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Werner Enterprises

wern · NASDAQ Industrials
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Ticker wern
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Sector Industrials
Industry Trucking
Employees 10,000+
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FY2020 Annual Report · Werner Enterprises
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2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Operating revenues

Net income*

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

 $2,372,178 

 $2,463,701 

 $2,457,914 

 $2,116,737 

$2,008,991  

 $169,078 

 $166,944 

 $168,148 

 $202,889 

$79,129

Diluted earnings per share*

 $2.44

 $2.38

 $2.33

 $2.80 

Cash dividends declared per share**

 $0.36 

 $4.11 

 $0.34 

 $0.27 

Return on average stockholders’ equity*

Operating ratio

Operating ratio - Truckload Segment

14.7%

90.4%

88.0%

14.6%

90.8%

89.4%

13.7%

90.9%

89.2%

19.5%

93.2%

91.6%

$1.09

$0.24

8.2%

93.7%

93.0%

Total assets

Total debt

$2,156,676  

 $2,143,864  

 $2,083,504  

 $1,807,991  

$1,793,003

 $200,000 

 $300,000 

 $125,000 

 $75,000 

$180,000

Stockholders’ equity*

 $1,195,040  

 $1,111,008  

 $1,264,753  

 $1,184,782  

$994,787

Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts

* 2017 includes the favorable impact of the non-cash reduction in deferred income tax expense of $111 million, or $1.52 per diluted share, 
 in fourth quarter 2017 due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

  ** 2019 includes a $3.75 per share special dividend declared in May 2019.

Total assets

Operating revenues

 2020

 $2,156,676

 2019

 $2,143,864  

 2018

 $2,083,504  

 2017

$1,807,991

 2016

$1,793,003

 2020

 $2,372,178  

 2019

 $2,463,701  

 2018

 $2,457,914  

 2017

$2,116,737

 2016

$2,008,991

Diluted earnings per share

 2020

 $2.44 

 2019

 $2.38  

 2018

 $2.33  

 2017

$2.80

 2016

$1.09

 
 
Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion Drive Us

At  Werner,  we  support  and  encourage  the  diverse 
voices  and  perspectives  of  our  associates,  our 
customers  and  our  suppliers.  Diversity  contributes 
to innovation and connects us to the many commu-
nities we serve. We commit to embrace these values
as we move toward an increasingly inclusive culture 
where every associate feels empowered to bring their 
whole self to Werner.

Core Values

Our  Core  Values  guide  the  policies,  strategies 
and  decisions  within  Werner,  and  we  take  them 
very  seriously.  Safety,  Service  and  Integrity  are  the 
framework of our Core Values. Safety is more than 
numbers  and  statistics;  it’s  people.  Service  is  our 
promise  of  delivering  an  exceptional  experience 
with every interaction. Integrity is being honest and 
accountable  always.  Supporting  this  framework 
are  our  pillars  of  Inclusion,  Community,  Innovation 
and  Leadership.  Inclusion  is  where  all  individuals 
are respected and valued for who they are and are 
essential to Werner’s success. Community is giving 
our  time  and  talent  to  build  stronger  communities. 
Innovation  is  cultivating  new  ideas  and  shifting 
them  into  action.  Leadership  is  empowering  and 
influencing others to be their best.

Industry Leader in Environmental, Health and Safety Impact

REDUCTION IN
ACCIDENTS

OVER 5-YEAR PERIOD

2.0

Batteries
tires
liquids

LIGHTING

AT ALL FACILITIES

average
truck
age

4.0

average trailer age

automated manual
transmissions

TRUCK AND TRAILER
tracking

Strong Foundation of Community and Stakeholder Engagement

140

ORGANIZATIONs
SUPPORTED BY WERNER

12%

NEARLY 2X NATIONAL AVG.

ETHNIC
DIVERSITY

21%

military
veterans

U.S. NON-DRIVERS
FEMALE AND/OR ETHNICALLY DIVERSE

ASSOCIATES
MANAGEMENT

Robust Corporate Governance Grounded in Ethics, Risk Management and Best Practices

FOR ALL MANAGEMENT AND ASSOCIATES

board

67 years average age

10 years average tenure

88% independent

25% diversity

n tie d   t

o
i
t
a

s

n

e

p

o   Compa

n

y

p

e

r
f
o
r
m
anc

m

Co

e

Operating Income
Revenues less FSC
Individual Performance

BOARD
SKILLS

Strategic Development  I  Risk Management
CEO Experience
Sales & Marketing

100% 
TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS

erner experienced a year 
like no other in 2020.

The  pandemic  caused  sudden,  dramatic  and  profound  changes 
in  our  personal  and  business  lives.    We  were  required  to  quickly 
adapt to the stress, uncertainty and volatility of changing business 
conditions. Werner associates demonstrated extraordinary resilience 
by safely and promptly delivering America’s freight. 

Our business model was challenged, and we came out stronger than ever.  At the same time, we 
announced several strategic initiatives to position Werner for future success.  

For the year 2020, our revenues declined 4% to $2.4 billion, net income increased 1% to $169 million 
and our diluted earnings per share increased 2% to $2.44.  Werner generated $180 million of free 
cash flow during 2020.  

While we operate in the trucking and logistics business, we are really in the service business.  The 5 T’s 
investment strategy that we began five years ago enables superior on-time service for our customers.  
Newer feature-rich trucks and trailers, elite and talented professional drivers, upgraded terminals and 
state-of-the-art technology provide the foundation for Werner excellence.    

Werner is built to thrive in any trucking or logistics cycle.  Our core strengths and sustainable competitive 
advantages support our strong consistent performance.  

We have a durable and diversified Dedicated, One-Way Truckload and Logistics revenue base with 
growing customers who are winning in their industries.  They value their supply chain as a competitive 
advantage, rather than managing it as a cost center.  

Werner owns and operates an industry-leading driver training school network to vertically integrate 
the development and sourcing of quality truck drivers.  Our growing Dedicated fleets have desirable 
driving positions with better pay and more frequent home time.   

Nothing we do is worth getting hurt or hurting others.  I am extremely proud that Werner professional 
drivers achieved safety excellence in 2020, producing the lowest accident per mile rate in the last 28 
years and the lowest work injury rate in the last 15 years.   

For many years, Werner maintained a dedicated focus on sustainability as a core component of our 
business strategy.  However, we didn’t talk much about our sustainability initiatives and achievements.  
Over  the  last  several  months,  we  formalized  and  communicated  our  environmental,  social  and 
governance  programs.  In  November,  we  published  a  comprehensive  overview  of  our  sustainability 
efforts  to  date,  where  we  are  on  our  ESG  journey  and  what  you  can  expect  from  Werner  going 
forward.  We established three significant ESG milestone goals to push ourselves to be an even better 
leader in corporate social responsibility.  

Nothing we do is worth getting hurt or hurting others.

Trucking and logistics are competitive businesses that are constantly developing and changing.  We 
must always be forward-looking and innovative to proactively invest for the future.  In recent months, 
we took the following strategic actions:

•  Converted our entire fleet to an untethered, tablet-based telematics solution that supports a safer 
and  more  efficient  driver  experience,  with  smart  workflow,  best-in-class  navigation,  improved 
safety features and reduced data entry.  

•  Announced  a  partnership  with,  and  investment  in,  Mastery  Logistics  Systems,  including  its 
Mastermind  transportation  management  system  (TMS)  solution  to  accelerate  our  supply  chain 
automation, visibility and productivity.

•  Made an equity investment in TuSimple, an autonomous trucking technology company, to take 
an active role in developing technologies that will enhance the lives of our professional drivers and 
customers.

65 years ago, our founder, first driver and chairman CL Werner began Werner Enterprises with one 
man and one truck.  CL has the uniquely rare combination of vision, skill, desire and entrepreneurial 
talent that enabled him to grow Werner to one of the nation’s largest and most successful truckload 
carriers.  As CL retires from our board of directors in May, our entire Werner team is forever in his debt 
for the legacy he built.

I would like to thank our professional drivers, mechanics and office associates for their hard work, 
dedication, and commitment to safety and service during this unprecedented year.  During 2020, they 
truly demonstrated that Average is for Other People.  

I sincerely appreciate and truly value the support of our customers, suppliers and shareholders for 
their confidence in Werner and their ongoing trust and support.    

With the best team of associates in the industry, I am excited about where we can take Werner in the 
years ahead.

March 10, 2021

Derek J. Leathers
  Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

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, 2020 

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 Number: 0-14690

WERNER ENTERPRISES, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Nebraska
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
14507 Frontier Road
Post Office Box 45308
Omaha , Nebraska
(Address of principal executive offices)

47-0648386
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

68145-0308
(Zip Code)

(402) 895-6640
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: 

 Title of each class

Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value

Trading Symbol(s)

WERN

Name of each exchange on which registered

The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes  ý    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes  ¨    No  ý

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: NONE

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  ý   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  (§232.405  of  this  chapter)  during  the  preceding  12  months  (or  for  such  shorter  period  that  the  registrant  was  required  to  submit  such 
files).    Yes  ý    No  ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or emerging 
growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 
12b-2 of the Exchange Act. 

Large Accelerated Filer ☒

Accelerated filer ☐

Non-accelerated filer ☐

Smaller reporting company ☐

Emerging growth company ☐

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. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐   No  ý
The aggregate market value of the common equity held by non-affiliates of the Registrant (assuming for these purposes that all executive officers and Directors 
are “affiliates” of the Registrant) as of June 30, 2020, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately 
$2.985 billion (based on the closing sale price of the Registrant’s Common Stock on that date as reported by Nasdaq). 

As of February 8, 2021, 68,009,648 shares of the registrant’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Proxy Statement of Registrant for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held May 11, 2021, are incorporated in Part III of this report. 

 
 
 
 
 
WERNER ENTERPRISES, INC. 

INDEX 

PART I 

Page 

Item 1. 

Business .............................................................................................................................................................. 1 

Item 1A. 

Risk Factors ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 

Item 1B. 

Unresolved Staff Comments ............................................................................................................................. 10 

Item 2. 

Item 3. 

Item 4. 

Properties .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 

Legal Proceedings ............................................................................................................................................. 11 

Mine Safety Disclosures ................................................................................................................................... 11 

PART II 

Item 5.  

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases 

Item 6. 

Item 7. 

of Equity Securities ........................................................................................................................................... 11 

Selected Financial Data ..................................................................................................................................... 13 

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ............................ 14 

Item 7A. 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk ........................................................................... 24 

Item 8. 

Item 9. 

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data ................................................................................................. 25 

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure ............................ 48 

Item 9A. 

Controls and Procedures ................................................................................................................................... 48 

Item 9B. 

Other Information ............................................................................................................................................. 50 

PART III 

Item 10. 

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance ................................................................................ 50 

Item 11. 

Executive Compensation ................................................................................................................................... 50 

Item 12. 

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters .......... 50 

Item 13. 

Certain Relations and Related Transactions, and Director Independence ......................................................... 51 

Item 14. 

Principal Accounting Fees and Services ........................................................................................................... 51 

PART IV 

Item 15.  

Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules........................................................................................................... 51 

Item 16. 

Form 10-K Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 53 

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 (this “Form 10-K”) and the documents incorporated 
herein by reference contain forward-looking statements based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this 
filing. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. For further guidance, see 
Item 1A of Part I and Item 7 of Part II of this Form 10-K.

ITEM 1.

BUSINESS

General

PART I

We are a transportation and logistics company engaged primarily in transporting truckload shipments of general commodities in 
both interstate and intrastate commerce. We also provide logistics services through our Werner Logistics segment. We believe 
we are one of the largest truckload carriers in the United States (based on total operating revenues), and our headquarters are 
located in Omaha, Nebraska, near the geographic center of our truckload service area. We were founded in 1956 by Clarence L. 
Werner, who started the business with one truck at the age of 19 and serves as our Chairman. We were incorporated in the State 
of Nebraska in September 1982 and completed our initial public offering in June 1986 with a fleet of 632 trucks as of February 
1986. At the end of 2020, our Truckload Transportation Services (“TTS”) segment had a fleet of 7,830 trucks, of which 7,390 
were company-operated and 440 were owned and operated by independent contractors. Our Werner Logistics division operated 
an additional 31 intermodal drayage trucks at the end of 2020.

We  have  two  reportable  segments  –  TTS  and  Werner  Logistics.  Our  TTS  segment  is  comprised  of  Dedicated  and  One-Way 
Truckload.  Dedicated  had  4,945  trucks  as  of  December  31,  2020  and  provides  truckload  services  dedicated  to  a  specific 
customer, generally for a retail distribution center or manufacturing facility, utilizing either dry van or specialized trailers. One-
Way Truckload had 2,885 trucks as of December 31, 2020 and includes the following operating fleets: (i) the medium-to-long-
haul van (“Van”) fleet transports a variety of consumer nondurable products and other commodities in truckload quantities over 
irregular  routes  using  dry  van  trailers,  including  Mexico  cross-border  routes;  (ii)  the  expedited  (“Expedited”)  fleet  provides 
time-sensitive  truckload  services  utilizing  driver  teams;  (iii)  the  regional  short-haul  (“Regional”)  fleet  provides  comparable 
truckload van service within geographic regions across the United States; and (iv) the Temperature Controlled fleet provides 
truckload  services  for  temperature  sensitive  products  over  irregular  routes  utilizing  temperature-controlled  trailers.  Our  TTS 
fleets operate throughout the 48 contiguous U.S. states pursuant to operating authority, both common and contract, granted by 
the  U.S.  Department  of  Transportation  (“DOT”)  and  pursuant  to  intrastate  authority  granted  by  various  U.S.  states.  We  also 
have  authority  to  operate  in  several  provinces  of  Canada  and  to  provide  through-trailer  service  into  and  out  of  Mexico.  The 
principal  types  of  freight  we  transport  include  retail  store  merchandise,  consumer  products,  food  and  beverage  products  and 
manufactured  products.  We  focus  on  transporting  consumer  nondurable  products  that  generally  ship  more  consistently 
throughout the year and whose volumes are generally more stable during a slowdown in the economy.

Our Werner Logistics segment is a non-asset-based transportation and logistics provider and generates the majority of our non-
trucking  revenues  through  four  operating  units.  These  four  Werner  Logistics  operating  units  are  as  follows:  (i)  Truckload 
Logistics, which uses contracted carriers to complete shipments for brokerage customers and freight management customers for 
which we offer a full range of single-source logistics management services and solutions; (ii) the intermodal (“Intermodal”) unit 
offers rail transportation through alliances with rail and drayage providers as an alternative to truck transportation; (iii) Werner 
Global Logistics international (“WGL”) provides complete management of global shipments from origin to destination using a 
combination  of  air,  ocean,  truck  and  rail  transportation  modes;  and  (iv)  Werner  Final  Mile  (“Final  Mile”)  offers  home  and 
business  deliveries  of  large  or  heavy  items  using  third-party  agents  with  two  associates  operating  a  liftgate  straight  truck. 
Werner Logistics had transportation services contracts with 28,622 carriers as of December 31, 2020.

Marketing and Operations

Our business philosophy is to provide superior on-time customer service at a significant value for our customers. To accomplish 
this, we operate premium modern tractors and trailers. This equipment has fewer mechanical and maintenance issues and helps 
attract  and  retain  experienced  drivers.  We  continually  develop  our  business  processes  and  technology  to  improve  customer 
service and driver retention. We focus on customers who value the broad geographic coverage, diversified truck and logistics 
services,  equipment  capacity,  technology,  customized  services  and  flexibility  available  from  a  large,  financially-stable 
transportation and logistics provider.

We operate in the truckload and logistics sectors of the transportation industry. Our TTS segment provides specialized services 
to customers based on (i) each customer’s trailer needs (such as van and temperature-controlled trailers), (ii) geographic area 
(regional  and  medium-to-long-haul  van,  including  transport  throughout  Mexico  and  Canada),  (iii)  time-sensitive  shipments 
(expedited) or (iv) conversion of their private fleet to us (dedicated). In 2020, TTS segment revenues accounted for 78% of total 
operating  revenues,  Werner  Logistics  revenues  accounted  for  20%  of  total  operating  revenues,  and  the  remaining  2%  was 

1

recorded in non-reportable segments. Our Werner Logistics segment manages the transportation and logistics requirements for 
customers, providing customers with additional sources of truck capacity, alternative modes of transportation, a global delivery 
network  and  systems  analysis  to  optimize  transportation  needs.  Werner  Logistics  services  include  (i)  truck  brokerage, 
(ii)  freight  management,  (iii)  intermodal  transport,  (iv)  international  and  (v)  final  mile.  The  Werner  Logistics  international 
services  were  provided  through  our  domestic  and  global  subsidiary  companies  and  include  (i)  ocean,  air  and  ground 
transportation  services,  (ii)  door-to-door  freight  forwarding  and  (iii)  customs  brokerage.  Most  Werner  Logistics  international 
services  were  provided  throughout  North  America  and  Asia  with  additional  coverage  throughout  Australia,  Europe,  South 
America and Africa. We recently announced the sale of the WGL freight forwarding services for international ocean and air 
shipments to Scan Global Logistics, which is expected to close on February 26, 2021. Werner Logistics will continue to provide 
North American truck brokerage, freight management, intermodal and final mile services. Werner Logistics is highly dependent 
on  qualified  associates,  information  systems  and  the  services  of  qualified  third-party  capacity  providers.  You  can  find  the 
revenues generated by services that accounted for more than 10% of our consolidated revenues, consisting of TTS and Werner 
Logistics, for the last three years in Note 2 and Note 11 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of Part 
II of this Form 10-K.

We have a diversified freight base but are dependent on a relatively small number of customers for a significant portion of our 
revenues.  During  2020,  our  largest  5,  10,  25  and  50  customers  comprised  36%,  49%,  67%  and  79%  of  our  revenues, 
respectively. Our largest customer, Dollar General, accounted for 12% of our total revenues in 2020. Revenues generated by 
Dollar General are reported in both of our reportable operating segments. The industry groups of our top 50 customers are 53% 
retail and consumer products, 20% manufacturing/industrial, 18% food and beverage and 9% logistics and other. Many of our 
One-Way Truckload customer contracts may be terminated upon 30 days’ notice, which is common in the truckload industry. 
We  are  moving  toward  longer-term  Dedicated  customer  contracts,  most  of  which  are  two  to  five  years  in  length  (including 
some contracts with annual evergreen clauses) and generally may be terminated by either party typically upon 90 days or more 
notice following the expiration of the contract’s first year. We typically renegotiate rates with our customers for these Dedicated 
contracts on an annual basis.

All of our company and independent contractor tractors are equipped with communication devices. These devices enable us and 
our drivers to conduct two-way communication using standardized and freeform messages. This technology also allows us to 
plan and monitor shipment progress. We automatically monitor truck movement and obtain specific data on the location of all 
trucks in the fleet every five minutes. Using the real-time global positioning data obtained from the devices, we have advanced 
application  systems  to  improve  customer  and  driver  service.  Examples  of  such  application  systems  include:  (i)  an  electronic 
logging system which records and monitors drivers’ hours of service and integrates with our information systems to pre-plan 
driver shipment assignments based on real-time available driving hours; (ii) software that pre-plans shipments drivers can trade 
enroute to meet driver home-time needs without compromising on-time delivery schedules; and (iii) automated “possible late 
load”  tracking  that  informs  the  operations  department  of  trucks  possibly  operating  behind  schedule,  allowing  us  to  take 
preventive measures to avoid late deliveries. In 1998, we began a successful pilot program and subsequently became the first 
trucking  company  in  the  United  States  to  receive  an  exemption  from  DOT  to  use  a  global  positioning-based  paperless  log 
system as an alternative to the paper logbooks traditionally used by truck drivers to track their daily work activities. We have 
used  electronic  logging  devices  (“ELDs”)  to  monitor  and  enforce  drivers’  hours  of  service  since  1996.  During  2020,  we 
replaced  our  previous  communications  technology  with  a  new  untethered,  tablet-based  telematics  solution  that  provides  an 
enhanced and more efficient driver experience.

Seasonality

In  the  trucking  industry,  revenues  generally  follow  a  seasonal  pattern.  Peak  freight  demand  has  historically  occurred  in  the 
months of September, October and November. After the December holiday season and during the remaining winter months, our 
freight volumes are typically lower because some customers reduce shipment levels. Our operating expenses have historically 
been higher in the winter months due primarily to decreased fuel efficiency, increased cold weather-related maintenance costs 
of revenue equipment and increased insurance and claims costs attributed to adverse winter weather conditions. We attempt to 
minimize the impact of seasonality through our marketing program by seeking additional freight from certain customers during 
traditionally slower shipping periods and focusing on transporting consumer nondurable products. Revenue can also be affected 
by adverse weather conditions, holidays and the number of business days that occur during a given period because revenue is 
directly related to the available working days of shippers.

2

Human Capital Resources

Employee Count: As of December 31, 2020, we employed 9,342 drivers; 556 mechanics and maintenance associates for the 
trucking operation; 1,349 office associates for the trucking operation; and 1,045 associates for Werner Logistics, international, 
driving  schools  and  other  non-trucking  operations.  Most  of  our  associates  are  based  in  the  U.S.,  with  about  1%  based  in 
Mexico, Canada, and China. None of our U.S., Canadian or Chinese associates are represented by a collective bargaining unit, 
and we consider relations with our associates to be good.

Health & Safety: Werner maintains a safety culture that is based on the premise of eliminating workplace incidents, risks and 
hazards. In 2020, we achieved our lowest work injury rate in 15 years. The Werner Safety Department is responsible for all 
compliance  and  training  issues  as  it  relates  to  drivers  under  DOT  regulation  and  Werner  policy.  Responsibilities  of  the 
department  include  developing  and  delivering  all  driver  training  on  items  such  as  safety  issues,  driver  certification,  driver 
testing, and hazmat.

Our strong safety culture is demonstrated by ongoing investments in advanced equipment technologies, which lead to improved 
safety for our professional drivers. Nearly all of our company-owned trucks have collision-mitigation safety systems, automated 
manual transmissions, and forward-facing cameras.

During  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  the  transportation  industry  has  been  designated  by  the  U.S.  government  as  an  essential 
industry  for  keeping  the  U.S.  supply  chain  moving.  Our  drivers  and  mechanics  have  been  on  the  front  lines  to  ensure  the 
delivery of essential products, and we take this responsibility seriously. Our primary focus will always be protecting the health 
and personal safety of our associates, their families and communities, and our customers. Our leadership team meets frequently 
to address issues related to customers, freight, drivers, safety, staffing, human resources, and costs and provides regular updates 
to all our associates. Throughout our offices and terminal network, we are closely following the safety guidelines set forth by 
the  Centers  for  Disease  Control  and  Prevention  (“CDC”)  and  World  Health  Organization  (“WHO”),  including  hygiene  and 
social distancing. We made and intend to continue making significant investments in personal protective products to keep our 
associates safe, and over half of our office associates continue working from home. We introduced Werner-specific associate 
relief plans to provide rapid and needed assistance to those Werner associates affected by the virus.

Diversity  &  Inclusion:  At  Werner,  we  support  and  encourage  the  diverse  voices  and  perspectives  of  our  associates,  our 
customers  and  our  suppliers.  Diversity  contributes  to  innovation  and  connects  us  to  the  many  communities  we  serve.  We 
commit to embrace these values as we move toward an increasingly inclusive culture where every associate feels empowered to 
bring  their  whole  self  to  Werner.  In  2020,  we  were  recognized  among  the  Top  Companies  for  Women  to  Work  for  in 
Transportation by the Women in Trucking Association for the third consecutive year. Werner was recognized for our support of 
gender diversity, flexible hours and work requirements, competitive compensation and benefits, and professional development 
opportunities  and  career  advancement  opportunities.  At  Werner,  our  female  driver  workforce  is  approximately  double  the 
national  average,  and  more  than  half  of  our  driver  associates  are  ethically  diverse.  Additionally,  over  half  of  our  non-driver 
associates are female or ethnically diverse. Werner was also named a top 30 Best for Vets Employer in 2020 by Military Times 
for the sixth consecutive year, placing above all other trucking companies. We are widely recognized as a transportation leader 
in military hiring, with veterans and veteran spouses comprising approximately 20 percent of our workforce.

