The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how ground transportation stocks fared in Q3, starting with Saia (NASDAQ: SAIA).

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 16 ground transportation stocks we track reported a mixed Q3. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.

Luckily, ground transportation stocks have performed well with share prices up 14% on average since the latest earnings results.

Saia (NASDAQ: SAIA)

Pivoting its business model after realizing there was more success in delivering produce than selling it, Saia (NASDAQ: SAIA) is a provider of freight transportation solutions.

Saia reported revenues of $839.6 million, flat year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Saia President and CEO, Fritz Holzgrefe, commented on the quarter stating, "I was pleased with our team's ability to focus on what was within our control throughout the quarter. We remain intently focused on the customer, while at the same time maintaining cost management and improving core execution."

Interestingly, the stock is up 32.3% since reporting and currently trades at $367.05.

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

Best Q3: Hertz (NASDAQ: HTZ)

Started with a dozen Model T Fords, Hertz (NASDAQ: HTZ) is a global car rental company providing vehicle rental services to leisure and business travelers.

Hertz reported revenues of $2.48 billion, down 3.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.1%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Hertz pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 13.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $5.64.

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

Weakest Q3: 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 $396.8 million, down 7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 8.6% since the results and currently trades at $16.64.

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

Ryder (NYSE: R)

As one of the first companies to introduce the idea of leasing trucks, Ryder (NYSE: R) provides rental vehicles to businesses and delivers packages directly to homes or businesses.

Ryder reported revenues of $3.17 billion, flat year on year. This number lagged analysts' expectations by 0.7%. Zooming out, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates but EPS guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations.

The stock is up 2.7% since reporting and currently trades at $187.77.

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

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 $2.11 billion, up 2.8% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. It was a strong quarter as it also produced an impressive beat of analysts’ European Transportation revenue estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is up 14.2% since reporting and currently trades at $142.50.

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

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