ARCBEST CORPORATION vs WERNER ENTERPRISES, INC., two Trucking stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Werner Enterprises is running at a loss through this freight downturn, which sets it apart from ArcBest even though both are small. Werner's net margin sits at negative 0.28% and its free cash yield at negative 1.71%, while ArcBest stays profitable at a 1.38% margin and a positive 4.62% free cash yield. ArcBest also carries far less balance-sheet leverage, 0.17 debt-to-equity against Werner's 0.66. Werner pays the larger dividend, 1.31% versus 0.22%, and trades at the lower book multiple, 1.89 times against 2.54. Werner shows no earnings multiple this cycle after posting a loss, where ArcBest's runs a steep 59.85 times. At $3.3B and $2.6B, the two are close in size.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | ARCB | WERN |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $147.24 | $43.80 |
| Market cap | $3.3B | $2.6B |
| Sector | Trucking | Trucking |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | — | -3.1% |
| P/E | 60.3 | — |
| P/B | 2.56 | 1.94 |
| P/S | 0.81 | 0.85 |
| EV/EBITDA | 13.2 | 160.6 |
| Revenue growth | -1.5% | +3.4% |
| Operating margin | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Net margin | 1.4% | -0.3% |
| Return on equity | 4.3% | -0.6% |
| Return on assets | 2.3% | -0.3% |
| Return on invested capital | 4.6% | 0.8% |
| FCF yield | 4.6% | -1.7% |
| Dividend yield | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| Debt / equity | 0.17 | 0.66 |
| Current ratio | 0.93 | 1.46 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 8.47 | 2.68 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 5 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.