Professional  Driver  Recruitment:  We  recognize  that  our  professional  driver  workforce  is  one  of  our  most  valuable  assets. 
Most of our professional drivers are compensated on a per-mile basis. For most company-employed drivers, the rate per mile 
generally increases with the drivers’ length of service. Professional drivers may earn additional compensation through incentive 
performance pay programs and for performing additional work associated with their job (such as loading and unloading freight 
and making extra stops and shorter mileage trips).

At times, there are driver shortages in the trucking industry. Availability of experienced drivers can be affected by (i) changes 
in  the  demographic  composition  of  the  workforce;  (ii)  alternative  employment  opportunities  other  than  truck  driving  that 
become available in the economy; and (iii) individual drivers’ desire to be home more frequently. We believe that a declining 
number of, and increased competition for, driver training school graduates, aging truck driver demographics and increased truck 
safety regulations are tightening driver supply.

At Werner, we continue to take actions to strengthen our driver recruiting and retention to make Werner a preferred choice for 
the best drivers. Our efforts include raising driver pay, maintaining a new truck and trailer fleet, purchasing best-in-class safety 
features  for  all  new  trucks,  investing  in  our  driver  training  school  network  and  collaborating  with  customers  to  improve  or 
eliminate unproductive freight. We are focused on providing strong mileage utilization and a large percentage of driving jobs in 
shorter-haul operations (such as Dedicated and Regional) that allow drivers to return home more often. We continue to improve 
our  terminal  network  to  enhance  the  driver  experience.  Our  new  untethered,  tablet-based  telematics  solution  implemented  in 
2020  provides  Werner  drivers  with  a  more  efficient  experience  through  smart  workflow,  best-in-class  navigation,  improved 
safety features and reduced manual data entry. While the trucking industry suffers from high driver turnover rates, we are proud 
that our efforts in recent years have continued to have positive results on our driver retention.

3

Talent Development: We utilize recent driver training school graduates as a significant source of new drivers. These drivers 
have completed a training program at a driver training school and hold a commercial driver’s license (“CDL”). They continue 
to gain industry experience through our career track program by partnering with a Werner-certified leader prior to that driver 
becoming a solo driver with their own truck. As mentioned above, the recruiting environment for recent driver training school 
graduates  became  even  more  challenging  in  2020  as  social  distancing  requirements,  state  licensing  cut  backs  and  temporary 
closures limited the number of placement drivers entering our career track program. The availability of these drivers has also 
been negatively impacted by the decreased availability of student loan financing for driver training schools. At the end of 2020, 
we  owned  two  driver  training  schools  that  operate  a  total  of  14  driver  training  locations  to  assist  with  the  training  and 
development of drivers for our company and the industry, and we plan to open four new driver training locations during 2021.

Independent Contractors: We also recognize that independent contractors complement our company-employed drivers. As of 
December 31, 2020, we had 440 independent contractors. Independent contractors supply their own tractors and drivers and are 
responsible for their operating expenses. Independent contractors also provide us with another source of drivers to support our 
fleet. We intend to maintain our emphasis on independent contractor recruiting, in addition to company driver recruitment. We, 
along with others in the trucking industry, however, continue to experience independent contractor recruitment and retention 
difficulties  that  have  persisted  over  the  past  several  years.  Challenging  operating  conditions,  including  inflationary  cost 
increases that are the responsibility of independent contractors and a shortage of financing available to independent contractors 
for equipment purchases, continue to make it difficult to recruit and retain independent contractors.

Revenue Equipment

As of December 31, 2020, we operated 7,390 company tractors and 440 tractors owned by independent contractors in our TTS 
segment. Our Werner Logistics segment operated an additional 31 company tractors at the end of 2020. The company tractors 
were primarily manufactured by Freightliner (a Daimler company), Peterbilt and Kenworth (both divisions of PACCAR) and 
International  (a  Navistar  company).  We  adhere  to  a  comprehensive  maintenance  program  for  both  company  tractors  and 
trailers. We inspect independent contractor tractors prior to acceptance for compliance with Werner and DOT operational and 
safety  requirements.  We  periodically  inspect  these  tractors,  in  a  manner  similar  to  company  tractor  inspections,  to  monitor 
continued compliance. We also regulate the vehicle speed of company trucks to improve safety and fuel efficiency.

The average age of our company truck fleet was 2.0 years at December 31, 2020, compared to 1.9 years at December 31, 2019. 
The average age of our trailer fleet was 4.0 years at both December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019. All of our trucks are 
equipped with satellite tracking devices, and nearly all of our company-owned trucks have collision mitigation safety systems 
and automated manual transmissions.

We operated 24,400 company-owned trailers at December 31, 2020, comprised of dry vans, flatbeds, temperature-controlled, 
and other specialized trailers. Most of our trailers were manufactured by Wabash National Corporation. Nearly all of our dry 
van  trailer  fleet  consisted  of  53-foot  composite  (DuraPlate®)  trailers,  and  we  also  provide  other  trailer  lengths  to  meet  the 
specialized needs of certain customers. All of our trailers have satellite tracking devices.

Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Werner Fleet Sales, sells our used trucks and trailers. Werner Fleet Sales has been in business 
since 1992 and operates in 8 locations. We may also trade used trucks to original equipment manufacturers when purchasing 
new trucks.

Fuel

In 2020, we purchased nearly all of our fuel from a predetermined network of fuel truck stops throughout the United States, of 
which  approximately  94%  was  purchased  from  three  large  fuel  truck  stop  chains.  We  negotiate  discounted  pricing  based  on 
historical purchase volumes with these fuel truck stop chains and other factors.

Shortages  of  fuel,  increases  in  fuel  prices  and  rationing  of  petroleum  products  can  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our 
operations  and  profitability.  Our  customer  fuel  surcharge  reimbursement  programs  generally  enable  us  to  recover  from  our 
customers  a  majority,  but  not  all,  of  higher  fuel  prices  compared  to  normalized  average  fuel  prices.  These  fuel  surcharges, 
which automatically adjust depending on the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) weekly retail on-highway diesel fuel prices, 
enable us to recoup much of the higher cost of fuel when prices increase and provide customers with the benefit of lower fuel 
costs when fuel prices decline. We do not generally recoup higher fuel costs for empty and out-of-route miles (which are not 
billable to customers) and truck idle time. We cannot predict whether fuel prices will increase or decrease in the future or the 
extent  to  which  fuel  surcharges  will  be  collected  from  customers.  As  of  December  31,  2020,  we  had  no  derivative  financial 
instruments to reduce our exposure to fuel price fluctuations.

We maintain aboveground and underground fuel storage tanks at some of our terminals. Leakage or damage to these facilities 
could expose us to environmental clean-up costs. The tanks are routinely inspected to help prevent and detect such problems.

4

Regulations

As a for-hire motor carrier, we are regulated by the DOT, and certain areas of our business are subject to applicable federal, 
state and international laws and regulations. DOT and an agency within DOT, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 
(“FMCSA”),  generally  govern  matters  such  as  safety  requirements  and  compliance,  registration  to  engage  in  motor  carrier 
operations,  drivers’  hours  of  service  (“HOS”),  and  certain  mergers,  consolidations,  and  acquisitions.  Werner  maintains  a 
satisfactory safety rating, which is the highest available rating of the three safety ratings given by FMCSA. A conditional or 
unsatisfactory safety rating could adversely impact Werner’s business, as some of our customer contracts require a satisfactory 
rating.  Werner  must  also  comply  with  federal,  state,  and  international  regulations  which  govern  equipment  weight  and 
dimensions.

FMCSA’s  Compliance,  Safety,  Accountability  (“CSA”)  safety  initiative  monitors  the  safety  performance  of  motor  carriers. 
CSA uses the Safety Measurement System (“SMS”) to analyze data from roadside inspections, crash reports, and investigation 
results.  The  Fixing  America’s  Surface  Transportation  (“FAST”)  Act  of  2015  directed  FMCSA  to  remove  from  public  view 
certain information regarding carrier’s compliance and safety performance. The FAST Act also instructed FMCSA to study the 
accuracy of CSA and SMS data and issue a corrective action plan. Werner continues to monitor FMCSA’s actions and CSA 
related developments.

Interstate motor carriers are subject to the FMCSA HOS regulations, which govern our drivers’ operating hours. The HOS of 
Drivers Final Rule which became effective September 29, 2020, includes provisions for short haul, adverse driving conditions, 
a revision to the 30-minute rest break requirement, and split-sleeper berth which allows drivers to split their 10-hour off duty 
period in different ways. In August 2020, FMCSA proposed a pilot program allowing commercial drivers to pause their 14-hour 
driving window, which Werner continues to monitor.

Werner is the industry leader for ELDs to record driver hours and pioneered the Werner Paperless Logging System in 1996 that 
was  subsequently  approved  for  our  use  by  FMCSA  in  1998.  FMCSA’s  ELD  Final  Rule  went  into  effect  in  December  2017, 
requiring all motor carriers to have certified ELDs that meet specific standards for documenting HOS.

The FMCSA Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (the “Clearinghouse”) Final Rule was published in 
December  2016  with  the  effective  date  of  January  6,  2020.  The  Clearinghouse  requires  motor  carriers,  designated  service 
agents, medical review officers, and substance abuse professionals to submit records related to drug and alcohol tests, including 
test refusals and positive drug test results, to the nationwide database. Motor carriers are also required to query the database 
prior to hiring an applicant and on an annual basis.

Continuing in 2021, motor carriers are required to perform annual random drug tests for 50 percent of existing drivers. The rate 
was increased from 25% on January 1, 2020 in response to the 2018 FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Testing Survey, which reported 
an increase to 1.0 percent of the random testing positive rate for controlled substances. The minimum annual percentage rate for 
random alcohol testing remains at 10 percent.

FMCSA issued its final rule for Entry-Level Driver Training (“ELDT”) in December 2016. The original compliance date was 
February 7, 2020. However, FMCSA announced a two-year delay of the rule, and the new effective date is February 7, 2022. 
We  will  continue  to  monitor  the  status  of  this  rulemaking  as  it  will  directly  impact  our  training  schools  and  the  hiring  of 
professional drivers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and DOT announced in August 2016 Phase 2 of the Greenhouse Gas and 
Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium and Heavy-Duty Trucks. The final rule requires a reduction of carbon emissions and fuel 
savings  from  engines,  vehicles,  and  new  trailers  to  be  phased  in  over  the  next  decade.  In  January  2020,  EPA  announced  an 
Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would establish new standards for highway heavy-duty engines to lower nitrogen 
oxide emissions.

California’s ongoing emissions reduction goals have significantly impacted the industry. The California Air Resources Board 
regulations  not  only  apply  to  California  intrastate  carriers,  but  also  to  carriers  outside  of  California  who  own  or  dispatch 
equipment in the state. Werner continues to structure our fleet plans to operate compliant equipment in California.

Our  operations  are  subject  to  applicable  federal,  state,  and  local  environmental  laws  and  regulations,  many  of  which  are 
implemented  by  the  EPA  and  similar  state  regulatory  agencies.  These  laws  and  regulations  govern  the  management  of 
hazardous wastes, discharge of pollutants into the air and surface and underground waters and disposal of certain substances. 
We  do  not  believe  that  compliance  with  these  regulations  has  a  material  effect  on  our  capital  expenditures,  earnings  and 
competitive position.

Werner is dedicated to participating in the development of meaningful public policy by continuing to evaluate local, state, and 
federal legislative and regulatory actions that impact our operations.

5

Competition

The  freight  transportation  industry  is  highly  competitive  and  includes  thousands  of  trucking  and  non-asset-based  logistics 
companies. We have a small share of the markets we target. Our TTS segment competes primarily with other truckload carriers. 
Logistics companies, digital brokers, intermodal companies, railroads, less-than-truckload carriers and private carriers provide 
competition for both our TTS and Werner Logistics segments. Our Werner Logistics segment also competes for the services of 
third-party capacity providers.

Competition for the freight we transport or manage is based primarily on service, efficiency, available capacity and, to some 
degree,  on  freight  rates  alone.  We  believe  that  few  other  truckload  carriers  have  greater  financial  resources,  own  more 
equipment  or  carry  a  larger  volume  of  freight  than  us.  We  believe  we  are  one  of  the  largest  carriers  in  the  truckload 
transportation industry based on total operating revenues.

Internet Website

We maintain an Internet website where you can find additional information regarding our business and operations. The website 
address  is  www.werner.com.  On  the  website,  we  make  certain  investor  information  available  free  of  charge,  including  our 
Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, stock ownership reports filed 
under  Section  16  of  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  as  amended  (the  “Exchange  Act”),  and  any  amendments  to  such 
reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. This information is included on our website as 
soon  as  reasonably  practicable  after  we  electronically  file  or  furnish  such  materials  to  the  U.S.  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission (“SEC”). We also provide our corporate governance materials, such as Board committee charters and our Code of 
Corporate Conduct, on our website free of charge, and we may occasionally update these materials when necessary to comply 
with SEC and NASDAQ rules or to promote the effective and efficient governance of our company. Information provided on 
our website is not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K.

ITEM 1A.

RISK FACTORS

The following risks and uncertainties may cause our actual results, business, financial condition and cash flows to materially 
differ  from  those  anticipated  in  the  forward-looking  statements  included  in  this  Form  10-K.  Caution  should  be  taken  not  to 
place  undue  reliance  on  forward-looking  statements  made  herein  because  such  statements  speak  only  to  the  date  they  were 
made.  Unless  otherwise  required  by  applicable  securities  laws,  we  undertake  no  obligation  or  duty  to  revise  or  update  any 
forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect subsequent events or circumstances or the occurrence of unanticipated 
events. Also refer to the Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements in Item 7 of Part II of this Form 10-K.

Risks Related to our Business and Industry

Our business is subject to overall economic conditions that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We are sensitive to changes in overall economic conditions that impact customer shipping volumes, industry freight demand 
and  industry  truck  capacity.  When  shipping  volumes  decline  or  available  truck  capacity  increases,  freight  pricing  generally 
becomes  more  competitive  as  carriers  compete  for  loads  to  maintain  truck  productivity.  We  may  be  negatively  affected  by 
future  economic  conditions  including  employment  levels,  business  conditions,  fuel  and  energy  costs,  public  health  crises, 
interest rates and tax rates. Economic conditions may also impact the financial condition of our customers, resulting in a greater 
risk  of  bad  debt  losses,  and  that  of  our  suppliers,  which  may  affect  negotiated  pricing  or  availability  of  needed  goods  and 
services.

Difficulty  in  recruiting  and  retaining  experienced  drivers,  recent  driver  training  school  graduates  and  independent 
contractors impacts our results of operations.

At  times,  the  trucking  industry  has  experienced  driver  shortages.  Driver  availability  may  be  affected  by  changing  workforce 
demographics,  alternative  employment  opportunities,  national  unemployment  rates,  freight  market  conditions,  availability  of 
financial aid for driver training schools and changing industry regulations. If such a shortage were to occur and additional driver 
pay  rate  increases  were  necessary  to  attract  and  retain  drivers,  our  results  of  operations  would  be  negatively  impacted  to  the 
extent  that  we  could  not  obtain  corresponding  freight  rate  increases.  Additionally,  a  shortage  of  drivers  could  result  in  idled 
equipment, which would affect our profitability and would limit growth opportunities.

Independent  contractor  availability  may  also  be  affected  by  both  inflationary  cost  increases  that  are  the  responsibility  of 
independent  contractors  and  the  availability  of  equipment  financing.  On-going  federal  and  state  legislative  challenges  to  the 
independent  contractor  model  could  also  affect  independent  contractor  availability.  In  recent  years,  the  topic  of  the 
classification  of  individuals  as  employees  or  independent  contractors  has  gained  increased  attention  among  federal  and  state 

6

regulators as well as the plaintiffs’ bar. Various legislative or regulatory proposals have been introduced at the federal and state 
levels that may affect the classification status of individuals as independent contractors or employees for either employment tax 
purposes (e.g., withholding, social security, Medicare and unemployment taxes) or other benefits available to employees (e.g., 
workers’  compensation  benefits  and  minimum  wage).  Recently,  certain  states  (most  prominently,  California)  have  seen 
significant  increased  activity  by  tax  and  other  regulators  and  numerous  class  action  lawsuits  filed  against  transportation 
companies  that  engage  independent  contractors.  Potential  changes,  if  any,  that  could  impact  the  legal  classification  of  the 
independent  contractor  relationship  between  us  and  our  independent  contractors  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our 
ability to recruit and retain independent contractors. If a shortage of independent contractors occurs, additional increases in per-
mile settlement rates (for independent contractors) and driver pay rates (for company drivers) may become necessary to attract 
and retain a sufficient number of drivers. These increases would negatively affect our results of operations to the extent that we 
would be unable to obtain corresponding freight rate increases. 

Moreover, class action litigation in this area against other transportation companies has resulted in significant damage awards 
and/or monetary settlements for workers who have been allegedly misclassified as independent contractors.

Increases  in  fuel  prices  and  shortages  of  fuel  can  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  the  results  of  operations  and 
profitability.

To  lessen  the  effect  of  fluctuating  fuel  prices  on  our  margins,  we  have  fuel  surcharge  programs  with  our  customers.  These 
programs generally enable us to recover a majority, but not all, of the fuel price increases. Fuel prices that change rapidly in 
short  time  periods  also  impact  our  recovery  because  the  surcharge  rate  in  most  programs  only  changes  once  per  week.  Fuel 
shortages, increases in fuel prices and petroleum product rationing could have a material adverse impact on our operations and 
profitability. To the extent that we cannot recover the higher cost of fuel through customer fuel surcharges, our financial results 
would be negatively impacted. As of December 31, 2020, we had no derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to 
fuel price fluctuations.

We operate in a highly competitive industry, which may limit growth opportunities and reduce profitability.

The  freight  transportation  industry  is  highly  competitive  and  includes  thousands  of  trucking  and  non-asset-based  logistics 
companies.  We  compete  primarily  with  other  truckload  carriers  in  our  TTS  segment.  Logistics  companies,  digital  brokers, 
intermodal companies, railroads, less-than-truckload carriers and private carriers also provide a lesser degree of competition in 
our TTS segment, but such providers are more direct competitors in our Werner Logistics segment. Competition for the freight 
we transport or manage is based primarily on service, efficiency, available capacity and, to some degree, on freight rates alone. 
This competition could have an adverse effect on either the number of shipments we transport or the freight rates we receive, 
which could limit our growth opportunities and reduce our profitability.

The  seasonal  pattern  generally  experienced  in  the  trucking  industry  may  affect  our  periodic  results  during  traditionally 
slower shipping periods and winter months.

In  the  trucking  industry,  revenues  generally  follow  a  seasonal  pattern  which  may  affect  our  results  of  operations.  After  the 
December  holiday  season  and  during  the  remaining  winter  months,  our  freight  volumes  are  typically  lower  because  some 
customers reduce shipment levels. Our operating expenses have historically been higher in the winter months because of cold 
temperatures  and  other  adverse  winter  weather  conditions  which  result  in  decreased  fuel  efficiency,  increased  cold  weather-
related  maintenance  costs  of  revenue  equipment  and  increased  insurance  and  claims  costs.  Revenue  can  also  be  affected  by 
adverse weather conditions, holidays and the number of business days during a given period because revenue is directly related 
to the available working days of shippers.

We depend on key customers, the loss or financial failure of which may have a material adverse effect on our operations and 
profitability.

A  significant  portion  of  our  revenue  is  generated  from  key  customers.  During  2020,  our  largest  5,  10,  25  and  50  customers 
accounted for 36%, 49%, 67%, and 79% of revenues, respectively. Our largest customer, Dollar General, accounted for 12% of 
the our total revenues in 2020. We do not have long-term contractual relationships with many of our key One-Way Truckload 
customers. Most of our Dedicated customer contracts are two to five years in length and generally may be terminated by either 
party typically upon 90 days or more notice following the expiration of the contract’s first year. We typically renegotiate rates 
with our customers for these Dedicated contracts annually. We cannot provide any assurance that key customer relationships 
will  continue  at  the  same  levels.  If  a  key  customer  substantially  reduced  or  terminated  our  services,  it  could  have  a  material 
adverse  effect  on  our  business  and  results  of  operations.  We  review  our  customers’  financial  conditions  for  granting  credit, 
monitor changes in customers’ financial conditions on an ongoing basis and review individual past-due balances and collection 
concerns. However, a key customer’s financial failure may negatively affect our results of operations.

7

We depend on the services of third-party capacity providers, the availability of which could affect our profitability and limit 
growth in our Werner Logistics segment.

Our  Werner  Logistics  segment  is  highly  dependent  on  the  services  of  third-party  capacity  providers,  such  as  other  truckload 
carriers,  less-than-truckload  carriers,  railroads,  ocean  carriers  and  airlines.  Many  of  those  providers  face  the  same  economic 
challenges as we do and therefore are actively and competitively soliciting business. These economic conditions may have an 
adverse effect on the availability and cost of third-party capacity. If we are unable to secure the services of these third-party 
capacity providers at reasonable rates, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

If we cannot effectively manage the challenges associated with doing business internationally, our revenues and profitability 
may suffer.

Our results are affected by the success of our operations in Mexico, China and other foreign countries in which we operate (see 
Note 11 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of Part II of this Form 10-K). We are subject to risks of 
doing business internationally, including fluctuations in foreign currencies, changes in the economic strength of the countries in 
which we do business, difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations and intellectual property rights, burdens of complying 
with a wide variety of international and United States export and import laws, and social, political, and economic instability. 
Additional risks associated with our foreign operations, including restrictive trade policies and imposition of duties, taxes, or 
government royalties by foreign governments, are present but have been largely mitigated by the terms of NAFTA for Mexico 
and Canada. The United States, Canada and Mexico ratified the USMCA as an overhaul and update to NAFTA, and it became 
effective in July 2020. We believe we are one of the largest truckload carriers in terms of freight volume shipped to and from 
the  United  States,  Mexico,  and  Canada.  It  is  currently  difficult  for  Werner  to  anticipate  the  full  impact  of  this  agreement  on 
foreign  trade  and  our  Mexico  operations.  The  agreement  permitting  cross  border  movements  for  both  United  States  and 
Mexican  based  carriers  into  the  United  States  and  Mexico  presents  additional  risks  in  the  form  of  potential  increased 
competition and the potential for increased congestion on the cross border lanes between countries.

We rely on the services of key personnel, the loss of which could impact our future success.

We are highly dependent on the services of key personnel, including our executive officers. Although we believe we have an 
experienced  and  highly  qualified  management  team,  the  loss  of  the  services  of  these  key  personnel  could  have  a  significant 
adverse impact on us and our future profitability.

Difficulty in obtaining goods and services from our vendors and suppliers could adversely affect our business.

We are dependent on our vendors and suppliers. We believe we have good vendor relationships and that we are generally able 
to obtain favorable pricing and other terms from vendors and suppliers. If we fail to maintain satisfactory relationships with our 
vendors and suppliers, or if our vendors and suppliers experience significant financial problems, we could experience difficulty 
in obtaining needed goods and services because of production interruptions or other reasons. Consequently, our business could 
be adversely affected.

We  use  our  information  systems  extensively  for  day-to-day  operations,  and  service  interruptions  or  a  failure  of  our 
information technology infrastructure or a breach of our information security systems, networks or processes could have a 
material adverse effect on our business.

