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Side-by-side financial comparison of HEARTLAND EXPRESS INC (HTLD) and LINCOLN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CORP (LINC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

HEARTLAND EXPRESS INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($179.4M vs $142.9M, roughly 1.3× LINCOLN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CORP). LINCOLN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CORP runs the higher net margin — 8.9% vs -10.8%, a 19.7% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, LINCOLN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (19.7% vs -26.1%). LINCOLN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CORP produced more free cash flow last quarter ($25.0M vs $-44.2M). Over the past eight quarters, LINCOLN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CORP's revenue compounded faster (17.6% CAGR vs -18.5%).

Heartland Express is an American trucking company headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa. The company offers truckload shipping services across the United States.

Lincoln Tech is an American group of for-profit postsecondary vocational institutions headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey with campuses in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas. Each campus is owned and operated by Lincoln Educational Services Corporation, a provider of career-oriented post-secondary education.

HTLD vs LINC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
HTLD
HTLD
1.3× larger
HTLD
$179.4M
$142.9M
LINC
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
LINC
LINC
+45.7% gap
LINC
19.7%
-26.1%
HTLD
Higher net margin
LINC
LINC
19.7% more per $
LINC
8.9%
-10.8%
HTLD
More free cash flow
LINC
LINC
$69.2M more FCF
LINC
$25.0M
$-44.2M
HTLD
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
LINC
LINC
Annualised
LINC
17.6%
-18.5%
HTLD

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Revenue
$179.4M
$142.9M
Net Profit
$-19.4M
$12.7M
Gross Margin
62.3%
Operating Margin
-12.7%
12.4%
Net Margin
-10.8%
8.9%
Revenue YoY
-26.1%
19.7%
Net Profit YoY
-949.2%
85.9%
EPS (diluted)
$-0.24
$0.41

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$179.4M
$142.9M
Q3 25
$196.5M
$141.4M
Q2 25
$210.4M
$116.5M
Q1 25
$219.4M
$117.5M
Q4 24
$242.6M
$119.4M
Q3 24
$259.9M
$114.4M
Q2 24
$274.8M
$102.9M
Q1 24
$270.3M
$103.4M
Net Profit
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$-19.4M
$12.7M
Q3 25
$-8.3M
$3.8M
Q2 25
$-10.9M
$1.6M
Q1 25
$-13.9M
$1.9M
Q4 24
$-1.9M
$6.8M
Q3 24
$-9.3M
$4.0M
Q2 24
$-3.5M
$-682.0K
Q1 24
$-15.1M
$-214.0K
Gross Margin
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
62.3%
Q3 25
59.5%
Q2 25
59.8%
Q1 25
59.7%
Q4 24
62.2%
Q3 24
58.0%
Q2 24
55.7%
Q1 24
58.4%
Operating Margin
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
-12.7%
12.4%
Q3 25
-3.7%
4.4%
Q2 25
-5.9%
2.5%
Q1 25
-6.8%
2.9%
Q4 24
0.4%
9.2%
Q3 24
-2.7%
5.1%
Q2 24
0.1%
-1.1%
Q1 24
-5.3%
-0.4%
Net Margin
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
-10.8%
8.9%
Q3 25
-4.2%
2.7%
Q2 25
-5.2%
1.3%
Q1 25
-6.3%
1.7%
Q4 24
-0.8%
5.7%
Q3 24
-3.6%
3.5%
Q2 24
-1.3%
-0.7%
Q1 24
-5.6%
-0.2%
EPS (diluted)
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$-0.24
$0.41
Q3 25
$-0.11
$0.12
Q2 25
$-0.14
$0.05
Q1 25
$-0.18
$0.06
Q4 24
$-0.03
$0.22
Q3 24
$-0.12
$0.13
Q2 24
$-0.04
$-0.02
Q1 24
$-0.19
$-0.01

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$18.5M
$28.5M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$154.1M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$755.3M
$199.7M
Total Assets
$1.2B
$493.2M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.20×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$18.5M
$28.5M
Q3 25
$32.7M
$13.5M
Q2 25
$22.9M
$16.7M
Q1 25
$23.9M
$28.7M
Q4 24
$12.8M
$59.3M
Q3 24
$30.7M
$54.0M
Q2 24
$23.9M
$67.0M
Q1 24
$23.8M
$68.6M
Total Debt
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$154.1M
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
$187.9M
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24
Stockholders' Equity
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$755.3M
$199.7M
Q3 25
$775.6M
$185.9M
Q2 25
$786.7M
$180.7M
Q1 25
$807.7M
$177.8M
Q4 24
$822.6M
$178.3M
Q3 24
$825.7M
$170.0M
Q2 24
$836.8M
$164.9M
Q1 24
$848.8M
$164.5M
Total Assets
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$1.2B
$493.2M
Q3 25
$1.3B
$466.9M
Q2 25
$1.3B
$447.3M
Q1 25
$1.3B
$427.4M
Q4 24
$1.3B
$436.6M
Q3 24
$1.4B
$404.0M
Q2 24
$1.4B
$366.4M
Q1 24
$1.5B
$355.2M
Debt / Equity
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
0.20×
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
0.23×
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$14.9M
$43.5M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-44.2M
$25.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-24.6%
17.5%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
33.0%
13.0%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
3.43×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-66.9M
$-27.3M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$14.9M
$43.5M
Q3 25
$27.5M
$23.9M
Q2 25
$21.0M
$299.0K
Q1 25
$25.8M
$-8.4M
Q4 24
$37.8M
$30.3M
Q3 24
$35.6M
$5.6M
Q2 24
$40.0M
$8.3M
Q1 24
$31.0M
$-14.9M
Free Cash Flow
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
$-44.2M
$25.0M
Q3 25
$-12.2M
$2.0M
Q2 25
$-12.8M
$-26.1M
Q1 25
$2.3M
$-28.3M
Q4 24
$-45.5M
$5.5M
Q3 24
$24.6M
$-13.8M
Q2 24
$29.4M
$-2.7M
Q1 24
$26.3M
$-16.6M
FCF Margin
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
-24.6%
17.5%
Q3 25
-6.2%
1.4%
Q2 25
-6.1%
-22.4%
Q1 25
1.0%
-24.1%
Q4 24
-18.8%
4.6%
Q3 24
9.5%
-12.0%
Q2 24
10.7%
-2.6%
Q1 24
9.7%
-16.1%
Capex Intensity
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
33.0%
13.0%
Q3 25
20.2%
15.5%
Q2 25
16.1%
22.7%
Q1 25
10.7%
16.9%
Q4 24
34.3%
20.8%
Q3 24
4.2%
16.9%
Q2 24
3.8%
10.7%
Q1 24
1.7%
1.6%
Cash Conversion
HTLD
HTLD
LINC
LINC
Q4 25
3.43×
Q3 25
6.29×
Q2 25
0.19×
Q1 25
-4.31×
Q4 24
4.43×
Q3 24
1.42×
Q2 24
Q1 24

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

HTLD
HTLD

Segment breakdown not available.

LINC
LINC

Transferred Over Time$136.0M95%
Transferred At Point In Time$6.9M5%

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