncertainties and, as a
result, actual results could differ from these estimates. The following is a brief discussion of the more significant accounting policies and estimates. These
critical accounting policies are further discussed in Note 1 of the consolidated financial statements, which describes these and our other significant
accounting policies.
Revenue Recognition
In accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” our significant accounting
policy for revenue is as follows:
Revenue is recognized when we transfer services to our customers in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive. We account for a
contract when it has approval and commitment from both parties, the rights of the parties are identified, payment terms are identified, the contract has
commercial substance and collectability of consideration is probable. We generally recognize revenue over time because of continuous transfer of control to
the customer. Since control is transferred over time, revenue and related transportation costs are recognized based on relative transit time, which is based on
the extent of progress towards completion of the related performance obligation. We enter into contracts that can include various combinations of services,
which are capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. Taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both
imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction, that are collected by the Company from a customer, are excluded from revenue.
Further, in most cases, we report our revenue on a gross basis because we are the primary obligor as we are responsible for providing the service desired by
the customer. Our customers view us as responsible for fulfillment including the acceptability of the service. Service requirements may include, for
example, on-time delivery, handling freight loss and damage claims, setting appointments for pick-up and delivery and tracing shipments in transit. We
have discretion in setting prices for our services and as a result, the amount we earn varies. In addition, we have the discretion to select our vendors from
multiple suppliers for the services ordered by our customers. These factors, discretion in setting prices and discretion in selecting vendors, further support
reporting revenue on a gross basis for most of our revenue.
28
Allowance for Uncollectible Trade Accounts
We extend credit to customers after a review of each customer’s credit profile and history. An allowance for uncollectible trade accounts has been
established through an analysis of the accounts receivable aging, an assessment of collectability based on historical trends and an evaluation based on
current economic conditions. Annually we review, in hindsight, the percentage of receivables that are collected that aged over one year, those that are not
one year old and the accounts that went into bankruptcy. We reserve for accounts less than one year old based on specifically identified uncollectible
balances and our historic collection percentage, including receivable adjustments charged through revenue for items such as billing disputes. In establishing
a reserve for certain account balances specifically identified as uncollectible, we consider the aging of the customer receivables, the specific details as to
why the receivable has not been paid, the customer’s current and projected financial results, the customer’s ability to meet and sustain its financial
commitments, the positive or negative effects of the current and projected industry outlook and the general economic conditions. Our historical collection
percentage has been over 98% on average for receivables that are less than one year old. Changes in our historical collection percentages of receivables that
are less than one year old either positively or negatively, based on our collection history, would affect our calculated allowance for uncollectible trade
accounts.
Once a receivable ages over one year, our collection percentage is much lower, thus a separate allowance is calculated for open receivables that have
aged over one year. We also review our collection percentage after a customer has gone into bankruptcy. Although these collection percentages may change
both negatively and positively, since only a small portion of our receivables are aged over one year or are involved in a bankruptcy case, a large change in
either of those collection percentages would not have a material impact on our financial statements. Our level of reserves for customer accounts receivable
fluctuates depending upon all the factors mentioned above. Historically, our reserve for uncollectible accounts has approximated actual accounts written off
and we do not expect the reserve for uncollectible accounts to change significantly relative to our accounts receivable balance. The allowance for
uncollectible accounts is reported on the balance sheet in net accounts receivable. Recoveries of receivables previously charged off are recorded when
received.
Claims Accruals
We purchase insurance coverage for a portion of expenses related to employee injuries, vehicular collisions, accidents, and cargo damage. Certain
insurance arrangements include high SIR limits or deductibles applicable to each claim. We have umbrella policies to limit our exposure above these SIR
limits and deductibles.
Our claims accrual policy for all self-insured claims is to recognize a liability at the time of the incident based on our analysis of the nature and
severity of the claims and analyses provided by third-party claims administrators, as well as legal and regulatory factors. Our safety and claims personnel
work directly with representatives from the insurance companies and third-party administrators to continually update the estimated cost of each claim. The
ultimate cost of a claim develops over time as additional information regarding the nature, timing, and extent of damages claimed becomes available.
Accordingly, we use actuarial methods to develop current claim information to derive an estimate of our ultimate claim liability. This process involves the
use of loss-development factors based on our historical claims experience. In doing so, the recorded liability considers future claims growth and provides
an allowance for incurred-but-not-reported claims. Changes in loss development factors caused by differences between the estimates of future medical
costs, future severity trend factors and future legal costs could materially change our recorded claim accrual liability. Our claim accrual liability is classified
as either current or non-current in the consolidated balance sheet based on an estimate of when the claims are expected to be paid. We do not discount our
estimated losses. In addition, we record receivables for amounts expected to be reimbursed for payments made in excess of self-insurance levels on covered
claims.
Item 7A.
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are exposed to market risk related to changes in interest rates. The Company maintains a bank line of credit and has both fixed and variable rate
debt as described in Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements. Any material increase in market interest rates would not have a material impact on the
results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Although we conduct business in foreign countries, international operations are not material to our consolidated financial position, results of
operations, or cash flows. Additionally, foreign currency transaction gains and losses were not material to our results of operations for the year ended
December 31, 2023. Accordingly, we are not currently subject to material foreign currency exchange rate risks from the effects that exchange rate
movements of foreign currencies would have on our future costs or on future cash flows we would receive from our foreign investment. To date, we have
not entered into any foreign currency forward exchange contracts or other derivative financial instruments to hedge the effects of adverse fluctuations in
foreign currency exchange rates. We do not use financial instruments for trading purposes.
29
Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID:42)
Consolidated Balance Sheets - December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022
Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income – Years ended December 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and December 31,
2021
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity – Years ended December 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows – Years ended December 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Schedule II – Valuation and Qualifying Accounts
31
32
33
34
35
36
S-1
30
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Hub Group, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Hub Group, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements
of income and comprehensive income, stockholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes and
financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(b) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial
statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows
for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over
financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations
of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), and our report dated February 27, 2024 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on
our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal
securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about
whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material
misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test
basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant
estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our
opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be
communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging,
subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a
whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the account or disclosure to which it
relates.
Claims Accruals
Description of the
Matter
At December 31, 2023, the Company’s aggregate accrued liability related to auto and workers’ compensation claims, inclusive of amounts
expected to be paid above its self-insured retention limits, was $39.1 million. As explained in Note 1 of the consolidated financial statements, the
Company recognizes a liability at the time of an incident based upon the nature and severity of the claim and analyses provided by third-party
claims administrators. The Company utilizes actuarial methods to estimate this liability.
Auditing the Company's claims accruals is complex due to the uncertainty associated with the claims, the application of significant management
judgment, and the use of actuarial methods. In addition, the estimate of the accrual can fluctuate based on the assumptions used in the actuarial
studies, including the frequency and severity of claims, the loss development factors for existing claims and the estimates of incurred but not
reported claims. These assumptions have a significant effect on the claims accruals.
How We Addressed
the Matter in Our
Audit
We obtained an understanding, evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of internal controls over the claims accrual process.
For example, we tested the controls over management’s assessment of the assumptions and underlying data used in the determination of the
measurement and valuation of the reserve.
To evaluate the claims accruals, our audit procedures included, among others, testing the completeness and accuracy of the underlying claims
data. Furthermore, we involved our actuarial specialist to assist in our evaluation of the methodologies applied and significant assumptions used
by the Company in determining the calculated liability. We then compared the Company’s recorded liability amount to a range which our
actuarial specialist developed based on independently selected assumptions.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2002.
Chicago, Illinois
February 27, 2024
31
HUB GROUP, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share amounts)
ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents
Accounts receivable trade, net
Other receivables
Prepaid taxes
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS
Restricted investments
Property and equipment, net
Right-of-use assets - operating leases
Right-of-use assets - financing leases
Other intangibles, net
Goodwill, net
Other assets
TOTAL ASSETS
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable trade
Accounts payable other
Accrued payroll
Accrued other
Lease liability - operating leases
Lease liability - financing leases
Current portion of long-term debt
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES
Long-term debt
Non-current liabilities
Lease liability - operating leases
Lease liability - financing leases
Deferred taxes
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Preferred stock, $.01 par value; 2,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding in 2023 and 2022
Common stock
Class A: $.01 par value; 97,337,700 shares authorized; 75,524,189 shares issued in both 2023 and 2022; 62,200,921 shares outstanding
in 2023 and 65,868,145 shares outstanding in 2022.
Class B: $.01 par value; 662,300 shares authorized; 574,903 shares issued and outstanding in 2023 and 2022.
Additional paid-in capital
Purchase price in excess of predecessor basis, net of tax benefit of $10,306
Retained earnings
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
Treasury stock; at cost, 13,323,268 shares in 2023 and 9,656,044 shares in 2022.
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
December 31,
2023
2022
187,270 $
600,197
3,358
17,331
41,089
849,245
20,763
791,692
210,742
2,522
304,607
733,695
22,781
2,936,047 $
349,378 $
14,471
21,731
121,253
44,690
1,579
105,108
658,210
245,574
55,287
177,699
865
163,767
286,642
716,190
3,967
16,987
32,914
1,056,700
18,065
783,683
102,114
1,194
197,386
629,402
21,537
2,810,081
344,751
15,563
66,669
132,324
29,547
1,175
101,741
691,770
240,724
43,505
78,557
-
155,923
-
-
755
6
225,288
(15,458 )
1,949,110
(129 )
(524,927 )
1,634,645
2,936,047 $
755
6
207,823
(15,458 )
1,781,582
(214 )
(374,892 )
1,599,602
2,810,081
$
$
$
$
The accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements are an integral part of these statements.
32
HUB GROUP, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Operating revenue
Operating expenses:
Purchased transportation and warehousing
Salaries and benefits
Depreciation and amortization
Insurance and claims
General and administrative
Gain on sale of assets, net
Total operating expenses
Operating income
Other income (expense):
Interest expense
Interest income
Other, net
Total other expense, net
Income before provision for income taxes
Provision for income taxes
Net income
Other comprehensive income:
Foreign currency translation adjustments
Total comprehensive income
Basic earnings per common share
Diluted earnings per common share
Basic weighted average number of shares outstanding
Diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding
Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
2022
2023
2021
$
4,202,585
$
5,340,490
$
4,232,383
3,145,595
553,326
143,523
49,040
105,705
(6,835 )
3,990,354
4,036,503
543,010
131,789
58,064
120,579
(24,176 )
4,865,769
3,172,122
589,997
116,473
44,467
90,040
(19,173 )
3,993,926
212,231
474,721
238,457
(13,435 )
10,011
397
(3,027 )
209,204
41,676
167,528
85
167,613
2.65
2.62
63,324
63,954
$
$
$
(7,506 )
874
(131 )
(6,763 )
467,958
111,010
356,948
(7 )
356,941
5.37
5.32
66,418
67,118
$
$
$
(7,307 )
5
(245 )
(7,547 )
230,910
59,436
171,474
(16 )
171,458
2.56
2.53
66,868
67,784
$
$
$
The accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements are an integral part of these statements.
33
HUB GROUP, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(in thousands, except shares)
Purchase
Price
in Excess of
Accumulated
Class A & B
Common Stock
Additiona
l
Predecessor
Shares
Issued
Paid-in Basis, Net
Amount Capital
of Tax
Retained
Earnings
76,099,092
$
761
$ 185,716
$
(15,458 ) $
1,253,16
0
$
Other
Comprehensi
ve
Income
Treasury
Stock
Shares
(7,675,08
Amount
Total
(191 )
4 ) $ (266,065 ) $ 1,157,923
Balance December 31, 2020
Stock tendered for payments of withholding
taxes
Issuance of restricted stock awards, net of
forfeitures
Share-based compensation expense
Net income
Foreign currency translation adjustment
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(16,858 )
20,056
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Balance December 31, 2021
76,099,092
$
761
$ 188,914
$
(15,458 ) $
Stock tendered for payments of withholding
taxes
Purchase of treasury stock
Purchase of treasury stock from related party
(Note 17)
Issuance of restricted stock awards, net of
forfeitures
Share-based compensation expense
Net income
Foreign currency translation adjustment
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(1,517 )
20,426
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Balance December 31, 2022
76,099,092
$
761
$ 207,823
$
(15,458 ) $
Stock tendered for payments of withholding
taxes
Purchase of treasury stock
Issuance of restricted stock awards, net of
forfeitures
Share-based compensation expense
Net income
Foreign currency translation adjustment
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(3,883 )
21,348
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Balance December 31, 2023
76,099,092
$
761
$ 225,288
$
(15,458 ) $
-
-
(268,658 )
(9,123 )
(9,123 )
-
-
171,474
-
1,424,63
4
-
-
-
-
-
356,948
-
1,781,58
2
-
-
-
-
167,528
-
1,949,11
0
-
-
-
(16 )
984,710
-
-
-
(6,959,03
16,858
-
-
-
-
20,056
171,474
(16 )
$
(207 )
2 ) $ (258,330 ) $ 1,340,314
-
-
-
-
-
-
(7 )
(206,094 )
(1,890,99
(8,312 )
(8,312 )
4 )
(75,000 )
(75,000 )
(860,242 )
(34,767 )
(34,767 )
260,318
-
-
-
(9,656,04
1,517
-
-
-
-
20,426
356,948
(7 )
$
(214 )
4 ) $ (374,892 ) $ 1,599,602
-
-
-
-
-
85
(257,630 )
(3,762,96
(10,148 )
(10,148 )
8 )
(143,770 )
(143,770 )
353,374
-
-
-
(13,323,2
3,883
-
-
-
-
21,348
167,528
85
$
(129 )
68 ) $ (524,927 ) $ 1,634,645
The accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements are an integral part of these statements.
