Sign in

    Christopher Kuhn • The Benchmark Company

    Christopher Kuhn's questions to Forward Air Corp (FWRD) leadership

    Christopher Kuhn's questions to Forward Air Corp (FWRD) leadership • Q2 2025

    Question

    Christopher Kuhn asked if the process of removing poorly priced freight from the network was largely complete and what the outlook for pricing is from current levels. He also inquired whether the company was considering any further portfolio reshaping or divestitures.

    Answer

    President, CEO & Director Shawn Stewart confirmed that the initial, major pricing fixes are done, though it remains an ongoing assessment, and suggested current pricing is a stable run-rate for the market. CFO Jamie Pierson highlighted the resulting 500 basis point margin improvement in Expedited Freight. Regarding the portfolio, Mr. Pierson stated that unwinding the integrated network would be 'value destructive,' but conceded that there 'might be one' non-core business the company would consider divesting.

    Ask Fintool Equity Research AI

    Christopher Kuhn's questions to Forward Air Corp (FWRD) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Christopher Kuhn of The Benchmark Company asked if the shedding of unprofitable freight was complete, if those customers might return, and if network capacity was sufficient for a rebound. He also inquired about the Intermodal segment's positioning relative to East and West Coast import shifts.

    Answer

    CEO Shawn Stewart confirmed that the shedding of unprofitable freight is mostly complete and expressed confidence that customers often return due to Forward's superior service. He affirmed the network has ample capacity to scale with a volume rebound. Regarding Intermodal, Stewart explained the business is primarily focused on the East Coast and Gulf, positioning it well to benefit from any freight shift away from the West Coast.

    Ask Fintool Equity Research AI

    Christopher Kuhn's questions to Forward Air Corp (FWRD) leadership • Q4 2024

    Question

    Christopher Kuhn from The Benchmark Company asked about the performance drivers for the Omni business and the expected trade-off between pricing and volume in the Expedited Freight segment.

    Answer

    CFO Jamie Pierson stated that Omni's performance was driven by increased air and ocean volumes, which were supported by a very strong warehousing and VAS operation, offsetting a soft pricing environment. Regarding Expedited Freight, Pierson and CEO Shawn Stewart explained that the focus is on improving yield, which may lead to shedding some unprofitable volume in the short term. However, the ultimate goal is to replace that volume and drive profitable growth.

    Ask Fintool Equity Research AI

    Christopher Kuhn's questions to Forward Air Corp (FWRD) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Christopher Kuhn of The Benchmark Company asked about customer retention trends with legacy freight forwarders and how the change in LTL pricing strategy might affect weight and revenue per shipment metrics going forward.

    Answer

    CEO Shawn Stewart reported that the company has rebuilt trust with its legacy freight forwarder customers, and the remaining volume deficit is now more reflective of the soft macro environment than customer attrition. He also stated that he expects the trend of rising weight per shipment to continue and does not foresee the new pricing strategy having a negative impact on that metric.

    Ask Fintool Equity Research AI

    Christopher Kuhn's questions to Hub Group Inc (HUBG) leadership

    Christopher Kuhn's questions to Hub Group Inc (HUBG) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Christopher Kuhn questioned the drivers of the 70 basis point improvement in Logistics margins, asking if it was solely due to past actions or if underlying businesses were improving despite a drag from brokerage. He also asked if customers were using containers for storage.

    Answer

    Executive Phillip Yeager confirmed the brokerage business was a drag but highlighted significant margin improvements in the consolidation business from better labor management and utilization. He also noted improvements in managed transportation and final mile. Yeager added that the company has reduced negative margin loads in brokerage by over 200 basis points. He stated they have not yet seen customers using containers for storage.

    Ask Fintool Equity Research AI