We depend on the stability, availability and security of our information systems to manage our business. Much of our software 
was developed internally or by adapting purchased software applications to suit our needs. Our information systems are used 
for planning loads, communicating with and dispatching drivers and other capacity providers, billing customers, paying vendors 
and  providing  financial  reports.  We  rely  on  strategic  vendors  for  GPS  and  satellite  communication  services,  which  are 
integrated  in  our  information  systems.  If  any  of  our  critical  information  systems  fail  or  become  unavailable,  or  those  of  our 
service  providers,  we  would  have  to  perform  certain  functions  manually,  which  could  temporarily  affect  our  ability  to 
efficiently  manage  our  operations.  We  have  redundant  computer  hardware  systems  to  reduce  this  risk.  We  also  maintain 
information  security  policies  to  protect  our  systems  and  data  from  cyber  security  events  and  threats.  The  security  risks 
associated  with  information  technology  systems  have  increased  in  recent  years  because  of  the  increased  sophistication, 
activities and evolving techniques of perpetrators of cyber attacks. The techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable 
or  degrade  service  or  sabotage  systems  change  frequently,  may  be  difficult  to  detect  for  a  long  time  and  often  are  not 
recognized  until  launched  against  a  target.  As  a  result,  we  may  be  unable  to  anticipate  these  techniques  or  to  implement 
adequate preventative measures. A failure in or breach of our information technology security systems, or those of our third-
party  service  providers,  as  a  result  of  cyber  attacks  or  unauthorized  network  access  could  disrupt  our  business,  result  in  the 
disclosure or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, increase our costs and/or cause losses and reputational damage. 
In addition, recently, there has also been heightened regulatory and enforcement focus on data protection in the U.S., and failure 
to comply with applicable U.S. data protection regulations or other data protection standards may expose us to litigation, fines, 

8

sanctions  or  other  penalties,  which  could  harm  our  reputation  and  adversely  impact  our  business,  results  of  operations  and 
financial condition.

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted our business, as well as the operations of our customers and suppliers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a slowdown of economic activity and a disruption in supply chains. Our business is 
sensitive  to  changes  in  overall  economic  conditions  that  impact  customer  shipping  volumes,  industry  freight  demand  and 
industry truck capacity. Such conditions may also impact the financial condition of our customers, resulting in a greater risk of 
bad debt losses, and that of our suppliers, which may affect the availability or pricing of needed goods and services. Although 
we have taken numerous actions to lessen the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, our 2021 results could be further 
impacted by the disruptive effects of COVID-19, including but not limited to adverse effects on freight volumes and pricing and 
availability  of  qualified  personnel.  The  degree  of  disruption  is  difficult  to  predict  because  of  many  factors,  including  the 
uncertainty surrounding the magnitude and duration of the pandemic, governmental actions that have been and may continue to 
be imposed, as well as the rate of economic recovery after the pandemic subsides. The unpredictable nature and uncertainty of 
the current COVID-19 pandemic could also magnify other risk factors disclosed above and makes it impractical to identify all 
potential risks.

Risks Related to Laws and Regulations

We  operate  in  a  highly  regulated  industry.  Changes  in  existing  regulations  or  violations  of  existing  or  future  regulations 
could adversely affect our operations and profitability.

We are regulated by the DOT and its agency the FMCSA in the United States and similar governmental transportation agencies 
in foreign countries in which we operate. We are also regulated by agencies in certain U.S. states. These regulatory agencies 
have the authority to govern transportation-related activities, such as safety, authorization to conduct motor carrier operations 
and other matters. The Regulations subsection in Item 1 of Part I of this Form 10-K describes several proposed and pending 
regulations that may have a significant effect on our operations including our productivity, driver recruitment and retention and 
capital expenditures.

Our  operations  are  subject  to  applicable  environmental  laws  and  regulations,  the  violation  of  which  could  result  in 
substantial fines or penalties.

In addition to direct regulation by DOT, FMCSA, EPA and other federal, state, and local agencies, we are subject to applicable 
environmental  laws  and  regulations  dealing  with  the  handling  of  hazardous  materials,  aboveground  and  underground  fuel 
storage tanks, discharge and retention of storm-water, and emissions from our vehicles. We operate in industrial areas, where 
truck terminals and other industrial activities are located and where groundwater or other forms of environmental contamination 
have  occurred.  Our  operations  involve  the  risks  of  fuel  spillage  or  seepage,  environmental  damage  and  hazardous  waste 
disposal,  among  others.  We  also  maintain  bulk  fuel  storage  at  some  of  our  facilities.  If  we  are  involved  in  a  spill  or  other 
accident involving hazardous substances, or if we are found to be in violation of applicable laws or regulations, it could have a 
material adverse effect on our business and operating results. If we fail to comply with applicable environmental regulations, 
we could be subject to substantial fines or penalties and to civil and criminal liability. Tractors and trailers used in our daily 
operations have been affected by regulatory changes related to air emissions and fuel efficiency, and may be adversely affected 
in the future by new regulatory actions.

Risks Related to Financial Matters

Our earnings could be reduced by increases in the number of insurance claims, cost per claim, costs of insurance premiums 
or availability of insurance coverage.

We  are  self-insured  for  a  significant  portion  of  liability  resulting  from  bodily  injury,  property  damage,  cargo  and  associate 
workers’ compensation and health benefit claims. This is supplemented by premium-based insurance coverage with insurance 
carriers  above  our  self-insurance  level  for  each  type  of  coverage.  To  the  extent  we  experience  a  significant  increase  in  the 
number  of  claims,  cost  per  claim  (including  costs  resulting  from  large  verdicts)  or  insurance  premium  costs  for  coverage  in 
excess of our retention and deductible amounts, our operating results would be negatively affected. Healthcare legislation and 
inflationary cost increases could also have a negative effect on our results.

Decreased demand for our used revenue equipment could result in lower unit sales and resale values.

We  are  sensitive  to  changes  in  used  equipment  prices  and  demand,  especially  with  respect  to  tractors.  We  have  been  in  the 
business of selling our company-owned trucks since 1992, when we formed our wholly-owned subsidiary Werner Fleet Sales. 

9

Reduced  demand  for  used  equipment  could  result  in  a  lower  volume  of  sales  or  lower  sales  prices,  either  of  which  could 
negatively affect our proceeds from sales of assets.

ITEM 1B.

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2.

PROPERTIES

Our headquarters are located on approximately 138 acres near U.S. Interstate 80 west of Omaha, Nebraska, 55 acres of which 
are undeveloped. Our headquarter facilities have suitable space available to accommodate planned needs for at least the next 
three  to  five  years.  We  also  have  several  terminals  throughout  the  United  States,  consisting  of  office  and/or  maintenance 
facilities. In addition, we  own parcels of land in several locations in the United States for future terminal development. Our 
terminal locations are described below:

   Owned or Leased

   Description

Location
Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha, Nebraska
Phoenix, Arizona
Fontana, California

Atlanta, Georgia

Indianapolis, Indiana

Springfield, Ohio

Allentown, Pennsylvania

Dallas, Texas

Laredo, Texas

Lakeland, Florida

El Paso, Texas

Joliet, Illinois

West Memphis, Arkansas

Brownstown, Michigan

Owned

   Owned
   Owned
   Owned
   Owned
   Leased
   Owned
   Leased
   Owned
Owned

   Leased
   Owned
Owned

Owned
   Owned

Corporate headquarters, maintenance, 
truck sales

   Disaster recovery, warehouse
   Office, maintenance
   Office, maintenance, truck sales
   Office, maintenance, truck sales
   Truck sales
   Office, maintenance, truck sales
   Office, maintenance
   Office, maintenance, truck sales

Segment
TTS, Werner Logistics, 
Corporate
Corporate
TTS
TTS

TTS

TTS

TTS

TTS

TTS

Office, maintenance, transloading, 
truck sales

TTS, Werner Logistics

   Office, maintenance
   Office, maintenance

Office, maintenance, truck sales

Maintenance
   Maintenance

TTS

TTS

TTS

TTS

TTS

At  December  31,  2020,  we  leased  (i)  small  sales  offices,  brokerage  offices  and  trailer  parking  yards  in  various  locations 
throughout the United States and (ii) office space in Mexico, Canada and China. We own (i) a 96-room motel located near our 
Omaha headquarters; (ii) an 85-room hotel located near our Atlanta terminal; (iii) a 71-room private driver lodging facility at 
our Dallas terminal; and (iv) a terminal facility in Queretaro, Mexico, which we lease to a third party. The Werner Fleet Sales 
network  has  eight  locations,  which  are  located  in  certain  terminals  listed  above.  Our  driver  training  schools  operate  in  14 
locations in the United States, either in certain terminals listed above or in leased facilities.

10

 
  
  
  
  
ITEM 3.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We  are  a  party  subject  to  routine  litigation  incidental  to  our  business,  primarily  involving  claims  for  bodily  injury,  property 
damage, cargo and workers’ compensation incurred in the transportation of freight. For more information about our insurance 
program  and  legal  proceedings,  see  Item  1A,  Risk  Factors  –  “Our  earnings  could  be  reduced  by  increases  in  the  number  of 
insurance  claims,  cost  per  claim,  costs  of  insurance  premiums  or  availability  of  insurance  coverage”,  Item  7,  Management’s 
Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations  –  Critical  Accounting  Estimates,  and  Item  8, 
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data – Note 1 and Note 9.

ITEM 4.

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable

PART II

ITEM 5.

MARKET  FOR  REGISTRANT’S  COMMON  EQUITY,  RELATED  STOCKHOLDER  MATTERS  AND 
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Common Stock
Our  common  stock  trades  on  the  NASDAQ  Global  Select  MarketSM  tier  of  the  NASDAQ  Stock  Market  under  the  symbol 
“WERN”. As of February 8, 2021, our common stock was held by 369 stockholders of record. Because many of our shares of 
common stock are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of stockholders, we are unable to estimate the total number 
of stockholders represented by these record holders. 

Dividend Policy

We  have  paid  cash  dividends  on  our  common  stock  following  each  fiscal  quarter  since  the  first  payment  in  July  1987.  Our 
current quarterly dividend rate is $0.09 per common share. We currently intend to continue paying a regular quarterly dividend. 
We  do  not  currently  anticipate  any  restrictions  on  our  future  ability  to  pay  such  dividends.  However,  we  cannot  give  any 
assurance that dividends will be paid in the future or of the amount of any such quarterly or special dividends because they are 
dependent on our earnings, financial condition and other factors.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

For information on our equity compensation plans, please refer to Item 12 of Part III of this Form 10-K.

11

Performance Graph

Comparison of Five-Year Cumulative Total Return

The  following  graph  is  not  deemed  to  be  “soliciting  material”  or  to  be  “filed”  with  the  SEC  or  subject  to  the  liabilities  of 
Section  18  of  the  Exchange  Act,  and  the  report  shall  not  be  deemed  to  be  incorporated  by  reference  into  any  prior  or 
subsequent filing by us under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act except to the extent we specifically request that 
such information be incorporated by reference or treated as soliciting material.

Werner Enterprises, Inc. (WERN)
Standard & Poor’s 500
2020 Peer Group

12/31/2016

12/31/2017

12/31/2018

12/31/2019

12/31/2015
$ 
$ 
$ 

100  $ 
100  $ 
100  $ 

116  $ 
112  $ 
131  $ 

168  $ 
136  $ 
169  $ 

130  $ 
130  $ 
139  $ 

12/31/2020
198 
203 
258 

182  $ 
171  $ 
195  $ 

Assuming the investment of $100 on December 31, 2015, and reinvestment of all dividends, the graph above compares the 
cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock for the last five fiscal years with the cumulative total return of 
Standard & Poor’s 500 Market Index and our Peer Group over the same period. Our Peer Group includes companies similar to 
us in the transportation industry and has the following companies: ArcBest; Covenant Transportation; Echo Global Logistics; 
Forward Air; Heartland Express; Hub Group; JB Hunt; Kansas City Southern; Knight-Swift Transportation; Landstar System; 
Marten Transport; Old Dominion Freight Line; Saia; Schneider National; US Xpress; and YRC Worldwide. Our stock price 
was $39.22 as of December 31, 2020. This price was used for purposes of calculating the total return on our common stock for 
the year ended December 31, 2020.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

On May 14, 2019, our Board of Directors approved and announced a new stock repurchase program under which the Company 
is authorized to repurchase up to 5,000,000 shares of its common stock. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had purchased 
2,182,992 shares pursuant to the new authorization and had 2,817,008 shares remaining available for repurchase. The Company 
may  purchase  shares  from  time  to  time  depending  on  market,  economic  and  other  factors.  The  authorization  will  continue 
unless withdrawn by the Board of Directors.

12

Werner Enterprises, Inc. (WERN)Standard & Poor’s 500Peer Group12/31/1512/31/1612/31/1712/31/1812/31/1912/31/206080100120140160180200220240260280300 
The  following  table  summarizes  our  stock  repurchases  during  fourth  quarter  2020  made  pursuant  to  this  authorization.  The 
Company  did  not  purchase  any  shares  during  fourth  quarter  2020  other  than  pursuant  to  this  authorization.  All  stock 
repurchases were made by the Company or on its behalf and not by any “affiliated purchaser”, as defined by Rule 10b-18 of the 
Exchange Act.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Period

Total Number of Shares 
(or Units) Purchased

Average Price Paid per 
Share (or Unit)

Total Number of Shares 
(or Units) Purchased as 
Part of Publicly 
Announced Plans or 
Programs

Maximum Number (or 
Approximate Dollar 
Value) of Shares (or 
Units) that May Yet Be 
Purchased Under the 
Plans or Programs

October 1-31, 2020

November 1-30, 2020

December 1-31, 2020

Total

0 $ 

732,659 $ 

467,341 $ 

1,200,000 $ 

— 

39.82 

39.68 

39.77 

0

732,659

467,341

1,200,000

4,017,008

3,284,349

2,817,008

2,817,008

ITEM 6.

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following selected financial data should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes under 
Item 8 of Part II of this Form 10-K.

(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Operating revenues 
Net income (1)
Diluted earnings per share (1)
Cash dividends declared per share (2)
Total assets

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

$ 2,372,178 

$ 2,463,701 

$ 2,457,914 

$ 2,116,737 

$ 2,008,991 

169,078 

166,944 

168,148 

202,889 

79,129 

2.44 

0.36 

2.38 

4.11 

2.33 

0.34 

2.80 

0.27 

1.09 

0.24 

  2,156,676 

  2,143,864 

  2,083,504 

  1,807,991 

  1,793,003 

Total debt
Stockholders’ equity (1)
Book value per share (1) (3)
Return on average stockholders’ equity (1) (4)
Return on average total assets (1) (5)
Operating ratio (consolidated) (6)

200,000 

300,000 

125,000 

75,000 

  1,195,040 

  1,111,008 

  1,264,753 

  1,184,782 

17.59 

16.04 

17.95 

16.36 

 14.7 %

 8.0 %

 90.4 %

 14.6 %

 7.8 %

 90.8 %

 13.7 %

 8.7 %

 90.9 %

 19.5 %

 11.5 %

 93.2 %

180,000 

994,787 

13.78 

 8.2 %

 4.7 %

 93.7 %

(1)

Includes  the  $110.5  million,  or  $1.52  per  diluted  share,  non-cash  reduction  in  income  tax  expense  in  2017  resulting  from  the  revaluation  of  net 
deferred income tax liabilities due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Excluding this item, return on average total assets was 5.3%, and return on 
average stockholders’ equity was 9.0% for 2017. Management believes the exclusion of the tax reform benefit provides a more useful comparison of 
the Company’s performance from period to period.

(2)

Includes a $3.75 per share special dividend declared in May 2019.

(3) Stockholders’ equity divided by common shares outstanding as of the end of the period. Book value per share indicates the dollar value remaining for 

common shareholders if all assets were liquidated at recorded amounts and all debts were paid at recorded amounts.

(4) Net  income  expressed  as  a  percentage  of  average  stockholders’  equity.  Return  on  equity  is  a  measure  of  a  corporation’s  profitability  relative  to 

recorded shareholder investment.

(5) Net income expressed as a percentage of average total assets. Return on assets is a measure of a corporation’s profitability relative to recorded assets.

(6) Operating expenses expressed as a percentage of operating revenues. Operating ratio is a common measure used in the trucking industry to evaluate 

profitability.

13

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 7.

MANAGEMENT’S  DISCUSSION  AND  ANALYSIS  OF  FINANCIAL  CONDITION  AND  RESULTS  OF 
OPERATIONS

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) summarizes the financial 
statements  from  management’s  perspective  with  respect  to  our  financial  condition,  results  of  operations,  liquidity  and  other 
factors that may affect actual results. The MD&A is organized in the following sections:

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Overview
COVID-19
Results of Operations
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Critical Accounting Estimates
Inflation

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  contains  historical  information  and  forward-looking  statements  based  on  information 
currently  available  to  our  management.  The  forward-looking  statements  in  this  report,  including  those  made  in  this  Item  7 
(Management’s  Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations),  are  made  pursuant  to  the  safe 
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These safe harbor provisions encourage 
reporting companies to provide prospective information to investors. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of 
certain  words,  such  as  “anticipate,”  “believe,”  “estimate,”  “expect,”  “intend,”  “plan,”  “project”  and  other  similar  terms  and 
language.  We  believe  the  forward-looking  statements  are  reasonable  based  on  currently  available  information.  However, 
forward-looking  statements  involve  risks,  uncertainties  and  assumptions,  whether  known  or  unknown,  that  could  cause  our 
actual  results,  business,  financial  condition  and  cash  flows  to  differ  materially  from  those  anticipated  in  the  forward-looking 
statements. A discussion of important factors relating to forward-looking statements is included in Item 1A (Risk Factors) of 
Part I of this Form 10-K. Readers should not unduly rely on the forward-looking statements included in this Form 10-K because 
such statements speak only to the date they were made. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, we undertake 
no  obligation  or  duty  to  update  or  revise  any  forward-looking  statements  contained  herein  to  reflect  subsequent  events  or 
circumstances or the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Overview:

We  have  two  reportable  segments,  TTS  and  Werner  Logistics,  and  we  operate  in  the  truckload  and  logistics  sectors  of  the 
transportation  industry.  In  the  truckload  sector,  we  focus  on  transporting  consumer  nondurable  products  that  generally  ship 
more  consistently  throughout  the  year.  In  the  logistics  sector,  besides  managing  transportation  requirements  for  individual 
customers, we provide additional sources of truck capacity, alternative modes of transportation, a global delivery network and 
systems analysis to optimize transportation needs. Our success depends on our ability to efficiently and effectively manage our 
resources in the delivery of truckload transportation and logistics services to our customers. Resource requirements vary with 
customer  demand,  which  may  be  subject  to  seasonal  or  general  economic  conditions.  Our  ability  to  adapt  to  changes  in 
customer transportation requirements is essential to efficiently deploy resources and make capital investments in tractors and 
trailers  (with  respect  to  our  TTS  segment)  or  obtain  qualified  third-party  capacity  at  a  reasonable  price  (with  respect  to  our 
Werner Logistics segment). We may also be affected by our customers’ financial failures or loss of customer business.

Revenues for our TTS segment operating units (Dedicated and One-Way Truckload) are typically generated on a per-mile basis 
and  also  include  revenues  such  as  stop  charges,  loading  and  unloading  charges,  equipment  detention  charges  and  equipment 
repositioning  charges.  To  mitigate  our  risk  to  fuel  price  increases,  we  recover  from  our  customers  additional  fuel  surcharge 
revenues that generally recoup a majority of the increased fuel costs; however, we cannot assure that current recovery levels 
will continue in future periods. Because fuel surcharge revenues fluctuate in response to changes in fuel costs, we identify them 
separately and exclude them from the statistical calculations to provide a more meaningful comparison between periods. The 
key  statistics  used  to  evaluate  trucking  revenues,  net  of  fuel  surcharge,  are  (i)  average  revenues  per  tractor  per  week,  (ii) 
average  percentage  of  empty  miles  (miles  without  trailer  cargo),  (iii)  average  trip  length  (in  loaded  miles)  and  (iv)  average 
number of tractors in service. General economic conditions, seasonal trucking industry freight patterns and industry capacity are 
important factors that impact these statistics. Our TTS segment also generates a small amount of revenues categorized as non-
trucking revenues, which consist primarily of the intra-Mexico portion of cross-border shipments delivered to or from Mexico 
where the TTS segment utilizes a third-party capacity provider. We exclude such revenues from the statistical calculations.

14

Our  most  significant  resource  requirements  are  company  drivers,  independent  contractors,  tractors  and  trailers.  Our  financial 
results  are  affected  by  company  driver  and  independent  contractor  availability  and  the  markets  for  new  and  used  revenue 
equipment.  We  are  self-insured  for  a  significant  portion  of  bodily  injury,  property  damage  and  cargo  claims;  workers’ 
compensation  claims;  and  associate  health  claims  (supplemented  by  premium-based  insurance  coverage  above  certain  dollar 
levels). For that reason, our financial results may also be affected by driver safety, medical costs, weather, legal and regulatory 
environments and insurance coverage costs to protect against catastrophic losses.

The  operating  ratio  is  a  common  industry  measure  used  to  evaluate  our  profitability  and  that  of  our  TTS  segment  operating 
fleets. The operating ratio consists of operating expenses expressed as a percentage of operating revenues. The most significant 
variable expenses that impact the TTS segment are driver salaries and benefits, fuel, fuel taxes (included in taxes and licenses 
expense),  payments  to  independent  contractors  (included  in  rent  and  purchased  transportation  expense),  supplies  and 
maintenance and insurance and claims. As discussed further in the comparison of operating results for 2020 to 2019, several 
industry-wide  issues  have  caused,  and  could  continue  to  cause,  costs  to  increase  in  future  periods.  These  issues  include 
shortages  of  drivers  or  independent  contractors,  changing  fuel  prices,  compliance  with  new  or  proposed  regulations  and 
tightening  of  the  commercial  truck  liability  insurance  market.  Our  main  fixed  costs  include  depreciation  expense  for  tractors 
and trailers and equipment licensing fees (included in taxes and licenses expense). The TTS segment requires substantial cash 
expenditures for tractor and trailer purchases. We fund these purchases with net cash from operations and financing available 
under our existing credit facilities, as management deems necessary.

We provide non-trucking services primarily through the four operating units within our Werner Logistics segment (Truckload 
Logistics, Intermodal, WGL and Final Mile). Unlike our TTS segment, the Werner Logistics segment is less asset-intensive and 
is  instead  dependent  upon  qualified  associates,  information  systems  and  qualified  third-party  capacity  providers.  The  largest 
expense  item  related  to  the  Werner  Logistics  segment  is  the  cost  of  purchased  transportation  we  pay  to  third-party  capacity 
providers.  This  expense  item  is  recorded  as  rent  and  purchased  transportation  expense.  Other  operating  expenses  consist 
primarily of salaries, wages and benefits. We evaluate the Werner Logistics segment’s financial performance by reviewing the 
gross margin percentage (revenues less rent and purchased transportation expenses expressed as a percentage of revenues) and 
the operating income percentage. The gross margin percentage can be impacted by the rates charged to customers and the costs 
of  securing  third-party  capacity.  We  have  a  mix  of  contracted  long-term  rates  and  variable  rates  for  the  cost  of  third-party 
capacity, and we cannot assure that our operating results will not be adversely impacted in the future if our ability to obtain 
qualified third-party capacity providers changes or the rates of such providers increase.

COVID-19:

The  COVID-19  pandemic,  declared  March  11,  2020,  has  profoundly  impacted  the  U.S.  economy.  During  the  pandemic,  the 
transportation industry has been designated by the U.S. government as an essential industry for keeping the U.S. supply chain 
moving. We are working hard to stay healthy while safely delivering our customers’ freight on time. Our leadership team meets 
frequently  to  address  issues  related  to  customers,  freight,  drivers,  safety,  staffing,  human  resources,  and  costs  and  provides 
regular  updates  to  all  our  associates.  Throughout  our  offices  and  terminal  network,  we  are  closely  following  the  safety 
guidelines  set  forth  by  the  Centers  for  Disease  Control  and  Prevention  (CDC)  and  World  Health  Organization  (WHO), 
including hygiene and social distancing. We made and intend to continue making significant investments in personal protective 
products  to  keep  our  associates  safe,  and  over  half  of  our  office  associates  continue  working  from  home.  We  introduced 
Werner-specific associate relief plans to provide rapid and needed assistance to those Werner associates affected by the virus.

Over the past several years, we have repositioned Werner to increase our ability to execute through different macroeconomic 
environments. We believe our freight base, which is heavily weighted toward customers delivering essential products that are 
continually  being  restocked  in  today’s  economy,  is  enabling  us  to  more  effectively  manage  through  the  difficult  economic 
environment created by the pandemic. Revenues from our top 100 customers were 87% of our total revenues in 2020, and 64% 
of those revenues were from the discount retail, home improvement retail, food and beverage and consumer packaged goods 
verticals.

