Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
(Operator Instructions) Your first question comes from Edward Wolfe – Wolfe Research.
Edward Wolfe – Wolfe Research
Hey, I'm sorry, I just joined. I'm sorry, I was on another call cut off so.
Robert Davidson
Would you like us just to repeat it from the start?
Edward Wolfe – Wolfe Research
Yes, could you do that? I got a lot of questions. I'll jump on the back of the list and I'll learn from that what you said and what you didn't and I'll let others get at it and don't forget me on the end though, please.
Robert Davidson
Talk to you later.
Operator
Your next question is from Justin Yagerman – Wachovia Capital Markets.
Justin Yagerman – Wachovia Capital Markets
I was just listening for a little bit, but.
Robert Davidson
Can you fill Ed in then?
Justin Yagerman – Wachovia Capital Markets
He'll do all right. When I'm looking at the price, I know you guys commented on in the press release, that 2.4% on the average increase on contracting to per price that you've got, is that net or gross of fuel?
Robert Davidson
Well it includes the impact at the bottom line, so it would be gross of fuel. In other words if we had gained a price increase, but given up something on the fuel surcharge it would have reduced that number. It's an all-in number.
Justin Yagerman – Wachovia Capital Markets
It was 3.8% a quarter ago, and I'm just trying to get at how materially the environment has deteriorated sequentially here. How much of that is fuel, and when we got from 3.8 to 2.4, and how much of that is actual base-rate that you guys may be losing in this current environment?
Robert Davidson
I wouldn't draw a whole lot of conclusions by the difference between those numbers. That number will fluctuate back and forth. I will say that directionally the pricing environment is tough out there and you wouldn't expect anything otherwise when you see another step down in tonnage on top of the downturn that began in October of '06. But I think there's still an opportunity for a company like ABF to demonstrate that it's different, to differentiate itself, and to continue to extract the yield for the value that we provide.
Justin Yagerman – Wachovia Capital Markets
When you think about that, and that's always been you're guys' philosophy, you feel like you're sacrificing market share in the current environment, or do you feel like with the RPM product out there that you're actually maybe picking up some accounts versus kind of what the general LTL pool is doing?
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