CONTACT: -OR- TRBR INVESTOR RELATIONS
COUNSEL:
Trailer Bridge, Inc. The
Equity Group Inc.
(800) 554 -1589 Devin
Sullivan (212) 836-9608
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Company to Conduct Conference Call Tomorrow at 9:00 AM ET
Jacksonville, FL – August 14, 2006 -- Trailer
Bridge, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRBR) today reported financial results for the second
quarter ended June 30, 2006 (see attached table).
Second
quarter results were impacted by lower volume, due to dry-docking activity and
reduced freight shipments primarily related to a
John D.
McCown, Chairman and CEO, said, “The actual results we will report for the
third and fourth quarters of this year will demonstrate that the second quarter
was an aberration. For the first six
weeks of the third quarter, revenue is running 13% ahead of the second quarter
pace and we take this as an indication that much of the effect from the
Total
revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2006 was $25.0 million, a decrease of
8.2% compared to the second quarter of 2005 and a decrease of 1.3% sequentially
compared to the first quarter of 2006 when one of the roll-on, roll-off vessels
was also not utilized due to dry-docking activity. The decrease in revenues compared to both
earlier periods was driven by southbound container volume decreases of 15.4%
and 5.2%, respectively. The Company
believes that most of the volume reductions can be traced to temporary
reductions in shipments by customers due to the
The
Company's Jacksonville-San Juan deployed vessel capacity utilization during the
second quarter was 82.9% to Puerto Rico and 27.1% from
Periodic
Dry-Docking Expense
During
the second quarter, the Company continued to have a roll-on, roll-off vessel
out of service as work related to the sequential five-year regulatory
requirements was being performed. The
second vessel went back into service in mid-August. Trailer Bridge incurred $9.3 million of
expense in the second quarter of 2006 related to dry-docking comprised of $2.0
million to complete the first roll-on, roll-off vessel (bringing its total
dry-docking cost including what was expensed in the first quarter to $5.2
million), $6.6 million for the dry-docking of the second roll-on, roll-off
vessel and $600,000 for the dry-docking of a Triplestack Box Carrier® vessel
that was chartered out. The total amount
for both roll-on, roll-off vessels of $11.7 million was comprised of $6.1
million for steel replacement, $3.6 million for blasting and coating and $2.0
million for all other dry-docking related expenditures.
The
roll-on, roll-off vessels have three decks, each of which is 736’ long, and are
older than the Triplestack Box Carrier® vessels, which are single deck and 400’
long. The Company believes the cost of
current dry-dockings of the roll-on, roll-off vessels are higher than they
would have otherwise been had more costly measures been taken during the last
dry-docking done five years ago when the Company’s liquidity position was
severely constrained. For these reasons,
the current dry-dockings are not indicative of dry-docking costs for the
Triplestack Box Carrier® vessels will be and not believed to be indicative of
the recurring amount for the roll-on, roll-off vessels themselves. Excluding amounts that are not believed to be
recurring, the Company estimates that a more typical dry-docking cost for its
roll-on, roll-off vessels would be approximately $2.5 million per vessel. The Company will provide additional
information on dry-docking during its conference call. See below for a further discussion of the
accounting treatment for dry-docking, including adjusted operating results
utilizing the defer-and-amortize method of accounting currently used by the
Company’s peers.
After
the full period dry-docking expense, the Company reported an operating loss of
$6.5 million in the second quarter of 2006, as compared with $5.1 million in
operating income in the second quarter of 2005.
Adjusted operating income with the dry-docking accounted for under the
defer-and-amortize method used by all the Company’s peers (see table below)
would have been $2.4 million, representing a 90.3% operating ratio during the
second quarter of 2006.
The Company reported a net loss for the second
quarter of $9.0 million after the dry-docking expense as compared to net income
of $2.5 million in the year earlier period.
The Company anticipates a significant tax credit in the fourth quarter
as part of a scheduled review of the deferred tax asset during the 2006 audit. Adjusted to reflect the dry-docking under the
defer-and-amortize method, the net loss would have been $40,370 for the second
quarter of 2006. Net loss attributable
to common shares for the second quarter of 2006 was $.76 versus net income per
common share of $.20 for the second quarter of 2005. On an adjusted basis, the second quarter
would have been breakeven on a per share basis.
The
table below presents a complete reconciliation between the difference in actual
and adjusted results for the second quarter of 2006.

Financial
Position
At June
30, 2006, the Company had cash balances of $7.9 million, working capital of
$5.8 million and a stockholders deficit of $10.0 million. There were no amounts outstanding under a $10
million revolving credit facility.
Conference Call
Trailer
Bridge provides integrated trucking and marine freight service to and from all
points in the lower 48 states and Puerto Rico, bringing efficiency, service,
security and environmental and safety benefits to domestic cargo in that
traffic lane. This total transportation system utilizes its own trucks,
drivers, trailers, containers and U.S. flag vessels to link the mainland with
Puerto Rico via marine facilities in Jacksonville and San Juan. Additional information on
This press release contains statements that
constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
The matters discussed in this press release include statements regarding
the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its
officers with respect to the future operating performance of the Company and
its asset utilization. Investors are
cautioned that any such forward looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may
differ materially from those in the forward looking statements as a result of
various factors. Without limitation,
these risks and uncertainties include the risks of economic recessions, severe
weather, changes in the price of fuel, changes in demand for transportation
services offered by the Company, capacity conditions in the
(Tables to Follow)
###
TRAILER BRIDGE, INC.
(Unaudited)