Our results in 2020 reflect lower freight demand in the first half of the year and strong freight market conditions in the second 
half  of  the  year  in  a  rapidly  recovering  economy  and  tight  driver  market.  Despite  the  challenges  created  by  COVID-19,  we 
believe we proactively managed and adapted our fleet and cost structure without compromising service.

While there remain significant uncertainties related to COVID-19 and its effect on the economy, we believe that demand for our
services will be strong in 2021. We performed a customer industry and financial risk assessment on our 100 largest customers 
shortly after the pandemic declaration. While our financial risk has increased since the pandemic began, we believe we have a 
relatively lower level of financial risk with the predominance of financially stronger companies in our customer base as well as 
a lower overall industry risk due to our focus on industries delivering essential products.

15

At the end of 2020, we believe we are well positioned with a strong balance sheet and sufficient liquidity. Our debt is low at 
$200 million, or a net debt ratio of 0.3 times earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization for the year 
ended December 31, 2020. We had available liquidity of $278 million, considering cash on hand and available credit facilities 
of  $249  million.  We  also  have  sufficient  cushion  with  our  two  debt  covenants.  We  currently  plan  to  continue  paying  our 
quarterly dividend, which we have paid quarterly since 1987. This cash outlay currently results in slightly more than $6 million 
per quarter. Net capital expenditures in 2021 currently are expected to be in the range of $275 million to $300 million.

We  do  not  currently  expect  the  Coronavirus  Aid,  Relief,  and  Economic  Security  Act  (the  “CARES  Act”),  enacted  in  March 
2020,  to  have  a  material  impact  on  our  consolidated  financial  statements.  Under  the  CARES  Act,  we  deferred  payment  of 
certain employer payroll taxes for 2020, with 50% due December 31, 2021 and 50% due December 31, 2022. We also expect to 
utilize a provision allowing accelerated income tax depreciation for certain assets, which will not impact our effective tax rate. 
There have been a number of regulatory actions and waivers related to the COVID-19 pandemic, in an effort to keep the supply 
chain  moving.  We  do  not  currently  expect  these  collective  changes  to  have  a  material  impact  on  our  consolidated  financial 
statements.

Results of Operations:

The following table sets forth the Consolidated Statements of Income in dollars and as a percentage of total operating revenues 
and the percentage increase or decrease in the dollar amounts of those items compared to the prior year.

(Amounts in thousands)

Operating revenues

Operating expenses:

Salaries, wages and benefits

Fuel

Supplies and maintenance

Taxes and licenses

Insurance and claims

Depreciation

Rent and purchased transportation

Communications and utilities

Other

Total operating expenses

Operating income

Total other expense (income)

Income before income taxes

Income tax expense

Net income

2020

2019

Percentage 
Change in 
Dollar 
Amounts

$

%

$

%

%

$ 

2,372,178 

 100.0  $ 

2,463,701 

 100.0 

 (3.7) 

795,847 

 33.6 

818,487 

 33.2 

157,124 

175,842 

95,746 

109,816 

263,286 

519,184 

14,474 

13,421 

 6.6 

 7.4 

 4.0 

 4.6 

 11.1 

 21.9 

 0.6 

 0.6 

235,928 

182,909 

95,525 

88,913 

249,527 

549,438 

15,303 

2,199 

 9.6 

 7.4 

 3.9 

 3.6 

 10.1 

 22.3 

 0.6 

 0.1 

2,144,740 

 90.4 

2,238,229 

 90.8 

227,438 

2,744 

224,694 

55,616 

 9.6 

 0.1 

 9.5 

 2.4 

$ 

169,078 

 7.1  $ 

225,472 

3,566 

221,906 

54,962 

166,944 

 9.2 

 0.2 

 9.0 

 2.2 

 6.8 

 (2.8) 

 (33.4) 

 (3.9) 

 0.2 

 23.5 

 5.5 

 (5.5) 

 (5.4) 

 510.3 

 (4.2) 

 0.9 

 (23.1) 

 1.3 

 1.2 

 1.3 

16

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  following  tables  set  forth  the  operating  revenues,  operating  expenses  and  operating  income  for  the  TTS  segment  and 
certain  statistical  data  regarding  our  TTS  segment  operations,  as  well  as  statistical  data  for  the  One-Way  Truckload  and 
Dedicated operating units within TTS.

TTS segment (amounts in thousands)
Trucking revenues, net of fuel surcharge

Trucking fuel surcharge revenues

Non-trucking and other operating revenues

Operating revenues

Operating expenses

Operating income

TTS segment

Average tractors in service
Average revenues per tractor per week (1)
Total tractors (at year end)

Company
Independent contractor
Total tractors

Total trailers (at year end)

One-Way Truckload

Trucking revenues, net of fuel surcharge (in 000’s)

Average tractors in service

Total tractors (at year end)

Average percentage of empty miles
Average revenues per tractor per week (1)
Average % change in revenues per total mile (1)
Average % change in total miles per tractor per week

Average completed trip length in miles (loaded)

Dedicated

Trucking revenues, net of fuel surcharge (in 000’s)

Average tractors in service

Total tractors (at year end)
Average revenues per tractor per week (1)

(1) Net of fuel surcharge revenues

2020

2019

$

%

$

%

% Chg

$ 

1,667,394 

$ 

1,652,663 

158,611 

17,204 

234,366 

22,747 

1,843,209 

 100.0 

1,909,776 

 100.0 

1,621,202 

 88.0 

1,707,116 

$ 

222,007 

 12.0  $ 

202,660 

$ 

$ 

2020

7,757 

4,134 

7,390 

440 

7,830 

23,125 

 89.4 

 10.6 

2019

7,969 

3,988 

7,460 

540 

8,000 

22,700 

$ 

694,868 

$ 

738,510 

3,096 

2,885 

3,376 

3,370 

 12.06 %

 12.01 %

$ 

4,315 

$ 

4,207 

 0.9 %

 1.6 %

852 

 (2.1) %

 (3.1) %

848 

$ 

972,526 

$ 

914,153 

4,661 
4,945 

4,012 

$ 

4,593 
4,630 

3,827 

$ 

 0.9 %

 (32.3) %

 (24.4) %

 (3.5) %

 (5.0) %

 9.5 %

% Chg

 (2.7) %

 3.7 %

 (0.9) %

 (18.5) %

 (2.1) %

 1.9 %

 (5.9) %

 (8.3) %

 (14.4) %

 0.4 %

 2.6 %

 0.5 %

 6.4 %

 1.5 %
 6.8 %

 4.8 %

17

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  following  tables  set  forth  the  Werner  Logistics  segment’s  revenues,  rent  and  purchased  transportation  expense,  gross 
margin,  other  operating  expenses  (primarily  salaries,  wages  and  benefits  expense)  and  operating  income,  as  well  as  certain 
statistical data regarding the Werner Logistics segment.

Werner Logistics segment (amounts in thousands)
Operating revenues

Rent and purchased transportation expense

Gross margin

Other operating expenses

Operating income

Werner Logistics segment
Average tractors in service
Total tractors (at year end)
Total trailers (at year end)

2020 Compared to 2019 

Operating Revenues

2020

2019

$

%

$

%

% Chg

$ 

469,791 

  100.0  $ 

489,729 

  100.0 

407,308 

62,483 

56,478 

6,005 

 86.7 

 13.3 

 12.0 

 1.3  $ 

411,506 

78,223 

61,935 

16,288 

 84.0 

 16.0 

 12.7 

 3.3 

$ 

2020

2019

31 
31 
1,275 

36 
33 
1,445 

 (4.1) %

 (1.0) %

 (20.1) %

 (8.8) %

 (63.1) %

% Chg
 (13.9) %
 (6.1) %
 (11.8) %

Operating  revenues  decreased  3.7%  in  2020  compared  to  2019.  When  comparing  2020  to  2019,  TTS  segment  revenues 
decreased $66.6 million, or 3.5%. Revenues for the Werner Logistics segment decreased $19.9 million or 4.1%.

During the first two months of 2020, freight demand in our One-Way Truckload fleet was seasonally normal and slightly below 
the  same  period  in  2019.  We  experienced  short-lived  strengthened  demand  immediately  following  the  COVID-19  pandemic 
declaration by WHO on March 11, which weakened in early second quarter 2020 due to some customers temporarily closing or 
significantly curtailing their businesses. In the second half of 2020, after businesses began to reopen, freight demand was strong 
and  improved  throughout  the  period.  In  our  Dedicated  fleet,  freight  demand  was  strong  throughout  2020,  as  approximately 
three-quarters  of  our  Dedicated  revenues  are  with  essential  products  customers.  Freight  demand  in  One-Way  Truckload  has 
continued to be stronger than normal so far in 2021.

Trucking revenues, net of fuel surcharge, increased 0.9% in 2020 compared to 2019 due to a 3.7% increase in average revenues 
per tractor per week, net of fuel surcharge, partially offset by a 2.7% decrease in the average number of tractors in service. We 
attribute the increase in average revenues per tractor per week to higher average revenues per total mile. The increase in average 
revenues per total mile was due to relative strength in Dedicated pricing and a stronger than expected peak season for the One-
Way Truckload fleet. We currently expect average revenues per total mile for the One-Way Truckload fleet to remain strong for 
the first half of 2021 and to increase in a range of 7% to 10% when compared to the first half of 2020, and we expect Dedicated 
average revenues per truck per week to increase in a range of 3% to 5% in the first half of 2021 compared to the first half of 
2020.

The average number of tractors in service in the TTS segment decreased 2.7% to 7,757 in 2020 compared to 7,969 in 2019. We 
ended  2020  with  7,830  tractors  in  the  TTS  segment,  a  year-over-year  decrease  of  170  trucks.  The  decrease  in  the  average 
number  of  tractors  in  service  was  anticipated  during  the  early  stages  of  COVID-19  as  (i)  we  aligned  our  fleet  to  adjust  to 
reduced  demand,  (ii)  we  had  delayed  implementations  of  Dedicated  fleet  start-ups,  and  (iii)  we  expected  lower  numbers  of 
students  at  driving  schools  due  to  COVID-19  social  distancing  requirements  and  state  licensing  cutbacks,  which  limits  the 
number of placement drivers entering our career track program. Our number of tractors in service increased during the second 
half of 2020 as (i) demand strengthened, (ii) Dedicated fleets were implemented, and (iii) driving schools adapted to operations 
during the pandemic. Our Dedicated unit ended 2020 with 4,945 trucks (or 63% of our total TTS segment fleet) compared to 
4,630 trucks at the end of 2019. We currently expect our fleet size at the end of 2021 to be in a range of a 1% to 3% higher 
when  compared  to  the  fleet  size  at  year-end  2020.  We  cannot  predict  whether  future  driver  shortages,  if  any,  will  adversely 
affect  our  ability  to  maintain  our  fleet  size.  If  such  a  driver  market  shortage  were  to  occur,  it  could  result  in  a  fleet  size 
reduction, and our results of operations could be adversely affected.

Trucking fuel surcharge revenues decreased 32.3% to $158.6 million in 2020 from $234.4 million in 2019 because of lower 
average  fuel  prices  in  2020.  These  revenues  represent  collections  from  customers  for  the  increase  in  fuel  and  fuel-related 
expenses,  including  the  fuel  component  of  our  independent  contractor  cost  (recorded  as  rent  and  purchased  transportation 
expense)  and  fuel  taxes  (recorded  in  taxes  and  licenses  expense),  when  diesel  fuel  prices  rise.  Conversely,  when  fuel  prices 
decrease,  fuel  surcharge  revenues  decrease.  To  lessen  the  effect  of  fluctuating  fuel  prices  on  our  margins,  we  collect  fuel 

18

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
surcharge  revenues  from  our  customers  for  the  cost  of  diesel  fuel  and  taxes  in  excess  of  specified  base  fuel  price  levels 
according  to  terms  in  our  customer  contracts.  Fuel  surcharge  rates  generally  adjust  weekly  based  on  an  independent  U.S. 
Department  of  Energy  fuel  price  survey  which  is  released  every  Monday.  Our  fuel  surcharge  programs  are  designed  to 
(i) recoup higher fuel costs from customers when fuel prices rise and (ii) provide customers with the benefit of lower fuel costs 
when fuel prices decline. These programs generally enable us to recover a majority, but not all, of the fuel price increases. The 
remaining portion is generally not recoverable because it results from empty and out-of-route miles (which are not billable to 
customers)  and  truck  idle  time.  Fuel  prices  that  change  rapidly  in  short  time  periods  also  impact  our  recovery  because  the 
surcharge rate in most programs only changes once per week.

Werner  Logistics  revenues  are  generated  by  its  four  operating  units  and  exclude  revenues  for  full  truckload  shipments 
transferred to the TTS segment, which are recorded as trucking revenues by the TTS segment. Werner Logistics also recorded 
revenue  and  brokered  freight  expense  of  $0.1  million  in  2020  and  $0.2  million  in  2019  for  Intermodal  drayage  movements 
performed  by  the  TTS  segment  (also  recorded  as  trucking  revenues  by  the  TTS  segment),  and  these  transactions  between 
reporting segments are eliminated in consolidation. Werner Logistics revenues decreased 4.1% to $469.8 million in 2020 from 
$489.7  million  in  2019  due  primarily  to  lower  Truckload  Logistics  revenues  (61%  of  total  logistics  revenues).  The  Werner 
Logistics gross margin dollars decreased 20.1% to $62.5 million in 2020 from $78.2 million in 2019, and the Werner Logistics 
gross margin percentage decreased to 13.3% in 2020 from 16.0% in 2019. The Werner Logistics operating income percentage 
decreased to 1.3% in 2020 from 3.3% in 2019, as the percentage decline in gross profit exceeded the percentage decline in other 
operating  expenses.  The  gross  margin  decrease  was  due  primarily  to  a  softer  freight  market  in  the  first  half  of  2020  and  the 
unprecedented large and rapid rise in spot truckload rates in the second half of 2020 which significantly increased the cost of 
capacity  for  contractual  brokerage  shipments.  During  third  quarter  2020,  we  addressed  customer  pricing  for  many  of  our 
contractual  brokerage  accounts,  which  resulted  in  sequential  improvement  from  third  quarter  2020  to  fourth  quarter  2020  in 
both our gross margin percentage and operating margin percentage.

Operating Expenses

Our  operating  ratio  (operating  expenses  expressed  as  a  percentage  of  operating  revenues)  was  90.4%  in  2020  compared  to 
90.8%  in  2019.  Expense  items  that  impacted  the  overall  operating  ratio  are  described  on  the  following  pages.  The  tables  on 
pages 16 through 18 show the Consolidated Statements of Income in dollars and as a percentage of total operating revenues and 
the percentage increase or decrease in the dollar amounts of those items compared to the prior year, as well as the operating 
ratios, operating margins and certain statistical information for our two reportable segments, TTS and Werner Logistics.

Salaries, wages and benefits decreased $22.6 million or 2.8% in 2020 compared to 2019 and increased 0.4% as a percentage of 
operating revenues. The lower dollar amount of salaries, wages and benefits expense in 2020 was due primarily to lower fringe 
benefits and having fewer placement drivers, both of which were impacted by COVID-19. Our workers’ compensation costs 
improved,  and  we  incurred  lower  group  health  insurance  costs  which  we  believe  is  a  temporary  effect  of  COVID-19.  These 
decreases were partially offset by higher driver pay rates in 2020. Non-driver salaries, wages and benefits in our non-trucking 
Werner Logistics segment decreased 11.6% from 2020 to 2019.

We  renewed  our  workers’  compensation  insurance  coverage  on  April  1,  2020  and  assumed  additional  risk  exposure  by 
increasing our self-insurance retention from $1.0 million to $2.0 million per claim as of April 1, 2020. As a result of the higher 
self-insured  retention,  our  workers’  compensation  insurance  premiums  for  the  policy  year  beginning  April  2020  are  $0.8 
million lower than the premiums for the previous policy year.

The competitive driver recruiting market further intensified throughout 2020, as the improving freight market in the second half 
of the year caused increased competition for the finite number of experienced drivers that meet our hiring standards. Several 
ongoing  market  factors  persisted  including  a  declining  number  of,  and  increased  competition  for,  driver  training  school 
graduates,  particularly  considering  COVID-19  constraints,  aging  truck  driver  demographics  and  increased  truck  safety 
regulations.  We  continued  to  take  significant  actions  to  strengthen  our  driver  recruiting  and  retention  to  make  Werner  a 
preferred choice for the best drivers, including raising driver pay, maintaining a new truck and trailer fleet, purchasing best-in-
class  safety  features  for  all  new  trucks,  investing  in  our  driver  training  school  network  and  collaborating  with  customers  to 
improve or eliminate unproductive freight. These efforts continued to have positive results on our driver retention. In January 
2021, we implemented driver pay increases of approximately $10 million annually in our One-Way Truckload fleet, and we are 
implementing pay increases as needed in Dedicated. We expect our total TTS driver pay increases to total $16 million to $18 
million  in  2021.  We  are  unable  to  predict  whether  we  will  experience  future  driver  shortages  or  maintain  our  current  driver 
retention rates. If such a driver shortage were to occur and additional driver pay rate increases became necessary to attract and 
retain  drivers,  our  results  of  operations  would  be  negatively  impacted  to  the  extent  that  we  could  not  obtain  corresponding 
freight rate increases.

19

Fuel decreased $78.8 million or 33.4% in 2020 compared to 2019 and decreased 3.0% as a percentage of operating revenues 
due to lower average diesel fuel prices and approximately 4.5 million fewer company truck miles in 2020. Average diesel fuel 
prices, excluding fuel taxes, for the full year 2020 were 69 cents per gallon lower than the full year 2019, a 34% decrease. 

We continue to employ measures to improve our fuel mpg such as (i) limiting truck engine idle time, (ii) optimizing the speed, 
weight  and  specifications  of  our  equipment  and  (iii)  implementing  mpg-enhancing  equipment  changes  to  our  fleet  including 
new trucks, more aerodynamic truck features, idle reduction systems, trailer tire inflation systems, trailer skirts and automated 
manual transmissions to reduce our fuel gallons purchased. However, fuel savings from mpg improvement is partially offset by 
higher depreciation expense and the additional cost of diesel exhaust fluid. Although our fuel management programs require 
significant capital investment and research and development, we intend to continue these and other environmentally conscious 
initiatives, including our active participation as an EPA SmartWay Transport Partner. The SmartWay Transport Partnership is a 
national  voluntary  program  developed  by  the  EPA  and  freight  industry  representatives  to  reduce  greenhouse  gases  and  air 
pollution and promote cleaner, more efficient ground freight transportation.

Through February 19, the average diesel fuel price per gallon in 2021 was approximately 11 cents lower than the average diesel 
fuel price per gallon in the same period of 2020 and approximately 9 cents higher than the average for first quarter 2020.

Shortages of fuel, increases in fuel prices and petroleum product rationing can have a material adverse effect on our operations 
and profitability. We are unable to predict whether fuel price levels will increase or decrease in the future or the extent to which 
fuel  surcharges  will  be  collected  from  customers.  As  of  December  31,  2020,  we  had  no  derivative  financial  instruments  to 
reduce our exposure to fuel price fluctuations.

Supplies and maintenance decreased $7.1 million or 3.9% in 2020 compared to 2019 and was flat as a percentage of operating 
revenues. The lower dollar amount of supplies and maintenance expense was due primarily to lower travel and entertainment 
costs resulting from COVID-19 restrictions, as well as lower driver and placement driver-related expenses. 

Insurance  and  claims  increased  $20.9  million  or  23.5%  in  2020  compared  to  2019  and  increased  1.0%  as  a  percentage  of 
operating revenues, due primarily to higher expense for new large dollar claims and higher liability insurance premiums of $3.8 
million.  In  January  2020,  one  of  our  trucks  was  involved  in  a  serious  accident.  We  self-insure  for  the  first  $10.0  million  of 
liability  coverage  for  this  policy  period,  and  have  appropriate  excess  liability  coverage  with  insurance  carriers  above  that 
amount.  As  a  result,  we  recorded  $10.0  million  of  insurance  and  claims  expense  in  2020  for  this  accident.  We  also  incurred 
insurance  and  claims  expense  of  $4.9  million  in  2020  and  $3.9  million  in  2019  for  accrued  interest  related  to  a  previously-
disclosed  adverse  jury  verdict  rendered  on  May  17,  2018,  which  we  are  appealing  (see  Note  9  in  the  Notes  to  Consolidated 
Financial Statements set forth in Part II of this Form 10-K). Interest is accrued at $0.4 million per month, until such time as the 
outcome of our appeal is finalized, excluding the months of June and July 2019 when the plaintiffs requested an extension of 
time to respond to our appeal. The majority of our insurance and claims expense results from our claim experience and claim 
development under our self-insurance program; the remainder results from insurance premiums for claims in excess of our self-
insured limits.

We renewed our liability insurance policies on August 1, 2020 and are now responsible for the first $10.0 million per claim on 
all  claims  with  no  annual  aggregates.  For  the  policy  year  that  began  August  1,  2019,  we  were  responsible  for  the  first  $3.0 
million per claim with an annual $6.0 million aggregate for claims between $3.0 million and $5.0 million and an additional $5.0 
million deductible per claim for each claim between $5.0 million and $10.0 million. We maintain liability insurance coverage 
with insurance carriers in excess of the $10.0 million per claim. Our liability insurance premiums for the policy year that began 
August 1, 2020 are $7.8 million higher than premiums for the previous policy year.

Depreciation  increased  $13.8  million  or  5.5%  in  2020  compared  to  2019  and  increased  1.0%  as  a  percentage  of  operating 
revenues. During first quarter 2020, we changed the estimated life of certain trucks expected to be sold in 2020 to more rapidly 
depreciate  these  trucks  to  their  estimated  residual  values  due  to  the  weak  used  truck  market.  These  trucks  continued  to 
depreciate at the same higher rate per truck until the trucks were sold. The effect of this change in accounting estimate increased 
2020 depreciation expense by $9.6 million. Information technology and communication infrastructure upgrades also added to 
the higher depreciation expense in 2020.

The  average  age  of  our  truck  fleet  remains  low  by  industry  standards  and  was  2.0  years  as  of  December  31,  2020,  and  the 
average  age  of  our  trailers  was  4.0  years.  We  continued  to  invest  in  new  trucks  and  trailers  and  our  terminals  in  2020  to 
improve our driver experience, increase operational efficiency and more effectively manage our maintenance, safety and fuel 
costs. We currently intend to maintain the average age of our truck and trailer fleet at or near current levels.

Rent and purchased transportation expense decreased $30.3 million or 5.5% in 2020 compared to 2019 and decreased 0.4% as a 
percentage  of  operating  revenues.  Rent  and  purchased  transportation  expense  consists  mostly  of  payments  to  third-party 
capacity providers in the Werner Logistics segment and other non-trucking operations and payments to independent contractors 
in  the  TTS  segment.  The  payments  to  third-party  capacity  providers  generally  vary  depending  on  changes  in  the  volume  of 

20

services  generated  by  the  Werner  Logistics  segment.  Werner  Logistics  rent  and  purchased  transportation  expense  decreased 
$4.2 million as a result of lower logistics revenues and increased to 86.7% of Werner Logistics revenues in 2020 from 84.0% in 
2019,  due  primarily  to  the  unprecedented  large  and  rapid  rise  in  spot  truckload  rates  in  the  second  half  of  2020,  which 
significantly increased the cost of capacity for contractual brokerage shipments.

Rent  and  purchased  transportation  expense  for  the  TTS  segment  decreased  $26.1  million  in  2020  compared  to  2019.  This 
decrease is due primarily to lower payments to independent contractors in 2020 compared to 2019, resulting from 15.1 million 
fewer independent contractor miles driven in 2020. Lower average diesel fuel prices in 2020 also resulted in a lower per-mile 
settlement rate for independent contractors. Independent contractor miles as a percentage of total miles were 8.3% in 2020 and 
9.9%  in  2019.  Because  independent  contractors  supply  their  own  tractors  and  drivers  and  are  responsible  for  their  operating 
expenses, the decrease in independent contractor miles as a percentage of total miles shifted costs from the rent and purchased 
transportation category to other expense categories, including (i) salaries, wages and benefits, (ii) fuel, (iii) depreciation, (iv) 
supplies and maintenance and (v) taxes and licenses.

