Deal Timeline

Plotted by close date where disclosed, otherwise announcement. Select any marker to jump to the deal entry.

The Rationale That Repeats.

Three patterns show up across WERNER ENTERPRISES's deal book — what the team buys, how it pays, and how it integrates. The patterns are the throughline; the deals below are the evidence.

01
Acquisition criteria
Organic for decades, then a deliberate acquisition wave.
Werner built one of the nation's largest truckload fleets almost entirely through organic growth, with no material acquisitions disclosed for most of its public history. That changed in 2021-2022, when the company closed four acquisitions in roughly 16 months - ECM Transport, NEHDS, Baylor Trucking and ReedTMS - each tied explicitly to its '5 Ts + S' and later Werner DRIVE strategies.
ECM Transport Group (ECM Associated, LLC)NEHDS Logistics
02
Capital deployment
Capability and capacity tuck-ins across distinct freight modes.
Rather than consolidating peers, Werner targeted specific gaps: ECM added regional short-haul truckload and drivers in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast; NEHDS added final mile big-and-bulky home delivery (rebranded Werner Final Mile); Baylor added one-way and expedited dry van capacity in the central U.S.; and ReedTMS added a large asset-light freight brokerage platform. Each deal was framed as accretive in year one.
ECM Transport Group (ECM Associated, LLC)NEHDS Logistics
03
Integration approach
Keep the brand, keep the people, run it as a standalone unit.
Across all four deals Werner retained the acquired company's brand and leadership and operated each as a standalone business unit, citing driver retention and cultural fit. ECM founder Ed Meier, Baylor president Cari Baylor and the Reed family all stayed on, and Werner consistently emphasized buying-power and fleet-management synergies over headcount reduction.
ECM Transport Group (ECM Associated, LLC)NEHDS Logistics

The Full Deal Book

2 acquisitions. Each entry carries the deal value, financing structure, target revenue, executive commentary, and the original SEC filing — the evidence behind the patterns above.

01 ECM Transport Group (ECM Associated, LLC) · Mid-Atlantic, Ohio and Northeast United States (Pennsylvania-based) $142.4M
Announced Jul 2021 Closed Jul 2021 all cash
Regional short-haul truckload carriage200-300 mile length-of-haul coverageterminal and drop-yard network across the Mid-Atlantic/Ohio/Northeasttenured driver base

Werner signed a definitive agreement and closed on the acquisition of an 80% equity ownership stake in ECM Transport Group for a purchase price of $142.4 million, retaining an exclusive option to buy the remaining 20% after five years. ECM consists of ECM Transport and Motor Carrier Services of Pennsylvania, elite regional truckload carriers that operate nearly 500 trucks and 2,000 trailers across a network of 8 terminals and 18 drop yard facilities in the Mid-Atlantic, Ohio and Northeast. ECM achieved 2020 revenues of $108 million with an operating margin of 19.8%. $142.4 million for an 80% equity ownership stake (with an exclusive option to acquire the remaining 20% after five years).

Why it was attractive
  • Increased exposure to the 200-300 mile length-of-haul segment
  • addition of over 500 highly-skilled tenured drivers in a constrained labor market
  • extremely low driver turnover
  • and a terminal footprint complementary to Werner's existing network
The addition of ECM's skilled drivers, non-driver associates and terminal network strengthens our portfolio by adding short-haul expertise in a segment in which consumer demand and supply chain needs are growing. This transaction delivers on our '5 Ts + S' strategy and will position us for further growth as we capitalize on positive market dynamics for the remainder of 2021 and beyond.Derek Leathers — Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Werner Enterprises
02 NEHDS Logistics, LLC · Northeast and Midwest United States (Monroe, Connecticut-based) $64M
Announced Nov 2021 Closed Nov 2021 all cash
Final mile big-and-bulky home delivery2-person delivery teamsresidential and commercial deliveriescross-dock/warehouse network across the Northeast and Midwest

Werner signed a definitive agreement and closed on the acquisition of 100% of the equity interests in NEHDS Logistics, LLC, based in Monroe, Connecticut, for a purchase price of $64 million including a $4 million earnout. NEHDS is a final mile residential delivery provider operating a fleet of over 400 delivery trucks primarily in the Northeast and Midwest U.S., delivering big and bulky products (primarily furniture and appliances) using 2-person delivery teams through a network of 19 cross-dock, warehouse and customer facilities. NEHDS achieved annual revenues of $71.4 million for the twelve months ended September 2021 with a three-year average revenue growth rate of 27%. $64 million (including a $4 million earnout).

Why it was attractive
  • A growing final mile market leader with asset and employee-based operations experienced in complex big-and-bulky deliveries
  • complementing Werner's existing national independent-contractor agent network
The addition of the NEHDS operations, management team, talented staff and strong customer relationships to the Werner family represents a significant step forward in our Final Mile delivery program. The combination of award winning service that NEHDS provides to its clients, along with the comprehensive portfolio of trucking capability, final mile logistics services and technology will bring the Werner and NEHDS customer base many advantages.Derek Leathers — Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Werner Enterprises

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