Quarterlytics / Industrials / Trucking / Marten Transport, Ltd. / FY2022 Annual Report

Marten Transport, Ltd.
Annual Report 2022

MRTN · NASDAQ Industrials
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Ticker MRTN
Exchange NASDAQ
Sector Industrials
Industry Trucking
Employees 3776
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FY2022 Annual Report · Marten Transport, Ltd.
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MARTEN TRANSPORT, LTD. 

2022 Annual Report

Who We Are

Marten  Transport,  Ltd .,  with  headquarters  in  Mondovi, 
Wisconsin,  strives  to  be  the  premier  supplier  of  time  and 
temperature-sensitive  and  dry  transportation  and  distribution 
services to customers in the United States, Mexico and Canada . 
Our multifaceted business offers a network of truck-based trans-
portation capabilities across our five distinct business platforms .

Truckload  –  regional  and  over-the-road  fleets,  both  tempera-
ture-controlled and dry van, operating from Marten’s 15 regional 
operating centers .

Dedicated  –  customized  solutions  tailored  to  each  individual 
customer’s  requirements  utilizing  refrigerated  trailers,  dry  vans 
and other specialized equipment .

Intermodal  –  refrigerated  COFC  (container  on  flatcar)  and 
refrigerated TOFC (trailer on flatcar) services, providing the econ-
omies and energy efficiencies of long-haul rail transportation with 
extended door-to-door support from Marten’s truck network .

Brokerage – surge flexibility to supplement Marten’s capabilities 
through temperature-controlled and dry van services provided by 
smaller third-party carriers .

MRTN  de  México  –  industry-leading  door-to-door  tempera-
ture-controlled  and  dry  van  services  between  Mexico,  the  U .S . 
and Canada utilizing our Mexican partner carriers within Mexico .

We  will  accomplish  our  mission  by  exceeding  the  expectations 
of our customers, employees, stockholders and society . We serve 
customers  with  demanding  delivery  deadlines,  as  well  as  those 
who  ship  products  requiring  modern  temperature-controlled 
trailers to protect goods .

Founded  in  1946,  we  have  been  a  public  company  since  1986 .  
Our  common  stock  trades  on  the  NASDAQ  Global  Select 
Market  under  the  symbol  MRTN .  At  December  31,  2022,  we 
employed  4,575  people,  including  drivers,  office  personnel  and 
mechanics .

Three-Year Financial Summary

(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) 
FOR THE YEAR

Operating revenue  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .
Operating income  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .
Net income  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .
Operating ratio(1)  
  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .
Operating ratio, net of fuel surcharges(2)  

 .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .  

Years ended December 31, 
2021 

2020

2022 

  $ 1,263,878 
 143,344 
 110,354 

$ 973,644 
 111,689 
  85,428 

$ 874,374 
  93,246 
  69,500 

88.7% 
86.4% 

88 .5% 
87 .0% 

89 .3% 
88 .2% 

PER-SHARE DATA 

Basic earnings per common share  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .   $ 
Diluted earnings per common share  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .  
Dividends declared per common share   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .  
Book value  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .  

1.35 
1.35 
 0.24 
8.68 

$ 

1 .03 
1 .02 
0 .66 
7 .85 

$ 

0 .84 
0 .84 
  0 .633 
7 .50 

AT YEAR END

Total assets .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  
Long-term debt   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  
Stockholders’ equity .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .  

$  965,679 
– 
 703,919 

$ 870,690 
– 
 651,677 

$ 831,636
– 
 620,333 

(1) Represents operating expenses as a percentage of operating revenue .

(2)  Represents operating expenses as a percentage of operating revenue, with both amounts net of fuel surcharges . 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
To Our Stockholders and Employees

We  are  able  once  again  to  use  some  of  our  favorite  words  in 
Operating Income
describing our 2022 results: Growth. Consistent. Best-ever. And, 
(in millions)
we  are  adding  one  entirely  new  one  for  Marten  Transport:  
Billion. We surpassed the one-billion-dollar mark in operating 
revenue by more than a quarter of a million dollars in 2022 on 
the  way  to  our  best-ever  results  in  virtually  every  key  perfor-
mance category:

$120

$120

$150

$150

$111.7

$93.2
$90

$111.7

$93.2

•    Operating income was the highest in our 77-year history 
by a wide margin, increasing by 28 .3% in 2022 on top of 
$70.3
increases of 19 .8% in 2021, 21 .9% in 2020, 8 .7% in 2019 
and 23 .7% in 2018—each a best-ever performance at the 
time .