Challenging operating conditions continue to make independent contractor recruitment and retention difficult. Such conditions 
include inflationary cost increases that are the responsibility of independent contractors and a shortage of financing available to 
independent  contractors  for  equipment  purchases.  Historically,  we  have  been  able  to  add  company  tractors  and  recruit 
additional  company  drivers  to  offset  any  decrease  in  the  number  of  independent  contractors.  If  a  shortage  of  independent 
contractors and company drivers occurs, further increases in per-mile settlement rates (for independent contractors) and driver 
pay  rates  (for  company  drivers)  may  become  necessary  to  attract  and  retain  these  drivers.  This  could  negatively  affect  our 
results of operations to the extent that we would not be able to obtain corresponding freight rate increases.

Other operating expenses increased $11.2 million in 2020 compared to 2019 and increased 0.5% as a percentage of operating 
revenues. Gains on sales of assets (primarily used trucks and trailers) are reflected as a reduction of other operating expenses 
and are reported net of sales-related expenses (which include costs to prepare the equipment for sale). Gains on sales of assets 
were  $11.3  million  in  2020,  compared  to  $21.6  million  in  2019,  including  $3.4  million  from  sales  of  real  estate  in  2019.  In 
2020, we sold more trucks and fewer trailers than in 2019. We realized significantly lower average gains per truck and slightly 
lower average gains per trailer sold in 2020 compared to 2019. We experienced low demand for our used equipment in the first 
half of 2020. Pricing in the market for our used trucks began to improve in third quarter 2020 and continued to improve through 
the end of 2020. We currently expect gains on sales of equipment in 2021 to improve and to be in the range of $12 million to 
$15  million.  Increased  costs  associated  with  software  consultant  services  also  contributed  to  the  increase  in  other  operating 
expenses from 2019 to 2020.

Other Expense (Income)

Other  expense  (income)  decreased  $0.8  million  in  2020  compared  to  2019.  Interest  expense  decreased  $2.6  million  in  2020 
compared to 2019 due to lower average outstanding debt and was partially offset by lower interest income due to lower variable 
interest rates in 2020.

Income Tax Expense

Income  tax  expense  increased  $0.7  million  in  2020  compared  to  2019,  due  to  slightly  higher  pre-tax  income.  Our  effective 
income tax rate was 24.8% for both 2020 and 2019. We currently estimate our full year 2021 effective income tax rate to be 
approximately 24.5% to 25.5%.

2019 Compared to 2018 

For a comparison of the Company’s results of operations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 to the fiscal year ended 
December 31, 2018, see Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, in 
the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, which was filed with the U.S. Securities 
and Exchange Commission on February 27, 2020.

Liquidity and Capital Resources:

During  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020,  we  generated  cash  flow  from  operations  of  $445.9  million,  compared  to  $426.6 
million during the year ended December 31, 2019. This increase in net cash provided by operating activities primarily resulted 
from deferring payment of 2020 employer payroll taxes totaling approximately $29.3 million as permitted under the CARES 
Act, partially offset by higher income tax payments. We were able to make net capital expenditures, repay debt, pay dividends, 
and repurchase stock with the net cash provided by operating activities and existing cash balances, supplemented by short-term 
borrowings under our existing credit facilities.

21

Net cash used in investing activities decreased to $263.3 million during 2020 from $272.3 million during 2019. Net property 
additions  (primarily  revenue  equipment)  were  $266.2  million  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020,  compared  to  $283.9 
million during the same period of 2019. We currently estimate net capital expenditures (primarily revenue equipment) in 2021 
to be in the range of $275 million to $300 million. We intend to fund these net capital expenditures through cash flow from 
operations  and  financing  available  under  our  existing  credit  facilities,  if  necessary.  As  of  December  31,  2020,  we  were 
committed to property and equipment purchases of approximately $131.3 million.

Net  financing  activities  used  $186.0  million  in  2020  and  used  $155.2  million  in  2019.  During  the  year  ended  December  31, 
2020, we borrowed $40.0 million of short-term debt and repaid $140.0 million of debt. Our outstanding debt at December 31, 
2020 totaled $200.0 million. During 2019, we borrowed $275.0 million and repaid $100.0 million of long-term debt. We paid 
dividends of $24.9 million in 2020 and $286.2 million in 2019, including the $261.1 million ($3.75 per share) special dividend 
in 2019 and quarterly dividends in both years.

Financing activities for 2020 also included common stock repurchases of 1,482,992 shares at a cost of $56.5 million. 1,300,000 
shares were repurchased in 2019 at a cost of $42.3 million. The Company has repurchased, and may continue to repurchase, 
shares of the Company’s common stock. The timing and amount of such purchases depends upon economic and stock market 
conditions and other factors. On May 14, 2019, the Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase program under which 
the Company is authorized to repurchase up to 5,000,000 shares of its common stock. As of December 31, 2020, the Company 
had purchased 2,182,992 shares pursuant to the new authorization and had 2,817,008 shares remaining available for repurchase.

Management believes our financial position at December 31, 2020 is strong. As of December 31, 2020, we had $29.3 million of 
cash and cash equivalents and nearly $1.2 billion of stockholders’ equity. Cash is invested primarily in government portfolio 
money  market  funds.  As  of  December  31,  2020,  we  had  a  total  of  $500.0  million  of  borrowing  capacity  under  two  credit 
facilities  (see  Note  5  in  the  Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  under  Item  8  of  Part  II  of  this  Form  10-K  for 
information regarding our credit agreements as of December 31, 2020), of which we had borrowed $200.0 million. Subsequent 
to the end of the year, in January 2021, we repaid $25.0 million of debt. The remaining $300.0 million of credit available under 
these facilities at December 31, 2020 is reduced by the $50.9 million in stand-by letters of credit under which we are obligated. 
These  stand-by  letters  of  credit  are  primarily  required  as  security  for  insurance  policies.  We  believe  our  liquid  assets,  cash 
generated  from  operating  activities,  and  borrowing  capacity  under  our  credit  facilities  will  provide  sufficient  funds  for  our 
planned operating and capital needs for the foreseeable future.

Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments:

The following table sets forth our contractual obligations and commercial commitments as of December 31, 2020.

(Amounts in millions)
Contractual Obligations
Unrecognized tax benefits
Long-term debt, including current 
maturities
Interest payments on debt
Operating leases
Property and equipment purchase 
commitments
Total contractual cash obligations
Other Commercial Commitments
Unused lines of credit
Stand-by letters of credit
Total commercial commitments

Total obligations

Payments Due by Period

Total

Less than

1 year      
(2021)

1-3 years 
(2022-2023)

3-5 years 
(2024-2025)

More
than 5
years       
(After 2025)

Period
Unknown

$ 

2.4  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

200.0 

12.7 
11.1 

131.3 

25.0 

3.8 
3.7 

131.3 

— 

7.5 
4.5 

— 

175.0 

1.4 
2.4 

— 

— 

— 
0.5 

— 

357.5  $ 

163.8  $ 

12.0  $ 

178.8  $ 

0.5  $ 

249.1  $ 
50.9 
300.0  $ 
657.5  $ 

—  $ 

50.9 
50.9  $ 
214.7  $ 

—  $ 
— 
—  $ 
12.0  $ 

249.1  $ 
— 
249.1  $ 
427.9  $ 

—  $ 
— 
—  $ 
0.5  $ 

$ 

$ 

$ 
$ 

2.4 

— 

— 
— 

— 

2.4 

— 
— 
— 
2.4 

22

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
See the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of Part II of this Form 10-K for information regarding our 
credit agreements (Note 5), our leasing arrangements (Note 3), and our purchase commitments (Note 9). As of December 31, 
2020, we had recorded a $2.4 million liability for unrecognized tax benefits. We are unable to reasonably determine when the 
$2.4 million categorized as “period unknown” will be settled.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements:

In 2020, we did not have any arrangements that meet the definition of an off-balance sheet arrangement.

Critical Accounting Estimates:

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United 
States of America requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the (i) reported amount of assets and liabilities and 
disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and (ii) reported amounts of 
revenues  and  expenses  during  the  reporting  period.  We  evaluate  these  estimates  on  an  ongoing  basis  as  events  and 
circumstances change, utilizing historical experience, consultation with experts and other methods considered reasonable in the 
particular circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates and may significantly impact our results of operations 
from period to period. It is also possible that materially different amounts would be reported if we used different estimates or 
assumptions.

Estimates  of  accrued  liabilities  for  insurance  and  claims  for  bodily  injury,  property  damage  and  workers’  compensation  is  a 
critical accounting estimate that requires us to make significant judgments and estimates and affects our financial statements. 
The  accruals  for  bodily  injury,  property  damage  and  workers’  compensation  (current  and  non-current)  are  recorded  at  the 
estimated ultimate payment amounts and are based upon individual case estimates and actuarial estimates of loss development 
for reported losses and incurred-but-not-reported losses using loss development factors based upon past experience. In order to 
determine the loss development factors, we make judgments relating to the comparability of historical claims to current claims. 
These  judgments  consider  the  nature,  frequency,  severity,  and  age  of  claims,  and  industry,  regulatory,  and  company-specific 
trends impacting the development of claims. An independent actuary reviews our calculation of the undiscounted self-insurance 
reserves for bodily injury and property damage claims and workers’ compensation claims at year-end. The actual cost to settle 
our  self-insured  claim  liabilities  can  differ  from  our  reserve  estimates  because  of  a  number  of  uncertainties,  including  the 
inherent difficulty in estimating the severity of a claim and the potential amount to defend and settle a claim.

Inflation:

Inflation may impact our operating costs. A prolonged inflation period could cause rises in interest rates, fuel, wages and other 
costs.  These  inflationary  increases  could  adversely  affect  our  results  of  operations  unless  freight  rates  could  be  increased 
correspondingly. However, the effect of inflation has been minimal over the past three years.

23

ITEM 7A.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

We are exposed to market risk from changes in interest rates, commodity prices and foreign currency exchange rates.

Commodity Price Risk

The price and availability of diesel fuel are subject to fluctuations attributed to changes in the level of global oil production, 
refining capacity, regulatory changes, seasonality, weather and other market factors. Historically, we have recovered a majority, 
but  not  all,  of  fuel  price  increases  from  customers  in  the  form  of  fuel  surcharges.  We  implemented  customer  fuel  surcharge 
programs with most of our customers to offset much of the higher fuel cost per gallon. However, we do not recover all of the 
fuel cost increase through these surcharge programs. As of December 31, 2020, we had no derivative financial instruments to 
reduce our exposure to fuel price fluctuations.

Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk

In  2020,  we  conducted  business  in  several  foreign  countries,  including  Mexico,  Canada,  and  China.  To  date,  most  foreign 
revenues  are  denominated  in  U.S.  Dollars,  and  we  receive  payment  for  foreign  freight  services  primarily  in  U.S.  Dollars  to 
reduce direct foreign currency risk. Assets and liabilities maintained by a foreign subsidiary company in the local currency are 
subject  to  foreign  exchange  gains  or  losses.  Foreign  currency  translation  gains  and  losses  primarily  relate  to  changes  in  the 
value  of  revenue  equipment  owned  by  a  subsidiary  in  Mexico,  whose  functional  currency  is  the  Peso.  Foreign  currency 
translation losses were $2.9 million in 2020 and foreign currency translation gains were $2.0 million in 2019 and were recorded 
in accumulated other comprehensive loss within stockholders’ equity in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The exchange rate 
between the Mexican Peso and the U.S. Dollar was 19.95 Pesos to $1.00 at December 31, 2020 compared to 18.85 Pesos to 
$1.00 at December 31, 2019.

Interest Rate Risk

We manage interest rate exposure through a mix of variable rate debt and interest rate swap agreements. We had $150 million 
of debt outstanding at December 31, 2020, for which the interest rate is effectively fixed at 2.34% through May 2024 with two 
interest  rate  swap  agreements  to  reduce  our  exposure  to  interest  rate  increases.  We  had  $50  million  of  variable  rate  debt 
outstanding  at  December  31,  2020.  Interest  rates  on  the  variable  rate  debt  and  our  unused  credit  facilities  are  based  on  the 
LIBOR (see Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments). Assuming this level of borrowing, a hypothetical one-
percentage point increase in the LIBOR interest rate would increase our annual interest expense by approximately $0.5 million.

Due to uncertainty surrounding the suitability and sustainability of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), central banks 
and global regulators have called for financial market participants to prepare for the discontinuation of LIBOR. On November 
30, 2020, ICE Benchmark Administration announced its intention to consult on ceasing publication of one-week and two-month 
settings of the USD LIBOR benchmark at the end of December 2021, and ceasing publication of the remaining overnight and 
one-, three-, six- and 12-month USD LIBOR settings at the end of June 2023. LIBOR is a widely-referenced benchmark rate, 
and  our  unsecured  credit  facilities  are  referenced  to  LIBOR.  We  are  communicating  with  our  banks  regarding  the  eventual 
transition to a new benchmark rate.

24

ITEM 8.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
Werner Enterprises, Inc.:

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Werner Enterprises, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as 
of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, 
and  cash  flows  for  each  of  the  years  in  the  three‑year  period  ended  December  31,  2020,  and  the  related  notes  and  financial 
statement schedule II listed in the Index in Item 15(a)(2) (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the 
consolidated  financial  statements  present  fairly,  in  all  material  respects,  the  financial  position  of  the  Company  as  of 
December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three‑year period 
ended December 31, 2020, 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, 2020, based on criteria established in 
Internal  Control  -  Integrated  Framework  (2013)  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway 
Commission, and our report dated February 24, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s 
internal control over financial reporting.

Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed its method of accounting for leases as of 
January 1, 2019 due to the adoption of ASC Topic 842, Leases. 

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express 
an opinion on these consolidated 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  consolidated  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 
consolidated 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 consolidated 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  consolidated  financial  statements.  We  believe  that  our  audits  provide  a 
reasonable basis for our opinion.

25

Critical Audit Matter

The  critical  audit  matter  communicated  below  is  a  matter  arising  from  the  current  period  audit  of  the  consolidated  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 consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or 
complex judgments. The communication of a 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 accounts or disclosures to which it relates. 

Evaluation of insurance and claims accruals

As  discussed  in  Note  1  to  the  consolidated  financial  statements,  the  Company  estimates  the  insurance  and  claims 
accruals  related  to  (1)  cargo  loss  and  damage,  (2)  bodily  injury  and  property  damage,  (3)  group  health,  and  (4) 
workers’ compensation claims not covered by insurance. The Company’s current and non-current insurance and claims 
accruals  were  $76.9  million  and  $231.6  million,  respectively.  The  accruals  specifically  for  bodily  injury,  property 
damage,  and  workers’  compensation  are  based  upon  individual  case  estimates  and  actuarial  estimates  of  loss 
development for reported losses and incurred-but-not-reported losses using loss development factors based upon past 
experience.  In  order  to  determine  the  loss  development  factors,  the  Company  makes  judgments  relating  to  the 
comparability of historical claims to current claims. These judgments consider the nature, frequency, severity and age 
of claims, and industry, regulatory, and company-specific trends impacting the development of claims. The Company 
has an independent actuary review their calculation of these undiscounted insurance and claims accruals.

We  identified  the  evaluation  of  the  Company’s  insurance  and  claims  accruals  related  to  bodily  injury,  property 
damage, and workers’ compensation claims not covered by insurance as a critical audit matter. Specifically, evaluating 
the  loss  development  factors  used  to  determine  these  insurance  and  claims  accruals  involved  a  high  degree  of 
complexity and subjectivity. In addition, specialized skills were needed to evaluate the Company’s models to calculate 
these undiscounted insurance and claims accruals. 

The following are the primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter. We evaluated the design 
and  tested  the  operating  effectiveness  of  certain  internal  controls  related  to  these  insurance  and  claims  accruals, 
including  controls  related  to  the  determination  of  loss  development  factors  used  to  determine  these  insurance  and 
claims accruals. We involved actuarial professionals with specialized skills and knowledge who assisted in:

•

•

•

assessing the models used by the Company to determine these insurance and claims accruals for consistency with 
generally accepted actuarial standards

assessing  the  determination  of  loss  development  factors  used  in  the  models  for  consistency  with  historical 
Company data and industry, regulatory, and company-specific trends

developing  an  independent  expectation  of  the  Company’s  insurance  and  claims  accruals  and  comparing  to  the 
Company’s estimate.

We tested historical claims paid and claims reported, but not paid, that are used as an input to the Company’s models 
to  calculate  these  insurance  and  claims  accruals  for  consistency  with  data  used  in  the  prior  year.  We  tested  actual 
claims paid and claims reported, but not paid, for the current year that are used as an input to the Company’s models to 
calculate  these  insurance  and  claims  accruals  for  consistency  with  the  Company’s  actual  claims  paid  and  claims 
reported, but not paid. We compared the Company’s prior period insurance and claims accruals to actual claims in the 
current period to assess the Company’s ability to accurately estimate costs.

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 1999.

Omaha, Nebraska
February 24, 2021

/s/ KPMG LLP

26

WERNER ENTERPRISES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Operating revenues

Operating expenses:

Salaries, wages and benefits

Fuel

Supplies and maintenance

Taxes and licenses

Insurance and claims

Depreciation

Rent and purchased transportation

Communications and utilities

Other

Total operating expenses

Operating income

Other expense (income):

Interest expense

Interest income

Other

Total other expense (income)

Income before income taxes

Income tax expense

Net income

Earnings per share:

Basic

Diluted

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:

Basic

Diluted

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$  2,372,178 

$  2,463,701 

$  2,457,914 

795,847 

157,124 

175,842 

95,746 

109,816 

263,286 

519,184 

14,474 

818,487 

235,928 

182,909 

95,525 

88,913 

249,527 

549,438 

15,303 

781,064 

254,564 

185,074 

87,318 

98,133 

230,151 

589,002 

16,063 

13,421 
  2,144,740 

2,199 
  2,238,229 

(7,670) 
  2,233,699 

227,438 

225,472 

224,215 

4,215 

(1,634) 

163 

2,744 

224,694 

55,616 

6,854 

(3,326) 

38 

3,566 

221,906 

54,962 

2,695 

(2,737) 

376 

334 

223,881 

55,733 

$ 

169,078 

$ 

166,944 

$ 

168,148 

$ 

$ 

2.45 

2.44 

$ 

$ 

2.40 

2.38 

$ 

$ 

2.35 

2.33 

69,018 

69,427 

69,567 

70,026 

71,694 

72,057 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

27

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WERNER ENTERPRISES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(In thousands)
Net income

Other comprehensive income (loss):

Foreign currency translation adjustments

Change in fair value of interest rate swaps, net of tax

Other comprehensive income (loss)

Comprehensive income

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

169,078 

$ 

166,944 

$ 

168,148 

(2,867) 

(5,238) 

(8,105) 

1,996 

(651) 

1,345 

(493) 

255 

(238) 

$ 

160,973 

$ 

168,289 

$ 

167,910 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

28

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WERNER ENTERPRISES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except share amounts)
ASSETS
Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

Accounts receivable, trade, less allowance of $8,686 and $7,921, respectively

Other receivables

Inventories and supplies

Prepaid taxes, licenses and permits

Other current assets

Total current assets

Property and equipment, at cost:

Land

Buildings and improvements

Revenue equipment

Service equipment and other

Total property and equipment

Less – accumulated depreciation

Property and equipment, net

Other non-current assets

Total assets
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:

Accounts payable

Current portion of long-term debt

Insurance and claims accruals

Accrued payroll

Accrued expenses

Other current liabilities

Total current liabilities

Long-term debt, net of current portion
Other long-term liabilities
Insurance and claims accruals, net of current portion

Deferred income taxes

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders’ equity:

Common stock, $0.01 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized; 80,533,536 shares

issued; 67,931,726 and 69,244,525 shares outstanding, respectively

Paid-in capital

Retained earnings

Accumulated other comprehensive loss
Treasury stock, at cost; 12,601,810 and 11,289,011 shares, respectively

Total stockholders’ equity

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

29

December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

29,334 

$ 

26,418 

341,104 

322,846 

23,491 

12,062 

17,231 

33,694 

52,221 

9,243 

16,757 

38,849 

456,916 

466,334 

72,103 

253,708 

63,244 

199,734 

  1,798,511 

  1,812,186 

281,013 

268,372 

  2,405,335 

  2,343,536 

862,077 

817,260 

  1,543,258 

  1,526,276 

156,502 

151,254 

$  2,156,676 

$  2,143,864 

$ 

83,263 

$ 

25,000 

76,917 

35,594 

25,032 

28,208 

274,014 
175,000 

43,114 
231,638 

237,870 

94,634 

75,000 

69,810 

38,347 

11,072 

19,977 

308,840 
225,000 

21,129 
228,218 

249,669 

805 

805 

116,039 

112,649 

  1,438,916 

  1,294,608 

(22,833) 

(14,728) 

(337,887) 

(282,326) 

  1,195,040 

  1,111,008 

$  2,156,676 

$  2,143,864 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WERNER ENTERPRISES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Years Ended December 31,
2019

2018

2020

(In thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

$  169,078 

$  166,944 

$  168,148 

Depreciation
Deferred income taxes
Gain on disposal of property and equipment
Non-cash equity compensation
Insurance and claims accruals, net of current portion
Other
Changes in certain working capital items:

Accounts receivable, net
Other current assets
Accounts payable
Other current liabilities

Net cash provided by operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities:

Additions to property and equipment
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment
Investment in equity securities
Decrease in notes receivable
Issuance of notes receivable

Net cash used in investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of short-term debt
Proceeds from issuance of short-term debt
Repayments of long-term debt
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt
Change in net checks issued in excess of cash balances
Dividends on common stock
Repurchases of common stock
Tax withholding related to net share settlements of restricted stock awards
Stock options exercised

Net cash used in financing activities

Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period(1)
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:

Interest paid
Income taxes paid

Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing activities:

Notes receivable issued upon sale of property and equipment
Change in fair value of interest rate swaps
Property and equipment acquired included in accounts payable
Property and equipment disposed included in other receivables
Dividends accrued but not yet paid at end of period

263,286 
(10,233) 
(11,271) 
8,903 
3,420 
13,641 

(18,258) 
(7,390) 
(2,483) 
37,216 
445,909 

(413,065) 
146,824 
(5,000) 
7,966 
— 
(263,275) 

(90,000) 
40,000 
(50,000) 
— 
— 
(24,888) 
(56,521) 
(4,553) 
— 
(185,962) 
(780) 
(4,108) 
33,442 
29,334 

4,415 
54,173 

3,441 
(5,238) 
12,250 
30 
6,114 

$ 

$ 

$ 

249,527 
16,401 
(21,557) 
8,077 
14,188 
(3,360) 

15,081 
975 
(7,537) 
(12,095) 
426,644 

(420,748) 
136,873 
— 
11,566 
— 
(272,309) 

— 
— 
(100,000) 
275,000 
— 
(286,190) 
(42,301) 
(1,899) 
171 
(155,219) 
396 
(488) 
33,930 
33,442 

6,441 
49,599 

6,764 
(651) 
21,138 
18,600 
6,232 

$ 

$ 

$ 

230,151 
37,694 
(24,898) 
7,394 
26,570 
(4,774) 

(33,753) 
(9,979) 
7,559 
14,047 
418,159 

(519,872) 
170,900 
— 
20,898 
(3,300) 
(331,374) 

(40,000) 
40,000 
(20,000) 
70,000 
(21,539) 
(23,013) 
(72,165) 
(1,371) 
476 
(67,612) 
(374) 
18,799 
15,131 
33,930 

2,690 
11,355 

13,140 
255 
16,748 
674 
6,340 

$ 

$ 

$ 

(1) The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash to amounts reported within the Consolidated 
Balance Sheets
Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:

Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash included in other current assets
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

$ 

$ 

29,334 
— 
29,334 

$ 

$ 

26,418 
7,024 
33,442 

$ 

$ 

33,930 
— 
33,930 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

30

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WERNER ENTERPRISES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(In thousands, except share and per share 
amounts)
BALANCE, December 31, 2017

Comprehensive income

Purchase of 2,077,101 shares of 
common stock
Dividends on common stock ($0.34 
cents per share)
Equity compensation activity, 
109,852 shares
Non-cash equity compensation 
expense
Cumulative effect of accounting 
change
BALANCE, December 31, 2018

Comprehensive income

Purchase of 1,300,000 shares of 
common stock
Dividends on common stock ($4.11 
per share)
Equity compensation activity, 
102,552 shares
Non-cash equity compensation 
expense
BALANCE, December 31, 2019

Comprehensive income

Purchase of 1,482,992 shares of 
common stock
Dividends on common stock ($0.36 
per share)
Equity compensation activity, 
170,193 shares
Non-cash equity compensation 
expense
BALANCE, December 31, 2020

Common
Stock

Paid-In
Capital

Retained
Earnings

Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)

Treasury
Stock

Total
Stockholders’
Equity

$ 

805  $  102,563  $  1,267,871  $ 

(15,835)  $  (170,622)  $  1,184,782 

168,148 

(238)   

— 

167,910 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

805 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

805 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(24,284)   

(2,502)   

7,394 

— 

— 

— 

2,011 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(72,165)   

(72,165) 

— 

(24,284) 

1,607 

(895) 

— 

— 

7,394 

2,011 

107,455 

  1,413,746 

(16,073)   

(241,180)    1,264,753 

166,944 

1,345 

— 

168,289 

— 

(286,082)   

(2,883)   

8,077 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(42,301)   

(42,301) 

— 

(286,082) 

1,155 

(1,728) 

— 

8,077 

112,649 

  1,294,608 

(14,728)   

(282,326)    1,111,008 

169,078 

(8,105)   

— 

160,973 

— 

(24,770)   

(5,513)   

8,903 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(56,521)   

(56,521) 

— 

(24,770) 

960 

— 

(4,553) 

8,903 

$ 

805  $  116,039  $  1,438,916  $ 

(22,833)  $  (337,887)  $  1,195,040 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

31

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WERNER ENTERPRISES, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Nature of Business: Werner Enterprises, Inc. (the “Company”) is a truckload transportation and logistics company operating 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  U.S.  Department  of  Transportation,  similar  governmental  transportation  agencies  in  the  foreign 
countries in which we operate and various U.S. state regulatory authorities. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 
2018,  our  ten  largest  customers  comprised  49%,  41%  and  45%,  respectively,  of  our  revenues.  Our  largest  customer,  Dollar 
General, accounted for 12% of our total revenues in 2020. Revenues generated by Dollar General are reported in both of our 
reportable operating segments. No single customer generated more than 9% of our total revenues in 2019 and 2018.

