Reflecting On Ground Transportation Stocks’ Q1 Earnings: XPO (NYSE:XPO)

The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how XPO (NYSE:XPO) and the rest of the ground transportation stocks fared in Q1.

The growth of e-commerce and global trade continues to drive demand for shipping services, especially last-mile delivery, presenting opportunities for ground transportation companies. The industry continues to invest in data, analytics, and autonomous fleets to optimize efficiency and find the most cost-effective routes. Despite the essential services this industry provides, ground transportation companies are still at the whim of economic cycles. Consumer spending, for example, can greatly impact the demand for these companies’ offerings while fuel costs can influence profit margins.

The 15 ground transportation stocks we track reported a strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.1%.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 6.7% on average since the latest earnings results.

XPO (NYSE:XPO)

Owning a mobile game simulating freight operations for the Tour de France, XPO (NYSE:XPO) is a transportation company specializing in expedited shipping services.

XPO reported revenues of $2.10 billion, up 7.3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

Mario Harik, chairman and chief executive officer of XPO, said, “We reported a strong start to 2026, with 38% growth in adjusted diluted EPS and 15% growth in adjusted EBITDA, year-over-year. These results mark an acceleration in our performance and the momentum we’re building across the business."

Investor expectations, however, were likely higher than Wall Street’s published projections, leaving some wishing for even better results (analysts’ consensus estimates are those published by big banks and advisory firms, not the investors who make buy and sell decisions). The stock is down 4.1% since reporting and currently trades at $207.86.

Is now the time to buy XPO? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q1: Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD)

Founded by the son of a trucker, Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) offers full-truckload deliveries across the United States and Mexico.

Heartland Express reported revenues of $176.3 million, down 19.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 27.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $14.79.

Is now the time to buy Heartland Express? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH)

Founded in 1932, Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) is a provider of customized transportation and logistics solutions operating throughout the United States and in Mexico, Canada, and Colombia.

Universal Logistics reported revenues of $367.6 million, down 3.9% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.

Universal Logistics delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 36.3% since the results and currently trades at $14.26.

Read our full analysis of Universal Logistics’s results here.

Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ:ODFL)

With its name deriving from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s nickname, Old Dominion (NASDAQ:ODFL) delivers less-than-truckload (LTL) and full-container load freight.

Old Dominion Freight Line reported revenues of $1.33 billion, down 2.9% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. It was a strong quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is up 2.6% since reporting and currently trades at $227.59.

Read our full, actionable report on Old Dominion Freight Line here, it’s free.

Schneider (NYSE:SNDR)

Employing thousands of drivers across the country to make deliveries, Schneider (NYSE:SNDR) makes full truckload and intermodal deliveries regionally and across borders.

Schneider reported revenues of $1.40 billion, flat year on year. This print missed analysts’ expectations by 0.7%. Taking a step back, it was still a strong quarter as it put up a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

The stock is up 17.1% since reporting and currently trades at $36.40.

Read our full, actionable report on Schneider here, it’s free.

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