Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Knight Transportation Profit Leaps More Than 66%

With strong demand and tight capacity continuing, Knight Transportation's third-quarter profits are up more than 66% over a year ago, thanks to higher revenue per tractor and per loaded mile and fewer empty miles.

Evan Lockridge
Evan LockridgeFormer Business Contributing Editor
October 22, 2014
Knight Transportation Profit Leaps More Than 66%

 

2 min to read


Truckload and logistics provider Knight Transportation Inc. has reported a more than 66% increase in its third quarter profit.

Ad Loading...

The Arizona-based operation said net income totaled $25.2 million compared to $15.1 million a year earlier. Earning per share gained 63.2%, hitting 31 cents, versus 19 cents during the third quarter of 2013.

Ad Loading...

Total revenue increased 13.5% to $271.5 million from $239.3 during the same time period.

Year to date, the company’s net income is up 42.2% from the first nine months of last year while total revenue has increased 9.1%.

''During the quarter we improved our revenue, excluding fuel surcharge 16.3%, while improving our consolidated operating ratio by 510 basis points,” said Kevin Knight, chairman and CEO. “The overall demand environment remained strong while capacity continues to be tight. We are pleased with the progress made in both our trucking and logistics segments, as these businesses continue to complement each other and have led to profitable growth.”

According to the company, its trucking business saw revenue per tractor, excluding fuel surcharge, increase 7.2% year-over- year, with a 6.5% improvement in revenue per loaded mile, a 2.5% increase in  length of haul, and an 80-basis-point improvement in non-paid empty mile percentage with miles per tractor essentially unchanged.

Knight said it ended the third quarter with 100 more tractors than the end of the second quarter, a 2.5% increase, and it expected to grow its fleet.

Ad Loading...

“Our logistics segment continues to show meaningful growth and complements our trucking segment by enabling us to source more capacity and offer more solutions for our customers. Our brokerage business increased revenue 91.1% and operating income 311.3%, when compared to the same quarter last year,” the company said in a statement. “Our intermodal business has now been profitable for two consecutive quarters and operated at a 93.7% operating ratio, which represents an improvement of 530 basis points sequentially from the second quarter of 2014 and a 970 basis points improvement when compared to the third quarter of 2013."

The first of this month Knight Transportation announced that it acquired 100% of the outstanding stock of Barr-Nunn Transportation Inc. and certain affiliates. The reported results of the third quarter do not include any revenue or earnings related to the purchase.

More details are on the Knight Transportation website.

More Fleet Management

ATA President Chris Spear.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 17, 2026

ATA’s Spear Warns Fuel Prices, Trade Policy, and Global Conflict Could Stall Trucking Recovery

Speaking at the TMC Annual Meeting in Nashville, ATA President Chris Spear said trucking faces mounting pressure from rising fuel prices, geopolitical instability, and uncertainty around trade policy.

Read More →
Illustration of author headshot with black-and-white old-fashioned rig in the background

New Entrants, Chameleon Carriers, and Safety: Is It Too Easy to Start a Trucking Company?

More than 100,000 new trucking companies enter the industry each year, but regulators manage to audit only a fraction of them. That churn creates opportunities for inexperienced startups — and for “chameleon carriers” that shut down after safety violations and reappear under new identities. Read more from Deborah Lockridge in this commentary.

Read More →
Panel discussion
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeMarch 12, 2026

Fleet Managers Invited to Apply for Exclusive HDT Exchange Event

HDTX is an intimate event that connects heavy-duty trucking fleet managers with industry suppliers through small-group discussions, educational sessions, and structured one-on-one meetings.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
DAT iPhone Widget.
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 12, 2026

DAT Launches iPhone Widget to Help Owner-Operators Find Loads Faster

New DAT One feature shows top-paying loads directly on an iPhone’s home screen, helping carriers react faster to spot-market opportunities.

Read More →
Optimal Dynamics Scale screen shot
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 12, 2026

Optimal Dynamics Launches AI System to Help Carriers Choose Better Freight

Optimal Dynamics says its new Scale platform uses AI agents and optimization to help carriers find and secure freight that improves network balance and profitability.

Read More →
DAT March 2026 trucking conditions.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 12, 2026

DAT: Flatbed Demand Climbs as Van and Reefer Rates Soften

DAT Freight & Analytics data shows tightening flatbed capacity, easing produce markets, and softening van and reefer rates.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
YouTube thumbnail with Mike Roeth of NACFE saying "NACFE's Messy Middle: Which Fuel Wins?"
Fuel Smartsby Deborah LockridgeMarch 11, 2026

Run on Less “Messy Middle” Data Shows Multiple Paths Forward for Truck Powertrains [Watch]

NACFE's Run on Less - Messy Middle project demonstrates the power of data in helping to guide the future of alternative fuels and powertrains for heavy-duty trucks.

Read More →
Illustration of crowded New York street overlaid with dollar signs
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeMarch 11, 2026

Federal Court Lets NYC Congestion Pricing Continue

A federal court ruling allows New York City’s congestion pricing program to continue, leaving truck tolls in place for fleets delivering into Manhattan.

Read More →
Fontaine Modification Access365
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 10, 2026

Fontaine Modification Launches Real-Time Truck Modification Tracking Portal

Fontaine Modification has introduced a new customer portal designed to give fleets real-time visibility into the truck modification process, addressing one of the most common questions fleet managers face: “Where’s my truck?”

Read More →
Ad Loading...
FTR Tucking Conditions March 2026.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 10, 2026

FTR: Trucking Conditions Index Climbs to Highest Level Since 2022

Strong freight rates, rising volumes and tighter capacity push trucking conditions higher, though diesel prices could temper gains in the near term, FTR cautions.

Read More →