Principles of Consolidation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Werner Enterprises, 
Inc. and our wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions relating to these wholly-owned 
entities have been eliminated.

Use of Management Estimates: The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles 
generally  accepted  in  the  United  States  of  America  requires  management  to  make  estimates  and  assumptions  that  affect  the 
(i) reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated 
financial  statements  and  (ii)  reported  amounts  of  revenues  and  expenses  during  the  reporting  period.  The  most  significant 
estimates that affect our financial statements include the accrued liabilities for insurance and claims, useful lives and salvage 
values  of  property  and  equipment,  estimates  for  income  taxes  and  the  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts.  Actual  results  could 
differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents: We consider all highly liquid investments, purchased with a maturity of three months or less, to 
be cash equivalents. Accounts at banks with an aggregate excess of the amount of checks issued over cash balances are included 
in current liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, and changes in such accounts are reported as a financing activity in the 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Trade Accounts Receivable: We record trade accounts receivable at the invoiced amounts, net of an allowance for doubtful 
accounts  for  potentially  uncollectible  receivables.  We  review  the  financial  condition  of  customers  for  granting  credit  and 
determine  the  allowance  based  on  analysis  of  individual  customers’  financial  condition,  historical  write-off  experience  and 
national economic conditions. We evaluate the adequacy of our allowance for doubtful accounts quarterly. Past due balances 
over 90 days and exceeding a specified amount are reviewed individually for collectibility. Account balances are charged off 
against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote. We 
do not have any off-balance-sheet credit exposure related to our customers.

Inventories and Supplies: Inventories and supplies are stated at the lower of average cost and net realizable value and consist 
primarily of revenue equipment parts, tires, fuel and supplies. Tires placed on new revenue equipment are capitalized as a part 
of the equipment cost. Replacement tires are expensed when placed in service.

Property,  Equipment,  and  Depreciation:  Additions  and  improvements  to  property  and  equipment  are  capitalized  at  cost, 
while maintenance and repair expenditures are charged to operations as incurred. Gains and losses on the sale or exchange of 
equipment are recorded in other operating expenses.

Depreciation is calculated based on the cost of the asset, reduced by the asset’s estimated salvage value, using the straight-line 
method. Accelerated depreciation methods are used for income tax purposes. The lives and salvage values assigned to certain 
assets for financial reporting purposes are different than for income tax purposes. For financial reporting purposes, assets are 
generally depreciated using the following estimated useful lives and salvage values:

Building and improvements

Tractors

Trailers

Service and other equipment

Lives

30 years

80 months

12 years

3-10 years

Salvage Values

0%

0%

$1,000

0%

During first quarter 2020, we changed the estimated life of certain trucks expected to be sold in 2020 to more rapidly depreciate 
the trucks to their estimated residual values due to the weak used truck market. The effect of this change in accounting estimate 
was  a  $9.6  million  increase  to  2020  depreciation  expense.  These  trucks  continued  to  depreciate  at  the  same  higher  rate  per 
truck, until all were sold in 2020.

32

 
Long-Lived Assets: We review our long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying 
amount of a long-lived asset may not be recoverable. An impairment loss would be recognized if the carrying amount of the 
long-lived asset is not recoverable and the carrying amount exceeds its fair value. For long-lived assets classified as held and 
used, the carrying amount is not recoverable when the carrying value of the long-lived asset exceeds the sum of the future net 
cash  flows.  We  do  not  separately  identify  assets  by  operating  segment  because  tractors  and  trailers  are  routinely  transferred 
from one operating fleet to another. As a result, none of our long-lived assets have identifiable cash flows from use that are 
largely  independent  of  the  cash  flows  of  other  assets  and  liabilities.  Thus,  the  asset  group  used  to  assess  impairment  would 
include all of our assets.

Insurance  and  Claims  Accruals:  Insurance  and  claims  accruals  (both  current  and  non-current)  reflect  the  estimated  cost 
(including  estimated  loss  development,  incurred-but-not-reported  losses  and  loss  adjustment  expenses)  for  (i)  cargo  loss  and 
damage,  (ii)  bodily  injury  and  property  damage,  (iii)  group  health  and  (iv)  workers’  compensation  claims  not  covered  by 
insurance. The costs for cargo, bodily injury and property damage insurance and claims are included in insurance and claims 
expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income; the costs of group health and workers’ compensation claims are included in 
salaries,  wages  and  benefits  expense.  The  insurance  and  claims  accruals  are  recorded  at  the  estimated  ultimate  payment 
amounts. The accruals for bodily injury, property damage and workers’ compensation are based upon individual case estimates 
and  actuarial  estimates  of  loss  development  for  reported  losses  and  incurred-but-not-reported  losses  using  loss  development 
factors  based  upon  past  experience.  In  order  to  determine  the  loss  development  factors,  we  make  judgments  relating  to  the 
comparability  of  historical  claims  to  current  claims.  These  judgments  consider  the  nature,  frequency,  severity,  and  age  of 
claims,  and  industry,  regulatory,  and  company-specific  trends  impacting  the  development  of  claims.  Actual  costs  related  to 
insurance  and  claims  have  not  differed  materially  from  estimated  accrued  amounts  for  all  years  presented.  An  independent 
actuary reviews our calculation of the undiscounted self-insurance reserves for bodily injury and property damage claims and 
workers’ compensation claims at year-end.

We renewed our liability insurance policies on August 1, 2020 and are now responsible for the first $10.0 million per claim on 
all  claims  with  no  annual  aggregates.  Our  self-insured  retention  (“SIR”)  and  deductible  amount  was  $3.0  million,  with  an 
additional  $5.0  million  deductible  per  claim  for  each  claim  between  $5.0  million  and  $10.0  million,  for  policy  years  from 
August  1,  2017  through  July  31,  2020,  and  we  were  also  responsible  for  annual  aggregate  amounts  of  liability  for  claims  in 
excess of the SIR/ deductible. We maintain liability insurance coverage with insurance carriers in excess of the $10.0 million 
per claim, to coverage levels that our management considers adequate. We are also responsible for administrative expenses for 
each occurrence involving bodily injury or property damage.

Our  SIR  for  workers’  compensation  claims  increased  from  $1.0  million  to  $2.0  million  per  claim  on  April  1,  2020,  with 
premium-based  insurance  coverage  (issued  by  insurance  companies)  for  claims  exceeding  this  amount.  We  also  maintain  a 
$25.5 million bond for the State of Nebraska and a $13.4 million bond for our workers’ compensation insurance carrier.

Under these insurance arrangements, we maintained $39.0 million in letters of credit as of December 31, 2020.

Revenue  Recognition:  The  Consolidated  Statements  of  Income  reflect  recognition  of  operating  revenues  (including  fuel 
surcharge revenues) and related direct costs over time as control of the promised services is transferred to our customers, in an 
amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those services. For shipments where a third-
party  capacity  provider  (including  independent  contractors  under  contract  with  us)  is  utilized  to  provide  some  or  all  of  the 
service, we evaluate whether we are the principal (i.e., report revenues on a gross basis) or agent (i.e., report revenues on a net 
basis).

Foreign Currency Translation: Local currencies are generally considered the functional currencies outside the United States. 
Assets and liabilities are translated at year-end exchange rates for operations in local currency environments. Foreign revenues 
and expense items denominated in the functional currency are translated at the average rates of exchange prevailing during the 
year. Foreign currency translation adjustments reflect the changes in foreign currency exchange rates applicable to the net assets 
of  the  foreign  operations.  Foreign  currency  translation  adjustments  are  recorded  in  accumulated  other  comprehensive  loss 
within stockholders’ equity in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and as a separate component of comprehensive income in the 
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

Income  Taxes:  Deferred  income  tax  assets  and  liabilities  are  recognized  for  the  future  tax  consequences  attributable  to 
temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax 
bases. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are measured using the enacted tax rates that are expected to apply to taxable 
income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred income 
tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

33

In accounting for uncertain tax positions, we recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely 
than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the 
position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit 
that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. We recognize interest and penalties directly 
related to income tax matters in income tax expense.

Common  Stock  and  Earnings  Per  Share:  Basic  earnings  per  share  is  computed  by  dividing  net  income  by  the  weighted 
average  number  of  common  shares  outstanding  during  the  period.  Diluted  earnings  per  share  is  computed  by  dividing  net 
income  by  the  weighted  average  number  of  common  shares  outstanding  plus  the  effect  of  dilutive  potential  common  shares 
outstanding  during  the  period  using  the  treasury  stock  method.  Dilutive  potential  common  shares  include  outstanding  stock 
options  and  restricted  stock  awards.  There  are  no  differences  in  the  numerators  of  our  computations  of  basic  and  diluted 
earnings  per  share  for  any  periods  presented.  The  computation  of  basic  and  diluted  earnings  per  share  is  shown  below  (in 
thousands, except per share amounts).

2020

Years Ended December 31,
2019

2018

Net income

$ 

169,078  $ 

166,944  $ 

Weighted average common shares outstanding

Dilutive effect of stock-based awards

Shares used in computing diluted earnings per share

Basic earnings per share

Diluted earnings per share

69,018 

409 

69,427 

69,567 

459 

70,026 

$ 

$ 

2.45  $ 

2.44  $ 

2.40  $ 

2.38  $ 

168,148 

71,694 

363 

72,057 

2.35 

2.33 

There were no options to purchase shares of common stock that were outstanding during the periods indicated above that were 
excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share because the option purchase price was greater than the average 
market  price  of  the  common  shares  during  the  period.  Performance  awards  are  excluded  from  the  calculation  of  dilutive 
potential common shares until the threshold performance conditions have been satisfied.

Equity Compensation: We have an equity compensation plan that provides for grants of non-qualified stock options, restricted 
stock  and  units  (“restricted  awards”),  performance  awards  and  stock  appreciation  rights  to  our  associates  and  directors.  We 
apply the fair value method of accounting for equity compensation awards. Issuances of stock upon an exercise of stock options 
or vesting of restricted stock are made from treasury stock; shares reacquired to satisfy tax withholding obligations upon vesting 
of  restricted  stock  are  recorded  as  treasury  stock.  Grants  of  stock  options,  restricted  stock,  and  performance  awards  vest  in 
increments, and we recognize compensation expense over the requisite service period of each award. We accrue compensation 
expense for performance awards for the estimated number of shares expected to be issued using the most current information 
available at the date of the financial statements. If the performance objectives are not met, no compensation expense will be 
recognized, and any previously recognized compensation expense will be reversed. 

Comprehensive  Income:  Comprehensive  income  consists  of  net  income  and  other  comprehensive  income  (loss).  Other 
comprehensive income (loss) refers to revenues, expenses, gains and losses that are not included in net income, but rather are 
recorded  directly  in  stockholders’  equity.  For  the  years  ended  December  31,  2020,  2019  and  2018,  comprehensive  income 
consists of net income, foreign currency translation adjustments and change in fair value of interest rate swaps. The components 
of accumulated other comprehensive loss reported in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2020, consisted of 
$17,198 of foreign currency translation adjustments and $5,635 related to our interest rate swaps.

New Accounting Pronouncements Adopted: In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued 
Accounting  Standards  Update  (“ASU”)  No.  2016-02,  “Leases,”  to  increase  transparency  and  comparability  by  recognizing  a 
right-of-use  asset  and  a  lease  liability  on  the  balance  sheet  and  disclosing  key  information  about  leasing  arrangements.  On 
January  1,  2019,  we  adopted  ASU  No.  2016-02  and  related  amendments,  which  is  also  known  as  Accounting  Standards 
Codification  (“ASC”)  Topic  842,  using  the  transition  approach,  which  applies  the  provisions  of  the  new  guidance  at  the 
effective date without adjusting the comparative periods presented. 

34

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We  elected  the  following  practical  expedients  upon  adoption  of  ASU  No.  2016-02:  not  to  reassess  whether  any  existing 
contracts are or contain leases, not to reassess the lease classification for any existing leases, not to reassess initial direct costs 
for  any  existing  leases  and  not  to  separately  identify  lease  and  non-lease  components  for  all  underlying  classes  of  assets. 
Additionally, we made a short-term lease accounting policy election to not recognize right-of-use assets and liabilities for leases 
with a term of 12 months or less. Adoption of the new standard resulted in recognition of right-of-use assets and corresponding 
lease liabilities of $8.7 million as of January 1, 2019. The new standard did not have a significant impact on the consolidated 
statement of income.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit 
Losses  on  Financial  Statements,”  which  requires  measurement  and  recognition  of  expected  versus  incurred  credit  losses  for 
financial assets. We adopted ASU 2016-13 as of January 1, 2020. Upon adoption, this update had no effect on our financial 
position, results of operations and cash flows.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes 
to  the  Disclosure  Requirements  for  Fair  Value  Measurement,”  which  modifies  the  disclosure  requirements  on  fair  value 
measurements.  As  part  of  its  disclosure  framework  project,  the  FASB  has  eliminated,  amended  and  added  disclosure 
requirements for fair value measurements in Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement. We adopted ASU 2018-13 as of January 1, 
2020. Upon adoption, this update had no effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In  August  2018,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  No.  2018-15,  “Intangibles  -  Goodwill  and  Other  -  Internal-Use  Software  (Subtopic 
350-40):  Customer’s  Accounting  for  Implementation  Costs  Incurred  in  a  Cloud  Computing  Arrangement  That  Is  a  Service 
Contract  (a  consensus  of  the  FASB  Emerging  Issues  Task  Force),”  which  updates  the  requirements  for  capitalizing 
implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract to align with the requirements for capitalizing 
implementation  costs  incurred  to  develop  or  obtain  internal-use  software.  We  adopted  ASU  2018-15  as  of  January  1,  2020. 
Upon adoption, this update had no effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Accounting Standards Updates Not Yet Effective: In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, “Income Taxes 
(Topic  740):  Simplifying  the  Accounting  for  Income  Taxes,”  which  reduces  complexity  in  accounting  for  income  taxes  by 
removing certain exceptions to the general principles stated in Topic 740 and by clarifying and amending existing guidance to 
improve consistent application of and simplify other areas of Topic 740. The provisions of this update are effective for fiscal 
years beginning after December 15, 2020. Based on our evaluation, the adoption of this standard will not have a material effect 
on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848)” which provides optional guidance 
for  a  limited  period  of  time  to  ease  the  potential  burden  in  accounting  for  reference  rate  reform  on  financial  reporting.  The 
provisions  of  this  update  are  effective  for  all  entities  as  of  March  12,  2020  through  December  31,  2022  and  apply  only  to 
contracts,  hedging  relationships,  and  other  transactions  that  reference  LIBOR  or  another  reference  rate  expected  to  be 
discontinued because of reference rate reform. We are evaluating the impact of the optional expedients in this update and their 
applicability to modifications of our existing credit facilities and hedging relationships that reference LIBOR.

(2) REVENUE

Revenue Recognition

Revenues are recognized over time as control of the promised services is transferred to our customers, in an amount that reflects 
the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those services.

The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by revenue source (in thousands):

Truckload Transportation Services
Werner Logistics
Inter-segment eliminations
   Transportation services
Other revenues
Total revenues

Years Ended December 31,

2020
1,843,209  $ 
469,791 

2019
1,909,776  $ 
489,729 

(107)   

(243)   

2,312,893 
59,285 
2,372,178  $ 

2,399,262 
64,439 
2,463,701  $ 

$ 

$ 

2018
1,881,323 
518,078 
(1,149) 
2,398,252 
59,662 
2,457,914 

35

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  following  table  presents  our  revenues  disaggregated  by  geographic  areas  in  which  we  conduct  business  (in  thousands).  
Operating revenues for foreign countries include revenues for (i) shipments with an origin or destination in that country and (ii) 
other services provided in that country. If both the origin and destination are in a foreign country, the revenues are attributed to 
the country of origin. 

United States
Mexico
Other
Total revenues

Transportation Services

Years Ended December 31,

2020
2,144,105  $ 
149,438 
78,635 
2,372,178  $ 

2019
2,191,560  $ 
197,470 
74,671 
2,463,701  $ 

2018
2,145,098 
233,116 
79,700 
2,457,914 

$ 

$ 

We generate nearly all of our revenues by transporting truckload freight shipments for our customers. Transportation services 
are  carried  out  by  our  Truckload  Transportation  Services  (“TTS”)  segment  and  our  Werner  Logistics  (“Logistics”)  segment. 
The TTS segment utilizes company-owned and independent contractor trucks to deliver shipments, while the Logistics segment 
uses third-party capacity providers.

We generate revenues from billings for transportation services under contracts with customers, generally on a rate per mile or 
per shipment, based on origin and destination of the shipment. Our performance obligation arises when we receive a shipment 
order to transport a customer’s freight and is satisfied upon delivery of the shipment. The transaction price may be defined in a 
transportation  services  agreement  or  negotiated  with  the  customer  prior  to  accepting  the  shipment  order.  A  customer  may 
submit  several  shipment  orders  for  transportation  services  at  various  times  throughout  a  service  agreement  term,  but  each 
shipment  represents  a  distinct  service  that  is  a  separately  identified  performance  obligation.  We  often  provide  additional  or 
ancillary  services  as  part  of  the  shipment  (such  as  loading/unloading  and  stops  in  transit)  which  are  not  distinct  or  are  not 
material in the context of the contract; therefore the revenues for these services are recognized with the freight transaction price. 
The  average  transit  time  to  complete  a  shipment  is  approximately  3  days.  Invoices  for  transportation  services  are  typically 
generated soon after shipment delivery and, while payment terms and conditions vary by customer, are generally due within 30 
days after the invoice date.

The Consolidated Statements of Income reflect recognition of transportation revenues (including fuel surcharge revenues) and 
related direct costs over time as the shipment is being delivered. We use distance shipped (for the TTS segment) and transit 
time  (for  the  Logistics  segment)  to  measure  progress  and  the  amount  of  revenues  recognized  over  time,  as  the  customer 
simultaneously receives and consumes the benefit. Determining a measure of progress requires us to make judgments that affect 
the timing of revenues recognized. We have determined that the methods described provide a faithful depiction of the transfer 
of services to the customer. 

For  shipments  where  a  third-party  capacity  provider  (including  independent  contractors  under  contract  with  us)  is  utilized  to 
provide some or all of the service, we evaluate whether we are the principal (i.e., report revenues on a gross basis) or agent (i.e., 
report revenues on a net basis). Generally, we report such revenues on a gross basis, that is, we recognize both revenues for the 
service we bill to the customer and rent and purchased transportation expense for transportation costs we pay to the third-party 
provider.  Where  we  are  the  principal,  we  control  the  transportation  service  before  it  is  provided  to  our  customers,  which  is 
supported  by  us  being  primarily  responsible  for  fulfilling  the  shipment  obligation  to  the  customer  and  having  a  level  of 
discretion in establishing pricing with the customer.

During 2020 and 2019, revenues recognized from performance obligations related to prior periods (for example, due to changes 
in transaction price) were not material.

Other Revenues

Other revenues include revenues from our driver training schools, transportation-related activities such as third-party equipment 
maintenance  and  equipment  leasing,  and  other  business  activities.  These  revenues  are  generally  recognized  over  time  and 
accounted for 2% of our total revenues in 2020 and 3% of our total revenues in 2019. Revenues from our driver training schools 
require us to make judgments regarding price concessions in determining the amount of revenues to recognize.

36

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Contract Balances and Accounts Receivable

A receivable is an unconditional right to consideration and is recognized when shipments have been completed and the related 
performance obligation has been fully satisfied. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the accounts receivable, trade, net, balance 
was $341.1 million and $322.8 million, respectively. Contract assets represent a conditional right to consideration in exchange 
for goods or services and are transferred to receivables when the rights become unconditional. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, 
the balance of contract assets was $6.9 million and $5.9 million, respectively. We have recognized contract assets within the 
other current assets financial statement caption on the balance sheet. These contract assets are considered current assets as they 
will be settled in less than 12 months.

Contract liabilities represent advance consideration received from customers and are recognized as revenues over time as the 
related performance obligation is satisfied. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the balance of contract liabilities was $1.5 million 
and  $1.3  million,  respectively.  The  amount  of  revenues  recognized  in  2020  that  was  included  in  the  December  31,  2019 
contract  liability  balance  was  $1.3  million.  We  have  recognized  contract  liabilities  within  the  accounts  payable  and  other 
current liabilities financial statement captions on the balance sheet. These contract liabilities are considered current liabilities as 
they will be settled in less than 12 months.

Performance Obligations

We  have  elected  to  apply  the  practical  expedient  in  ASC  Topic  606  to  not  disclose  the  value  of  remaining  performance 
obligations for contracts with an original expected length of one year or less. Remaining performance obligations represent the 
transaction price allocated to future reporting periods for freight shipments started but not completed at the reporting date that 
we expect to recognize as revenues in the period subsequent to the reporting date; transit times generally average approximately 
3 days. 

(3) LEASES

We have entered into operating leases primarily for real estate. The leases have terms which range from 1 year to 11 years, and 
some include options to renew. Renewal terms are included in the lease term when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise 
the option to renew. 

Operating  leases  are  included  in  the  other  non-current  assets,  other  current  liabilities  and  other  long-term  liabilities  on  the 
consolidated  balance  sheets.  These  assets  and  liabilities  are  recognized  based  on  the  present  value  of  future  minimum  lease 
payments over the lease term at commencement date, using our incremental borrowing rate because the rate implicit in each 
lease in not readily determinable. We have certain contracts for real estate that may contain lease and non-lease components 
which we have elected to treat as a single lease component. Lease expense for operating leases is recognized on a straight-line 
basis  over  the  lease  term.  Variable  lease  expense  is  recognized  in  the  period  in  which  the  obligation  for  those  payments  is 
incurred. Lease expense is reported in rent and purchased transportation on the consolidated statements of income.

37

The  following  table  presents  information  about  the  amount,  timing  and  uncertainty  of  cash  flows  arising  from  our  operating 
leases as of December 31, 2020.