$60

$90

$30

•   Net income improved by 29 .2%, our fifth consecutive dou-
ble-digit percentage increase in annual earnings, excluding 
a deferred income taxes benefit in 2017 .

$0

$76.5

$76.5

$70.3

$60

$30

$0

2018   2019   2020   2021   2022

2018   2019   2020   2021   2022

Operating Income
(in millions)

Operating Ratio
Operating Ratio
(Operating expenses as a percentage of 
(Operating expenses as a percentage of 
operating revenue, net of fuel surcharges)
operating revenue, net of fuel surcharges)

$143.3

$143.3

95%

95%

90%

89.7%

89.7%

90%

89.7%

89.7%

88.2%

88.2%

87.0%

86.4%

87.0%

86.4%

85%

85%

80%

80%

2018   2019   2020   2021   2022

2018   2019   2020   2021   2022

•   Our operating ratio, net of fuel surcharges, in 2022 marked 
the third consecutive year with our then-best ratio since we 
became a public company in 1986 .

2022 Financial Results

Operating revenue improved 29 .8% to a record $1 .264 billion 
from  $973 .6  million  for  2021 .  Operating  revenue,  net  of  fuel 
surcharges, improved for the twelfth consecutive year, up 23 .1% 
to $1 .053 billion from $855 .9 million for 2021 .

Operating income improved 28 .3% to a record $143 .3 million 
for  2022  from  $111 .7  million  for  2021 .  Our  2022  operating 
ratio (operating expenses as a percentage of operating revenue) 
was  88 .7%,  compared  with  88 .5%  for  2021 .  Our  ratio,  net  of 
fuel surcharges, improved to 86 .4% from 87 .0% for 2021 . 

Net income for 2022 was $110 .4 million, or $1 .35 per diluted 
share, up 29 .2% from $85 .4 million, or $1 .02 per diluted share, 
for 2021 .

A Process, Not an Event

The  common  denominator  in  Marten’s  consistent  profitable 
growth—year  after  year—has  been  the  disciplined  execution 
by our bright and talented people of a unique business model 
featuring  our  multifaceted  business  platform .  The  model  has 
guided our transition from a centralized long-haul refrigerated 
carrier  to  a  growing  national  network  of  refrigerated  and  dry 
truck-based transportation capabilities .  

In  the  words  of  John  P .  Kotter,  Harvard  professor  emeritus 
widely  recognized  as  a  leading  voice  on  business  leadership 
and change, “Transformation is a process, not an event.” Ours is 
a transition that was planned and launched more than a dozen 
years ago—and continues with the unceasing reshaping of our 
operations in response to a constantly changing and expanding 
marketplace . In our 2009 annual report to stockholders—very 
early in the transition—we described what we had launched as 

“a  transformation  that  promises  to  expand  our  base  for  prof-
itable  growth  over  the  long  term,  while  providing  immediate 
advantages .” We have more than lived up to that promise .

Our  multifaceted  approach  has  produced  five  distinct  but 
complementary business platforms operating across 15 regional 
centers:  Truckload,  Dedicated,  Intermodal,  Brokerage  and 
MRTN  de  México .  Each  of  the  five  platforms  contributed  a 
double-digit percentage increase in both operating revenue and 
operating income in 2022 . 

Truckload—For  2022,  Truckload  revenue  was  $500 .5  mil-
lion,  up  26 .2%  from  $396 .7  million  for  2021 .  Excluding  fuel 
surcharges,  Truckload  revenue  was  $411 .4  million,  up  18 .8% 
from  $346 .3  million  for  2021 .  Average  revenue,  net  of  fuel 
surcharges, per tractor per week—a main measure of Truckload 
asset productivity—improved by 13 .5% from 2021 . Operating 
income  was  $59 .4  million,  an  increase  of  16 .4%  from  $51 .0 
million  for  2021 .  The  2022  Truckload  operating  ratio  was 
88 .1%,  and  the  operating  ratio,  net  of  fuel  surcharges,  was 
85 .6% . 

