OLD DOMINION FREIGHT LINE, INC. - Annual Report: 2008 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008

OR

For the transition period from              to             .

Commission File Number: 0-19582

OLD DOMINION FREIGHT LINE, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

500 Old Dominion Way

Thomasville, NC 27360

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip Code)

(336) 889-5000 (Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  x     No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ¨     No  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x     No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one).

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ¨    No  x

The aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2008 was $662,707,351, based on the closing sales price as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.

As of February 26, 2009, the registrant had 37,284,675 outstanding shares of Common Stock ($0.10 par value).

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.

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Forward-Looking Information

Forward-looking statements appear in this Annual Report, including but not limited to Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and in other written and oral statements made by or on behalf of us. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to our goals, strategies, expectations, competitive environment, regulation, availability of resources, future events and future financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements typically can be identified by such words as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “intend,” “expect,” “believe,” “should,” “could,” “may,” or other similar words or expressions. We caution readers that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied herein, including, but not limited to, the risk factors detailed in this Annual Report.

Our forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs and assumptions using information available at the time the statements are made. We caution the reader not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements (i) as these statements are neither a prediction nor a guarantee of future events or circumstances and (ii) the assumption, beliefs, expectations and projections about future events may differ materially from actual results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect developments occurring after the statement is made.

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Unless the context requires otherwise, references in this report to “Old Dominion”, the “Company”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.

General

Old Dominion is a leading non-union less-than-truckload (“LTL”) motor carrier providing multi-regional service among six regions in the United States and next-day and second-day service within each of these regions. We operate as one business segment and offer an expanding array of innovative products and services through our four branded product groups, OD-Domestic, OD-Expedited, OD-Global and OD-Technology with direct service to 48 states within the Southeast, Gulf Coast, Northeast, Midwest, Central and West regions of the country. We plan to continue to expand our service center network, as opportunities arise, to complete our full-state coverage throughout the continental United States. We expect the additional service centers necessary to achieve this goal will provide a platform for future growth and help ensure that our service center network has sufficient capacity. In addition to our domestic LTL services, we offer container delivery services to and from all of North America, Central America, South America and the Far East. We also offer a broad range of expedited, logistical and warehousing services for both our domestic and global markets.

We have grown substantially through both strategic acquisitions and internal growth. Prior to 1995, we provided inter-regional service to major metropolitan areas from, and regional service within, the Southeast region of the United States. Since 1995, we have expanded our infrastructure to provide next-day and second-day service within five additional regions, as well as expanded inter-regional service among those regions. From 1995 through December 31, 2008, we increased our number of service centers from 53 to 206 and our states directly served from 21 to 48. We believe that our present infrastructure will enable us to increase freight density, which is the volume of freight moving through our network, and thereby improve our profitability.

We are committed to providing our customers with high quality and value-driven service. We provide consistent customer service from a single organization, offering our customers information and pricing from one

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point of contact. Our multi-regional competitors that offer inter-regional service typically do so through independent companies or with separate points of contact within different operating segments, which can result in inconsistent service and pricing, as well as poor shipment visibility. Our integrated structure allows us to offer our customers consistent and continuous service across all areas of our operations and for each of our service products.

Old Dominion was founded in 1934 and incorporated in Virginia in 1950. Our principal executive offices are at 500 Old Dominion Way, Thomasville, North Carolina, 27360. Please refer to the Balance Sheets and Statements of Operations included in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report for information regarding our total assets, revenue from operations and net income.

Our Industry

Trucks provide transportation services to virtually every industry operating in the United States and generally offer higher levels of reliability and faster transit times than other surface transportation options. The trucking industry is comprised principally of two types of motor carriers: truckload and LTL. Truckload carriers generally provide an entire trailer to one customer from origin to destination. LTL carriers pick up multiple shipments from multiple customers on a single truck and then route those shipments through service centers, where freight may be transferred to other trucks with similar destinations for delivery.

In contrast to truckload carriers, LTL motor carriers require expansive networks of local pickup and delivery (“P&D”) service centers, as well as larger breakbulk, or hub, facilities. The significant capital that LTL motor carriers must commit to create and maintain a network of service centers and a fleet of tractors and trailers makes it difficult for start-up or small operations to effectively compete with established companies. In addition, successful LTL motor carriers generally employ, and continuously update, a high level of technology to provide information to customers and to reduce operating costs.

Service Center Operations

At December 31, 2008, we conducted operations through 206 service center locations, of which we own 108 and lease 98. We operate major breakbulk facilities in Atlanta, Georgia; Rialto, California; Indianapolis, Indiana; Greensboro, North Carolina; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Memphis and Morristown, Tennessee; and Dallas, Texas, while using some smaller service centers for limited breakbulk activity in order to serve our next-day markets. Our service centers are strategically located in six regions of the country to provide the highest quality service and minimize freight rehandling costs.

Each of our service centers is responsible for the pickup and delivery of freight within its service area. Each service center loads outbound freight by destination the day it is picked up. All inbound freight received by the service center in the evening or during the night is scheduled for local delivery the next business day, unless a customer requests a different delivery schedule. Our management reviews the productivity and service performance of each service center on a daily basis to ensure quality service and efficient operations.

While we have established primary responsibility for customer service at the local service center level, our customers may access information and initiate transactions through our centralized customer service department located at our corporate office or several other gateways, such as our web site, electronic data interchange (“EDI”), automated voice response systems and automated fax systems. Our systems offer direct access to information such as freight tracking, shipping documents, rate quotes, rate databases and account activity. These centralized systems and our customer service department provide our customers with a single point of contact to access information across all areas of our operations and for each of our service products.

