ArcBest 2025 net income down 51.2%, revenue down 4%

The U.S. freight sector continues to be tough for ArcBest, with the shipping and logistics company posting a more than 50% decline in 2025 net income and a 4% decline in 2025 revenue. Fourth quarter net income was down almost 72%.

The Fort Smith-based shipping and logistics company posted adjusted fourth quarter net income of $8.2 million, down 71.7% compared with $29.035 million in the same quarter of 2024. Adjusted per share earnings of 36 cents was below the consensus estimate of 42 cents.

Revenue in the quarter was $972.688 million, down 2.9% compared with $1.001 billion in the same quarter of 2024. Revenue beat the estimate of $967.4 million.

The quarter also saw a one-time charge of $22.767 million to write off costs related to technology, investments related to transportation and logistics services, and equipment used in the company’s freight handling pilot program. The company posted a loss of $8.116 million in the fourth quarter with the one-time impairment charged.

Adjusted net income for the full year was $84.8 million, down 51.2% compared with $173.961 million in 2024. Revenue in 2025 was $4.01 billion, down 4% compared with $4.179 billion in 2024.

“Amid a challenging freight environment, our team delivered growth in LTL shipments and tonnage, restored profitability in Asset-Light, and achieved record Asset-Light productivity as customers increasingly embraced our integrated, technology-driven solutions,” Seth Runser, ArcBest president and CEO, said in the earnings report.

SEGMENT NUMBERS
ABF Freight, a less-than-truckload carrier and ArcBest’s largest subsidiary, had fourth quarter operating income of $24.387 million, down from $52.335 million in the same quarter of 2024. Revenue in the quarter was $648.79 million, also down from $656.22 million in the 2024 quarter.

“Tonnage growth was driven by an increase in daily shipments, largely attributable to newly onboarded core LTL customers,” the company noted in the earnings report. “Average weight per shipment was slightly higher due to the heavier profile of new business; however, this was partially offset by lower weight per shipment from existing customers, reflecting continued softness in the manufacturing sector.”

For the year, ABF had operating income of $171.995 million, down from $242.603 million in 2024. Revenue in the segment was $2.734 million, down 0.5% compared with $2.75 million in 2024.

The company reported an operating income loss of $9.877 million in the fourth quarter in the asset light — logistics — segment, more than the $1.579 million loss in the same quarter of 2024. Revenue in the quarter was $353.533 million, down from $375.432 million in the 2024 quarter.

“Revenue declined primarily due to lower revenue per shipment in a soft-rate environment and a higher mix of managed transportation business, which typically involves smaller, lower-revenue shipments,” according to the company. “Shipments per day were up slightly, as growth in managed solutions offset a strategic reduction in less profitable truckload volumes.”

The asset-light segment posted a $15.261 million loss in 2025, below the $58.444 million gain in 2024. The 2024 revenue included a $90.3 million benefit for terms related to the MoLo acquisition. While it’s not a bottom line number, the company reported a full year EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) gain of $7.2 million in the asset-light segment compared to an EBITDA loss of $9.8 million in 2024.

Asset-light revenue in 2025 was $1.407 million, down from $1.552 million in 2024.

TONNAGE, SHIPMENT NUMBERS
For the year, revenue per-hundredweight was $49.02, down 1.35% compared with 2024. The revenue per shipment in 2025 was $532.18, down 3% compared with 2024. Tonnage per day in 2025 was 11,104, up 1.2% compared with 10,968 in 2024. Shipments per day in 2025 were 20,456, up 3% compared with 2024.

Revenue per shipment in the asset-light segment was down 7.4% in 2025 compared with 2024, and shipments per day was down 1.8%.

The company also said its capital expenditures in 2025 totaled $198 million, with $133 million of that for trucks, trailers and other revenue equipment.

In its earnings presentation, ArcBest previewed first quarter 2026 trends by reporting that shipments per day were up 3% in January, and tonnage per day was up 8%. However, the billed revenue per-hundredweight was down 8%, and revenue per shipment was down 3%, which continue to reflect the tough pricing environment in the U.S. freight and logistics sector.

Founded in 1923, ArcBest has around 14,000 employees at 250 locations. ArcBest shares (NASDAQ: ARCB) were set to open Friday at $87.05, down 92 cents. During the past 52 weeks the share price has ranged between $55.19 and $103.14.