Part  of  our  vision  for  a  growing  network  of  regional  centers 
was  the  potential  for  expansion  into  the  much  larger  dry  van 
market .  We  are  now  turning  that  potential  into  additional 
profitable growth, operating out of our Kansas City, Phoenix, 
Atlanta and Tampa facilities, and expanding our dry van oper-
ations into Mexico through our Dallas, Laredo and Otay Mesa 
facilities beginning in the first half of 2022 . Dry van operating 
revenue  increased  by  43 .3%  for  the  year  on  top  of  a  26 .4% 
increase in 2021 .

Dedicated—Dedicated  revenue  increased  30 .2%  to  $429 .1 
million  from  $329 .4  million  for  2021 .  Excluding  fuel  sur-
charges, Dedicated revenue improved 21 .7% to $337 .0 million 
from  $276 .9  million  for  2021 .  Operating  income  improved 
38 .9% to $50 .6 million from $36 .4 million for 2021 . The 2022 

MARTEN TRANSPORT 2022 ANNUAL REPORT

Dedicated operating ratio was 88 .2%, and the operating ratio, 
net of fuel surcharges, was 85 .0% . 

Marten’s  Dedicated  platform  received  more  honors  in  2022 . 
Marten  was  named  the  Dedicated  Carrier  of  the  Year  by 
Coca-Cola, and the North American Platinum Carrier of the 
Year by Chemours Company for the second year in a row . The 
Chemours award recognized Marten for showcasing depend-
ability  and  commitment  in  the  transportation  of  specialty 
chemicals  with  more  than  99%  on-time  pick-up  and  delivery 
rates . 

Intermodal—Intermodal  revenue  grew  by  26 .9%  to  $129 .8 
million from $102 .2 million for 2021 . Excluding fuel surcharg-
es,  2022  Intermodal  revenue  was  $100 .5  million,  up  14 .8% 
from  $87 .5  million  for  2021 .  Operating  income  improved 
12 .2% to $10 .6 million from $9 .5 million for 2021 . The 2022 
Intermodal operating ratio was 91 .8%, and the operating ratio, 
net of fuel surcharges, was 89 .4% . 

Brokerage—Brokerage  revenue  increased  by  40 .8%  to  $204 .6 
million  from  $145 .3  million  for  2021 .  Brokerage  operating 
income  was  $22 .7  million,  up  53 .9%  from  $14 .8  million  for 
2021 . The 2022 Brokerage operating ratio was 88 .9% . 

MRTN de México — Operating profitably within our Truckload 
and  Brokerage  segments,  MRTN  de  México  increased  its 
operating  revenue  by  45 .5%  to  $99 .3  million  for  2022  from 
$68 .2  million  for  2021 .  This  business  offers  our  customers 
door-to-door  service  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico 
utilizing  our  Mexican  partner  carriers  within  Mexico .  In 
February  2022,  we  added  dry  van  service  to  our  established 
offering of temperature-controlled freight solutions . 

Continuous Improvement

Marten’s  multifaceted  business  platform  is  unique  in  our 
industry—regional  in  structure,  national  in  scope,  interna-
tional  in  reach .  We  created  a  foundation  for  it  through  the 
development of our network of regional centers in combination 
with the matching development of the talent needed to make 
it  work .  It’s  a  combination  that  has  given  us  the  operational 
flexibility and resilience to produce consistent profitable growth 
regardless of economic and market conditions . It enables us to 
provide the best, most-efficient transportation services for our 
customers as we grow and change with them .

The Marten team is unrelenting in its drive for continuous cost 
and productivity improvements . The emphasis on continuous 
improvement is part of our culture—a no excuses, get-it-done 
mind-set  focused  on  working  smart  and  hard  as  a  team .  We 
have a data-driven mentality supported by an in-house, state-
of-the-art information technology system providing real-time 
visibility of the data needed to make fast decisions in the midst 
of churning market developments . It is one of our competitive 
advantages .  Effective  teamwork  requires  an  information-rich 

MARTEN TRANSPORT 2022 ANNUAL REPORT

working  environment .  As  Walmart  founder  Sam  Walton 
observed about employees’ need for information, “The more they 
know, the more they’ll understand. The more they understand, the 
more they’ll care. Once they care, there’s no stopping them.” Marten 
people care .

A  crucial  part  of  the  Marten  team  is  the  finest  professional 
driver  group  in  the  industry .  Unlike  the  other  major  carriers, 
we  hire  only  experienced  drivers .  We  have  confronted  the 
nation’s critical driver shortage in multiple ways . In addition to 
industry-leading  compensation,  benefits,  and  technology,  we 
have placed an emphasis on structurally improving our drivers’ 
jobs and work-life balance . Our regional and dedicated infra-
structure offers our drivers more attractive route options, more 
time at home . Their equipment is the safest available . We pay 
them for shutting down in inclement weather . Nothing is more 
important  than  the  safety  of  our  drivers .  While  the  national 
driver shortage remains a worrisome problem, we began 2023 
with 425 more of the industry’s top drivers than we employed 
at the beginning of 2022 .

