HTLD

Based on Heartland Express, Inc.'s historical closing prices, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.

What does Heartland Express do?

Heartland Express is a truckload carrier that moves freight for retailers and manufacturers across the United States and Canada. It operates dry van and temperature-controlled services under the Heartland Express and Millis Transfer brands, focusing on short-to-medium haul lanes.

Does HTLD pay dividends?

Yes, Heartland Express pays a regular dividend. This is relatively uncommon for a small-cap trucking company. Investors should monitor the company's earnings trajectory given the current freight market environment before relying on dividend continuity.

When does HTLD report earnings?

Heartland Express follows a standard quarterly earnings cadence. Specific dates are not covered by our data source — check the company's investor relations page for the most current schedule.

Is HTLD a good stock to buy?

UQS Score rates HTLD as Poor overall. The Valuation pillar is Good and Risk is Neutral, but Quality, Moat, and Growth all score Weak. Whether that valuation discount is an opportunity depends on your view of the freight cycle recovery. See the full pillar breakdown on UQS Score Pro.

Is HTLD overvalued?

Based on the UQS Valuation pillar, HTLD scores Good — meaning the stock does not appear overvalued relative to its fundamentals. In fact, the market may already be pricing in significant operational headwinds, which could represent a margin of safety for patient investors.

How does HTLD compare to its competitors?

Relative to peers like Covenant Logistics, Marten Transport, and Universal Logistics, Heartland Express operates a more traditional asset-based dry van model with limited diversification. Its Weak Moat score suggests it has less competitive differentiation than some rivals in the truckload space.

What is HTLD's market cap bracket?

Heartland Express is classified as a small-cap company. This places it in a segment of the market that can offer higher upside potential but also carries greater volatility and liquidity risk compared to large-cap trucking peers.

Who founded Heartland Express?

Heartland Express was founded in 1978. Founding details and leadership history are publicly available through the company's official website and investor relations materials.

Is HTLD a long-term quality investment?

As a long-term quality indicator, HTLD's Poor UQS Score — driven by Weak Quality, Moat, and Growth pillars — raises meaningful questions about durable competitive advantage. The Good Valuation score may attract contrarian interest, but sustained quality improvement would be needed to support a long-term thesis.

What is the main competitive advantage of Heartland Express?

Heartland Express's UQS Moat pillar scores Weak, indicating limited durable competitive advantage. Its scale across short-to-medium haul lanes and the Millis Transfer brand provide some network depth, but the asset-heavy trucking model makes differentiation difficult in a commoditized freight market.

What sector does HTLD belong to?

Heartland Express operates in the Industrials sector, specifically within the trucking and ground transportation industry. This sector is highly sensitive to economic cycles, fuel prices, and freight demand trends.

Is HTLD a growth stock or value stock?

Based on UQS pillar labels, HTLD leans toward value territory — its Valuation pillar scores Good while its Growth pillar scores Weak. This profile is more consistent with a distressed-value or cyclical-recovery play than a traditional growth stock.

Heartland Express, Inc. currently shows below-average quality metrics, suggesting challenges with profitability.

Heartland Express, Inc. faces growth headwinds with declining or stagnant revenue trends.

Heartland Express, Inc. has some risk factors including moderate leverage or solvency concerns.

Heartland Express, Inc. trades at a reasonable valuation with decent earnings yield and FCF multiples.

Heartland Express, Inc. operates in a highly competitive environment with limited sustainable advantages. The Moat pillar evaluates competitive advantages across five dimensions: Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets, and Scale & Ecosystem. Sign in to customize moat ratings for HTLD.

The UQS (Unified Quality Score) for Heartland Express, Inc. is calculated using a proprietary 6-pillar framework with 29 financial metrics. Each pillar evaluates a different dimension on a 0–100 scale, then combines into a single weighted score. Scoring thresholds are calibrated per sector. Momentum is an optional Pro toggle — without it, you get the 5-pillar / 25-metric core shown below.

Quality (25%) measures profitability and capital efficiency — ROIC, ROE, margins, GP/Assets, and FCF Yield.

Moat (25%) assesses Heartland Express, Inc.'s competitive advantages across switching costs, network effects, cost advantages, intangible assets, and ecosystem scale.

Growth (20%) tracks revenue trajectory and earnings momentum, combining historical results with analyst forward estimates.

Risk (15%) is inversely scored — lower leverage and strong balance sheet health result in higher scores.

Valuation (15%) measures whether Heartland Express, Inc. is fairly priced using earnings yield, price-to-FCF, PEG ratio, and EV/EBITDA relative to sector peers.

Six investor-inspired presets are available, each with different pillar weights: Balanced, Buffett, Munger, Lynch, Cathie Wood, and Graham. The public score shown here uses the Balanced preset. Learn more in our FAQ.