34
HUB GROUP, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles and right-of-use assets
Impairment of right-of-use asset
Deferred taxes
Compensation expense related to share-based compensation plans
Gain on sale of assets
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:
Restricted investments
Accounts receivable, net
Prepaid taxes
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Other assets
Accounts payable
Accrued expenses
Non-current liabilities
Net cash provided by operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from sale of equipment
Purchases of property and equipment
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Purchase of treasury stock
Repayments of long-term debt
Stock tendered for payments of withholding taxes
Finance lease payments
Purchase of treasury stock from related party (Note 17)
Proceeds from issuance of debt
Net cash used in financing activities
Years Ended December 31,
2022
2023
2021
$
167,528
$
356,948
$
171,474
184,449
2,012
9,587
21,348
(6,835 )
(2,698 )
145,088
(344 )
(5,974 )
(3,732 )
1,215
(63,626 )
(25,860 )
422,158
27,717
(140,068 )
(260,810 )
(373,161 )
(143,770 )
(105,771 )
(10,148 )
(2,708 )
-
113,988
(148,409 )
153,726
5,874
4,448
20,426
(24,176 )
6,191
8,298
(14,796 )
(3,111 )
(4,231 )
(89,103 )
57,613
(19,944 )
458,163
42,929
(219,140 )
(102,661 )
(278,872 )
(75,000 )
(111,482 )
(8,312 )
(2,093 )
(34,767 )
179,195
(52,459 )
130,629
-
(3,992 )
20,056
(19,173 )
(903 )
(115,568 )
(856 )
(647 )
(2,883 )
78,448
9,686
(13,436 )
252,835
45,177
(132,952 )
(122,360 )
(210,135 )
-
(107,608 )
(9,123 )
(2,682 )
-
112,001
(7,412 )
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents
40
26
(10 )
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents beginning of the year
Cash and cash equivalents end of the year
Supplemental disclosures of cash paid for:
Interest
Income taxes
(99,372 )
286,642
187,270
12,510
34,882
$
$
$
126,858
159,784
286,642
7,991
128,812
$
$
$
35,278
124,506
159,784
7,602
58,593
$
$
$
The accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements are an integral part of these statements.
35
HUB GROUP, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Business: Hub Group, Inc. (“Hub”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is a leading supply chain solutions provider that offers comprehensive transportation and
logistics management services focused on reliability, visibility and value for our customers. Our service offerings include a full range of freight
transportation and logistics services, some of which are provided using assets we own and operate, and some of which are provided by third parties with
whom we contract. Our transportation services include intermodal, truckload, less-than-truckload, flatbed, temperature-controlled, dedicated and regional
trucking. Our logistics services include full outsource logistics solutions, transportation management services, freight consolidation, warehousing and
fulfillment, final mile delivery, parcel and international services.
On December 20, 2023, we acquired Forward Air Final Mile (“FAFM”). On August 22, 2022, we acquired TAGG Logistics, LLC (“TAGG”). On
October 19, 2021, we acquired Choptank Transport, LLC (“Choptank”). Refer to Note 4 “Acquisitions” for additional information.
Principles of Consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include our accounts and all entities in which we have more than a 50% equity
ownership or otherwise exercise unilateral control. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.
Cash and Cash Equivalents: We consider as cash equivalents all highly liquid instruments with an original maturity of three months or less. As of
December 31, 2023 and 2022, our cash and temporary investments were with high quality financial institutions in demand deposit accounts (“DDAs”),
savings accounts, checking accounts and money market accounts.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts: The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the trade
receivables’ amortized cost basis to present the net amount expected to be collected on the receivables. Trade receivables are charged off against the
allowance when we believe the uncollectibility of a receivable balance is confirmed, and the expected recoveries do not exceed the aggregate of amounts
previously charged-off and expected to be charged-off. Management continuously reviews and assesses the environment and its potential impact on the
credit worthiness and collectability of our accounts receivable with customers most affected by tighter financial conditions. Our allowance for credit losses
is presented in the allowance for uncollectible trade accounts and is immaterial at December 31, 2023 and 2022. The allowance for uncollectible trade
accounts also includes estimated adjustments to revenue for items such as billing disputes. Our reserve for uncollectible accounts was approximately $34.7
million and $38.6 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Receivables are written off once collection efforts have been exhausted.
Recoveries of receivables previously charged off are recorded when received.
Property and Equipment: Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation of property and equipment is computed using the straight-line
method at rates adequate to depreciate the cost of the applicable assets over their expected useful lives: building and improvements, up to 40 years;
leasehold improvements, the shorter of useful life or lease term; computer equipment and software, up to 10 years; furniture and equipment, up to 10 years;
and transportation equipment up to 16 years. Direct costs related to internally developed software projects are capitalized and amortized over their expected
useful life on a straight-line basis not to exceed 10 years. Interest is capitalized on qualifying assets under development for internal use. Maintenance and
repairs are charged to operations as incurred and major improvements are capitalized. The cost of assets retired or otherwise disposed of and the
accumulated depreciation thereon are removed from the accounts with any gain or loss realized upon sale or disposal charged or credited to operations. We
review long-lived assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. In the
event that the undiscounted future cash flows resulting from the use of the asset is less than the carrying amount, an impairment loss equal to the excess of
the assets carrying amount over its fair value, less cost to dispose, is recorded.
36
Capitalized Internal Use Software and Cloud Computing Costs: We capitalize internal and external costs, which include costs related to the
development of our cloud computing or hosting arrangements, incurred to develop internal use software per ASC Subtopic 350-40. Internal use software
has both of the following characteristics: the software is acquired, internally developed, or modified solely to meet our needs and during the development
or modification, no substantive plan exists or is being developed to market the software externally. Only costs incurred during the application development
stage and costs to develop or obtain software that allows for access to or conversion of old data by new systems are capitalized. Capitalization of costs
begins when the preliminary project stage is complete, management has committed to funding the project and it is probable the project will be completed,
and the software will be used to perform its intended function. The measurement of the costs to capitalize include fees paid to third parties, costs incurred to
obtain software from third parties, travel expenses incurred by employees in their duties associated with developing software, payroll related costs for
employees who spend time directly on the project and interest costs incurred while developing internal-use software or implementing a hosting
arrangement. Capitalization ceases no later than when the project is substantially complete and ready for its intended use, after all substantial testing is
complete.
Goodwill and Other Intangibles: Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair market value of net assets acquired in connection with
our business combinations. Goodwill and intangible assets that have indefinite useful lives are not amortized but are subject to annual impairment tests.
We test goodwill for impairment annually in the fourth quarter or when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of this asset
might exceed the current fair value. We test goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level. Beginning with the first quarter of 2023, we concluded that
we had two reportable segments and two reporting units: Intermodal and Transportation Solutions (“ITS”) and Logistics which are based primarily on the
services each segment provides. We assess qualitative factors such as current company performance and overall economic factors to determine if it is more-
likely-than-not that the fair value of our reporting units is less than their carrying value and whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill
impairment test. In the quantitative goodwill test, a company compares the carrying value of its reporting units to their fair value. If the fair value of a
reporting unit is less than the carrying amount, then a goodwill impairment charge will be recognized in the amount by which carrying amount exceeds fair
value, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. We performed our annual assessment in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 2022
as required and determined it was not more-likely-than-not that the fair value of our reporting units was less than its carrying value.
We evaluate the potential impairment of finite-lived acquired intangible assets when impairment indicators exist. If the carrying value is no longer
recoverable based upon the undiscounted future cash flows of the asset, the amount of the impairment is the difference between the carrying amount and
the fair value of the asset.
Claims Accruals: We purchase insurance coverage for a portion of expenses related to employee injuries, vehicular collisions, accidents, and cargo
damage. Certain insurance arrangements include high self-insurance retention limits or deductibles applicable to each claim. We have umbrella policies to
limit our exposure to large claim costs.
Our claims accrual policy for all self-insured claims is to recognize a liability at the time of the incident based on our analysis of the nature and
severity of the claims and analyses provided by third-party claims administrators, as well as legal and regulatory factors. Our safety and claims personnel
work directly with representatives from the insurance companies to continually update the estimated cost of each claim. The ultimate cost of a claim
develops over time as additional information regarding the nature, timing, and extent of damages claimed becomes available. Accordingly, we use an
actuarial method to develop current claim information to derive an estimate of our ultimate claim liability. This process involves the use of loss-
development factors based on our historical claims experience. In doing so, the recorded liability factors in future growth of claims and an allowance for
incurred-but-not-reported claims. We do not discount our estimated losses. In addition, we record receivables for amounts expected to be reimbursed for
payments made in excess of self-insurance levels on covered claims related to auto liability and workers’ compensation. At December 31, 2023 and 2022,
we had an accrual of approximately $39.1 million and $38.8 million, respectively for estimated claims. We had no significant receivables recorded for
payments in excess of our self-insured levels. Our claims accruals are classified in accrued other and non-current liabilities in the consolidated balance
sheets, based on when the claim is estimated to be paid.
Concentration of Credit Risk: Our financial instruments that are exposed to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents
and accounts receivable. We place our cash and temporary investments with high quality financial institutions in DDAs, savings accounts, checking
accounts and money market accounts. We primarily serve customers located throughout the United States with no significant concentration in any one
region. In each of the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, one customer accounted for more than 10% of our annual revenue in both segments.
We review a customer’s credit history before extending credit. In addition, we routinely assess the financial strength of our customers and, as a
consequence, believe that our trade accounts receivable risk is limited.
37
The following table includes the one customer that represented 10% or more of our annual revenue by segment during the last three fiscal years:
Customer A
ITS
Logistics
Total operating revenue
Years Ended
December 31,
2022
14%
12%
13%
2021
14%
15%
15%
2023
13%
11%
13%
Revenue Recognition: In accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” our
significant accounting policy for revenue is as follows:
Revenue is recognized when we transfer services to our customer in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive. We account for a
contract when it has approval and commitment from both parties, the rights of the parties are identified, payment terms are identified, the contract has
commercial substance and collectability of consideration is probable. We generally recognize revenue over time because of continuous transfer of control to
the customer. Since control is transferred over time, revenue and related transportation costs are recognized based on relative transit time, which is based on
the extent of progress towards completion of the related performance obligation. We enter into contracts that can include various combinations of services,
which are capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. Taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both
imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction, that are collected by the Company from a customer, are excluded from revenue.
Further, in most cases, we report our revenue on a gross basis because we are the primary obligor as we are responsible for providing the service desired by
the customer. Our customers view us as responsible for fulfillment including the acceptability of the service. Service requirements may include, for
example, on-time delivery, handling freight loss and damage claims, setting up appointments for pick-up and delivery and tracing shipments in transit. We
have discretion in setting prices to our customers and as a result, the amount we earn varies. In addition, we have the discretion to select our vendors from
multiple suppliers for the services ordered by our customers. These factors, discretion in setting prices and discretion in selecting vendors, further support
reporting revenue on a gross basis for most of our revenue.
Provision for Income Taxes: Significant judgment is required in determining and assessing the impact of complex tax laws and certain tax-related
contingencies on our provision for income taxes. As part of our calculation of the provision for income taxes, we assess whether the benefits of our tax
positions are at least more likely than not to be sustained upon audit based on the technical merits of the tax position. For tax positions that are not more
likely than not to be sustained upon audit, we accrue the largest amount of the benefit that is not more likely than not to be sustained in our financial
statements. Such accruals require us to make estimates and judgments, whereby actual results could vary materially from these estimates. Further, years
may elapse before a particular matter for which we have established an accrual is audited and resolved or its statute of limitations expires. We recognize
interest expense and penalties related to income tax liabilities in our provision for income taxes.
Deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax effects of temporary differences between financial statement and income tax reporting using
tax rates in effect for the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. We believe that it is more likely than not that our deferred tax assets will be
realized based on future taxable income projections, with one exception. We have established a valuation allowance of $1.2 million related to federal and
state tax credit carryforwards. In the event the probability of realizing the remaining deferred tax assets does not meet the more likely than not threshold in
the future, a valuation allowance would be established for the deferred tax assets deemed unrecoverable.
Earnings Per Common Share: Basic earnings per common share are based on the average quarterly weighted average number of Class A and Class B
shares of common stock outstanding. Diluted earnings per common share are adjusted for restricted stock using the treasury stock method.
Stock Based Compensation: Share-based compensation includes the restricted stock awards expected to vest based on the grant date fair value.
Compensation expense is amortized straight-line over the vesting period and is included in salaries and benefits.
New Pronouncements: In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures
("ASU 2023-09"). ASU 2023-09 enhanced annual disclosures regarding the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. For public business
entities, ASU 2023-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. We are assessing the impact of this guidance on our disclosures;
it will not have an impact on our results of operations, cash flows, or financial condition.
38
In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) No. 2023-07, Segment
Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which requires retrospective disclosure of significant segment expenses and
other segment items on an annual and interim basis. Additionally, it requires disclosure of the title and position of the Chief Operating Decision Maker
(“CODM”). This ASU will be effective for the Company’s fiscal December 31, 2024 year-end and interim periods beginning in fiscal 2025, with early
adoption permitted. We are assessing the impact of this guidance on our disclosures; it will not have an impact on our results of operations, cash flows or
financial condition.
Use of Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles requires us to
make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the
financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. Significant estimates include the allowance for
uncollectible trade accounts, exposure for self-insured claims under our insurance policies, valuation of acquired goodwill and intangible assets and useful
lives of assets. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
Reclassifications: Due to presentation changes made in our consolidated statements of income, certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to
conform with the current year presentation.
On January 4, 2024, the Company announced a two-for-one stock split of the Company’s Class A and Class B common stock. The stock split was
implemented in the form of a distribution of one additional Class A share for each share outstanding. The record date for the stock split was as of the close
of business on January 16, 2024. The Company distribution date of the additional shares was January 26, 2024. As a result of the stock split, the number of
authorized shares remained unchanged. Additionally, the par value per share of the common stock remains unchanged. All other share amounts in our
consolidated balance sheets, consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income, consolidated statements of stockholders' equity and related
footnote disclosures have been adjusted and presented as though the stock split had occurred on January 1, 2021.
NOTE 2. Capital Structure
We have authorized common stock comprised of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock. The rights of holders of Class A Common
Stock and Class B Common Stock are identical, except each share of Class B Common Stock entitles its holder to approximately 84 votes, while each share
of Class A Common Stock entitles its holder to one vote. We have authorized 2,000,000 shares of preferred stock.
NOTE 3. Earnings Per Share
The following is a reconciliation of our earnings per share (in thousands, except for per share data):
Years Ended December 31,
2022
2023
2021
Net income
$
167,528
$
356,948
$
171,474
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic
63,324
66,418
66,868
Dilutive effect of restricted stock
630
700
916
Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted
63,954
67,118
67,784
Earnings per share net income
Basic
Diluted
NOTE 4. Acquisitions
Forward Air Final Mile Acquisition
$
$
2.65
2.62
$
$
5.37
5.32
$
$
2.56
2.53
On December 20, 2023, we acquired 100% of the equity interest of Forward Air Final Mile (“FAFM”). FAFM provides residential last mile delivery
services and installation of big and bulky goods, with a focus on appliances, throughout the United States. Total consideration for the transaction was $261
million paid from cash on hand. The financial results of FAFM, since the date of acquisition, are included in our Logistics segment.
39
The acquisition of FAFM expanded our final mile services to include the delivery and installation of appliances. FAFM provides residential last mile
delivery services through a non-asset business model, working with a network of over 350 carriers throughout the country.