(In thousands)
Maturity of Lease Liabilities

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Thereafter

Total undiscounted operating lease payments

Less: Imputed interest

Present value of operating lease liabilities

Balance Sheet Classification
Right-of-use assets (recorded in other non-current assets)

Current lease liabilities (recorded in other current liabilities)
Long-term lease liabilities (recorded in other long-term liabilities)
Total operating lease liabilities

Other Information
Weighted-average remaining lease term for operating leases
Weighted-average discount rate for operating leases

Cash Flows

December 31, 2020

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

3,696 

2,772 

1,748 

1,404 

969 

473 

11,062 

(692) 

10,370 

9,951 

3,421 
6,949 
10,370 

3.82 years
 3.3 %

An  initial  right-of-use  asset  of  $8.7  million  was  recognized  as  a  non-cash  asset  addition  with  the  adoption  of  the  new  lease 
accounting standard on January 1, 2019. During the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, additional right-
of-use  assets  of  $2.8  million  and  $6.1  million  were  recognized  as  non-cash  asset  additions  that  resulted  from  new  operating 
lease  liabilities.  Cash  paid  for  amounts  included  in  the  present  value  of  operating  lease  liabilities  was  $3.9  million  and  $3.8 
million  during  the  years  ended  December  31,  2020  and  December  31,  2019,  respectively,  and  is  included  in  operating  cash 
flows.

Operating Lease Expense

Operating lease expense was $6.8 million and $8.5 million during the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, 
respectively. This expense included $3.8 million for long-term operating leases for both years ended December 31, 2020 and 
December 31, 2019, respectively, with the remainder for variable and short-term lease expense.

38

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lessor Operating Leases

We are the lessor of tractors and trailers under operating leases with initial terms of 2 to 10 years. We recognize revenue for 
such  leases  on  a  straight-line  basis  over  the  term  of  the  lease.  Revenues  for  the  years  ended  December  31,  2020  and 
December  31,  2019  were  $12.6  million  and  $13.9  million,  respectively.  The  following  table  presents  information  about  the 
maturities of these operating leases as of December 31, 2020.

(In thousands)
2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Thereafter

Total

$ 

December 31, 2020

9,210 

493 

— 

— 

— 

— 

$ 

9,703 

(4) INVESTMENTS

Investment in Mastery Logistics Systems, Inc.

On November 19, 2020, we entered into a strategic partnership with Mastery Logistics Systems, Inc. (“MLSI”), a transportation 
technology development company, which included an agreement that allows us to purchase a non-controlling interest in MLSI. 
We are collaborating with MLSI to develop a cloud-based transportation management system using MLSI's SaaS technology 
which  we  have  agreed  to  license.  In  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020,  we  paid  MLSI  $5.0  million  for  shares  of  preferred 
stock of MLSI which represent approximately 5% ownership in MLSI. This investment is being accounted for under ASC 321, 
Investments - Equity Securities and is recorded in other noncurrent assets on the consolidated balance sheet. As of December 
31, 2020, no events have occurred that would indicate that the value of our investment in MLSI has changed.

Subsequent Event - Investment in TuSimple

On  January  8,  2021,  we  made  an  equity  investment  in  TuSimple,  an  autonomous  trucking  technology  company.  Our  non-
controlling interest will be accounted for under ASC 321, Investments - Equity Securities.

(5) CREDIT FACILITIES

As of December 31, 2020, we had unsecured committed credit facilities with two banks. We had with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. 
a  $300.0  million  credit  facility  which  will  expire  on  May  14,  2024.  On  October  20,  2020,  we  amended  our  agreement  with 
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. to increase the maximum amount of outstanding letters of credit. We also had a $200.0 million credit 
facility with BMO Harris Bank N.A., which will expire on May 14, 2024. Our unsecured line of credit with U.S. Bank, N.A. 
expired on July 13, 2020. Borrowings under these credit facilities bear variable interest based on the London Interbank Offered 
Rate (“LIBOR”). 

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, our outstanding debt totaled $200.0 million and $300.0 million, respectively. We had $50.0 
million outstanding under the credit facilities at a weighted average variable interest rate of 0.82% as of December 31, 2020. 
We had (i) an additional $75.0 million outstanding under the Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. credit facility at a variable rate of 0.83% 
as of December 31, 2020, which is effectively fixed at 2.32% with an interest rate swap agreement through May 14, 2024 and 
(ii) an additional $75.0 million outstanding under the BMO Harris Bank N.A. credit facility at a variable rate of 0.85% as of 
December  31,  2020,  which  is  effectively  fixed  at  2.36%  with  an  interest  rate  swap  agreement  through  May  14,  2024. 
Subsequent  to  the  end  of  the  year,  in  January  2021,  we  repaid  $25.0  million  of  debt,  which  we  classified  as  current  in  the 
Consolidated  Balance  Sheets.  The  $500.0  million  of  borrowing  capacity  under  our  credit  facilities  at  December  31,  2020,  is 
further  reduced  by  $50.9  million  in  stand-by  letters  of  credit  under  which  we  are  obligated.  Each  of  the  debt  agreements 
includes, among other things, financial covenants requiring us (i) to exceed a minimum ratio of earnings before interest, income 
taxes,  depreciation  and  amortization  to  interest  expense  and/or  (ii)  not  to  exceed  a  maximum  ratio  of  total  funded  debt  to 
earnings  before  interest,  income  taxes,  depreciation  and  amortization  (as  such  terms  are  defined  in  each  credit  facility).  At 
December 31, 2020, we were in compliance with these covenants.

39

 
 
 
 
 
At December 31, 2020, the aggregate future maturities of long-term debt by year are as follows (in thousands):

2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Total

$  25,000 
— 
— 
  175,000 
— 
$ 200,000 

The carrying amounts of our long-term debt approximate fair value due to the duration of the notes and the variable interest 
rates.

(6) NOTES RECEIVABLE

We provide financing to some individuals who want to become independent contractors by purchasing a tractor from us and 
leasing their services to us. We maintain a primary security interest in the tractor until the independent contractor pays the note 
balance in full. Independent contractor notes receivable are included in other current assets and other non-current assets in the 
Consolidated Balance Sheets. At December 31, notes receivable consisted of the following (in thousands):

Independent contractor notes receivable

Other notes receivable

Notes receivable

Less current portion

Notes receivable – non-current

December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

$ 

10,335  $ 

9,425 

19,760 

3,807 

15,953  $ 

15,011 

9,805 

24,816 

5,695 

19,121 

We  also  provide  financing  to  some  individuals  who  attended  our  driver  training  schools.  The  student  notes  receivable  are 
included in other receivables and other non-current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. At December 31, student notes 
receivable consisted of the following (in thousands):

Student notes receivable

Allowance for doubtful student notes receivable

Total student notes receivable, net of allowance

Less current portion, net of allowance

Student notes receivable – non-current

(7) INCOME TAXES

Income tax expense consisted of the following (in thousands):

Current:

Federal

State

Foreign

Deferred:

Federal
State

Total income tax expense

December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

$ 

60,081  $ 

(19,448)   

40,633 

12,216 

28,417  $ 

61,078 

(21,317) 

39,761 

11,152 

28,609 

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

53,297  $ 

29,102  $ 

12,106 

446 

65,849 

(8,988)   

(1,245)   

(10,233)   
55,616  $ 

9,547 

(88)   

38,561 

15,094 

1,307 

16,401 
54,962  $ 

$ 

40

7,428 

9,841 

770 

18,039 

37,284 

410 

37,694 
55,733 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  effective  income  tax  rate  differs  from  the  federal  corporate  tax  rate  of  21%  in  2020,  2019,  and  2018  as  follows  (in 
thousands):

Tax at statutory rate

State income taxes, net of federal tax benefits

Non-deductible meals and entertainment

Income tax credits

Equity compensation

Other, net

Total income tax expense

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

47,186  $ 

46,600  $ 

8,580 

903 

(1,200)   

(821)   

968 

8,575 

1,117 

(1,600)   

(207)   

477 

$ 

55,616  $ 

54,962  $ 

47,015 

8,098 

1,044 

(1,800) 

(312) 

1,688 

55,733 

At December 31, deferred income tax assets and liabilities consisted of the following (in thousands):

Deferred income tax assets:
Insurance and claims accruals

Compensation-related accruals

Allowance for uncollectible accounts

Other

Gross deferred income tax assets

Deferred income tax liabilities:

Property and equipment

Prepaid expenses

Other

Gross deferred income tax liabilities

Net deferred income tax liability

December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

54,913  $ 

16,054 

4,070 

5,374 

80,411 

308,145 

6,333 

3,803 

318,281 

$ 

237,870  $ 

48,537 

8,067 

3,690 

1,863 

62,157 

305,575 

4,928 

1,323 

311,826 

249,669 

Deferred income tax assets are more likely than not to be realized as a result of future taxable income and reversal of deferred 
income tax liabilities.

We  recognized  a  $141  thousand  decrease  in  the  net  liability  for  unrecognized  tax  benefits  for  the  year  ended  December  31, 
2020, and a $31 thousand decrease for the year ended December 31, 2019. We accrued interest expense of $0.1 million during 
2020 and 2019, excluding from both years the reversal of accrued interest related to the adjustment of uncertain tax positions. If 
recognized, $1.8 million and $2.0 million of unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, would 
impact our effective tax rate. Interest of $0.4 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 has been reflected as a component of 
the  total  liability.  We  expect  no  other  significant  increases  or  decreases  for  uncertain  tax  positions  during  the  next  twelve 
months. The reconciliations of beginning and ending gross balances of unrecognized tax benefits for 2020 and 2019 are shown 
below (in thousands).

Unrecognized tax benefits, beginning balance

Gross increases – tax positions in prior period

Gross increases – current period tax positions
Settlements
Unrecognized tax benefits, ending balance

December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

$ 

2,541  $ 

92 

220 

(490)   

2,363  $ 

2,577 

127 

222 

(385) 

2,541 

41

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We file U.S. federal income tax returns, as well as income tax returns in various states and several foreign jurisdictions. The 
years 2017 and forward are open for examination by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), and various years are open for 
examination  by  state  and  foreign  tax  authorities.  State  and  foreign  jurisdictional  statutes  of  limitations  generally  range  from 
three to four years.

(8) EQUITY COMPENSATION AND EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

Equity Plan

The  Werner  Enterprises,  Inc.  Amended  and  Restated  Equity  Plan  (the  “Equity  Plan”),  approved  by  the  Company’s 
shareholders, provides for grants to employees and non-employee directors of the Company in the form of nonqualified stock 
options,  restricted  stock  and  units  (“restricted  awards”),  performance  awards  and  stock  appreciation  rights.  The  Board  of 
Directors or the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors determines the terms of each award, including the type, 
recipients, number of shares subject to and vesting conditions of each award. No awards of stock appreciation rights have been 
issued under the Equity Plan to date. The maximum number of shares of common stock that may be awarded under the Equity 
Plan  is  20,000,000  shares.  The  maximum  aggregate  number  of  shares  that  may  be  awarded  to  any  one  person  in  any  one 
calendar year under the Equity Plan is 500,000. As of December 31, 2020, there were 6,707,107 shares available for granting 
additional awards.

Equity compensation expense is included in salaries, wages and benefits within the Consolidated Statements of Income. As of 
December  31,  2020,  the  total  unrecognized  compensation  cost  related  to  non-vested  equity  compensation  awards  was 
approximately $10.4 million and is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.8 years. The following table 
summarizes  the  equity  compensation  expense  and  related  income  tax  benefit  recognized  in  the  Consolidated  Statements  of 
Income (in thousands):

Restricted awards:

Pre-tax compensation expense
Tax benefit
Restricted stock expense, net of tax

Performance awards:

Pre-tax compensation expense
Tax benefit
Performance award expense, net of tax

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

5,409  $ 
1,379 
4,030  $ 

3,503  $ 
893 
2,610  $ 

4,943  $ 
1,258 
3,685  $ 

3,156  $ 
803 
2,353  $ 

4,143 
1,056 
3,087 

3,152 
804 
2,348 

We  do  not  have  a  formal  policy  for  issuing  shares  for  equity  compensation.  Such  shares  are  generally  issued  from  treasury 
stock. From time to time, we repurchase shares of our common stock, the timing and amount of which depends on market and 
other  factors.  Historically,  the  shares  acquired  from  such  repurchases  have  provided  us  with  sufficient  quantities  of  stock  to 
issue  for  equity  compensation.  Based  on  current  treasury  stock  levels,  we  do  not  expect  to  repurchase  additional  shares 
specifically for equity compensation during 2021.

Stock Options

Stock options are granted at prices equal to the market value of the common stock on the date the option award is granted. No 
stock option awards were outstanding as of December 31, 2020, and there were no stock option awards granted or exercised 
during the year ended December 31, 2020. No stock options were granted during the years ended December 31, 2019 or 2018, 
and the total intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 was $136 thousand 
and $484 thousand, respectively.

42

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Restricted Awards

Restricted stock entitles the holder to shares of common stock when the award vests. Restricted stock units entitle the holder to 
a combination of cash or stock equal to the value of common stock when the unit vests. The value of these shares may fluctuate 
according to market conditions and other factors. Restricted awards currently outstanding vest over periods ranging from 12 to 
60 months from the grant date of the award. The restricted awards do not confer any voting or dividend rights to recipients until 
such shares vest and do not have any post-vesting sales restrictions. The following table summarizes restricted award activity 
for the year ended December 31, 2020:

Nonvested at beginning of period

Granted
Vested
Forfeited

Nonvested at end of period

Number of
Restricted
Awards (in
thousands)

Weighted
Average Grant
Date Fair
Value ($)

369  $ 
181 
(137)   
(46)   
367 

32.83 
38.73 
31.83 
35.43 
35.78 

We  estimate  the  fair  value  of  restricted  awards  based  upon  the  market  price  of  the  underlying  common  stock  on  the  date  of 
grant, reduced by the present value of estimated future dividends because the awards are not entitled to receive dividends prior 
to vesting. Our estimate of future dividends is based on the most recent quarterly dividend rate at the time of grant, adjusted for 
any  known  future  changes  in  the  dividend  rate.  Cash  settled  restricted  stock  units  are  recorded  as  a  liability  within  the 
Consolidated Balance Sheets and are adjusted to fair value each reporting period.

The total fair value of previously granted restricted awards vested during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 
was  $5.4  million,  $4.0  million,  and  $3.1  million,  respectively.  We  withheld  shares  based  on  the  closing  stock  price  on  the 
vesting  date  to  settle  the  employees’  statutory  obligation  for  the  applicable  income  and  other  employment  taxes.  The  shares 
withheld to satisfy the tax withholding obligations were recorded as treasury stock.

Performance Awards 

Performance  awards  entitle  the  recipient  to  shares  of  common  stock  upon  attainment  of  performance  objectives  as  pre-
established  by  the  Compensation  Committee.  If  the  performance  objectives  are  achieved,  performance  awards  currently 
outstanding vest, subject to continued employment, 36 months after the grant date of the award. The performance awards do not 
confer any voting or dividend rights to recipients until such shares vest and do not have any post-vesting sales restrictions. The 
following table summarizes performance award activity for the year ended December 31, 2020:

Nonvested at beginning of period

Granted

Vested

Forfeited

Nonvested at end of period

Number of
Performance Awards (in
thousands)

Weighted
Average Grant
Date Fair
Value ($)

327  $ 
133 

(151)   

(47)   

262 

28.75 
32.96 

23.61 

32.95 

32.96 

The  2020  performance  awards  are  earned  based  upon  the  level  of  attainment  by  the  Company  of  specified  performance 
objectives related to cumulative diluted earnings per share for the two-year period from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021. 
Shares earned based on cumulative diluted earnings per share may be capped based on absolute total shareholder return during 
the  three-year  period  ended  December  31,  2022.  The  2020  performance  awards  will  vest  in  one  installment  on  the  third 
anniversary from the grant date. The 2019 performance awards are earned based upon the level of attainment by the Company 
of  specified  performance  objectives  related  to  cumulative  diluted  earnings  per  share  for  the  two-year  period  from  January  1, 
2019 to December 31, 2020. Shares earned based on cumulative diluted earnings per share may be capped based on absolute 
total shareholder return during the three-year period ended December 31, 2021. The 2019 performance awards will vest in one 
installment on the third anniversary from the grant date. In January 2021, the Compensation Committee determined the 2018 
fiscal year performance objectives were achieved at a level above the target level, and the additional shares earned above the 
target are included in the granted shares in the activity table above. 

43

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We estimate the fair value of performance awards based upon the market price of the underlying common stock on the date of 
grant, reduced by the present value of estimated future dividends because the awards are not entitled to receive dividends prior 
to vesting. Our estimate of future dividends is based on the most recent quarterly dividend rate at the time of grant, adjusted for 
any known future changes in the dividend rate.

The vesting date fair value of the performance awards vested during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was 
$5.8 million, $1.2 million and $1.3 million, respectively. We withheld shares based on the closing stock price on the vesting 
date to settle the employees’ statutory obligation for the applicable income and other employment taxes. The shares withheld to 
satisfy the tax withholding obligations were recorded as treasury stock.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Employee  associates  that  meet  certain  eligibility  requirements  may  participate  in  our  Employee  Stock  Purchase  Plan  (the 
“Purchase Plan”). Eligible participants designate the amount of regular payroll deductions and/or a single annual payment (each 
subject to a yearly maximum amount) that is used to purchase shares of our common stock on the over-the-counter market. The 
maximum annual contribution amount is currently $20,000. These purchases are subject to the terms of the Purchase Plan. We 
contribute an amount equal to 15% of each participant’s contributions under the Purchase Plan. Interest accrues on Purchase 
Plan contributions at a rate of 5.25% until the purchase is made. We pay the trading commissions and administrative charges 
related  to  purchases  of  common  stock  under  the  Purchase  Plan.  Our  contributions  for  the  Purchase  Plan  were  as  follows  (in 
thousands):

2020
2019
2018

$ 

283 
265 
239 

401(k) Retirement Savings Plan

We have an Employees’ 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (the “401(k) Plan”). Associates are eligible to participate in the 401(k) 
Plan if they have been continuously employed with us or one of our subsidiaries for six months or more. We match a portion of 
each  associate’s  401(k)  Plan  elective  deferrals.  Salaries,  wages  and  benefits  expense  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated 
Statements  of  Income  includes  our  401(k)  Plan  contributions  and  administrative  expenses,  which  were  as  follows  (in 
thousands): 

2020
2019
2018

$  4,748 
4,414 
2,615 

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

The Executive Nonqualified Excess Plan (the “Excess Plan”) is our nonqualified deferred compensation plan for the benefit of 
eligible  key  managerial  associates  whose  401(k)  Plan  contributions  are  limited  because  of  IRS  regulations  affecting  highly 
compensated associates. Under the terms of the Excess Plan, participants may elect to defer compensation on a pre-tax basis 
within annual dollar limits we establish. At December 31, 2020, there were 45 participants in the Excess Plan. Although our 
current intention is not to do so, we may also make matching credits and/or profit sharing credits to participants’ accounts as we 
so determine each year. Each participant is fully vested in all deferred compensation and earnings; however, these amounts are 
subject to general creditor claims until distributed to the participant. Under current federal tax law, we are not allowed a current 
income  tax  deduction  for  the  compensation  deferred  by  participants,  but  we  are  allowed  a  tax  deduction  when  a  distribution 
payment  is  made  to  a  participant  from  the  Excess  Plan.  The  accumulated  benefit  obligation  is  included  in  other  long-term 
liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We purchased life insurance policies to fund the future liability. The aggregate 
market value of the life insurance policies is included in other non-current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

The accumulated benefit obligation and aggregate market value of the life insurance policies were as follows (in thousands):

Accumulated benefit obligation
Aggregate market value

December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

11,321  $ 

9,104 

9,588 

8,284 

44

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(9) COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

We have committed to property and equipment purchases of approximately $131.3 million at December 31, 2020.

We  are  involved  in  certain  claims  and  pending  litigation,  including  those  described  herein,  arising  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
business. The majority of these claims relate to bodily injury, property damage, cargo and workers’ compensation incurred in 
the transportation of freight, as well as certain class action litigation related to personnel and employment matters. We accrue 
for the uninsured portion of contingent losses from these and other pending claims when it is both probable that a liability has 
been  incurred  and  the  amount  of  the  loss  can  be  reasonably  estimated.  Based  on  the  knowledge  of  the  facts,  management 
believes the resolution of claims and pending litigation, taking into account existing reserves, will not have a material adverse 
effect on our consolidated financial statements. Moreover, the results of complex legal proceedings are difficult to predict, and 
our view of these matters may change in the future as the litigation and related events unfold.

On  May  17,  2018,  in  Harris  County  District  Court  in  Houston,  Texas,  a  jury  rendered  an  adverse  verdict  against  Werner 
Enterprises, Inc. (the “Company”) in a lawsuit arising from a December 30, 2014 accident between a Werner tractor-trailer and 
a  passenger  vehicle.  On  July  30,  2018,  the  court  entered  a  final  judgment  against  Werner  for  $92.0  million,  including  pre-
judgment interest. 

The  Company  has  premium-based  liability  insurance  to  cover  the  potential  outcome  from  this  jury  verdict.  Under  the 
Company’s insurance policies in effect on the date of this accident, the Company’s maximum liability for this accident is $10.0 
million (plus pre-judgment and post-judgment interest) with premium-based coverage that exceeds the jury verdict amount. As 
a result of this jury verdict, the Company had recorded a liability of $23.6 million as of December 31, 2020, and $18.8 million 
as  of  December  31,  2019.  Under  the  terms  of  the  Company’s  insurance  policies,  the  Company  is  the  primary  obligor  of  the 
verdict, and as such, the Company has also recorded a $79.2 million receivable from its third-party insurance providers in other 
non-current assets and a corresponding liability of the same amount in the long-term portion of insurance and claims accruals in 
the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019.

The Company is pursuing an appeal of this verdict. No assurances can be given regarding the outcome of any such appeal.

We have been involved in class action litigation in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska, in which the plaintiffs 
allege that we owe drivers for unpaid wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and the Nebraska Wage Payment 
and Collection Act and that we failed to pay minimum wage per hour for drivers in our Career Track Program, related to short 
break time and sleeper berth time. The period covered by this class action suit is August 2008 through March 2014. The case 
was tried to a jury in May 2017, resulting in a verdict of $0.8 million in plaintiffs’ favor on the short break matter and a verdict 
in our favor on the sleeper berth matter. As a result of various post-trial motions, the court awarded $0.5 million to the plaintiffs 
for attorney fees and costs. As of December 31, 2020, we had accrued for the jury’s award, attorney fees and costs in the short 
break matter and had not accrued for the sleeper berth matter. Plaintiffs appealed the post-verdict amounts awarded by the trial 
court for fees, costs and liquidated damages. The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit denied Plaintiffs’ appeal 
and granted Werner’s appeal, vacating the judgment in favor of the plaintiffs. The appellate court sent the case back to the trial 
court for proceedings consistent with the appellate court’s opinion. On June 22, 2020, the trial court denied Plaintiffs’ request 
for a new trial and entered judgment in favor of the Company, dismissing the case with prejudice. On July 21, 2020, Plaintiffs’ 
counsel filed a notice of appeal of that dismissal. 

We are also involved in certain class action litigation in which the plaintiffs allege claims for failure to provide meal and rest 
breaks,  unpaid  wages,  unauthorized  deductions  and  other  items.  Based  on  the  knowledge  of  the  facts,  management  does  not 
currently believe the outcome of these class actions is likely to have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results 
of operations. However, the final disposition of these matters and the impact of such final dispositions cannot be determined at 
this time.

(10) RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The Company leases land from a trust in which the Company’s Chairman is the sole trustee. The annual rent payments under 
this lease are $1.00 per year. The Company is responsible for all real estate taxes and maintenance costs related to the property, 
which are recorded as expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company has made leasehold improvements to 
the land for facilities used for business meetings and customer promotion. The cost of these improvements was approximately 
$7.0  million,  and  the  net  book  value  (cost  less  accumulated  depreciation)  at  December  31,  2020  was  approximately  $2.4 
million.

45

(11) SEGMENT INFORMATION

We have two reportable segments – Truckload Transportation Services (“TTS”) and Werner Logistics.

