Insurance, claims exposure, and “nuclear verdict” trends could materially increase costs.
The transportation industry has experienced increased claim severity and large jury verdicts. Rising insurance premiums, higher self-insurance retention levels, or uninsured losses could materially and adversely affect our earnings, liquidity, and cash flows.
Customer concentration, particularly in the automotive industry, exposes us to demand volatility.
A significant portion of our revenues is derived from a limited number of customers and industries. During the year ended December 31, 2025, customers in the automotive industry accounted for approximately 45% of our revenues, and our top ten customers accounted for approximately 59% of revenues. The loss of, or reduced demand from, any significant customer could materially adversely affect our business.
Labor disputes involving our employees or our customers could disrupt operations.
Many of our customers and a significant portion of our workforce are subject to collective bargaining agreements. Labor disputes, strikes, or work stoppages involving our employees, customers, or suppliers could disrupt operations, reduce volumes, or increase costs.
We may not successfully integrate acquired businesses or realize expected benefits.
Acquisitions are an element of our growth strategy. Integration efforts may involve operational, technological, or cultural challenges and may divert management attention. We may not realize anticipated benefits, synergies, or performance improvements, and integration issues could adversely affect results.
Natural disasters, severe weather, public health events, terrorism, war, or geopolitical instability could disrupt supply chains, commercial trade routes, or customer demand, adversely affecting our operations and financial results.
Our business depends on the efficient movement of freight through domestic and international supply chains. Extreme weather events, natural disasters, pandemics or other public health crises, acts of terrorism, armed conflicts, geopolitical instability, trade restrictions, sanctions, tariffs, or other governmental actions could disrupt global or regional transportation networks, restrict access to ports or border crossings, interrupt the flow of goods, or reduce customer production levels and shipping demand.
In particular, geopolitical tensions or military conflicts affecting major maritime trade routes or energy transit corridors could disrupt global commerce and energy markets. For example, instability in regions surrounding key shipping passages, including the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, or other strategic maritime channels, could interfere with commercial shipping activity, increase shipping costs, disrupt global supply chains, and contribute to volatility in energy and commodity markets. Disruptions affecting these routes could reduce the availability of shipping capacity, increase transit times, or cause rerouting of vessels, which could have cascading effects on global trade flows and the availability and cost of goods transported by our customers.
In addition, geopolitical instability may contribute to broader economic uncertainty, reduced industrial production, lower consumer demand, and decreased freight volumes across transportation markets. Any significant disruption to global trade flows, fuel supply chains, manufacturing activity, or customer operations could reduce demand for our services, increase operating costs, or otherwise adversely affect our revenues, operating results, and financial condition.
Risks Related to Our Indebtedness and Liquidity
Our substantial indebtedness and the financial covenants in our credit facilities require ongoing monitoring and may limit our financial and operational flexibility.
We have a significant amount of indebtedness, and our credit facilities contain financial and operational covenants, including covenants related to liquidity, fixed charge coverage ratios, and total leverage. While we complied with all such covenants as of December 31, 2025, compliance requires ongoing monitoring and disciplined financial management, particularly in light of recent trends in operating performance.
Our ability to comply with these covenants is dependent on our financial and operating performance, including the level and stability of EBITDA, cash flows, and working capital. EBITDA has been negatively impacted in recent periods by macroeconomic conditions, including reduced demand in certain end markets, pricing pressure, and cost inflation, and these factors may continue to affect our operating results in 2026. A sustained decline in EBITDA, unexpected operating disruptions, higher interest expense, or adverse changes in working capital could reduce covenant headroom and constrain liquidity.
If we were to fail to maintain compliance with the covenants in our debt agreements, we could be required to seek waivers or amendments, which may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. In such circumstances, lenders could restrict our access to borrowing capacity, increase pricing, impose additional conditions, or accelerate repayment obligations. Any of these outcomes could require us to curtail capital expenditures, reduce operating flexibility, delay strategic initiatives, sell assets, raise additional capital, or take other actions that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.