The initial accounting for the acquisition of FAFM is incomplete as we, with the support of our valuation specialist, are in the process of finalizing the
fair market value calculations of the acquired net assets. In addition, the Company is in the preparation and final review process of the applicable future
cash flows used in determining the purchase accounting. Finally, certain post-closing activities outlined in the acquisition agreement remain incomplete. As
a result, the amounts recorded in the consolidated financial statements related to the FAFM acquisition are preliminary and the measurement period remains
open. The following table summarizes the preliminary allocation of the total consideration to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the date of the
acquisition (in thousands):
December 20, 2023
Accounts receivable trade
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Property and equipment
Right-of-use assets - operating leases
Other intangibles
Goodwill
Other assets
Total assets acquired
Accounts payable trade
Accounts payable other
Accrued payroll
Accrued other
Lease liability - operating leases short-term
Other long term liabilities
Lease liability - operating leases long-term
Total liabilities assumed
Total consideration
Cash paid, net
$
$
$
$
$
$
28,574
2,305
3,241
15,003
134,456
103,922
173
287,674
155
2,177
1,271
8,132
6,145
19
8,857
26,756
260,918
260,918
The FAFM acquisition was accounted for as a purchase business combination in accordance with ASC 805 “Business Combinations.” Assets acquired
and liabilities assumed were recorded in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet at their estimated fair values as of December 20, 2023 with the
remaining unallocated purchase price recorded as goodwill. The goodwill recognized in the FAFM acquisition was primarily attributable to potential
expansion and future development of the acquired business.
Tax history and attributes are not inherited in an equity purchase of this kind, however, the goodwill and other intangibles recognized in this purchase
will be fully tax deductible over a period of 15 years.
We incurred approximately $5.1 million of transaction costs associated with this transaction prior to the closing date that are reflected in general and
administrative expense and insurance and claims expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income for the year ended December 31, 2023.
The components of “Other intangibles” listed in the above table as of the acquisition date are preliminarily estimated based on prior final mile
acquisitions as follows (in thousands):
Customer relationships
Developed technology
Amount
$
$
127,733
6,723
$
$
Accumulated
Amortization
Balance at
December 31, 2023
355
70
$
$
127,378
6,653
Estimated Useful
Life
15 years
4 years
The above intangible assets are amortized using the straight-line method. Amortization expense related to this acquisition for the year ended
December 20, 2023 was $0.4 million. The intangible assets have a weighted average useful life of approximately 14.37 years.
40
Amortization expense related to FAFM for the next five years is as follows (in thousands):
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
Total
$
10,196
10,196
10,196
10,126
8,516
From the date of the acquisition through December 31, 2023, FAFM’s revenue was $6.4 million and operating income was $0.2 million.
FAFM's actual results are included in our consolidated financial statements since the acquisition date of December 20, 2023. The following unaudited
pro forma consolidated results of operations present the effects of FAFM as though it had been acquired as of January 1, 2022 (in thousands, except for per
share amounts):
Revenue
Net income
Earnings per share
Basic
Diluted
Twelve Months Ended
December 31, 2023
Twelve Months Ended
December 31, 2022
$
$
$
$
4,476,469
192,371
3.04
3.01
$
$
$
$
5,634,259
381,895
5.75
5.69
The unaudited pro forma consolidated results for the annual periods were prepared using the acquisition method of accounting and are based on the
historical financial information of Hub and FAFM. The historical financial information has been adjusted to give effect to the pro forma adjustments that
are: (i) directly attributable to the acquisition, (ii) factually supportable and (iii) expected to have a continuing impact on the combined results. The
unaudited pro forma consolidated results are not necessarily indicative of what our consolidated results of operations actually would have been had we
completed the FAFM acquisition as of January 1, 2022.
NOTE 5. Segment Reporting
As we have continued to expand our service offerings and diversify our business, we have also made changes to the financial information that our
CEO, who has been identified as our Chief Operating Decision Maker (CODM), uses to make operating and capital decisions. Beginning in the first quarter
of 2023, we concluded that we have two reportable segments: Intermodal and Transportation Solutions (“ITS”) and Logistics which are based primarily on
the services each segment provides. We have recast the prior period information to conform with the current year presentation. Our ITS segment includes
our asset-light business lines: intermodal and dedicated trucking. Our Logistics segment includes our non-asset business lines: managed transportation,
truck brokerage, final mile, consolidation, warehousing and fulfillment. We operate the following segments:
Intermodal and Transportation Solutions. Our Intermodal and Transportation Solutions segment offers high service, nationwide door-to-door
intermodal transportation, providing value, visibility and reliability in both transcontinental and local lanes by combining rail transportation with local
trucking. This segment includes our trucking operations which provides our customers with local pickup and delivery as well as high service local and
regional trucking transportation using equipment dedicated to their needs. In 2023, approximately 78% of our drayage services was provided by our own
fleet. We arrange for the movement of our customers’ freight in one of our approximately 50,000 containers. As of December 31, 2023, we operated
trucking terminals at 26 locations throughout the United States, with locations in many large metropolitan areas. We also contract for services with
independent owner-operators who supply their own equipment and operate under our regulatory authority. These assets and contractual services are used to
support drayage for our intermodal service offering and to serve our customers who require high service local and regional trucking transportation using
equipment dedicated to their needs. We contract with railroads to provide transportation for the long-haul portion of the shipment between rail terminals.
Drayage between origin or destination and rail terminals are provided by our own trucking operations and third parties with whom we contract. Our
dedicated service operation offers fleets of equipment and drivers to each customer on a contract basis, as well as the management and infrastructure to
operate according to the customer’s high service expectations. As of December 31, 2023, our trucking transportation operation consisted of approximately
2,300 tractors, 2,900 employee drivers and 4,300 trailers. We also contract for services with approximately 460 independent owner-operators.
41
Logistics. Our Logistics segment offers a wide range of services including transportation management, freight brokerage services, shipment
optimization, load consolidation, mode selection, carrier management, load planning and execution, warehousing, fulfillment, cross-docking, consolidation
services and final mile delivery. Logistics includes our brokerage business which consists of a full range of trucking transportation services, including dry
van, expedited, less-than-truckload (“LTL”), refrigerated and flatbed, all of which is provided by third-party carriers with whom we contract. We leverage
proprietary technology along with collaborative relationships with third-party service providers to deliver cost savings and performance-enhancing supply
chain services to our clients. Our transportation management offering also serves as a source of volume for our ITS segment. Many of the customers for
these solutions are consumer goods companies who sell into the retail channel. Our final mile delivery offering provides residential final mile delivery and
installation of appliances and big and bulky goods. Final mile operates through a network of independent service providers in company, customer and third-
party facilities throughout the continental United States. Our business operates or has access to approximately 11 million square feet of warehousing and
cross-dock space across North America, to which our customers ship their goods to be stored and distributed to destinations including residences, retail
stores and other commercial locations. These services offer our customers shipment visibility, transportation cost savings, high service and compliance with
retailers’ increasingly stringent supply chain requirements. Logistics also includes our brokerage business which provides third-party truckload, less-than-
truckload (“LTL”), flatbed and temperature-controlled needs.
The following table summarizes our financial and operating data by segment (in thousands):
Operating Revenue
Intermodal and Transportation Solutions
Logistics
Inter-segment eliminations
Total operating revenue
Operating Income
Intermodal and Transportation Solutions
Logistics
Total operating income
Depreciation and Amortization
Intermodal and Transportation Solutions
Logistics
Total depreciation and amortization
2023
2,495,663
1,820,856
(113,934 )
4,202,585
2023
107,117
105,114
212,231
2023
108,916
34,607
143,523
$
$
$
$
$
$
Years Ended
December 31,
2022
3,312,431
2,121,818
(93,759 )
5,340,490
$
$
Years Ended
December 31,
2022
348,537
126,184
474,721
Years Ended
December 31,
2022
102,279
29,510
131,789
$
$
$
$
2021
2,661,160
1,643,849
(72,626 )
4,232,383
2021
169,105
69,352
238,457
2021
94,916
21,557
116,473
$
$
$
$
$
$
Separate balance sheets are not presented by segment to our CODM. Our CEO uses consolidated asset information to make capital decisions.
NOTE 6. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
Due to the change in segments in the first quarter of 2023, consolidated goodwill was reallocated to the two new reporting units based on their relative
fair values. The Company performed an evaluation before and after the change and concluded it was not more-likely-than-not that the fair value of our
reporting units was less than its carrying value. There were no accumulated impairment losses of goodwill at the beginning of the period.
42
205,272 $
52,489
257,761 $
104,293
362,054 $
Net
Carrying
Value
576,913
52,489
629,402
104,293
733,695
Life
5-15 years
The following table presents the carrying amount of Goodwill by segment (in thousands):
ITS
Logistics
Consolidated
Balance at December 31, 2021
Acquisitions
Balance at December 31, 2022
Acquisitions
Balance at December 31, 2023
$
$
$
371,641 $
-
371,641 $
-
371,641 $
The components of the "Other intangible assets” are as follows (in thousands):
As of December 31, 2023:
Customer relationships
Carrier network and agent relationships
Developed technology
Trade name
Consolidated Total
As of December 31, 2022:
Customer relationships
Carrier network and agent relationships
Developed technology
Trade name
Consolidated Total
$
$
$
$
Gross
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
376,956 $
92,827 $
284,129
15,000
17,223
6,200
415,379 $
8,563
3,247
6,135
110,772 $
6,437
4 years
13,976
4-7 years
65
18 months
304,607
Gross
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Carrying
Value
249,223 $
72,157 $
177,066
Life
5-15 years
15,000
10,500
6,200
280,923 $
4,813
1,449
5,118
83,537 $
10,187
4 years
9,051
4-7 years
1,082
197,386
18 months
The above intangible assets are amortized using the straight-line method. Amortization expense was $27.2 million and $26.6 million for the years
ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The remaining weighted average life of all definite lived intangible assets was 11.32 years and 9.57 years
for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Amortization expense for the next five years is expected to be as follows (in thousands):
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Total
$
34,448
33,345
30,645
30,287
27,385
NOTE 7. Income Taxes
The following is a reconciliation of our effective tax rate to the federal statutory tax rate:
U.S. federal statutory rate
State taxes, net of federal benefit
Federal and state incentives
State law changes
Permanent differences
Net effective rate
2023
2022
2021
Years Ended December 31,
21.0 %
0.4
(1.9 )
(0.2 )
0.6
19.9 %
43
21.0 %
3.5
(1.4 )
0.4
0.2
23.7 %
21.0 %
3.5
(0.5 )
1.1
0.6
25.7 %
The following is a summary of our provision for income taxes (in thousands):
Current
Federal
State and local
Foreign
Deferred
Federal
State and local
Foreign
2021
$
2023
$
Years Ended December 31,
2022
$
34,951
(1,191 )
55
33,815
8,305
(432 )
(12 )
7,861
85,831
25,162
32
111,025
7,366
(7,388 )
7
(15 )
Total provision
$
41,676
$
111,010
$
The following is a summary of our deferred tax assets and liabilities (in thousands):
51,918
13,876
38
65,832
(5,125 )
(1,254 )
(17 )
(6,396 )
59,436
Accrued compensation
Other reserves
Tax credit carryforwards
Operating loss carryforwards
Lease accounting liability
Total gross deferred income taxes
Valuation allowances
Total deferred tax assets
Prepaids
Property and equipment
Intangibles
Lease right-of-use asset
Total deferred tax liabilities
Total deferred taxes
December 31,
2023
2022
9,884
32,060
6,533
151
44,440
93,068
(1,174 )
91,894
(6,444 )
(153,790 )
(53,759 )
(41,668 )
(255,661 )
21,035
30,588
8,156
166
29,185
89,130
(1,567 )
87,563
(6,077 )
(156,961 )
(54,796 )
(25,652 )
(243,486 )
$
(163,767 )
$
(155,923 )
We are subject to income taxation in the United States, numerous state jurisdictions, Mexico, Canada, and India. Because income tax return formats
vary among the states, we file both unitary and separate company state income tax returns. We do not permanently reinvest our foreign earnings, all
amounts are accrued and accounted for, though not material.
Our state tax net operating losses total $0.2 million. Some of those state losses have no expiration date while others will expire between December 31,
2024, and December 31, 2042. Management believes it is more likely than not that the loss carryforward deferred tax assets will be fully realized.
Our federal incentive tax credit carryforward of $0.1 million expires between December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2028. Our state incentive tax
credit carryforwards of $8.1 million expire between December 31, 2024, and December 31, 2027. Management believes it is more likely than not that
approximately $6.7 million of the incentive carryforward deferred tax assets will be realized and a valuation allowance of $1.2 million has been established
for the remainder which are not expected to be realized.
44
As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the amount of unrecognized tax benefits was $12.9 million and $11.1 million, respectively. If
recognized, these benefits would decrease our income tax provision by $10.2 million and $9.0 million, respectively. A reconciliation of the beginning and
ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in thousands):
Gross unrecognized tax benefits - beginning of the year
Gross increases related to prior year tax positions
Gross increases related to current year tax positions
Lapse of applicable statute of limitations
Gross unrecognized tax benefits - end of year
2023
2022
$
$
11,116
761
1,460
(478 )
12,859
$
$
6,647
425
4,665
(621 )
11,116
We recognize interest and penalties related to income tax liabilities in our provision for income taxes. In 2023, we included $0.1 million in our
provision for income taxes.
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) was enacted in response to the COVID-19
pandemic. Among other things, the CARES Act includes provisions related to refundable payroll tax credits, deferment of the employer portion of social
security payments, net operating loss carryback periods, modifications to the net interest deduction limitations, and technical corrections to tax depreciation
methods for qualified improvement property. On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act (“CAA”) was enacted in further response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, in combination with omnibus spending for the 2021 federal fiscal year. The CAA extended many of the provisions enacted by the
CARES Act, Though some provisions of the CARES Act and CAA do impact the Company, there was no material effect on the Company’s consolidated
financial condition or results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 or 2021.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was signed into law on August 16, 2022, and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 was signed into law on August
9, 2022. These laws implement new tax provisions, primarily a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax and a nondeductible 1% excise tax on the fair
market value of stock repurchased by publicly traded corporations. We do not anticipate any other material impact of these provisions. The two acts also
provide various tax credits, several of which are transferable or refundable, for the investment in or production of clean-energy effective January 1, 2023.
We will continue to evaluate potential tax benefits available under the acts as additional guidance is issued in future periods.
