Heartland Express, Inc. filed its quarterly report on Form 10-Q with the SEC on August 10, 2026, covering the three and six months ended June 30, 2026, and disclosing a return to net income in the second quarter following losses in the year-earlier period.

Key Highlights

  • Q2 net income of $10.583 million: compared to a net loss of $10.855 million in the second quarter of 2025, according to the filing.
  • Operating revenue declined: the company reported operating revenue of $184.126 million for Q2 2026, down from $210.387 million in Q2 2025.
  • Gain on disposal of property and equipment: a gain of $25.050 million was recorded in Q2 2026, compared to $2.782 million in Q2 2025.
  • Six-month net income of $5.762 million: reversing a net loss of $24.728 million for the same period in 2025.
  • Cash and cash equivalents increased: to $62.385 million as of June 30, 2026, from $18.475 million as of December 31, 2025.
  • Shares outstanding: as of August 6, 2026, there were 77,332,611 shares of common stock outstanding, the filing stated.
  • Dividends declared: $0.02 per share in Q2 2026, consistent with Q2 2025.

Heartland Express Q2 2026 Financial Results: Revenue, Costs, and Balance Sheet

According to the filing, Heartland Express (NASDAQ: HTLD) reported operating income of $16.549 million for the three months ended June 30, 2026, compared to an operating loss of $12.419 million in the same quarter of 2025. The company attributed a significant portion of the improvement in operating expenses to a gain on disposal of property and equipment of $25.050 million in Q2 2026, versus $2.782 million in Q2 2025. Total operating expenses fell to $167.577 million from $222.806 million year over year for the quarter.

The filing reported that salaries, wages, and benefits declined to $69.135 million in Q2 2026 from $87.159 million in Q2 2025, and depreciation and amortization fell to $32.306 million from $41.463 million. Fuel expense, however, increased to $40.549 million from $33.709 million over the same comparison period. For the six months ended June 30, 2026, operating revenue totaled $360.383 million, down from $429.807 million in the prior-year period, while the six-month gain on disposal of property and equipment was $32.367 million versus $4.566 million in 2025.

On the balance sheet, the registrant reported total assets of $1.174791 billion as of June 30, 2026, compared to $1.191617 billion at December 31, 2025. Total stockholders' equity was $756.277 million at June 30, 2026, up from $755.319 million at December 31, 2025. Long-term debt and finance lease liabilities (less current portion) stood at $134.890 million, down from $154.059 million at year-end 2025. Basic and diluted earnings per share for Q2 2026 were each $0.14, compared to a loss of $0.14 per share in Q2 2025.

What Was Disclosed

Heartland Express filed its 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, disclosing a return to profitability in Q2 2026, lower operating expenses year over year, a significant gain on asset disposals, higher cash balances, and reduced long-term debt compared to December 31, 2025.