The TTS segment consists of two operating units, Dedicated and One-Way Truckload. These units are aggregated because they 
have similar economic characteristics and meet the other aggregation criteria described in the accounting guidance for segment 
reporting. Dedicated provides truckload services dedicated to a specific customer, generally for a retail distribution center or 
manufacturing  facility,  utilizing  either  dry  van  or  specialized  trailers.  One-Way  Truckload  is  comprised  of  the  following 
operating fleets: (i) the medium-to-long-haul van (“Van”) fleet transports a variety of consumer nondurable products and other 
commodities in truckload quantities over irregular routes using dry van trailers, including Mexico cross-border routes; (ii) the 
expedited  (“Expedited”)  fleet  provides  time-sensitive  truckload  services  utilizing  driver  teams;  (iii)  the  regional  short-haul 
(“Regional”) fleet provides comparable truckload van service within geographic regions across the United States; and (iv) the 
Temperature  Controlled  fleet  provides  truckload  services  for  temperature  sensitive  products  over  irregular  routes  utilizing 
temperature-controlled trailers. Revenues for the TTS segment include a small amount of non-trucking revenues which consist 
primarily  of  the  intra-Mexico  portion  of  cross-border  shipments  delivered  to  or  from  Mexico  where  we  utilize  a  third-party 
capacity provider.

The Werner Logistics segment generates the majority of our non-trucking revenues through four operating units that provide 
non-trucking  services  to  our  customers.  These  four  Werner  Logistics  operating  units  are  as  follows:  (i)  Truckload  Logistics, 
which uses contracted carriers to complete shipments for brokerage customers and freight management customers for which we 
offer a full range of single-source logistics management services and solutions; (ii) the intermodal (“Intermodal”) unit offers rail 
transportation  through  alliances  with  rail  and  drayage  providers  as  an  alternative  to  truck  transportation;  (iii)  Werner  Global 
Logistics  international  (“WGL”)  provided  complete  management  of  global  shipments  from  origin  to  destination  using  a 
combination  of  air,  ocean,  truck  and  rail  transportation  modes;  and  (iv)  Werner  Final  Mile  (“Final  Mile”)  offers  home  and 
business deliveries of large or heavy items using third-party agents with two associates operating a liftgate straight truck.

We  generate  other  revenues  from  our  driver  training  schools,  transportation-related  activities  such  as  third-party  equipment 
maintenance  and  equipment  leasing,  and  other  business  activities.  None  of  these  operations  meets  the  quantitative  reporting 
thresholds.  As  a  result,  these  operations  are  grouped  in  “Other”  in  the  tables  below.  “Corporate”  includes  revenues  and 
expenses that are incidental to our activities and are not attributable to any of our operating segments, including gains and losses 
on sales of assets not attributable to our operating segments. We do not prepare separate balance sheets by segment and, as a 
result,  assets  are  not  separately  identifiable  by  segment.  Inter-segment  eliminations  in  the  table  below  represent  transactions 
between reporting segments that are eliminated in consolidation.

The following table summarizes our segment information (in thousands):

Revenues

Truckload Transportation Services

Werner Logistics

Other

Corporate

Subtotal

Inter-segment eliminations

Total

Operating Income

Truckload Transportation Services

Werner Logistics

Other
Corporate
Total

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

1,843,209  $ 
469,791 

1,909,776  $ 
489,729 

57,276 
2,009 

61,850 
2,589 

1,881,323 
518,078 

56,903 
2,759 

2,372,285 

2,463,944 

2,459,063 

(107)   

(243)   

(1,149) 

$ 

2,372,178  $ 

2,463,701  $ 

2,457,914 

$ 

222,007  $ 

202,660  $ 

6,005 

3,839 

(4,413)   

16,288 

5,535 

989 

202,581 

20,378 

(453) 

1,709 

$ 

227,438  $ 

225,472  $ 

224,215 

46

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Information  about  the  geographic  areas  in  which  we  conduct  business  is  summarized  below  (in  thousands)  as  of  and  for  the 
years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018. Operating revenues for foreign countries include revenues for (i) shipments 
with an origin or destination in that country and (ii) other services provided in that country. If both the origin and destination 
are in a foreign country, the revenues are attributed to the country of origin.

Revenues

United States

Foreign countries

Mexico

Other

Total foreign countries

Total

Long-lived Assets

United States

Foreign countries

Mexico
Other

Total foreign countries

Total

2020

2019

2018

$ 

2,144,105  $ 

2,191,560  $ 

2,145,098 

149,438 

78,635 

228,073 

197,470 

74,671 

272,141 

233,116 

79,700 

312,816 

$ 

2,372,178  $ 

2,463,701  $ 

2,457,914 

$ 

1,506,862  $ 

1,487,591  $ 

1,452,532 

36,222 

174 

36,396 

38,428 

257 

38,685 

34,741 

289 

35,030 

$ 

1,543,258  $ 

1,526,276  $ 

1,487,562 

We  generate  substantially  all  of  our  revenues  within  the  United  States  or  from  North  American  shipments  with  origins  or 
destinations  in  the  United  States.  Our  largest  customer,  Dollar  General,  accounted  for  12%  of  our  total  revenues  in  2020. 
Revenues generated by Dollar General are reported in both of our reportable operating segments. No single customer generated 
more than 9% of our total revenues in 2019 and 2018.

(12) QUARTERLY RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

(In thousands, except per share amounts)
2020:

Operating revenues

Operating income

Net income

Basic earnings per share

Diluted earnings per share

(In thousands, except per share amounts)
2019:

Operating revenues

Operating income

Net income

Basic earnings per share

Diluted earnings per share

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

$ 

592,703  $ 

568,959  $ 

590,214  $ 

620,302 

31,066 

23,058 

0.33 
0.33 

52,818 

39,132 

0.57 
0.56 

62,103 

46,332 

0.67 
0.67 

81,451 

60,556 

0.88 
0.88 

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

$ 

596,117  $ 

627,533  $ 

618,264  $ 

621,787 

48,019 

36,086 

0.51 

0.51 

58,442 

43,318 

0.62 

0.62 

53,357 

39,044 

0.56 

0.56 

65,654 

48,496 

0.70 

0.70 

47

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 9.

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL 
DISCLOSURE

No disclosure under this item was required within the two most recent fiscal years ended December 31, 2020, or any subsequent 
period, involving a change of accountants or disagreements on accounting and financial disclosure.

ITEM 9A.

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

As of the end of the period covered by this report, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation 
of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and 
operation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Exchange Act Rule 15d-15(e). Our disclosure controls and 
procedures  are  designed  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  of  achieving  the  desired  control  objectives.  Based  upon  that 
evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are 
effective  at  a  reasonable  assurance  level  in  enabling  us  to  record,  process,  summarize  and  report  information  required  to  be 
included  in  our  periodic  filings  with  the  SEC  within  the  required  time  period  and  that  such  information  is  accumulated  and 
communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow 
timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

We  have  confidence  in  our  internal  controls  and  procedures.  Nevertheless,  our  management,  including  the  Chief  Executive 
Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that the internal controls or disclosure procedures and controls will prevent 
all  errors  or  intentional  fraud.  An  internal  control  system,  no  matter  how  well  conceived  and  operated,  can  provide  only 
reasonable,  not  absolute,  assurance  that  the  objectives  of  such  internal  controls  are  met.  Further,  the  design  of  an  internal 
control system must reflect that resource constraints exist, and the benefits of controls must be evaluated relative to their costs. 
Because of the inherent limitations in all internal control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that 
all control issues, misstatements and instances of fraud, if any, have been prevented or detected.

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Management  is  responsible  for  establishing  and  maintaining  adequate  internal  control  over  our  financial  reporting.  Internal 
control  over  financial  reporting  is  a  process  designed  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  to  our  management  and  Board  of 
Directors  regarding  the  reliability  of  financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in 
accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Internal control over financial reporting includes (i) maintaining 
records  that  in  reasonable  detail  accurately  and  fairly  reflect  our  transactions;  (ii)  providing  reasonable  assurance  that 
transactions  are  recorded  as  necessary  for  preparation  of  our  financial  statements;  (iii)  providing  reasonable  assurance  that 
receipts  and  expenditures  of  company  assets  are  made  in  accordance  with  management  authorization;  and  (iv)  providing 
reasonable assurance that unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of company assets that could have a material effect on our 
financial statements would be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

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 (i) changes in conditions may occur or (ii) the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management  assessed  the  effectiveness  of  our  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  as  of  December  31,  2020.  This 
assessment is based on the criteria for effective internal control described in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) 
issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission.  Based  on  its  assessment,  management 
concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2020.

Management  has  engaged  KPMG  LLP  (“KPMG”),  the  independent  registered  public  accounting  firm  that  audited  the 
consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K, to attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control 
over financial reporting. KPMG’s report is included herein.

48

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
Werner Enterprises, Inc.:

Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

We  have  audited  Werner  Enterprises,  Inc.  and  subsidiaries’  (the  Company)  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  as  of 
December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee 
of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, 
effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - 
Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) 
(PCAOB),  the  consolidated  balance  sheets  of  the  Company  as  of  December  31,  2020  and  2019,  the  related  consolidated 
statements  of  income,  comprehensive  income,  stockholders’  equity,  and  cash  flows  for  each  of  the  years  in  the  three-year 
period ended December 31, 2020, and the related notes and financial statement schedule II listed in the Index in Item 15(a)(2) 
(collectively, the consolidated financial statements), and our report dated February 24, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion 
on those consolidated financial statements.

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 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 of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control 
over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating 
effectiveness  of  internal  control  based  on  the  assessed  risk.  Our  audit  also  included  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.

Omaha, Nebraska
February 24, 2021

/s/ KPMG LLP

49

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Management,  under  the  supervision  and  with  the  participation  of  our  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  Chief  Financial  Officer, 
concluded that no changes in our internal control over financial reporting occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2020 
that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 9B.

OTHER INFORMATION

During fourth quarter 2020, no information was required to be disclosed in a report on Form 8-K, but not reported.

PART III

Certain  information  required  by  Part  III  is  omitted  from  this  Form  10-K  because  we  will  file  a  definitive  proxy  statement 
pursuant to Regulation 14A (the “Proxy Statement”) not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Form 
10-K, and certain information included therein is incorporated herein by reference. Only those sections of the Proxy Statement 
which specifically address the items set forth herein are incorporated by reference.

ITEM 10.

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The information required by this Item, with the exception of the Code of Corporate Conduct discussed below, is incorporated 
herein by reference to our Proxy Statement.

Code of Corporate Conduct

We  adopted  our  Code  of  Corporate  Conduct,  which  is  our  code  of  ethics,  that  applies  to  our  principal  executive  officer, 
principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and all other officers, employee associates and directors. The Code of 
Corporate Conduct is available on our website, www.werner.com in the “Investors” section. We will post on our website any 
amendment to, or waiver from, any provision of our Code of Corporate Conduct that applies to our Chief Executive Officer, 
Chief Financial Officer or Chief Accounting Officer (if any) within four business days of any such event.

ITEM 11.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to our Proxy Statement.

ITEM 12.

SECURITY  OWNERSHIP  OF  CERTAIN  BENEFICIAL  OWNERS  AND  MANAGEMENT  AND 
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The  information  required  by  this  Item,  with  the  exception  of  the  equity  compensation  plan  information  presented  below,  is 
incorporated herein by reference to our Proxy Statement.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The  following  table  summarizes,  as  of  December  31,  2020,  information  about  compensation  plans  under  which  our  equity 
securities are authorized for issuance:

Number of Securities to 
be Issued upon Exercise 
of Outstanding Options, 
Warrants and Rights

Weighted-Average 
Exercise Price of 
Outstanding Options, 
Warrants and Rights

(a)

629,038(1)

(b)

$0.00(2)

Number of Securities 
Remaining Available for 
Future Issuance under 
Equity Compensation 
Plans (Excluding 
Securities Reflected in 
Column (a))

(c)

6,707,107

Plan Category
Equity compensation plans 
approved by stockholders

Includes 628,788 shares to be issued upon vesting of outstanding restricted stock awards.

(1)
(2) As of December 31, 2020, we do not have any outstanding stock options. 

We do not have any equity compensation plans that were not approved by stockholders.

50

 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
ITEM 13.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to our Proxy Statement.

ITEM 14.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to our Proxy Statement.

PART IV

ITEM 15.

EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

(a)

Financial Statements and Schedules.

(1)      Financial Statements: See Part II, Item 8 hereof.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Statements of Income
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Page
25
27
28
29
30
31
32

(2)      Financial Statement Schedules: The consolidated financial statement schedule set forth under the following caption is 
included herein. The page reference is to the consecutively numbered pages of this report on Form 10-K.

Schedule II—Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

Page
55

Schedules not listed above have been omitted because they are not applicable or are not required or the information required to 
be set forth therein is included in the Consolidated Financial Statements or Notes thereto.

51

 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
(3)      Exhibits: The Company has attached or incorporated by reference herein certain exhibits as specified below pursuant to 
Rule 12b-32 under the Exchange Act.

Exhibit
Number

3(i)

3(ii)

4.1

10.1

10.2

10.3

10.4

10.5

10.6

10.7

10.8

10.9

10.10

10.11

10.12

21

23.1

Description

Incorporated by Reference to:

Restated Articles of Incorporation of Werner 
Enterprises, Inc. 

Exhibit 3(i) to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2007

Revised and Restated By-Laws of Werner 
Enterprises, Inc. 

Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K 
dated August 14, 2018

Description of Common Stock

Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K 
for the year ended December 31, 2019

Werner Enterprises, Inc. Amended and 
Restated Equity Plan

Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 
10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018

Non-Employee Director Compensation

Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 
10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020; Item 8.01 of 
the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 12, 
2020

The Executive Nonqualified Excess Plan of 
Werner Enterprises, Inc., restated

Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-
K for the year ended December 31, 2017

Named Executive Officer Compensation

Lease Agreement, as amended February 8, 
2007, between the Company and Clarence L. 
Werner, Trustee of the Clarence L. Werner 
Revocable Trust

License Agreement, dated February 8, 2007 
between the Company and Clarence L. 
Werner, Trustee of the Clarence L. Werner 
Revocable Trust

Item 5.02 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K 
dated February 11, 2019; Item 5.02 of the Company’s 
Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 13, 2020; Item 
5.02 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated 
April 15, 2020; Item 5.02 of the Company’s Current Report 
on Form 8-K dated February 11, 2021

Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-
K for the year ended December 31, 2006

Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-
K for the year ended December 31, 2006

Form of Notice of Grant of Nonqualified 
Stock Option

Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K 
dated November 29, 2007

Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement

Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K 
dated December 1, 2009

Form of Performance-Based Restricted Stock 
Award Agreement

Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K 
dated February 10, 2014

Credit Agreement, dated May 14, 2019 
between Werner Enterprises, Inc. and Wells 
Fargo Bank, National Association

Facility Letter Agreement, dated May 14, 
2019 between Werner Enterprises, Inc. and 
BMO Harris Bank N.A.

First Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated 
October 20, 2020 between Werner 
Enterprises, Inc. and Wells Fargo Bank, 
National Association

Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2019

Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2019

Filed herewith

  Subsidiaries of the Registrant

  Consent of KPMG LLP

   Filed herewith

   Filed herewith

52

 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
Exhibit
Number

31.1

31.2

32.1

32.2

101

104

Description

Incorporated by Reference to:

Filed herewith

Filed herewith

Furnished herewith

Furnished herewith

Certification of the Chief Executive Officer 
pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) of 
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Section 
302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002)

Certification of the Chief Financial Officer 
pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) of 
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Section 
302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002)

Certification of the Chief Executive Officer 
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 (Section 
906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002)

Certification of the Chief Financial Officer 
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 (Section 
906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002)

The following audited financial information 
from Werner Enterprises’ Annual Report on 
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 
2020, formatted in iXBRL (Inline Extensible 
Business Reporting Language) includes: (i) 
Consolidated Statements of Income for the 
years ended December 31, 2020, December 
31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, (ii) 
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive 
Income for the years ended December 31, 
2020, December 31, 2019 and December 31, 
2018, (iii) Consolidated Balance Sheets as of 
December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, 
(iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 
for the years ended December 31, 2020, 
December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, 
(v) Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ 
Equity for the years ended December 31, 
2020, December 31, 2019 and December 31, 
2018, and (vi) the Notes to Consolidated 
Financial Statements as of December 31, 
2020.
The cover page from this Annual Report on 
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 
2020, formatted in Inline XBRL (included as 
Exhibit 101).

ITEM 16.

FORM 10-K SUMMARY

Not applicable

53

 
  
 
  
 
  
  
  
SIGNATURES

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, on the 24th day of February, 2021.

By:

/s/ Derek J. Leathers

WERNER ENTERPRISES, INC.

Derek J. Leathers
Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive 
Officer

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.

Signature

Position

Date

/s/ Clarence L. Werner
Clarence L. Werner

   Chairman and Director

  February 24, 2021

/s/ Derek J. Leathers

Vice Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

February 24, 2021

Derek J. Leathers

(Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ Kenneth M. Bird, Ed.D.
Kenneth M. Bird, Ed.D.

   Director

/s/ Patrick J. Jung
Patrick J. Jung

   Director

/s/ Gerald H. Timmerman

Director

Gerald H. Timmerman

/s/ Diane K. Duren
Diane K. Duren

  Director

/s/ Michael L. Gallagher
Michael L. Gallagher

  Director

/s/ Jack A. Holmes
Jack A. Holmes

/s/ Carmen A. Tapio
Carmen A. Tapio

/s/ John J. Steele
John J. Steele

Director

Director

   Executive Vice President, Treasurer 
   and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)

/s/ James L. Johnson
James L. Johnson

   Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer
   and Corporate Secretary (Principal Accounting Officer)

54

  February 24, 2021

  February 24, 2021

February 24, 2021

  February 24, 2021

  February 24, 2021

February 24, 2021

February 24, 2021

  February 24, 2021

  February 24, 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
SCHEDULE II

WERNER ENTERPRISES, INC.

VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

(In thousands)
Year ended December 31, 2020:
Allowance for doubtful accounts
Year ended December 31, 2019:
Allowance for doubtful accounts
Year ended December 31, 2018:
Allowance for doubtful accounts

(In thousands)
Year ended December 31, 2020:

Allowance for doubtful student notes
Year ended December 31, 2019:

Allowance for doubtful student notes
Year ended December 31, 2018:

Allowance for doubtful student notes

Balance at
Beginning of
Period

Charged to
Costs and
Expenses

Write-offs
(Recoveries)
of Doubtful
Accounts

Balance at
End of
Period

7,921  $ 

2,261  $ 

1,496  $ 

8,686 

8,613  $ 

219  $ 

911  $ 

7,921 

8,250  $ 

672  $ 

309  $ 

8,613 

Balance at
Beginning of
Period

Charged to
Costs and
Expenses

Write-offs
(Recoveries)
of Doubtful
Accounts

Balance at
End of
Period

21,317  $ 

16,529  $ 

18,398  $ 

19,448 

19,361  $ 

19,834  $ 

17,878  $ 

21,317 

21,026  $ 

17,858  $ 

19,523  $ 

19,361 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

See report of independent registered public accounting firm.

55

 
CERTIFICATION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (SECTION 302 
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002)

EXHIBIT 31.1

I, Derek J. Leathers, certify that:

1.

2.

3.

4.

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Werner Enterprises, 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(s)  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 (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual 
report) 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(s) 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 the registrant’s board of directors (or 
persons performing the equivalent functions):

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 24, 2021

/s/ Derek J. Leathers
Derek J. Leathers
Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

 
 
 
 
 
 
CERTIFICATION OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (SECTION 302 
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002)

EXHIBIT 31.2

I, John J. Steele, certify that:

1.

2.

3.

4.

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Werner Enterprises, 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(s)  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 (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual 
report) 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(s) 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 the registrant’s board of directors (or 
persons performing the equivalent functions):

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 24, 2021

/s/ John J. Steele
John J. Steele
Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

 
 
 
 
 
 
EXHIBIT 32.1

CERTIFICATION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350
(SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002)

In  connection  with  the  Annual  Report  of  Werner  Enterprises,  Inc.  (the  “Company”)  on  Form  10-K  for  the  period  ending 
December 31, 2020 (the “Report”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, I, Derek J. Leathers, Vice Chairman, 
President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  the  Company,  certify,  pursuant  to  18  U.S.C.  Section  1350,  as  adopted  pursuant  to 
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to the best of my knowledge:

1.

2.

The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of 
operations of the Company.

February 24, 2021

/s/ Derek J. Leathers
Derek J. Leathers
Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive 
Officer

 
EXHIBIT 32.2

CERTIFICATION OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350
(SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002)

In  connection  with  the  Annual  Report  of  Werner  Enterprises,  Inc.  (the  “Company”)  on  Form  10-K  for  the  period  ending 
December  31,  2020  (the  “Report”),  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,  I,  John  J.  Steele,  Executive  Vice 
President,  Treasurer  and  Chief  Financial  Officer  of  the  Company,  certify,  pursuant  to  18  U.S.C.  Section  1350,  as  adopted 
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to the best of my knowledge:

1.

2.

The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of 
operations of the Company.

February 24, 2021

/s/ John J. Steele

John J. Steele
Executive Vice President, Treasurer and
Chief Financial Officer

 
GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS
Werner Enterprises, Inc.
14507 Frontier Road
P.O. Box 45308
Omaha, Nebraska 68145-0308
Telephone: 402.895.6640
werner.com
email: werner@werner.com

ANNUAL MEETING
The Annual Meeting will be held on 
May 11, 2021 at 10 a.m. CDT,
at the Embassy Suites Omaha-LaVista
Hotel and Conference Center, 
12520 Westport Parkway, 
LaVista, Nebraska.

STOCK LISTING
The company’s common stock trades on The NASDAQ 
Global Select MarketSM under the symbol WERN.

INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
KPMG LLP
1212 North 96th Street, Suite 300  
Omaha, Nebraska 68114-2274

STOCK TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR
Equiniti Trust Company
Shareowner Services
P.O. Box 64854
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0854
Telephone: 800.468.9716
shareowneronline.com

Clarence L. Werner, 83 
Chairman, Founder of the Company.  
Served on Board since inception in 1986.  

Derek J. Leathers, 51  
Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
Served on Board since 2020. 

Kenneth M. Bird, Ed.D., 73 
President and Chief Executive Officer - Avenue Scholars. 
Served on Board since 2002.  (2) (3)

Patrick J. Jung, 73 
Former Chief Operating Officer - Surdell & Partners LLC. 
Served on Board since 2003.  (1) (2)

Gerald H. Timmerman, 81 
President of Timmerman & Sons Feeding Co., Inc.  
Served on Board since 2016. (1) (3)

Jack A. Holmes, 61 
Vice Chairman of Emerge TMS; Former President of UPS Freight.
Served on Board since 2018. (1) (2) (3)

Michael L. Gallagher, 76 
Chairman Emeritus of the law firm Gallagher & Kennedy. 
Served on Board since 2017. (1) (3)

Diane K. Duren, 61 
Former Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer 
and Corporate Secretary of Union Pacific Corporation.
Served on Board since 2017. (1) (2) (3)

Carmen A. Tapio, 55
Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of North End 
Teleservices, LLC.
Served on Board since 2020. (2) (3)

(1) Serves on audit committee.   (2) Serves on compensation committee.   (3) Serves on nominating and corporate governance committee.

Derek J. Leathers, 51 
Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

James L. Johnson, 57 
Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Secretary

H. Marty Nordlund, 59 
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Craig T. Callahan, 47
Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer

John J. Steele, 63 
Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

Nathan J. Meisgeier, 47
Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer

Jim S. Schelble, 60 
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer

Daragh P. Mahon, 52
Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer

 
®

Global Headquarters  I  14507 Frontier Road  I  P.O. Box 45308  I  Omaha, Nebraska  I  68145-0308
402.895.6640  I  800.228.2240  I  Werner.com  I  DriveWerner.com

Werner Enterprises, Inc. is a SmartWay© Transport partner

Werner Enterprises, Inc. is a SmartWay© Transport 
partner and honored to be named a 2020 SmartWay High 
Performer by the United States Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) for its efforts to produce more efficient and 
sustainable supply chain transportation solutions.