NOTE 8. Fair Value Measurement
The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable materially approximated fair value as of December 31,
2023 and 2022. As of December 31, 2023, the fair value of the Company’s fixed-rate borrowings was $1.4 million less than the historical carrying value of
$350.7 million. As of December 31, 2022, the $342.5 million carrying value of the Company's fixed-rate borrowings approximated the fair value. The fair
value of the fixed-rate borrowings was estimated using an income approach based on current interest rates available to the Company for borrowings on
similar terms and maturities.
We consider as cash equivalents all highly liquid instruments with an original maturity of three months or less. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022,
our cash and temporary investments were with high quality financial institutions in demand deposit accounts, savings accounts, checking accounts and
money market accounts.
Restricted investments included $20.8 million and $18.1 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, of mutual funds and other security
investments which are reported at fair value. These investments relate to the nonqualified deferred compensation plan that is described in Note 14 and
insurance deposits.
Our assets and liabilities measured at fair value are based on valuation techniques which consider prices and other relevant information generated by
market transactions involving identical or comparable assets and liabilities. These valuation methods are based on either quoted market prices (Level 1) or
inputs, other than quoted prices in active markets, that are observable either directly or indirectly (Level 2), or unobservable inputs (Level 3). Cash and cash
equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and mutual funds and related liabilities are defined as “Level 1,” while long-term debt is defined as
“Level 2” of the fair value hierarchy in the Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures Topic of the Codification.
45
NOTE 9. Property and Equipment
Property and equipment consist of the following (in thousands):
Land
Building and improvements
Leasehold improvements
Computer equipment and software
Furniture and equipment
Transportation equipment
Construction in process
Less: Accumulated depreciation
Property and Equipment, net
December 31,
2023
2022
24,724
90,257
14,260
185,284
37,377
1,014,244
-
1,366,146
(574,454 )
791,692
$
$
24,724
90,233
9,854
169,309
25,586
973,739
902
1,294,347
(510,664 )
783,683
$
$
Depreciation expense related to property and equipment was $114.4 million, $103.1 million and $95.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2023,
2022 and 2021, respectively.
NOTE 10. Long-Term Debt and Financing Arrangements
In February 2022, we entered into a five-year, $350 million unsecured credit agreement (the "Credit Agreement"). Borrowings under the Credit
Agreement generally bear interest at a variable rate equal to (i) the secured overnight financing rate (published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York,
“SOFR”), plus a specified margin based on the term of such borrowing, plus a specified margin based upon Hub’s total net leverage ratio (as defined in the
Credit Agreement) (the "Total Net Leverage Ratio"), or (ii) the base rate (which is the highest of (a) the administrative agent's prime rate, (b) the federal
funds rate plus 0.50% or (c) the sum of 1% and one-month SOFR) plus a specified margin based upon the Total Net Leverage Ratio. The specified margin
for SOFR loans varies from 100.0 to 175.0 basis points per annum. The specified margin for base rate loans varies from 0.0 to 75.0 basis points per annum.
Hub must also pay (1) a commitment fee ranging from 10.0 to 25.0 basis points per annum (based upon the Total Net Leverage Ratio) on the aggregate
unused commitments and (2) a letter of credit fee ranging from 100.0 to 175.0 basis points per annum (based upon the Total Net Leverage Ratio) on the
undrawn amount of letters of credit.
We have standby letters of credit that expire in 2024. As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, our letters of credit were $0.9 million and
$43.4 million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we had no borrowings under our respective credit agreements and our unused and available
borrowings were $349.1 million and $306.6 million, respectively. We were in compliance with the financial covenants in our debt agreements as of
December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
We have entered into various Equipment Notes (“Notes”) for the purchase of tractors, trailers, containers and refrigeration units. The Notes are secured
by the underlying equipment financed in the agreements.
46
Our outstanding Notes are as follows (in thousands):
December 31,
2023
December 31,
2022
Interim funding for equipment received and expected to be converted to an equipment note in subsequent
year; interest paid at a variable rate
$
3,265
$
6,137
Secured Equipment Notes due on various dates in 2028 commencing on various dates in 2023; interest is
paid monthly at a fixed annual rate between 5.21% and 6.32%
105,744
-
Secured Equipment Notes due on various dates in 2027 commencing on various dates in 2022; interest is
paid monthly at a fixed annual rate between 2.07% and 6.45%
147,192
177,295
Secured Equipment Notes due on various dates in 2026 commencing on various dates in 2021; interest is
paid monthly at a fixed annual rate between 1.48% and 2.41%
55,797
78,359
Secured Equipment Notes due on various dates in 2025 commencing on various dates in 2020 and 2021;
interest is paid monthly at a fixed annual rate between 1.51% and 1.80%
30,930
43,955
Secured Equipment Notes due on various dates in 2024 commencing on various dates in 2017, 2019 and
2020; interest is paid monthly at a fixed annual rate between 2.50% and 3.59%
7,754
20,751
Secured Equipment Notes due on various dates in 2023 commencing on various dates from 2016 to 2019;
interest is paid monthly at a fixed annual rate between 2.70% and 4.10%
Less current portion
Total long-term debt
-
350,682
(105,108 )
245,574
$
15,968
342,465
(101,741 )
240,724
$
Aggregate principal payments, in thousands, due subsequent to December 31, 2023, are as follows:
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
$
$
105,108
95,619
80,699
51,306
17,950
350,682
NOTE 11. Leases
In accordance with ASC 842, “Leases,” (“ASC 842”) which requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset (“ROU”) and a lease obligation for all
leases, we made an accounting policy election to not recognize an asset and liability for leases with a term of twelve months or less.
As of December 31, 2023, we recorded $213.3 million of ROU assets and $224.8 million of lease liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet. As of
December 31, 2022, we recorded $103.3 million of ROU assets and $109.3 million of lease liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet. The increase in
ROU assets and lease liabilities was primarily the result of the TAGG acquisition. The lease liabilities recognized are measured based upon the present
value of minimum future payments. The ROU assets are equal to lease liabilities upon initial recording, adjusted for prepaid and accrued rent balances
which are recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Hub currently does not have any variable lease payments that depend on an index or a rate (such as the Consumer Price Index or a market interest
rate). Some leases have options to extend or terminate the agreement, which management assesses in determining the estimated lease term. If any of the
options to extend a lease are exercised, this change will be reflected as a remeasurement of the ROU asset and lease liability accordingly. As of December
31, 2023, the ROU asset and lease liabilities do not reflect any options to extend or terminate a lease as management is not reasonably certain it will
exercise any of these options. Also, current leases do not contain any restrictions or covenants imposed by the leases or residual value guarantees.
47
As of December 31, 2023, Hub signed new property lease contracts which had not commenced. Based on the present value of the lease payments, the
estimated ROU assets and lease liabilities related to these contracts will total approximately $7.1 million.
Discount rates are not specified on the individual lease contracts at the commencement date. To determine the present value of the lease payments,
Hub used its incremental borrowing rate which was determined based on Hub’s credit standing and factoring in the current 12-month SOFR rate published
at the time of the lease commencement. This incremental borrowing rate represents the rate of interest that Hub would have to pay to borrow on a
collateralized basis over a similar term and amounts equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment. As of December 31, 2023, we are in
the process of evaluating the leases for the FAFM acquisition.
The following table summarizes the lease costs (in thousands), which are included in transportation costs and general and administrative costs in the
accompanying consolidated statement of income:
2023
Years Ended December 31,
2022
2021
Amortization of finance right-of-use assets
Interest on finance lease liabilities
Finance lease cost
Operating lease cost
Short-term lease cost
Sublease income
Total lease cost
$
$
$
2,650
194
2,844
48,868
300
(1,051 )
50,961
$
$
2,075
13
2,088
21,232
379
(251 )
23,448
$
The following table represents the maturity of operating and finance lease liabilities (in thousands):
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Thereafter
Total
Imputed interest
Present value of lease payments
Less: current lease liabilities
Long-term lease liabilities
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Thereafter
Total
Imputed interest
Present value of lease payments
Less: current lease liabilities
Long-term lease liabilities
$
$
$
$
Operating Leases
December 31, 2023
Finance Leases
Total
55,516 $
49,997
41,650
33,067
26,363
54,863
261,456
39,067
222,389
44,690
177,699 $
1,619 $
558
303
32
-
-
2,512
68
2,444
1,579
865 $
Operating Leases
December 31, 2022
Finance Leases
Total
33,547 $
29,618
24,081
16,300
9,136
5,618
118,300
10,196
108,104
29,547
78,557 $
48
1,179 $
-
-
-
-
-
1,179
4
1,175
1,175
- $
2,304
29
2,333
12,343
171
(327 )
14,520
57,135
50,555
41,953
33,099
26,363
54,863
263,968
39,135
224,833
46,269
178,564
34,726
29,618
24,081
16,300
9,136
5,618
119,479
10,200
109,279
30,722
78,557
The following table presents supplemental cash flow and noncash information related to leases:
Operating cash flows from operating leases
Financing cash flows from finance leases
Operating cash flows from finance leases
Cash paid for lease liabilities
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new
financing lease liabilities (net of disposals)
Rights-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new
operating lease liabilities (net of disposals)
$
$
$
$
2023
Years Ended December 31,
2022
2021
36,073 $
2,708
194
38,975 $
19,135 $
2,093
13
21,241 $
(3,978 ) $
(2,017 ) $
133,358 $
77,178 $
11,523
2,682
29
14,234
(72 )
11,684
The weighted average remaining lease term and discount rates as of December 31, are as follows (in thousands):
Weighted average remaining lease term — finance leases
Weighted average remaining lease term — operating leases
Weighted average discount rate — finance leases
Weighted average discount rate — operating leases
NOTE 12. Internal-Use Software
December 31, 2023
2.14 years
5.66 years
4.29%
5.47%
December 31, 2022
0.6 years
4.06 years
1.20%
4.51%
We capitalize internal and external costs, which include costs related to the development of our cloud computing or hosting arrangements, incurred to
develop internal use software per ASC Subtopic 350-40. Refer to Note 1 "Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" for
information regarding accounting policy.
We had total capitalized internal use software costs, which include costs related to the development of our cloud computing or hosting arrangements,
net of accumulated amortization, of $56.4 million and $57.3 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The 2023 balance consists of
capitalized implementation costs of $12.0 million, net of accumulated amortization, related to our cloud hosting arrangements, which are classified in other
assets in our consolidated balance sheet and capitalized internal-use software costs of $44.4 million, net of accumulated amortization, which are classified
in property and equipment in our consolidated balance sheet. The 2022 balance consists of capitalized implementation costs of $11.4 million, net of
accumulated amortization, related our cloud hosting arrangements, which are classified in other assets in our consolidated balance sheet and capitalized
internal-use software costs of $45.9 million, net of accumulated amortization, which are classified in property and equipment in our consolidated balance
sheet.
We capitalized total implementation and internal-use software costs of $16.7 million and $15.7 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Implementation and internal-use software costs are amortized, once ready for intended use, over its expected useful life or the term of the associated
hosting arrangements of generally up to 10 years.
NOTE 13. Stock-Based Compensation Plans
The 2022 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2022 Incentive Plan”) was approved by the Board of Directors and subsequently approved by the
Company’s stockholders at the 2022 annual meeting. Upon stockholder approval of the 2022 Incentive Plan, no further grants were authorized under the
Company’s 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan (referred to herein as the “2017 Incentive Plan”). The 2022 Incentive Plan authorizes a broad range of awards
including stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock and restricted stock units, performance shares or units, other stock-based awards, and
cash incentive awards to all employees (including the Company’s executive officers), directors, consultants, independent contractors or agents of us or a
related company. The 2022 Incentive Plan is effective as of May 24, 2022.
As of December 31, 2023, 2,888,438 shares were available for future grant under the 2022 Incentive Plan.
49
We have awarded time-based restricted stock to our employees and the Company’s non-employee directors (“Outside Directors”). This restricted
stock generally vests ratably (once per year) over a three to five-year period for recipients other than Outside Directors. Outside Directors’ restricted stock
vests over a one-year period. In 2023, 2022 and 2021, we also granted performance-based restricted stock to our executive officers. The performance-based
restricted stock vests upon the third anniversary of its issuance if certain financial targets are achieved.
Share-based compensation expense for 2023, 2022 and 2021 was $21.2 million, $20.6 million and $20.1 million or $17.0 million, $15.7 million and
$14.9 million, net of taxes, respectively. Included in the 2023, 2022 and 2021 share-based compensation expense was $6.3 million, $5.6 million and $5.8
million of performance-based share expenses or $4.8 million, $4.2 million and $4.3 million, net of taxes, respectively.
The fair value of non-vested restricted stock is equal to the market price of our stock at the date of grant.
The following table summarizes the non-vested restricted stock activity for the year ended December 31, 2023:
Time-Based
Restricted Stock
Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
Performance-Based
Restricted Stock
Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
Performance-Based
Restricted Stock
Shares
Time-Based
Restricted Stock
Shares
Non-vested January 1, 2023
Granted
Vested
Forfeited
Non-vested at December 31, 2023
1,460,440
384,394
(473,516 )
(206,022 )
1,165,296
$
$
$
$
$
33.61
37.53
29.87
36.00
36.51
307,700
201,830
(189,912 )
(26,828 )
292,790
$
$
$
$
$
The following table summarizes the restricted stock granted during the respective years:
Time-based restricted stock grants
2023
2022
2021
Employees
Outside directors
Total
344,122
40,272
384,394
383,288
46,056
429,344
Weighted average grant date fair value
$
37.53
$
41.46
$
Vesting period
1-5 years
1-5 years
32.10
33.39
26.25
35.58
36.47
1,020,034
49,126
1,069,160
33.01
1-5 years
The performance-based restricted stock granted in 2021 earned a 200% award therefore an additional 94,956 shares were issued to settle the award on
the vesting date of January 2, 2024. The 2023 grant of performance-based restricted stock resulted in the issuance of 106,874 shares. The performance-
based restricted stock grants were 103,588 in 2022 and 159,216 in 2021. The weighted average grant date fair value of these shares was $39.75 in 2023,
$42.12 in 2022, and $28.50 in 2021.
The total fair value of restricted shares vested during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 was $26.1 million, $22.7 million and $25.4
million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, there was $34.0 million, $41.3 million and $45.5 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to
non-vested time-based compensation, respectively, that is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period for 2023, 2022, and 2021 of 2.75
years, 2.67 years and 3.11 years, respectively.
Additionally, as of December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 there was $7.2 million, $7.6 million and $6.5 million of unrecognized compensation cost,
respectively, related to the non-vested performance-based restricted stock compensation that is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of
1.5 years for 2023, 2022 and 2021.
