Earlier today, we issued our earnings release with our fourth quarter and full year 2025 results. Please see the disclosure statement on slide two of the presentation, as well as the disclaimers in our earnings release related to forward-looking statements. A reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measures is included in the tables attached to the earnings release and in the appendix of the slide presentation. During this prolonged and unprecedented multi-year downturn, we have focused on executing our strategy to position our business for revenue and earnings growth as demand returns.

Once fully completed, we expect meaningful earnings improvement in TTS in 2026. Most recently, we used our strong balance sheet to deploy capital to acquire FirstFleet, a large, high-quality, Dedicated carrier. This acquisition is immediately accretive and dovetails with our strategy to lean further into profitable, sustainable growth and Dedicated with large, complex shippers across diverse markets. With ongoing capacity attrition and the early signs of demand improvement, the outlook for Werner in 2026 is more positive than it's been for several years.

As we enter a new year, momentum in Dedicated remains positive, with a strong pipeline of opportunities and early realization of some rate increases. The strength of our Dedicated business, combined with FirstFleet, creates a more scalable platform to drive sustainable, profitable growth for Werner's future. Lastly, One-Way provides flexibility and surge capacity for our Dedicated customers, and it allows us to support a wide range of customers during times of increased demand. These restructuring actions are designed to increase miles per truck and shift towards more profitable, specialized freight and lanes.

What went well
  • Werner expressed its most positive outlook in several years, citing capacity attrition and early signs of demand improvement entering 2026.
  • Dedicated revenues grew low single digits on higher average fleet size, with a strong pipeline and early rate increases, while Logistics, Intermodal, and Final Mile all grew revenues and profits year-over-year (Intermodal up 24%, Final Mile up 4%).
  • The company acquired FirstFleet, a large pure-play Dedicated carrier that grows Dedicated by 50%, is immediately accretive, and brings $18 million of identified cost synergies.
  • Cost discipline continued, with roughly $150 million cut over three years and fourth-quarter operating expenses (excluding purchased transportation, fuel, restructuring) down 5%.
  • Technology progress was notable, with 95% of One-Way loads and 85% of Dedicated trips migrated to the EDGE TMS platform and truckload Logistics personnel costs down 15% year-over-year.
What went wrong
  • Fourth-quarter revenues fell 2% year-over-year to $738 million, with adjusted operating margin of just 1.5% and adjusted EPS of only $0.05.
  • The One-Way restructuring drove a $44.2 million charge ($42.7 million non-cash, including $21.7 million intangible and $21 million revenue-equipment impairments), and TTS adjusted operating margin net of fuel fell 30 basis points as One-Way margin degradation outweighed Dedicated growth.
  • Truckload brokerage was challenged as purchased transportation costs escalated rapidly in December, pushing Logistics adjusted operating margin down 60 basis points to 0.5%, with pressure continuing into Q1.
  • Management flagged Winter Storm Fern as a significant Q1 headwind (worse than the prior year's storm, which was a $0.04 EPS drag), with about half the tractor fleet parked at the storm's peak.

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodCurrent guidance
One-Way contract rate per mile (first half)1H2026Flat to up 3% (New; mix shift to longer haul masks mid-single-digit like-for-like renewals)
FirstFleet cost synergiesFY2026+$18M targeted (~1/3 realized in 2026, 2/3 run-rate by year-end; ~300 bps margin improvement when fully realized) (New)
Average Dedicated fleet growthFY2026+23% to +28% (including FirstFleet) (New)

Performance Breakdown

MetricYoYNote
Total revenue -2% Smaller fleet and lower truckload Logistics volumes from disciplined pricing, partly offset by higher One-Way miles per truck
Adjusted operating income $11.3M; 1.5% adjusted operating margin
TTS revenue (ex-fuel) -3% Lower miles per truck partly offset by higher revenue per total mile
Dedicated revenue (ex-fuel) +1% Average Dedicated trucks up 2.4%; now 65% of TTS trucking revenue
One-Way trucking revenue (ex-fuel) -8% Average trucks down 10% from restructuring; partly offset by 2.2% higher revenue per truck per week
Logistics revenue -3% Focus on yield management; truckload Logistics down 8% on lower volumes and margin contraction
Intermodal revenue +24% Almost entirely higher volume
Final Mile revenue +4% Strongest momentum since inception

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious mentionCurrent periodTrend
One-Way restructuringBegan Q4, largely complete by end of Q1; smaller, more specialized fleet (expedited, Mexico cross-border, engineered) targeting positive reinvestable margins, inflection in Q2In progress
FirstFleet acquisitionGrows Dedicated 50%; combined Dedicated >half of $3.6B pro forma revenue; margins to converge with Werner Dedicated in 18-24 monthsNew / integrating
Supply-led freight recoveryDerek has been a consistent supply-side bullEnforcement (driver training, ELD, scale) ticking up; rejection rates crested ~14%, COVID-like territory, even excluding storm effectsStrengthening
Dedicated vs One-Way mixDedicated 63% of TTS a year ago65% of TTS trucking revenue (over 70% with FirstFleet); Dedicated outperforms One-Way ~8 of 10 yearsShifting to dedicated
Technology / EDGE TMS and AI95% One-Way and 85% Dedicated trips on EDGE; AI used in onboarding, visibility, predictive maintenance, speed to billAdvancing

Q&A Summary

With the acquisition, organic Dedicated growth, and One-Way restructuring, what is normalized earnings power and the 2026 cadence? (Deutsche Bank)
Management sees earnings growth opportunity but no EPS guidance. Q1 faces storm pressure and the restructuring still maturing; a more material earnings inflection is expected in Q2, building momentum through the year.
Why is One-Way rate-per-mile guidance (flat to +3%) below mid-single-digit contract renewals? (JPMorgan)
Only about a quarter of renewals hit in Q1 and a third in Q2, with implementation lag, and the guide covers the first half. A mix shift toward longer-haul, team-driven, Mexico cross-border freight lowers reported rate per mile even as like-for-like renewals run mid-single digits.
What is FirstFleet's profitability and synergy ramp? (UBS)
Standalone margins are below Werner's Dedicated, but $18 million of cost synergies (about a third realized in 2026, two-thirds run-rate by year-end) represent roughly 300 bps of margin improvement, with FirstFleet margins converging with Werner Dedicated over 18-24 months. It is accretive out of the gate and largely cost-driven, not market-dependent.
How should we think about the Q1 starting point given last year's tough quarter? (Wolfe Research)
Last year's Q1 was a negative $0.12 adjusted EPS with a storm sized at a $0.04 drag; Winter Storm Fern is worse this year, plus ongoing One-Way restructuring and Logistics margin squeeze. These headwinds are viewed as largely temporary, offset partly by Dedicated growth, early rate increases, Intermodal/Final Mile momentum, and roughly two-thirds-quarter FirstFleet contribution.
Is supply-led tightening enough to sustain rate momentum without a demand inflection? (Stifel)
Supply is the kickstart, with enforcement scaling and rejection rates crossing ~14% (double the multi-year average even after removing storm effects). Coupled with a large tax rebate season and potential rate relief, the setup is constructive, and Werner is acting proactively via the One-Way restructure and PowerLink.
Why restructure One-Way now rather than later, and are you turning bearish on the cycle? (Morgan Stanley)
Not bearish; the supply story is real and gaining momentum. The timing reflects accelerating the return to appropriate margins and confidence in the PowerLink variable-capacity model, allowing a leaner One-Way to still serve freight—if anything it could have been done sooner.

More on Werner Enterprises Inc

Reported 2026-02-05 · figures from the Werner Enterprises Inc Q4 2025 earnings call.

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