ABF freight contributed 66.2% of ArcBest’s revenue in the second quarter. (archbest)
key takeaways:
- ArcBest reported a net loss of $13.8 million in the second quarter despite a 15.7% increase in revenue.
- A $34.5 million impairment charge and higher operating costs impacted quarterly earnings.
- The company is consolidating brands, reducing headcount and closing 10 ABF Freight service centres.
An impairment charge linked to a strategic restructuring pushed ArcBest into a loss in the second quarter of 2026, with revenue boosted by the ongoing rebound in the freight forwarder market.
The transportation costs purchased in ArcBest’s asset-light division also mitigated the impact of spillovers from ongoing capacity constraints in the truckload segment of the freight market.
ArcBest said July 29 that the company reported a net loss of $13.8 million in the most recent quarter, compared with a profit of $25.8 million in the year-ago period.
This came as Q2 revenues totaled $1.18 billion, a 15.7% increase from $1.02 billion in the year-ago period, but operating expenses increased 22.3% to $1.2 billion from $985 million in Q2.
Notably, purchased transportation costs at the company’s asset-light division rose 23.9% to $379.3 million from $288.6 million, while the unit also took a $34.5 million asset impairment charge in the most recent quarter related to the restructuring.
ArcBest announced plans on July 16 to reduce its workforce by 2% through layoffs, merging three brands under the ArcBest banner, and closing 10 service centers operated by its less-than-truckload division ABF Freight.
MoLo Solutions, Panther Premium Logistics and ArcBest Technologies units will operate under the ArcBest brand from August 1. The unraveling of the Panther trade name will result in an impairment charge of $25.7 million.
“These were difficult decisions, especially where employees and communities are affected, but they are necessary to build a simpler, more efficient and more competitive ArcBest for the long term,” ArcBest CEO Seth Runcer told analysts during the company’s quarterly earnings call on July 29.
The company’s top executive said, “We have made the restructuring changes so that we can simplify our operations, make it easier for customers to do business and ultimately accelerate the profitable growth and cross-sell opportunities we have.”
ArcBest Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results – Read Full Details in Today’s Press Release: https://t.co/fuKB587ZxP
– ArcBest (@ArcBestCorp) 29 July 2026
ArcBest’s asset-light division posted revenue of $438.7 million in the second quarter, compared with $341.9 million in the year-ago period. The company said shipments per day increased 14.6% year over year, while revenue per shipment increased 12%. It does not provide details beyond percentages.
That said, the company’s core business remains its asset-based division, primarily comprised of ABF Freight, which contributed 66.2% of its revenue in the second quarter.
Officials also said long-term planning was involved in reducing the division’s number of terminals.
“We did a complete review of the network and determined that these 10 facilities were not needed because we could serve them at nearby facilities and not really change the service we are providing to our customers,” Runcer said.
Hear from Seth Runcer, President and CEO of ArcBest as he discusses recent updates to the company, including our simplified brand structure and the launch of ArcBest View, our new digital logistics platform. These changes create a more connected, seamless customer experience. pic.twitter.com/CbrM0G5s8e
– ArcBest (@ArcBestCorp) 29 July 2026
According to the company’s website, ABF operates 240 service centers with more than 9,600 dock doors in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Scale and density are important in the LTL sector, so a wide terminal network is important.
But Runcer noted during the call that ABF has increased its door count by about 8% since 2021 in strategic markets where the company sees opportunities for growth, service or efficiency.
The asset-based division generated revenues of $783.7 million in Q2, an increase of 9.9% compared with $713.3 million as rates increased and truckload segment spillovers increased the average weight carried by each ABF freight truck and tractor-trailer.
Shipments per day for the division decreased 2.8% from 21,051 to 20,456, but tonnage per day increased 4.9% from 11,666 to 12,240 tons and weight per shipment increased 8% from 1,108 to 1,197 pounds. Weight per shipment also increased by 6.5% compared to the first quarter of 2026, while daily shipments increased by 3.1%.
Fort Smith, Ark. ArcBest is ranked 14th on Transportation Topics’ Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America, and ABF is ranked 7th in the LTL segment of the freight forwarder market.