50
During January 2024, we granted 437,166 shares of restricted stock, which includes 100,862 performance-based shares and 336,304 time-based
shares, to certain employees and 35,088 shares of restricted stock to our Outside Directors with a weighted average grant date fair value of $45.62. These
time-based grants vest ratably (once per year) over a five-year period for employees and a one-year period for Outside Directors. Performance-based grants
vest after three years.
NOTE 14. Employee Benefit Plans
We have a profit-sharing plan under section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. At our discretion, we partially match qualified contributions made
by employees to the plan. We incurred expense related to the employer match for this plan of $8.5 million in 2023, $6.7 million in 2022 and $5.7 million in
2021.
In January 2005, we established the Hub Group, Inc. Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) to provide added incentive for the
retention of certain key employees. Under the Plan, which was amended in 2008, participants can elect to defer certain compensation. Accounts grow on a
tax-deferred basis to the participant. Restricted investments included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets represent the fair value of the mutual funds and
other security investments related to the Plan as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. Both realized and unrealized gains and losses are included in income and
expense and offset the change in the deferred compensation liability. We provide a 50% match on the first 6% of employee compensation deferred under
the Plan which vests over three years with a maximum match equivalent to 3% of base salary. We incurred expense of $0.3 million per year related to the
employer match for this plan in 2023, 2022 and 2021. The liability related to the Plan as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $20.5 million and $17.8
million, respectively.
NOTE 15. Legal Matters
The Company is involved in certain claims and pending litigation arising from the normal conduct of business, including putative class-action
lawsuits involving employment related claims. Based on management's present knowledge, management does not believe that any potential unrecorded
loss contingencies arising from these pending matters are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company's overall financial position, operating
results, or cash flows after taking into account any existing accruals for settlements or losses determined to be probable and estimable. However, actual
outcomes could be material to the Company's financial position, operating results, or cash flows for any particular period.
NOTE 16. Stock Repurchase Plans
In October 2022, the Board authorized the purchase of up to $200 million of our Class A Common Stock pursuant to a share repurchase program (the
“2022 Program”). Under the 2022 Program, the shares may be repurchased in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, from time to time
subject to market and other conditions. The approved share repurchase program does not obligate us to repurchase any dollar amount or number of shares
and the program may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. The 2022 Program was terminated in October 2023 in conjunction with the
authorization of the 2023 Program (as defined below) and as a result, no shares were purchased under the 2022 Program in the fourth quarter of 2023.
In October 2023, the Board authorized the purchase of up to $250 million of our Class A Common Stock pursuant to a share repurchase program (the
“2023 Program”), which replaces the 2022 Program. Under the 2023 Program, the shares may be repurchased in the open market or in privately negotiated
transactions, from time to time subject to market and other conditions. The approved share repurchase program does not obligate us to repurchase any
dollar amount or number of shares and the program may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time.
We purchased 4,020,598 shares for $153.9 million during 2023, 2,957,330 shares for $118.1 million during 2022 and 268,658 shares for $9.1 million
in 2021. These amounts include the number of shares delivered to us by employees to satisfy the mandatory tax withholding requirement upon vesting of
restricted stock, which do not reduce the repurchase authority under our share repurchase program.
NOTE 17. Related Party Transactions
In August 2022, the Company entered into a Common Stock Exchange and Repurchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) with entities affiliated with
David P. Yeager, then the Company’s Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer (collectively, the “DPY Entities”) and entities
affiliated with Mark A. Yeager, the brother of David P. Yeager (collectively, the “MAY Entities”).
Pursuant to the Agreement, the MAY Entities transferred 243,755 shares of Class B Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, to the DPY Entities in
exchange for 685,456 shares of Class A Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Class A Exchange Shares”; such transfer in exchange for the Class
A Exchange Shares is referred to herein as the “Exchange”). Immediately after the consummation of the Exchange, the MAY Entities sold to the Company
(i) all of the Class A Exchange Shares and (ii) 87,393 shares of Class B
51
Common Stock (the “Remaining Class B Shares”), representing all of the remaining shares of Class B Common Stock owned by the MAY Entities, for an
aggregate purchase price of $34.8 million (the “Repurchase” and, together with the “Exchange,” the “Transaction”). The purchase price for the Repurchase
was based on a price per share equal to the closing price of Class A Common Stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on the date of the Agreement. In
accordance with the Company’s certificate of incorporation the Remaining Class B Shares acquired by the Company were cancelled and converted into
Class A Common Stock upon acquisition and are not available for reissuance.
The Transaction was approved by the Company’s Audit Committee of the Board pursuant to the Company’s Related Person Transaction Policy
approval procedures.
NOTE 18. Subsequent Event
On February 22, 2024, the Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.125 per share on the Company’s Class A and Class B common stock. The
dividend is scheduled to be paid on March 27, 2024 to stockholders of record as of March 8, 2024. The declaration and payment of the quarterly cash
dividend are subject to the approval of the Board at its sole discretion and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
As of December 31, 2023, an evaluation was carried out under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule
13a-15(e)). Based upon this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures
were effective as of December 31, 2023.
No significant changes were made in our internal control over financial reporting during the fourth quarter of 2023 that has materially affected, or is
reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of
effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of
compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
MANAGEMENT’S ANNUAL REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate controls over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange
Act. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, we
conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023. Based on criteria established in
Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the
COSO criteria), management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2023.
On December 20, 2023, we completed the acquisition of Forward Air Final Mile (“FAFM”). We are currently integrating processes, employees,
technologies and operations. As permitted by the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), we excluded FAFM from our
assessment of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023. Management will continue to evaluate our internal controls over
financial reporting as we complete our integration. As of December 31, 2023, FAFM represented 9.9% of total assets and 16.0% of net assets. For the year
ended December 31, 2023, FAFM represented 0.2% of revenues and 0.1% of net income.
Management believes, however, that a control system, no matter how well designed and operated, cannot provide absolute assurance that the objectives of
the control system are met, and no evaluation controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the
Company have been detected.
Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, who audited and reported on the consolidated financial statements, included in this
report, has issued an attestation report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
52
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Hub Group, Inc.
Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited Hub Group, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated
Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Hub Group, Inc.
(the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on the COSO criteria.
As indicated in the accompanying Management Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, management’s assessment of and conclusion on the
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting did not include the internal controls of Forward Air Final Mile (“FAFM”), which was acquired on December 20,
2023 and is included in the 2023 consolidated financial statements of the Company and constituted 9.9% and 16.0% of total and net assets, respectively, as of December 31,
2023 and 0.2% and 0.1% of revenues and net income, respectively, for the year then ended. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of the Company also did
not include an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of FAFM.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the consolidated balance sheets of
Hub Group, Inc. as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each
of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(b), and our report dated
February 27, 2024 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control
over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be
independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about
whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the
design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We
believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting
includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions
of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and
directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s
assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to
future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures
may deteriorate.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Chicago, Illinois
February 27, 2024
53
Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Not applicable
Item 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS
Not applicable
PART III
Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The information required by this Item 10 is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement. The information regarding executive officers called for by
Item 401 of Regulation S-K is included in Part I, Item 1, beginning under “Information About Our Executive Officers.”
The Company has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (“Code”) that applies to all of our employees, officers and Board members. The Code is
posted on the “Investors” section of our internet website at www.hubgroup.com. If we make any substantive amendments to the finance code of ethics or
grant any waiver from a provision of the code to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer, we will disclose
the nature of the amendment or waiver on that website or in a report on Form 8-K.
Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this Item 11 is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement.
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER
MATTERS
(a) Equity Compensation Plan Information. The following table sets forth information about securities authorized for issuance under our compensation
plans (including individual compensation arrangements) as of December 31, 2023:
Plan Category
Equity compensation plans approved by security
holders
Equity compensation plans not approved by
security holders
Total
Number of securities
to be issued
upon exercise of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights
(a)
Weighted-average
exercise price of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights
Number of securities
remaining available for
future issuance under
equity compensation
plans (excluding
securities reflected in
column (a))
— $
—
— $
—
—
—
2,888,438
—
2,888,438
(b) Other Information. The information required by this Item 12 regarding security ownership of certain beneficial owners and our management is
incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement.
Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by this Item 13 is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement.
Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The information required by this Item 14 is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement.
54
PART IV
Item 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a) Financial Statements
The following consolidated financial statements of the Registrant are included under Item 8 of this Form 10-K:
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Balance Sheets - December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022
Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income - Years ended December 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity - Years ended December 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - Years ended December 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(b) Financial Statement Schedules
The following financial statement schedules of Hub Group, Inc. are filed as part of this report and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated
financial statements of Hub Group, Inc.:
55
SCHEDULE II
HUB GROUP, INC.
VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS AND RESERVES
Allowance for uncollectible trade accounts
Year Ended
December 31:
Balance at
Beginning of
Year
Charged to
Costs &
Expenses
Charged to
Other
Accounts (1)
Deductions (2)
Balance at
End of
Year
2023
2022
2021
$
$
$
Deferred tax valuation allowance
38,580,000
$
1,426,000
$
(5,295,000 )
$
(2,000 )
$
34,709,000
20,061,000
$
2,985,000
$
15,557,000
$
(23,000 )
$
38,580,000
8,280,000
$
308,000
$
11,510,000
$
(37,000 )
$
20,061,000
Year Ended
December 31:
2023
2022
2021
Balance at
Beginning of
Year
Charged to
Costs &
Expenses
Balance at
End of
Year
$
$
$
1,567,000
5,023,000
6,518,000
$
$
$
(393,000 )
(3,456,000 )
(1,495,000 )
$
$
$
1,174,000
1,567,000
5,023,000
(1) Expected customer account adjustments charged to revenue and write-offs, net of recoveries.
(2) Represents bad debt recoveries.
S-1
(c) Exhibits INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit
Number
3.1
Certificate of Incorporation of Hub Group, Inc. (Amended as of June 26, 2023) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's
quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed August 4, 2023)
3.2
Amended and Restated By-Laws of Hub Group, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s report on Form 8-K filed
4.1
10.1
February 28, 2023)
Description of Hub Group, Inc. Class A Common Stock, $.01 par value
DPY Stockholders’ Agreement dated February 22, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's quarterly report on Form
10-K filed February 24, 2023)
10.2
Common Stock Exchange and Repurchase Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's report on Form 8-K filed
August 9, 2022)
10.3*
Hub Group’s Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan Basic Plan Document as amended and restated as of January 1, 2008 (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant’s report on Form 10-K filed February 22, 2008)
10.4*
Hub Group’s Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan Adoption Agreement as amended and restated as of January 1, 2008 (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registrant’s report on Form 10-K filed February 22, 2008)
10.5
Credit Agreement, dated February 24, 2022, among the Registrant, the Guarantors, the Lenders and Bank of Montreal (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s report on Form 8-K filed March 1, 2022)
10.6
Hub Group’s 2017 Long Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference from Exhibit A to the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement on
Schedule 14A filed March 22, 2017)
10.7*
Hub Group’s 2022 Long Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference from Exhibit A to the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement on
Schedule 14A filed April 12, 2022)
10.8*
Form of Terms of Restricted Stock Award to Non-Employee Directors under Hub Group, Inc. 2017 and 2022 Long-Term Incentive Plan
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s report on Form 8-K filed May 16, 2017)
10.9*
Form of Terms of Restricted Stock Award under Hub Group, Inc. 2017 and 2022 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s report on Form 8-K filed May 16, 2017)
10.10*
Form of Terms of Performance Based Restricted Stock Award under Hub Group, Inc. 2017 and 2022 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s report on Form 8-K filed January 5, 2018)
21
23.1
24.1
31.1
31.2
32.1
97
101
Subsidiaries of the Registrant
Consent of Ernst & Young LLP
Powers of Attorney (included as part of the signature pages hereto)
Rule 13a-14(a) Certification of Phillip D. Yeager, Chief Executive Officer
Rule 13a-14(a) Certification of Kevin W. Beth, Chief Financial Officer
Section 1350 Certifications of Phillip D. Yeager and Kevin W. Beth, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, respectively
Hub Group, Inc. Compensation Clawback Policy
Inline XBRL Document Set for the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and
Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K
104
Inline XBRL for the cover page of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, included in the Exhibit 101 Inline XBRL Document Set
* Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
Item 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
None.
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
SIGNATURES
Date: February 27, 2024
HUB GROUP, INC.
By /s/ PHILLIP D. YEAGER
Phillip D. Yeager
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and
Chief Executive Officer
We, the undersigned directors and officers of the registrant, hereby severally constitute Phillip D. Yeager and Kevin W. Beth and each of them singly,
our true and lawful attorneys with full power to them and each of them to sign for us, and in our names in the capacities indicated below, any and all
amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the
registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
Title
Date
/s/ Phillip D. Yeager
Phillip D. Yeager
/s/ Kevin W. Beth
Kevin W. Beth
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial and
Accounting Officer)
/s/ David P. Yeager
Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors
David P. Yeager
/s/ Phillip D. Yeager
Director
Phillip D. Yeager
/s/ Mary H. Boosalis
Director
Mary H. Boosalis
/s/ Lisa Dykstra
Lisa Dykstra
Director
/s/ Michael E. Flannery
Director
Michael E. Flannery
/s/ James C. Kenny
Director
James C. Kenny
/s/ Peter B. McNitt
Director
Peter B. McNitt
/s/ Jenell Ross
Jenell Ross
Director
/s/ Martin P. Slark
Director
Martin P. Slark
/s/ Gary Yablon
Gary Yablon
Director
February 27, 2024
February 27, 2024
February 27, 2024
February 27, 2024
February 27, 2024
February 27, 2024
February 27, 2024
February 27, 2024
February 27, 2024
February 27, 2024
February 27, 2024
February 27, 2024
Description of the Company’s Common Stock Registered
Under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
EXHIBIT 4.1
The following summary of the Class A Common Stock (par value $0.01 per share) of Hub Group, Inc. (“Hub Group” or the
“Company”) is based on and qualified by the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate”) and Amended and
Restated Bylaws, as amended (the “Amended Bylaws”). For a complete description of the terms and provisions of the Company’s
equity securities, including its Common Stock, refer to the Certificate of Incorporation and Amended Bylaws, each of which is
filed or incorporated by reference as an exhibit to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Hub Group’s Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the issuance of 97,337,700 shares of Class A Common Stock
(“Class A Common Stock”), 662,300 shares of Class B Common Stock (“Class B Common Stock”) and 2,000,000 shares of
preferred stock (“Preferred Stock”), all with a par value of $0.01 per share.
Voting Rights . The holders of Class A Common Stock have one vote per share and the holders of the Class B
Common Stock have 20 votes per share. Except as otherwise required by law, the holders of the Class A Common Stock and the
Class B Common Stock vote together as a single class with respect to all matters submitted for a vote of stockholders. Shares of
Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock do not have cumulative voting rights.
