Heartland Express Reports Difficult Start to 2025
Heartland Express faced a challenging first quarter in 2025. The company earned $219.4 million in revenue, which was less than what it made in the same period last year. It also reported a net loss of $13.9 million, mainly due to bad weather early in the year, uncertainties around tariffs, and industry-wide issues. These problems caused costs to rise faster than the money coming in from freight, resulting in lower profits.
The company’s key numbers reflect these difficulties. It lost about 18 cents per share, and its operating ratio was 106.8 percent, meaning expenses were roughly 7 percent higher than revenue. The total value of everything Heartland owns is $1.3 billion, and it has $23.9 million in cash. The stockholders’ equity stands at $807.7 million.
While the Heartland Express brand itself remained profitable, other parts of the business, such as Millis Transfer, Smith Transport, and CFI, struggled with underused trucks and difficulties in keeping drivers. To address these issues, the company is reducing its fleet and cutting costs, though most industry experts don’t expect significant market improvements until later in the year.
Despite the tough start, Heartland continued paying its quarterly dividend of 2 cents per share and remains free of long-term debt. The company is cautious about the future but is working hard to navigate through these industry challenges and improve its situation.
