Q3 FY2026 Business Update

Strong service reliability and margin expansion driven by improved linehaul productivity, tighter procurement discipline, and network rebalancing across the Midwest and Southeast.

Quarter at a glance

Revenue: $286M +8% YoY
Adjusted EBITDA: $34M +15% YoY
On-time delivery: 96.1% +0.8 pts
Record safety: TRIR 0.62 -0.10

Key themes

Network densification increased loads per route and reduced empty miles.
New enterprise accounts ramped ahead of plan; churn remained low.
Technology rollout (routing + visibility) improved exception handling and customer NPS.

Agenda

Today’s discussion

Performance dashboard (service, cost, safety)
Financial results and drivers
Network & operations highlights
Customer / market updates
Strategic initiatives & risks
Q4 outlook and leadership asks

Guiding objectives

Protect core service: ≥96% on-time and ≤1.2% claims rate.
Drive profitable growth: expand EBITDA margin with disciplined pricing.
Build durable capability: visibility, automation, and standardized playbooks.
Operate safely and sustainably across dedicated fleet and partner carriers.

Note

All figures are fictional and provided for demonstration of a slide deck format.

Service, cost & safety KPIs

Revenue

$286M

+8% YoY (pricing + mix)

Adj. EBITDA

$34M

+15% YoY (productivity)

On-time delivery

96.1%

+0.8 pts QoQ

Claims rate

0.9%

-0.2 pts YoY

Cost / mile

$2.08

+2.1% YoY (labor)

Empty miles

11.7%

-1.3 pts QoQ

Warehouse accuracy

99.3%

+0.2 pts YoY

TRIR

0.62

-0.10 vs. FY2025

What improved

Routing optimization reduced detention exposure and improved hub turn times.
Carrier scorecards strengthened tender acceptance on priority lanes.

What we’re watching

Labor availability in two metro DCs; wage pressure persists.
Weather volatility risk for Q4 peak (contingency capacity secured).

Revenue & EBITDA trending upward

Quarterly trend (last 5 quarters)

Revenue ($M) Adj. EBITDA ($M)

Primary drivers: higher contract renewals (+3.2% avg), improved utilization, and lower purchased transportation variance.

Key takeaways

Revenue growth from enterprise wins (retail + industrial) and cross-dock expansion.
EBITDA expansion from empty-mile reduction and dock labor scheduling.
Capex discipline: fleet refresh focused on safety tech and fuel efficiency.

Margin (Q3)

11.9%

Adj. EBITDA margin (+0.7 pts YoY)

Operations: capacity aligned to demand

Network highlights

Chicago hub: cross-dock throughput +12% after shift realignment and door assignment optimization.
Atlanta DC: implemented wave planning; late departures down 18% QoQ.
Dallas relay: added partner carrier pool to support peak surge (pre-negotiated).

Productivity

Loads per tractor/day: 2.42 (+6% QoQ) • Dock turns: 3.1 (+0.3)

Constraints & mitigation

Detention concentrated in 7 shipper locations; joint corrective action plans underway.
Trailer imbalance in Southeast addressed via repositioning playbook and drop-lot expansion.
Maintenance backlog reduced 22% through weekend service windows.

Peak readiness (Q4)

Committed contingency capacity: +140 partner tractors • Overflow yards contracted in 3 metros.

Safety & compliance

Near-miss reporting up 26% (culture improvement); corrective actions closed in 10 business days (median).
ELD compliance 99.7% • Preventable accident rate down 9% YoY.

Customer momentum with disciplined pricing

Customer health

NPS: 51 (↑ +5 QoQ), driven by faster exception resolution and proactive ETA updates.
Top-20 retention: 98% with multi-year renewals in food & beverage and building materials.
Claims escalation: down 14% (better packaging guidance + dock handling training).

Market conditions

Spot market remains competitive; contract pricing stabilizing on dense lanes.
Intermodal conversion opportunities rising as customers rebalance cost vs. speed.
Cross-border (US–MX) demand improving; compliance investments continue.

Commercial focus for Q4

Targeted growth in time-definite LTL and managed transportation for mid-market.
Bundle visibility + claims prevention as differentiators in renewals.
Lane-level profitability guardrails: require positive contribution margin within 90 days of go-live.

Win examples (fictional)

OmniRetail Co.: 3 DCs, 1,800 shipments/week; go-live achieved 97% OTD in first 30 days.
IronPeak Industrial: dedicated shuttle + drayage; reduced cycle time by 11% vs. incumbent.

Initiatives and competitive positioning

Top initiatives (comparison)

Initiative	Status	Customer impact	Business impact
Visibility Portal v2 Shipment ETAs + exception workflows	On track	Fewer “where is my freight” calls; proactive delay alerts	Lower service desk cost; improved NPS and retention
Network Densification Midwest + Southeast lanes	On track	More consistent transit times; fewer handoffs	Reduced empty miles; margin expansion on core lanes
Warehouse Slotting Program High-velocity SKUs	Watch	Shorter cutoffs; better order completeness	Labor productivity gains; fewer misships
Cross-border Compliance Broker integration + audit	Watch	Lower border delays; more reliable appointment windows	Reduces penalties and rework; enables growth corridor
Automation (Billing & POD) OCR + workflow	At risk	Faster invoice accuracy; fewer disputes	Working capital improvement; lower back-office effort

Near-term actions (next 30–60 days)

Re-baseline billing automation timeline; add dedicated QA resources.
Finalize shipper detention action plans with measurable milestones.
Extend carrier incentive program to 15 additional priority lanes.

Risks & mitigations

Peak capacity: locked contingency carriers; daily tender health monitoring.
Cyber/IT: quarterly access review; backup + recovery drill completed.
Cost inflation: surcharge governance + procurement re-bids in Q4.

Q4 outlook: protect service, convert peak profitably

Guidance (fictional)

Revenue: $295–310M (peak volume + contract ramps)
Adj. EBITDA: $33–37M (mix + seasonal labor)
On-time delivery: ≥95.5% with surge playbooks
Cash focus: reduce DSO by 2 days via dispute automation + tighter billing controls

Success metrics

Maintain peak OTD while keeping purchased transportation variance within ±1.5% of plan.

Leadership asks

Approve temporary peak labor budget (4 DCs) tied to throughput triggers.
Greenlight billing automation recovery plan (6-week sprint + vendor support).
Align on Q1 pricing floor and renewal guardrails for low-density lanes.

Bottom line

We are positioned to deliver a strong peak season by combining disciplined network execution, reliable carrier capacity, and customer-facing visibility improvements.