Dividend Rights. Each share of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock is entitled to dividends if, as and
when dividends are declared by the Company’s Board of Directors (“Board”). Any dividend declared and payable in cash, our
capital stock (other than Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock) or other property must be paid equally on a share-
for-share basis on Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock. Dividends and distributions payable in shares of Class A
Common Stock may be paid only on shares of Class A Common Stock, and dividends and distributions payable in shares of
Class B Common Stock may be paid only on shares of Class B Common Stock. If a dividend or distribution payable in Class A
Common Stock is made on Class A Common Stock, the number of votes per share to which the holders of Class B Common
Stock are entitled will be adjusted in order to keep the voting power of the Class B Common Stock consistent with the voting
power of the Class B Common Stock prior to the dividend or distribution of shares of Class A Common Stock. If a dividend or
distribution payable in Class B Common Stock is made on Class B Common Stock, a simultaneous and equivalent dividend or
distribution in Class A Common Stock must be made on Class A Common Stock.
Conversion Rights. The Class A Common Stock is not convertible. Each share of Class B Common Stock is convertible
into one share of Class A Common Stock at any time at the option of and without cost to the holder thereof. In addition, the Class
B Common Stock automatically converts on a share-for-share basis into a Class A Common Stock in the event of certain
transfers of the Class B Common Stock.
Liquidation Rights. The holders of the Class A Common Stock and the holders of the Class B Common Stock are entitled to
participate equally on a share-for-share basis in all distributions to the holders of Common Stock in any liquidation, distribution
or winding up of Hub Group, subject to the rights of the holders of any class or series of Preferred Stock. If a dividend or
distribution payable in Class A Common Stock is made on the Class A Common Stock, the liquidation preference on the Class B
Common Stock will be adjusted proportionately.
Preemptive Rights. Neither the holders of Class A Common Stock nor the holders of Class B Common Stock have
preemptive rights to purchase shares of any class of our capital stock.
Redemption and Sinking Fund Privileges. Neither the holders of the Class A Common Stock nor the holders of the Class
B Common Stock have any redemption or sinking fund privileges.
Other Terms. Upon any subdivision, consolidation, reclassification or other change in the Class A Common Stock, the
Class B Common Stock will be adjusted proportionately such that the Class B Common Stock retains the same relative voting
power as prior to the subdivision, consolidation, reclassification or other change. The Class B Common Stock may not be
subdivided, consolidated, reclassified or otherwise changed unless contemporaneously therewith the Class A Common Stock is
subdivided, consolidated, reclassified or otherwise changed in the same proportion and in the same manner.
In any merger, consolidation or business combination, the consideration to be received per share by holders of either Class
A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock must be identical to that received by holders of the other class of Common Stock,
except that in any such transaction in which shares of capital stock are distributed, such shares may differ as to voting rights only
to the extent that voting rights now differ between Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock.
Issuance of Preferred Stock. Hub Group’s Preferred Stock is issuable at any time, and from time to time, in such amounts
and series and bearing such voting, dividend, conversion, liquidation and other rights and preferences as the Board may
determine. The Preferred Stock could be issued for any lawful corporate purpose without further action by the shareholders. The
issuance of any Preferred Stock having conversion rights could have the effect of diluting the interests of the other shareholders.
Shares of Preferred Stock also could be issued with such rights, privileges and preferences as would deter a tender or exchange
offer or to discourage the acquisition of control of the Company.
Provisions in Hub Group’s Certificate of Incorporation. Hub Group’s Certificate of Incorporation contain certain other
provisions that could impede or delay a change in control of the Company, including:
• Until such time as sufficient shares of Class B Common Stock are converted to shares of Class A Common Stock or we
issue sufficient shares of Class A Common Stock to dilute the voting power of the holders of the Class B Common
Stock, the holders of Class B Common Stock will have the power to defeat any attempt to acquire control of Hub Group
even though such a change in control may be favored by stockholders holding substantially more than a majority of our
outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock. This may have the effect of precluding holders of Class A Common Stock
from receiving any premium above market price for their shares which may be offered in connection with any such
attempt to acquire control. The holders of Class B Common Stock will also generally have the power to effect certain
fundamental corporate changes, such as a sale of substantially all of our assets, a merger involving us, or an amendment
to our certificate of incorporation that does not directly affect the rights of holders of Class A Common Stock, without
the approval of holders of Class A Common Stock. The holders of the Class B Common Stock have agreed to vote their
shares of Class B Common Stock in accordance with the vote of the holders of a majority of such shares.
• A provision that allows directors, in determining whether to take or refrain from taking corporate action on any matter,
including proposing any matter to the stockholders of the Corporation, to take into account the long-term as well as
short-term interests of the Company and its stockholders (including the possibility that these interests may be best served
by the continued independence of the Company), employees, customers, and other constituencies of the Company,
including the effect upon communities in which the Company does business;
•
•
•
•
a provision that amendments to certain portions of Hub Group’s Certificate of Incorporation must be approved by a two-
thirds of the votes that could be cast by the holders of all shares of the Company’s capital stock entitled to vote; and
a provision that any special meeting of shareholders may be called only by the Hub Group’s chairman, chief executive
officer, president, Board or the holders of a majority of the votes that could be cast by holders of all shares of capital
stock of the Company.
Provisions in Hub Group’s Amended Bylaws. Hub Group’s Amended Bylaws contain certain provisions that could
impede or delay a change in control of the Company, including:
a provision that amendments to certain portions of Hub Group’s Amended Bylaws must be approved by a holders of
shares having 80% of the votes that could be cast by the holders of all shares of the Company’s capital stock entitled to
vote; and
a provision establishing certain advance notice procedures for matters (including the nomination of directors) to be
considered at an annual meeting of Hub Group’s shareholders.
Execution Version
EXHIBIT 10.1
DPY STOCKHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT
THIS DPY STOCKHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT (the “DPY Agreement”) is made as of February 22, 2023, by and among (i) Matthew D. Yeager
2015 GST Trust, (ii) Laura C. Yeager 2015 GST Trust, (iii) Phillip D. Yeager 2015 GST Trust, (iv) David P. Yeager Nonexempt Trust Created Under the
Phillip C. Yeager 1994 Trust, (v) David P. Yeager, (vi) Phillip D. Yeager, (vii) Matthew D. Yeager and (viii) Laura Y. Grusecki (each, a “DPY Stockholder”
and collectively, the “DPY Stockholders”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the DPY Stockholders wish to record, among other matters, their understanding regarding the transfer and voting of the Class B
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Class B Stock”), of Hub Group, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, owned by such DPY
Stockholders.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the parties agree as follows:
Section 1.1 Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this DPY Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings
for the purposes of this DPY Agreement:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
“AAA” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 4.3.
“Arbitration” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 4.3.
“Arbitrator” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 4.3.
“Change of Control” shall mean (a) the sale of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and the Company subsidiaries to a
purchaser other than a Permitted Transferee; (b) a sale resulting in no less than a majority of the Class A Stock being held by a purchaser other than a
Permitted Transferee; or (c) a merger, consolidation, recapitalization, or reorganization of the Company with or into a purchaser other than a Permitted
Transferee that results in the inability of the DPY Stockholders to designate or elect the board of directors (or its equivalent) of the resulting entity or its
parent company.
“Claim” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 4.3.
“Class A Stock” shall mean the Class A Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company.
“Class B Stock” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the recitals, together with (a) any shares of Class B Stock that subsequently may be
issued or issuable with respect to the Class B Stock including but not limited to as a result of a stock split or dividend or any sale, transfer, assignment or
other transaction involving the Class B Stock by the Company, (b) any securities into which the Class B Stock may thereafter be changed as a result of a
merger, consolidation, recapitalization or otherwise (other than securities issued upon conversion of Class B Stock pursuant to the terms thereof) and (c)
any shares of Class B Stock acquired pursuant to this DPY Agreement.
“Company” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the recitals.
“DPY Agreement” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the preamble.
“DPY Offeree” and “DPY Offerees” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.2(a).
“DPY Stockholder” or “DPY Stockholders” shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the preamble, together with any Person who becomes
subject to this DPY Agreement pursuant to Article II hereof.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Merger” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.2(c).
“Offer” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.2(a).
“Offered Interest” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.2(a).
“Offering DPY Stockholder” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.2(a).
“Permitted Transferee” shall mean David P. Yeager, the spouse of David P. Yeager or any known descendants (whether natural or adopted) of David
P. Yeager, any estate of any of the foregoing, any trust for the primary benefit of any one or more of the foregoing and any Person, all of the outstanding
equity securities of which are owned by any one or more of the foregoing.
“Person” shall mean any individual, corporation, proprietorship, firm, partnership, limited partnership, trust, association or other entity.
“Second Offer” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.2(a).
“Super Majority” shall mean seventy-five percent or greater.
“Takeover Meeting” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.2(c).
“Tender Offer” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.2(c).
“Transfer” shall mean any transaction by which a DPY Stockholder purports to assign its shares of Class B Stock to another Person and shall
include a sale, assignment, bequest, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation, mortgage, exchange or other disposition by law or otherwise. For purposes of this
DPY Agreement, the term “Transfer” shall include (a) a DPY Stockholder voting its shares of Class B Stock in favor of a merger of the Company and (b) a
conversion of shares of Class B Stock into shares of Class A Stock of the Company pursuant to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation.
ARTICLE II
RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER
Section 2.1 No Transfers of Class B Stock Except in Compliance with Agreement. No DPY Stockholder shall Transfer its shares of Class B Stock,
except in compliance with the provisions of this Article II. Any transfer in violation of this Article II shall be void ab initio.
Section 2.2 Transfers Pursuant to a Right of First Refusal.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.2(c), if a DPY Stockholder (the “Offering DPY Stockholder”) desires to Transfer all or any
portion of its shares of Class B Stock (all or such portion, as applicable, is hereinafter referred to as the “Offered Interest”) to any Person that is not a
Permitted Transferee, or convert such Offered Interest into Class A Stock pursuant to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Offering DPY
Stockholder shall first deliver to each other DPY Stockholder (each, a “DPY Offeree” and together, the “DPY Offerees”), a written notice (the
“Offer”) setting forth an offer to sell the Offered Interest, pro rata to each DPY Offeree in accordance with its percentage ownership of the aggregate
number of shares
2
of Class B Stock held by the DPY Stockholders (excluding the Offered Interest), for a specified cash dollar amount per share (which price in the
event of a conversion of Class B Stock pursuant to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or any other Transfer for which a price is not
specified (such as a sale at prevailing market prices or a share exchange), shall be the closing sale price of the shares of Class A Stock on the
principal securities market on which the Class A Stock is listed or quoted on the date of the notice) and on specified terms and conditions. For a
period of 14 days after receipt by the DPY Offeree of an Offer, the DPY Offeree shall have a first right to purchase its pro rata portion of the Offered
Interest in accordance with its percentage ownership of the aggregate number of shares of Class B Stock held by the DPY Stockholders (excluding
the Offered Interest). To exercise its rights hereunder, an DPY Offeree must deliver to the Offering DPY Stockholder a written notice setting forth
the number of shares of Class B Stock such DPY Offeree desires to purchase and, if such DPY Offeree desires to purchase more than its pro rata
portion of the Offered Interest, a statement of the maximum additional amount of the Offered Interest such DPY Offeree would purchase if the other
DPY Offerees elect not to purchase their pro rata share. If the DPY Offerees have not timely exercised their rights to purchase in the aggregate
100% of the Offered Interest, the Offering DPY Stockholder shall deliver to each other DPY Offeree notice to that effect and offer the other DPY
Offerees the opportunity to subscribe for additional shares of the Offered Interest on the terms and conditions specified in the Offer (a “Second
Offer”). Shares of the Offered Interest shall be allocated to each DPY Offeree that has timely exercised its right to purchase a portion of the Offered
Interest pro rata, but not more than such DPY Offeree’s desired maximum amount of shares of Class B Stock, in accordance with such DPY
Offeree’s percentage ownership of shares of Class B Stock.
(b) In the event that any DPY Offerees shall have timely elected to purchase all or a portion of the Offered Interest in accordance with
Section 2.2(a), the Offering DPY Stockholder shall sell the Offered Interest to such DPY Offerees at the price and upon the terms and conditions set
forth in the Offer, and the parties shall otherwise consummate said transaction no later than 15 days after the delivery of the Offer to the DPY
Offerees. In lieu of cash, any DPY Offeree may elect to pay the purchase consideration in (i) cash, (ii) shares of Class A Stock having a fair market
value determined two business days prior to the closing date equal to the purchase price of the Class B Stock being purchased by such DPY Offeree,
(iii) one-third in cash or shares of Class A Stock having a fair market value determined two business days prior to the closing date and two-thirds by
means of a promissory note that matures on the third anniversary of the closing bearing interest at the applicable federal rate (as published from
time-to-time by the Internal Revenue Service) payable annually with one-third of the principal amount due on each anniversary of the closing or (iv)
a combination of (i) and (ii).
(c) In the case of a proposal to merge the Company with or into another Person that is not a Permitted Transferee (a “Merger”) or a proposal
by a Person that is not a Permitted Transferee to make an offer to the Company’s shareholders to purchase all or a portion of the Company’s shares
(a “Tender Offer”), any DPY Stockholder is authorized to call a meeting of the DPY Stockholders (the “Takeover Meeting”) and provide written
notice to the DPY Stockholders of such meeting specifying the date, time and place of such meeting. DPY Stockholders may participate in such
meeting in person (which may include presence by telephone conference call) or by proxy. The Takeover Meeting must occur before any DPY
Stockholder can cast a vote with respect to a Merger or tender shares of Class B Stock in the Tender Offer. Following such Takeover Meeting, any
DPY Stockholder desiring to Transfer shares of Class B Stock must follow the procedures specified in Section 2.2(a) prior to voting in favor of a
Merger or tendering shares in the Tender Offer; provided, however, that the price per share for the Offered Interest shall be the cash dollar amount
offered per share of Class B Stock in such transaction or, in the case of another form of consideration offered per share of Class B Stock, the cash
equivalent of the fair market value of such other consideration; provided, further, that the Offering DPY Stockholder shall not be obligated to sell
any portion of the Offered Interest pursuant to Section 2.2(a) unless the DPY Offerees purchase 100% of the Offered Interest.