Our fleet of tractors as of December 31, 2022 grew to 3,660, 
up 14 .2% from 3,204 at the close of 2021 . To help reduce our 
carbon  footprint,  among  other  measures,  we  have  continued 
our solar commitment with the installation of solar panels on 
our tractor fleet along with at each of our 15 regional operating 
centers .  

The  effectiveness  of  our  multifaceted  business  strategy  and 
the  intense  pursuit  of  continuous  improvement  by  Marten’s 
people are clearly reflected in the consistency of our profitable 
growth across an extended period of widely varying operating 
conditions . We’ve had five consecutive years of record growth 
in both operating revenue and operating income—through the 
worst-ever driver shortage and the pandemic’s unprecedented 
disruption . We believe our organic expansion throughout 2022 
signals healthy momentum for continued profitable growth in 
2023 .   

Sincerely,

Randolph L . Marten 
Executive Chairman of the Board  

February 14, 2023

This  Annual  Report  contains  forward-looking  statements  that  involve  risks  and 
uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those projected. Please 
refer to the “Risk Factors” section in Item 1A of the attached Form 10-K.

 
Corporate Information

Corporate Headquarters

129 Marten Street
Mondovi, Wisconsin 54755
Telephone: (715) 926-4216
Fax: (715) 926-4530
www .marten .com

Stockholder Information

Additional copies of our 2022 Annual Report on Form 
10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
are available by writing to James J . Hinnendael, executive 
vice president and chief financial officer, at our corporate 
headquarters .

Annual Meeting

Stockholders, employees and friends may attend our annual 
meeting on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at 2:00 p .m . at the Roger 
Marten Community Center, 120 South Franklin Street, 
Mondovi, Wisconsin .

Stock Listing

NASDAQ Global Select Market symbol: MRTN

Legal Counsel

Fox Rothschild LLP 
33 South Sixth Street, Suite 3600 
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Grant Thornton LLP
200 South Sixth Street, Suite 1400 
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

Computershare Shareowner Services 

Stockholder correspondence mailing address: 
P .O . Box 43078
Providence, RI 02940-3078 

Overnight correspondence address: 
150 Royall Street, Suite 101
Canton, MA 02021 

Telephone: (866) 637-5412 
TDD: (800) 231-5469 
Foreign: (201) 680-6578 
www .computershare .com/investor 

Stockholder online inquiries: 
www-us .computershare .com/investor/contact 

Direct communications about stock certificates or a change 
of address to Computershare Shareowner Services .

MARTEN TRANSPORT 2022 ANNUAL REPORT

Executive Officers and Directors

Randolph L. Marten
Executive Chairman of the Board and Director

Timothy M. Kohl
Chief Executive Officer

Douglas P. Petit
President

James J. Hinnendael
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 

Patrick J. Pazderka
Secretary
Partner,
Fox Rothschild LLP 
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Larry B. Hagness
Director
Chief Executive Officer, 
Durand Builders Service, Inc .
Durand, Wisconsin

Thomas J. Winkel
Director
Management Consultant
Pewaukee, Wisconsin

Jerry M. Bauer
Director
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, 
Bauer Built, Inc . 
Durand, Wisconsin 

Robert L. Demorest
Director
Business Consultant and Retired President,
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board,
MOCON, Inc .
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Ronald R. Booth
Director
Retired Partner,
KPMG LLP
Dellwood, Minnesota 

Kathleen P. Iverson
Director
Retired President, Chief Executive Officer and  
Chairman of the Board, 
CyberOptics Corporation 
Chanhassen, Minnesota 

Patricia L. Jones
Director
Founder and Chief Executive Officer,
Culture Circus LLC
Minneapolis, Minnesota

The 2022 Annual Report is printed on recycled paper.

MARTEN TRANSPORT 2022 ANNUAL REPORT

MARTEN TRANSPORT, LTD.  129 MARTEN STREET   MONDOVI, WISCONSIN 54755   TELEPHONE: (715) 926-4216   FAX: (715) 926-4530   www.marten.com