ABF Freight to Pay 2019 Profit-Sharing Bonus to Eligible Union Employees

• Bonus payment for reaching 95.2 percent operating ratio achieved in 2019
• Payment to all eligible union employees, representing nearly all union employees, is first in company’s history

January 30, 2020 - ABF Freight announced it will pay a profit-sharing bonus to all qualifying union-represented employees in return for the company achieving a 95.2 percent operating ratio in 2019. See Profit Sharing MOU Here. 

“Returning ABF to historical margins has been a long-term goal, and the bonus payment is something we have hoped to do for some time,” said ABF President Tim Thorne. “Thanks to successful yield initiatives, focused account management and prudent cost management, we reached the required levels to pay the bonus and we thank all of our employees for their hard work and dedication to the company and our customers. This is a proud day for ABF.”

The profit-sharing bonus for employees represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, ABF’s largest bargaining group, will be 1% of qualifying employees’ W-2 earnings as specified in the 2018 ABF National Master Freight Agreement ratified in July 2018. Employees in smaller union groups will receive similar payments. The total number of employees who will receive the bonus is approximately 7400.

This is the first time in ABF’s nearly 100-year history that a profit-sharing bonus will be paid to all eligible union-represented employees in return for hitting specific financial targets. Only a small group is ineligible this year, having been paid last year. Operating ratio refers to the ratio of operating expenses to operating revenue and is generally considered a measure of profitability and efficiency in the trucking industry. According to terms of the collective bargaining agreement with the IBT, the bonus will be paid by check within 60 days of the 2019 calendar year-end.