(d) To the extent that the DPY Offerees have not elected to purchase all or a portion of the Offered Interest in accordance with Section 2.2(a),
the Offering DPY Stockholder may, within 5 days following the expiration of other DPY Stockholders right of first refusal under Section 2.2(a),
Transfer the unpurchased portion of the Offered Interest to a Person other than a Permitted Transferee. To the extent that the DPY Offerees, on an
aggregate basis, elected to purchase less than all of the Offered Interest in accordance with Section 2.2(c), the Offering DPY Stockholder may vote
in favor of the Merger or tender shares of Class B Stock in the Tender Offer. For the avoidance of doubt, if either (x) the Merger or Tender Offer is
terminated
3
or (y) more than 5 days pass following the expiration of other DPY Stockholders right of first refusal under Section 2.2(a) before any Transfer of the
unpurchased portion of the Offered Interest is complete, than any proposed Transfer of all or any portion of the shares of Class B Stock held by the
Offering DPY Stockholder shall once again be subject to the provisions of this Article II.
Section 2.3 Transfers to Permitted Transferees. A DPY Stockholder may Transfer its shares of Class B Stock to a Permitted Transferee who is not a
party to this Agreement if and only if such Permitted Transferee (or the guardian or other legal representative) has agreed in writing to be bound by all of
the terms and conditions of this Agreement in the form of the Joinder attached hereto as Exhibit A.
ARTICLE III
VOTING AGREEMENT
Section 3.1 Voting Agreement. Except as provided in Section 2.2, each DPY Stockholder hereby agrees to vote all of its shares of Class B Stock or
to cause all of its shares of Class B Stock to be voted as directed by a majority in interest of the outstanding shares of Class B Stock held by DPY
Stockholders present at a meeting of the DPY Stockholders called pursuant to Section 3.2 at which a quorum is present. In the event (a) that the voting of
the Class B Stock present at a meeting of the DPY Stockholders pursuant to Section 3.2 at which a quorum is present cannot be directed by a majority in
interest of such outstanding shares of Class B Stock held by DPY Stockholders present because of a deadlock or (b) because a quorum at a meeting called
pursuant to Section 3.2 cannot be achieved after two attempts, each DPY Stockholder hereby agrees to vote all of its shares of Class B Stock or to cause all
of its shares of Class B Stock to be voted as recommended by the independent directors (as defined by NASDAQ, or such other securities exchange on
which the Company maintains its primary listing of the Class A Stock) of the Board of Directors of the Company for the matter presented by the Company
for stockholder action. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the subject matter of a stockholder vote results in a Change of Control of the
Company, each of the DPY Stockholders hereby agrees to vote all of its shares of Class B Stock or to cause all of its shares of Class B Stock to be voted
against such Change of Control unless the Super Majority of the outstanding shares of Class B Stock present at a meeting of the DPY Stockholders called
pursuant to Section 3.2 at which a quorum is present votes in favor of such Change of Control.
Section 3.2 DPY Stockholder Vote. For purposes of effecting the agreement set forth in Section 3.1, the DPY Stockholders shall, within five days
after receipt by the DPY Stockholders of a notice from the Company calling for a meeting and vote of its stockholders upon any matter, vote (in accordance
with their percentage ownership of the aggregate number of shares of Class B Stock held by the DPY Stockholders) to determine how the DPY
Stockholders shall vote their shares of Class B Stock pursuant to Section 3.1. The vote required by this Section 3.2 shall take place at the Company’s
principal executive offices (or such other location as the holders of a majority in interest of the aggregate number of shares of Class B Stock held by the
DPY Stockholders may agree) and DPY Stockholders may participate in such vote in person (which may include presence by telephone conference call or
other electronic means of communication by which all parties may be heard) or by proxy. The presence, in person or by proxy, of the DPY Stockholders of
a majority in interest of the shares of Class B Stock held by the DPY Stockholders shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the DPY Stockholders called
pursuant to Section 3.2. In the absence of a quorum, the holders of a majority in interest of such shares of Class B Stock present in person or by proxy may
adjourn such meeting, from time to time. Notice of a date to reconvene the meeting shall be provided to all DPY Stockholders at least 24 hours in advance
of such date. Any shares of Class B Stock held by DPY Stockholders not represented at such meeting shall be deemed to have voted as recommended by
the independent directors (as defined by NASDAQ, or such other securities exchange on which the Company maintains the primary listing of the Class A
Stock) of the Board of Directors of the Company for the matter presented by the Company for stockholder action; provided that in the case of a vote on a
Change of Control the DPY Stockholders will vote against such transaction unless the Super Majority requirements of Section 3.1 are met.
Section 3.3 Action by Written Consent. Notwithstanding any provision contained in this Agreement, any action of the DPY Stockholders may be
taken by written consent without a meeting; provided that the Class B stockholders with the requisite number of votes vote in favor of such action (i.e. in
the case of a vote for a Change of Control a Super Majority votes in favor of such Change of Control). In the event that any DPY Stockholder desires that
the DPY Stockholders take any action by written consent, the DPY Stockholder proposing such action shall
4
deliver to the other DPY Stockholders a written notice setting forth the matter proposed to be acted upon by the DPY Stockholders and request written
approval of such proposed action. Any DPY Stockholder that does not provide such written approval shall be deemed to have voted such DPY
Stockholder’s shares of Class B Stock against the matter presented by the proposing DPY Stockholder.
Section 3.4 Standstill Restrictions. Except as provided herein or unless otherwise approved by the majority in interest of the outstanding shares of
Class B Stock held by DPY Stockholders, each DPY Stockholder hereby agrees not to (a) directly or indirectly make, effect, initiate or cause to be made
any stockholder proposals under Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act or otherwise at any meeting of the stockholders of the Company or in connection with
any action by consent in lieu of a meeting or (b) solicit proxies, designations or written consents of stockholders, or conduct any binding or nonbinding
referendum with respect to voting securities of the Company, or make or in any way participate in any “solicitation” of any “proxy” within the meaning of
Rule 14a-l of the Exchange Act (but without regard to the exclusion set forth in Rule 14a-l (l)(2)(iv) from the definition of “solicitation”) to vote any voting
securities of the Company with respect to any matter, or become a participant in any contested solicitation for the election of directors with respect to the
Company (as such terms are defined or used in the Exchange Act), other than solicitations or acting as a participant in support of the voting obligations of
the Stockholders pursuant to Section 3.1 or Section 3.3.
ARTICLE IV
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 4.1 Restrictive Legend. Each DPY Stockholder agrees that any certificates representing Class B Stock now or hereafter owned by such DPY
Stockholder will bear the following legend in addition to any legends required by law:
“THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY BE TRANSFERRED ONLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THAT
CERTAIN DPY STOCKHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT (THE “AGREEMENT”), DATED FEBRUARY 22, 2023, BY AND AMONG THE
MATTHEW D. YEAGER 2015 GST TRUST, THE LAURA C. YEAGER 2015 GST TRUST, THE PHILLIP D. YEAGER 2015 GST TRUST,
THE DAVID P. YEAGER NONEXEMPT TRUST CREATED UNDER THE PHILLIP C. YEAGER 1994 TRUST, DAVID P. YEAGER, PHILLIP
D. YEAGER, MATTHEW D. YEAGER AND LAURA Y. GRUSECKI, AS IT MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME. A COPY OF THE
FORM OF SUCH AGREEMENT IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE PRINCIPAL OFFICE OF THE COMPANY AND WILL BE
FURNISHED WITHOUT CHARGE TO THE REGISTERED HOLDER OF SUCH CERTIFICATE UPON WRITTEN REQUEST.
THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS
AMENDED (THE “ACT”), OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE SOLD OR TRANSFERRED IN THE
ABSENCE OF EITHER (1) AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES
LAWS OR (2) AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION THEREUNDER.”
Section 4.2 Notices. Any notice, request, instruction or other document to be given hereunder by a party hereto shall be in writing and shall be
deemed to have been given, (a) when received if delivered in person or by courier or a courier service, (b) on the date of transmission if sent by facsimile or
other wire transmission, or (c) three days after being deposited in the U.S. mail, certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, in each case addressed as set
forth on the signature pages hereto or to such other address as a party hereto may designate for itself by notice given as herein provided. Whenever this
DPY Agreement requires notice to be given, or requires an action to be taken, as of a certain date, such notice or action shall be deemed to have been
timely given or taken if such notice is given or such action is taken prior to the date called for by the other provisions of this DPY Agreement.
Section 4.3 Arbitration.
(a) Any claim, dispute or controversy of whatever nature arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other agreements contemplated
hereunder, including any dispute or controversy relating to the validity,
5
enforceability or applicability of this Section 4.3(a), as well as any action or claim based on tort, contract or statute (including any claims of breach), or
concerning the interpretation, effect, termination, validity, performance and/or breach of this Agreement (“Claim”), shall be resolved by final and binding
arbitration (“Arbitration”) before a single arbitrator (the “Arbitrator”) selected from and administered by the American Arbitration Association or its
successor (the “AAA”) in accordance with its then-existing arbitration rules or procedures regarding commercial or business disputes. The Arbitrator
appointed to serve must be a neutral and impartial individual. The Arbitration shall be held in Illinois or such other jurisdiction as determined by the DPY
Stockholders holding the then majority of interest, in their sole discretion, which determination shall be binding on all parties.
(b) The Arbitrator shall, within fifteen (15) calendar days after the conclusion of the Arbitration hearing, issue a written award and
statement of decision describing the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based, including the calculation of any damages awarded. The
Arbitrator shall be authorized to award compensatory damages, but shall not be authorized (i) to award non-economic damages, such as for emotional
distress, pain and suffering or loss of consortium, (ii) to award punitive damages, or (iii) to reform, modify or materially change this Agreement or any
other agreements contemplated hereunder; provided that the damage limitations described in parts (i) and (ii) of this sentence shall not apply if such
damages are statutorily imposed. The Arbitrator also shall be authorized to grant any temporary, preliminary, or permanent equitable remedy or relief it
deems just and equitable and within the scope of this Agreement, including an injunction or order for specific performance. The decision of the Arbitrator
shall be final and binding.
(c) Each party shall bear its own attorneys’ fees, costs, and disbursements arising out of the Arbitration and shall pay an equal share of the
fees and costs of the AAA and the Arbitrator; provided that the Arbitrator shall be authorized to determine whether a party is the prevailing party, and if so,
to award to that prevailing party reimbursement for its reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs, and disbursements (including, for example, expert witness fees and
expenses, photocopy charges, travel expenses, etc.) and/or the fees and costs of the AAA and the Arbitrator. Absent the filing of an application to correct or
vacate the Arbitration award under applicable law, each party shall fully perform and satisfy the Arbitration award within fifteen (15) calendar days of the
service of the award.
(d) By agreeing to this binding arbitration provision, the parties understand that they are waiving certain rights and protections, which may
otherwise be available if a Claim between the parties were determined by litigation in court, including the right to seek or obtain certain types of damages
precluded by this Section 4.3(d), the right to a jury trial, certain rights of appeal, and a right to invoke formal rules of procedure and evidence. BY
EXECUTING THIS AGREEMENT, EACH PARTY HEREBY WAIVES AND COVENANTS NOT TO ASSERT THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT
TO TRIAL BY JURY OF ANY DISPUTES RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT AND/OR THE ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF A PARTY HERETO
THEREUNDER, WHETHER ARISING IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE ARISING OUT OF, CONNECTED WITH, OR RELATED OR
INCIDENTAL TO, THE TRANSACTION GIVING RISE TO THIS AGREEMENT. EACH MEMBER HEREBY WAIVES ANY RIGHTS TO
PROCEED BY WAY OF A CLASS ACTION, TO SERVE IN ANY REPRESENTATIVE CAPACITY FOR OTHERS, OR TO ACT AS A PRIVATE
ATTORNEY GENERAL IN ANY CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH, OUT OF OR WITH RESPECT TO THIS
AGREEMENT, INCLUDING WITH RESPECT TO ANY BREACH, TERMINATION, AMENDMENT, ENFORCEMENT, INTERPRETATION,
VALIDITY, OR OTHERWISE. THE WAIVERS CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE BINDING UPON THE RESPECTIVE SUCCESSORS AND
ASSIGNS OF SUCH PARTIES AND UPON ALL PERSONS AND ENTITIES ASSERTING RIGHTS OR CLAIMS OR OTHERWISE ACTING ON
BEHALF OF A PARTY, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.
Section 4.4 Binding Effect. This DPY Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of each of the parties hereto and their respective
heirs, legal representatives, executors, successors and permitted assigns.
Section 4.5 Captions. The captions in this DPY Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed to alter or affect any
provision hereof or interpretation hereof.
Section 4.6 Counterparts. This DPY Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of
which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
6
Section 4.7 Applicable Law. This DPY Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware
without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of law thereof.
Section 4.8 Assignment. Neither this DPY Agreement nor any right or obligation hereunder is assignable in whole or in part, whether by operation
of law or otherwise, by any party hereto except (a) with the prior written consent of each of the other parties and (b) assignments made pursuant to, and in
accordance with, the other terms of this DPY Agreement in connection with Transfers of shares of Class B Stock made in accordance with the terms of this
DPY Agreement.
Section 4.9 Waivers. The failure of any party hereto at any time or times to require performance of any provision hereof will in no way affect its
right at a later time to require the performance of that provision. No waiver by any party of any condition or of any breach of any term or condition
contained in this DPY Agreement will be effective unless in writing. No waiver in any one or more instances will be deemed to be a further or continuing
waiver of any condition or breach in any other instance or waiver of any other condition or breach.
Section 4.10 Specific Performance. The parties acknowledge that monetary damages will be insufficient for a breach of many of the provisions of
this DPY Agreement. Therefore, each party agrees that, upon a breach of any provision of this DPY Agreement, the nondefaulting party(ies) may sue for
and obtain an injunction or specific performance of such provision in any appropriate court.
Section 4.11 Entire Understanding. This DPY Agreement sets forth the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto and supersedes any
and all prior agreements, arrangements and understandings among the parties regarding the subject matter hereof.
Section 4.12 Severability. If any provision of this DPY Agreement shall be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality or
enforceability of the other provisions hereof shall not be affected thereby, and there shall be deemed substituted for the provision at issue a valid, legal and
enforceable provision as similar as possible to the provision at issue.
Section 4.13 Amendments. This DPY Agreement may be amended only by written agreement signed by the DPY Stockholders holding three-
fourths of the aggregate number of shares of Class B Stock held by the DPY Stockholders.
Section 4.14 Termination of Agreement. This DPY Agreement shall terminate upon an agreement to terminate this DPY Agreement by the written
consent of the DPY Stockholders holding three-fourths of the aggregate number of shares of Class B Stock held by the DPY Stockholders, or, as to any
DPY Stockholder, when such DPY Stockholder ceases to be a DPY Stockholder due to the Transfer of all of such DPY Stockholder’s shares of Class B
Stock in accordance with this DPY Agreement.
