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Related Party Transactions
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions

(8) RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The Company leases land from a trust in which the Company's principal stockholder is the sole trustee. The annual rent payments under this lease are $1.00 per year. The Company is responsible for all real estate taxes and maintenance costs related to the property, which were $90,000 in 2011 and are recorded as expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company has made leasehold improvements to the land totaling approximately $6.3 million for facilities used for business meetings and customer promotion.

The brother and former sister-in-law of the Company's principal stockholder owned an entity with a fleet of tractors that operates as an independent contractor. The brother's ownership interest in this entity ceased during 2009. The Company paid this independent contractor $6,142,000 in 2009. The Company also sold used revenue equipment to this entity. These sales totaled $219,000 in 2009. The Company recognized gains of $39,000 in 2009. This fleet was compensated using the same independent contractor pay package as the Company's other comparable third-party independent contractors.

The brother of the Company's principal stockholder is the sole owner of an entity with a fleet of tractors that operated as an independent contractor. The contracts for these tractors were terminated in 2010. The Company paid this independent contractor $443,000 in 2010 and $918,000 in 2009 for purchased transportation services. The Company also sold used revenue equipment to this entity. These sales totaled $106,000 in 2011, $15,000 in 2010 and $61,000 in 2009. The Company recognized gains of $44,000 in 2011, $11,000 in 2010 and $18,000 in 2009. The Company has no notes receivable related to these revenue equipment sales. This fleet was compensated using the same independent contractor pay package as our other comparable third-party independent contractors.

The Company transacts business with TDR Transportes, S.A. de C.V. ("TDR"), a truckload carrier in the Republic of Mexico, for certain purchased transportation needs. The Company recorded operating revenues from TDR of approximately $3,965,000 in 2011, $2,885,000 in 2010 and $2,113,000 in 2009 related primarily to leasing revenue equipment and a terminal building. The Company recorded purchased transportation expense to TDR of approximately $534,000 in 2011, $413,000 in 2010 and $284,000 in 2009. The Company also sells used revenue equipment to this entity. These sales totaled $236,000 in 2011, $328,000 in 2010 and $170,000 in 2009, and the Company recognized net gains of $67,000 in 2011, $18,000 in 2010 and $51,000 in 2009. The Company had receivables related to the leases and revenue equipment sales of $3,697,000 at December 31, 2011 and $4,284,000 at December 31, 2010. The Company also had a note receivable from TDR of $2,600,000 at December 31, 2011 and $3,600,000 at December 31, 2010. Interest receivable on this note was $31,000 as of December 31, 2011 and 2010. In 2010, the Company purchased property, including land and a building, comprising TDR's former terminal facility for $1,274,000. The Company leased the property to an unrelated tenant and in 2011 sold the property to this unrelated tenant.

At December 31, 2009, the Company had a 5% ownership interest in Transplace, Inc. ("TPC"), a logistics joint venture of five large transportation companies. In December 2009, the operating assets of TPC were sold to an unrelated entity. Although the Company still maintains an ownership interest in the TPC holding company, the Company no longer considers the TPC operating entity to be a related party after the sale date. The Company entered into transactions with TPC for certain purchased transportation needs. The Company recorded operating revenue from TPC of approximately $2,512,000 in 2009. The Company did not record any purchased transportation expense to TPC in 2009.