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Side-by-side financial comparison of HEARTLAND EXPRESS INC (HTLD) and MARTEN TRANSPORT LTD (MRTN). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
MARTEN TRANSPORT LTD is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($210.1M vs $179.4M, roughly 1.2× HEARTLAND EXPRESS INC). MARTEN TRANSPORT LTD runs the higher net margin — 1.8% vs -10.8%, a 12.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, MARTEN TRANSPORT LTD posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-8.8% vs -26.1%). Over the past eight quarters, MARTEN TRANSPORT LTD's revenue compounded faster (-8.3% 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.
Marten Transport, Ltd. is an American trucking company headquartered in Mondovi, Wisconsin. The company offers refrigerated and dry van freight transport services across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
HTLD vs MRTN — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q4 2025 vs Q4 2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $179.4M | $210.1M |
| Net Profit | $-19.4M | $3.7M |
| Gross Margin | — | — |
| Operating Margin | -12.7% | 2.2% |
| Net Margin | -10.8% | 1.8% |
| Revenue YoY | -26.1% | -8.8% |
| Net Profit YoY | -949.2% | -34.4% |
| EPS (diluted) | $-0.24 | $0.04 |
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.
| Q4 25 | $179.4M | $210.1M | ||
| Q3 25 | $196.5M | $220.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $210.4M | $229.9M | ||
| Q1 25 | $219.4M | $223.2M | ||
| Q4 24 | $242.6M | $230.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $259.9M | $237.4M | ||
| Q2 24 | $274.8M | $246.2M | ||
| Q1 24 | $270.3M | $249.7M |
| Q4 25 | $-19.4M | $3.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | $-8.3M | $2.2M | ||
| Q2 25 | $-10.9M | $7.2M | ||
| Q1 25 | $-13.9M | $4.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-1.9M | $5.6M | ||
| Q3 24 | $-9.3M | $3.8M | ||
| Q2 24 | $-3.5M | $7.9M | ||
| Q1 24 | $-15.1M | $9.6M |
| Q4 25 | -12.7% | 2.2% | ||
| Q3 25 | -3.7% | 1.2% | ||
| Q2 25 | -5.9% | 4.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | -6.8% | 2.6% | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.4% | 2.9% | ||
| Q3 24 | -2.7% | 1.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.1% | 4.1% | ||
| Q1 24 | -5.3% | 4.9% |
| Q4 25 | -10.8% | 1.8% | ||
| Q3 25 | -4.2% | 1.0% | ||
| Q2 25 | -5.2% | 3.1% | ||
| Q1 25 | -6.3% | 1.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | -0.8% | 2.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | -3.6% | 1.6% | ||
| Q2 24 | -1.3% | 3.2% | ||
| Q1 24 | -5.6% | 3.9% |
| Q4 25 | $-0.24 | $0.04 | ||
| Q3 25 | $-0.11 | $0.03 | ||
| Q2 25 | $-0.14 | $0.09 | ||
| Q1 25 | $-0.18 | $0.05 | ||
| Q4 24 | $-0.03 | $0.06 | ||
| Q3 24 | $-0.12 | $0.05 | ||
| Q2 24 | $-0.04 | $0.10 | ||
| Q1 24 | $-0.19 | $0.12 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $18.5M | $43.3M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $154.1M | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $755.3M | $767.6M |
| Total Assets | $1.2B | $949.8M |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.20× | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $18.5M | $43.3M | ||
| Q3 25 | $32.7M | $49.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $22.9M | $35.1M | ||
| Q1 25 | $23.9M | $39.9M | ||
| Q4 24 | $12.8M | $17.3M | ||
| Q3 24 | $30.7M | $43.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $23.9M | $77.2M | ||
| Q1 24 | $23.8M | $73.7M |
| Q4 25 | $154.1M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | — | ||
| Q2 25 | — | — | ||
| Q1 25 | — | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $187.9M | — | ||
| Q3 24 | — | — | ||
| Q2 24 | — | — | ||
| Q1 24 | — | — |
| Q4 25 | $755.3M | $767.6M | ||
| Q3 25 | $775.6M | $768.2M | ||
| Q2 25 | $786.7M | $770.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $807.7M | $767.5M | ||
| Q4 24 | $822.6M | $767.9M | ||
| Q3 24 | $825.7M | $766.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $836.8M | $766.8M | ||
| Q1 24 | $848.8M | $762.4M |
| Q4 25 | $1.2B | $949.8M | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.3B | $975.7M | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.3B | $991.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.3B | $983.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.3B | $968.8M | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.4B | $1.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.4B | $1.0B | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.5B | $993.0M |
| 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 | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $14.9M | $5.6M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $-44.2M | — |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | -24.6% | — |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 33.0% | — |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | — | 1.51× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $-66.9M | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $14.9M | $5.6M | ||
| Q3 25 | $27.5M | $18.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $21.0M | $33.2M | ||
| Q1 25 | $25.8M | $36.2M | ||
| Q4 24 | $37.8M | $23.8M | ||
| Q3 24 | $35.6M | $29.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $40.0M | $35.8M | ||
| Q1 24 | $31.0M | $45.7M |
| Q4 25 | $-44.2M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $-12.2M | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $-12.8M | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $2.3M | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $-45.5M | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $24.6M | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $29.4M | — | ||
| Q1 24 | $26.3M | — |
| Q4 25 | -24.6% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | -6.2% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | -6.1% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.0% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | -18.8% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 9.5% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 10.7% | — | ||
| Q1 24 | 9.7% | — |
| Q4 25 | 33.0% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 20.2% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 16.1% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 10.7% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 34.3% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 4.2% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 3.8% | — | ||
| Q1 24 | 1.7% | — |
| Q4 25 | — | 1.51× | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 8.33× | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 4.61× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 8.35× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 4.22× | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 7.85× | ||
| Q2 24 | — | 4.54× | ||
| Q1 24 | — | 4.74× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
HTLD
Segment breakdown not available.
MRTN
| Revenue Net Of Fuel Surcharge | $91.2M | 43% |
| Dedicated | $65.9M | 31% |
| Brokerage | $38.2M | 18% |
| Truckload Fuel Surcharge Revenue | $14.8M | 7% |
| Fuel Surcharge Revenue | $9.8M | 5% |