[REST OF PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK; SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
7
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this DPY Agreement to be executed and delivered effective as of the date first above
written.
DPY STOCKHOLDERS:
Phillip D. Yeager 2015 GST Trust
By:
Name:
Its:
/s/ David P. Yeager
David P. Yeager
Trustee
Laura C. Yeager 2015 GST Trust
By:
Name:
Its:
/s/ David P. Yeager
David P. Yeager
Trustee
Matthew D. Yeager 2015 GST Trust
By:
Name:
Its:
/s/ David P. Yeager
David P. Yeager
Trustee
David P. Yeager Nonexempt Trust Created Under the
Phillip C. Yeager 1994 Trust
By:
Name:
Its:
/s/ David P. Yeager
David P. Yeager
Trustee
/s/ David P. Yeager
David P. Yeager
/s/ Matthew D. Yeager
Matthew D. Yeager
/s/ Phillip D. Yeager
Phillip D. Yeager
/s/ Laura Y. Grusecki
Laura Y. Grusecki
8
FORM OF JOINDER TO DPY STOCKHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT A
The undersigned is executing and delivering this joinder (the “Joinder”) pursuant to the DPY Stockholders’ Agreement, dated as of February 22,
2023 (as the same may hereafter be amended, the “DPY Stockholders’ Agreement”), by and among (i) Matthew D. Yeager 2015 GST Trust, (ii) Laura C.
Yeager 2015 GST Trust, (iii) Phillip D. Yeager 2015 GST Trust, (iv) David P. Yeager Nonexempt Trust Created Under the Phillip C. Yeager 1994 Trust, (v)
David P. Yeager, (vi) Phillip D. Yeager, (vii) Matthew D. Yeager and (viii) Laura Y. Grusecki.
By executing and delivering this Joinder to the DPY Stockholders’ Agreement, the undersigned hereby agrees to become a party to, to be bound by,
and to comply with the provisions of the DPY Stockholders’ Agreement as a DPY Stockholder (as defined in the DPY Stockholders’ Agreement) in the
same manner as if the undersigned were an original signatory to the DPY Stockholders’ Agreement.
Date: _______________, 20__
[__________________]
By:
Name:
Title:
[____________________]
[_______________]
9
Subsidiaries of Hub Group, Inc.
SUBSIDIARIES
Hub City Terminals, Inc.
Hub Group Atlanta, LLC
Hub Group Associates, Inc.
Hub Chicago Holdings, Inc.
Hub Group Transport, LLC
Hub Freight Services, Inc.
Hub Group Trucking, Inc.
HGNA Group de Mexico, S. de RL de C.V.
Hub Group Canada Inc.
Hub Group Dedicated, LLC
Hub Group Global, LLC
Hub Group, LLC
Quality Services, LLC
Hub Group Trucking California, LLC
Choptank Transport, LLC
Choptank Leasing, LLC
PJ Assurance, Inc.
TAGG Holdco, LLC
TAGG Logistics, LLC
LeSaint Logistics, LLC
TAGG Nevada, LLC
HGI Hub City Technologies Private Limited
Hub Group Final Mile, LLC
FFM, LLC
EXHIBIT 21
JURISDICTION OF INCORPORATION/ORGANIZATION
Delaware
Delaware
Illinois
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Mexico
Ontario
Delaware
Illinois
Delaware
Missouri
Delaware
Delaware
Maryland
Vermont
Missouri
Missouri
Missouri
Missouri
India
Tennessee
Tennessee
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
EXHIBIT 23.1
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the following Registration Statements:
1.
2.
3.
Registration Statement Form S-8 No. 333-218509 pertaining to the Hub Group, Inc. 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan,
Registration Statement Form S-8 No. 333-265830 pertaining to the Hub Group, Inc. 2022 Long-Term Incentive Plan, and
Registration Statement Form S-8 No. 333-107745 pertaining to the Hub Group Employee Profit Sharing Plan and Trust;
of our reports dated February 27, 2024, with respect to the consolidated financial statements and schedule of Hub Group, Inc., and the effectiveness of internal control over
financial reporting of Hub Group, Inc., included in this Annual Report (Form 10-K) of Hub Group, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2023.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Chicago, Illinois
February 27, 2024
EXHIBIT 31.1
I, Phillip D. Yeager, certify that:
CERTIFICATION
1)
2)
3)
4)
I have reviewed this report on Form 10-K of Hub Group, Inc.;
Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in
light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition,
results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a)
b)
c)
d)
designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that
material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
during the period in which this report is being prepared;
designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to
provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles;
evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the
disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter
that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting and;
5)
The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors
and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):
a)
b)
all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to
adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over
financial reporting.
Date: February 27, 2024
/s/ Phillip D. Yeager
Name:
Title:
Phillip D. Yeager
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and
Chief Executive Officer
EXHIBIT 31.2
I, Kevin W. Beth, certify that:
CERTIFICATION
1)
2)
3)
4)
I have reviewed this report on Form 10-K of Hub Group, Inc.;
Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in
light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition,
results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a)
b)
c)
d)
designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that
material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
during the period in which this report is being prepared;
designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to
provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles;
evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the
disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter
that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting and;
5) The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors
and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):
a)
b)
all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to
adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over
financial reporting.
Date: February 27, 2024
/s/ Kevin W. Beth
Name:
Title:
Kevin W. Beth
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial
Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial and
Accounting Officer)
Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
EXHIBIT 32.1
The following statement is provided by the undersigned to accompany the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 of Hub Group, Inc. pursuant
to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C. 1350) and shall not be deemed filed pursuant to any provision of the Exchange Act of 1934 or any other
securities law.
Each of the undersigned certifies that the foregoing Report on Form 10-K fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15
U.S.C. 78m) and that the information contained in the Form 10-K fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Hub Group, Inc.
Date: February 27, 2024
/s/Phillip D. Yeager
Phillip D. Yeager
/s/Kevin W. Beth
Kevin W. Beth
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal
Financial and Accounting Officer)
Effective as of November 30, 2023
HUB GROUP, INC. (THE “COMPANY”)
COMPENSATION CLAWBACK POLICY
1.
Purpose
The Company has adopted this Policy in part to comply with Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform
and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, as codified by Section 10D of the Exchange Act, and Nasdaq Listing Rule
5608, which require the recovery of certain forms of executive compensation in the case of accounting
restatements resulting from a material error in an issuer’s financial statements or material noncompliance with
financial reporting requirements under the federal securities laws.
2.
Administration
This Policy shall be administered by the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board, and any
determinations made by the Committee shall be final and binding on all affected individuals.
The Committee is authorized to interpret this Policy and to make all determinations necessary or advisable for
the administration of this Policy and for the Company’s compliance with the requirements of Section 10D of the
Exchange Act and any applicable rules or standards adopted by the SEC and Nasdaq.
3.
Definitions
For purposes of this Policy, the following capitalized terms shall have the meanings set forth below.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
“Acknowledgement Form” shall mean the acknowledgment form attached hereto as Annex A.
“Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Clawback Eligible Incentive-based Compensation” means all Incentive-based
Compensation received by Covered Executives (i) after beginning service as a Covered
Executive, (ii) who served as a Covered Executive at any time during the performance period for
such Incentive-based Compensation, and (iii) during the three completed fiscal years
immediately preceding a Restatement Date.
“Covered Executive” shall mean each individual who is currently or was previously designated
as an “officer” of the Company as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act.
“Erroneously Awarded Compensation” shall mean, with respect to each Covered Executive in
connection with a Restatement, the amount of Clawback Eligible Incentive-based Compensation
that exceeds the amount of Incentive-based Compensation that would have been received by the
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Effective as of November 30, 2023
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
l)
Covered Executive had it been determined based on the restated amounts, without regard to any
taxes paid by the Covered Executive.
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Financial Reporting Measures” shall mean measures that are determined and presented in
accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial statements,
and any measures that are derived wholly or in part from such measures. Stock price, diluted
earnings per share, EBITDA, gross margin, and total shareholder return shall also constitute
“Financial Reporting Measures.” A Financial Reporting Measure need not be presented within the
Company’s financial statements or included in a filing with the SEC.
“Incentive-based Compensation” shall mean any compensation that is granted, earned, or
vested based wholly or in part upon the attainment of a Financial Reporting Measure. Incentive-
based Compensation shall be deemed to have been received during the fiscal period in which the
Financial Reporting Measure specified in the Incentive-based Compensation award is attained,
even if such Incentive-based Compensation is paid or granted after the end of such fiscal period.
For the avoidance of doubt, Incentive-based Compensation does not include annual salary,
compensation awarded based on completion of a specified period of service, or compensation
awarded based on subjective standards, strategic measures, or operational measures.
“Nasdaq” shall mean the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC.
“Policy” shall mean this compensation clawback policy, as may be amended or restated from
time to time.
“Restatement” shall mean an accounting restatement due to material noncompliance by the
Company with any financial reporting requirement under the federal securities laws, including
any required accounting restatement to correct an error in previously issued financial statements
that is material to the previously issued financial statements, or that would result in a material
misstatement if the error were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current
period.
“Restatement Date” shall be the earlier of (i) the date the Board, a committee of the Board, or
the Company’s management if Board action is not required, concludes, or reasonably should
have concluded, that the Company is required to prepare a Restatement or (ii) the date a court,
regulator, or other legally authorized body directs the Company to prepare a Restatement.
m)
“SEC” shall mean the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Effective as of November 30, 2023
4.
Effective Date
This Policy was adopted by the Board as of November 30, 2023, and shall apply to Incentive-based
Compensation that is received on or after October 2, 2023.
5.
Mandatory Recovery
In the event the Company is required to prepare a Restatement, the Company shall, as promptly as reasonably
possible, recover any Erroneously Awarded Compensation. For Incentive-based Compensation based on stock
price or total shareholder return, the Committee shall determine the amount of Erroneously Awarded
Compensation based on a reasonable estimate of the effect of the Restatement on the stock price or total
shareholder return upon which the Incentive-based Compensation was received, and the Company shall
document such reasonable estimate and provide such documentation to Nasdaq.
Subsequent changes in a Covered Executive’s employment status, including retirement or termination of
employment, do not affect the Company’s rights to recover Erroneously Awarded Compensation pursuant to this
Policy.
The Committee shall determine, in its sole discretion, the method of recovering any Erroneously Awarded
Compensation pursuant to this Policy. Such methods may include: (i) direct recovery by reimbursement; (ii)
set-off against future compensation; (iii) forfeiture of equity awards; (iv) set-off or cancelation against planned
future awards; (v) forfeiture of deferred compensation (subject to compliance with the Internal Revenue Code
and related regulations); and (vi) any other recovery action approved by the Committee and permitted under
applicable law.
To the extent that a Covered Executive fails to repay all Erroneously Awarded Compensation to the Company
when due, the Company shall take all actions reasonable and appropriate to recover such Erroneously Awarded
Compensation from the applicable Covered Executive. The applicable Covered Executive shall be required to
reimburse the Company for any and all expenses reasonably incurred (including legal fees) by the Company in
recovering such Erroneously Awarded Compensation.
6.
Discretionary Recovery
In addition to the other rights and responsibilities under this Policy, in the event of a Restatement, the
Committee will review the facts and circumstance that led to the requirement for the Restatement and will take
such additional actions as it deems necessary or appropriate regarding any current or former employee of the
Company (i) at the level of VP or higher (including Covered Executives) or (ii) with day-to-day responsibility for
the preparation of the Company’s financial statements, considering the culpability of any such person regarding
the Restatement and whether such acts or omissions constituted misconduct.
The actions the Committee may elect to take against any such person, depending on all the facts and
circumstances as determined during their review, could include (i) the
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Effective as of November 30, 2023
recoupment of all or part of any bonus or other compensation paid to such person, (ii) disciplinary actions, up
to and including termination, and (iii) the pursuit of other available remedies including legal action.
7.
Impracticability
The Committee shall recover any Erroneously Awarded Compensation in accordance with this Policy unless such
recovery would be impracticable, as determined by the Committee in accordance with Rule 10D-1 under the
Exchange Act and the listing standards of Nasdaq.
8.
No Indemnification
The Company shall not indemnify any current or former Covered Executive against the loss of Erroneously
Awarded Compensation, and shall not pay, or reimburse any Covered Executives, for any insurance policy to
fund such executive’s potential recovery obligations.
9.
Acknowledgment
Each Covered Executive shall sign and return to the Company an Acknowledgement Form, pursuant to which
the Covered Executive agrees to be bound by, and to comply with, the terms and conditions of this Policy. For
the avoidance of doubt, each Covered Executive will be fully bound by the Policy whether or not such Covered
Executive has executed and returned such Acknowledgment Form to the Company.
10.
Amendment
The Committee may amend this Policy from time to time in its discretion and shall amend this Policy as it
deems necessary to reflect the regulations adopted by the SEC and to comply with any rules or standards
adopted by Nasdaq or such other national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are then
listed.
11.
Other Recoupment Rights
Any right of recoupment under this Policy is in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other rights of recoupment or
remedies that may be available to the Company pursuant to the terms of any employment agreement, equity
award agreement, similar agreement, or policy and any other legal remedies available to the Company.
12.
Successors
This Policy shall be binding and enforceable against all Covered Executives and, to the extent required by
applicable law or guidance from the SEC or Nasdaq, their administrators, beneficiaries, executors, heirs, or
other legal representatives.
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Effective as of November 30, 2023
13.
Venue
All actions arising out of or relating to this Policy shall be brought and determined exclusively in the Court of
Chancery of the State of Delaware or, in the event that such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction
over such action, in any state or federal court within the State of Delaware.
14.
Governing Law
This Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware,
without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any
other jurisdiction).
* * * * *
5
Effective as of November 30, 2023
Annex A
HUB GROUP, INC.
COMPENSATION CLAWBACK POLICY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM
By signing below, the undersigned acknowledges and confirms that the undersigned has received and reviewed
a copy of the Hub Group, Inc. (the “Company”) Compensation Clawback Policy (the “Policy”). Capitalized
terms used but not defined in this Acknowledgement Form (this “Acknowledgement Form”) shall have the
meanings set forth in the Policy.
By signing this Acknowledgement Form, the undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the undersigned is and
will continue to be subject to the Policy and that the Policy will apply both during and after the undersigned’s
employment with the Company. Further, by signing below, the undersigned agrees to abide by the terms of the
Policy, including by returning any Incentive-based Compensation subject to recovery under the Policy to the
Company to the extent required by, and in a manner consistent with, the Policy.
Signature:
Name:
Date:
6