Linehaul Transportation

Linehaul dispatchers are centralized at our corporate office and control the movement of freight among service centers through integrated freight movement systems. We also utilize load-planning software to optimize

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efficiencies in our linehaul operations. Our senior management continuously monitors freight movements, transit times, load factors and other productivity measurements to ensure that we maintain our highest levels of service and efficiency.

We utilize scheduled routes, and additional linehaul dispatches as necessary, to meet our published service standards. In addition, we lower our cost structure by maintaining flexible workforce rules and by primarily using twin 28-foot trailers in our linehaul operations. The use of twin 28-foot trailers permits us to transport freight directly from its point of origin to destination with minimal unloading and reloading, which also reduces cargo loss and damage expenses. We also utilize long-combination vehicles, such as triple 28-foot trailers and combinations of 48-foot and 28-foot trailers, in states where permitted. Twin trailers and long-combination vehicles permit more freight to be hauled behind a tractor than could otherwise be hauled by one large trailer.

Tractors, Trailers and Maintenance

At December 31, 2008, we owned 5,058 tractors. We generally use new tractors in linehaul operations for approximately three to five years and then transfer those tractors to P&D operations for the remainder of their useful lives. In many of our service centers, tractors perform P&D functions during the day and linehaul functions at night to maximize tractor utilization.

At December 31, 2008, we operated a fleet of 20,067 trailers. We primarily purchase new trailers for our operations; however, we occasionally purchase pre-owned equipment meeting our specifications from other trucking companies.

At various times, we have also acquired tractors and trailers through our acquisition of business assets from other carriers. The purchase of pre-owned equipment can provide an excellent value, but can increase our fleet’s average age. The table below reflects, as of December 31, 2008, the average age of our tractors and trailers:

We develop certain specifications for tractors and trailers and then negotiate the production and purchase of this equipment with several manufacturers. These purchases are planned well in advance of anticipated delivery dates in order to accommodate manufacturers’ production schedules. We believe that there is sufficient capacity among suppliers to ensure an uninterrupted supply of equipment to support our operations.

The table below sets forth our capital expenditures for tractors and trailers for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006. Our capital expenditures for tractors and trailers in 2008 were lower than 2007 and 2006, as we were able to effectively utilize our existing fleet in 2008 to meet our freight demands. As a result, our purchases were limited to replacing a portion of the equipment being retired through the normal replacement cycle, as compared to the capital expenditures in 2007 and 2006, when we both replaced equipment and increased capacity to support our growth and geographic expansion.

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At December 31, 2008, we had major maintenance operations at our service centers in Rialto, California; Denver, Colorado; Atlanta, Georgia; Indianapolis, Indiana; Kansas City and Parsons, Kansas; Greensboro, North Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Morristown and Memphis, Tennessee; Dallas, Texas; and Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition, seventeen other service center locations are equipped to perform routine and preventive maintenance and repairs on our equipment.

We adhere to established maintenance policies and procedures to ensure our fleet is properly maintained. Linehaul tractors are routed to appropriate maintenance facilities at designated mileage or time intervals, depending upon how the equipment was utilized. P&D tractors and trailers are scheduled for maintenance every 90 days.

Marketing and Customers

At December 31, 2008, we had a sales staff of 461 employees. We compensate our sales force, in part, based upon on-time service performance, revenue generated and Company and service center profitability, which we believe helps motivate our employees to achieve our service, growth and profitability objectives.

We utilize a computerized freight-costing model to determine the price level at which a particular shipment of freight will be profitable. We can modify elements of this freight-costing model to simulate the actual conditions under which the freight will be moved. We also compete for business by participating in bid solicitations. Customers generally solicit bids for relatively large numbers of shipments for a period of one to two years, and typically choose to enter into contractual arrangements with a limited number of motor carriers based upon price and service.

Revenue is generated from many customers and locations primarily across the United States and North America. In 2008, our largest customer accounted for approximately 2.7% of our revenue and our largest 5, 10 and 20 customers accounted for approximately 5.4%, 10.4% and 16.5% of our revenue, respectively. For each of the previous three years, more than 90% of our revenue was derived from transporting LTL shipments for our customers and less than 5% of our revenue was generated from international services. We believe the diversity of our revenue base helps protect our business from adverse developments in a single geographic region and the reduction or loss of business from a single customer. For information concerning total revenue for each of the last three fiscal years, see Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.

Competition

The transportation industry is highly competitive on the basis of both price and service. At December 31, 2008, we were the sixth largest LTL carrier in the United States, as measured by revenue. We compete with regional, inter-regional and national LTL carriers and, to a lesser extent, with truckload carriers, small package carriers, airfreight carriers and railroads. Competition is based primarily on service, price and business relationships. We believe that we are able to compete effectively in our markets by providing high-quality and timely service at competitive prices.

We believe our transit times are generally faster than those of our principal national competitors. We believe this performance is due primarily to our more efficient service center network, use of team drivers and investment in technology. In addition, we provide greater geographic coverage than most of our regional competitors. Our diversified mix and scope of regional and inter-regional services enable us to provide our customers with a single source to meet their LTL shipping needs, and we believe this provides us with a distinct advantage over our regional, multi-regional and national competition.

We also believe we have a significant advantage over our unionized LTL competition. Advantages provided by our non-union operations include flexible work schedules and the ability of our employees to perform multiple tasks, which we believe result in greater productivity, customer service, efficiency and cost savings.

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We compete with several larger transportation service providers, each of which may have more equipment, a broader coverage network and a wider range of services than we have. Our larger competitors may also have greater financial resources and, in general, the ability to reduce prices to gain business, especially during times of reduced growth rates in the economy. This could potentially limit our ability to maintain or increase prices, and could also limit our growth in shipments and tonnage.

Seasonality

Our tonnage levels and revenue mix are subject to seasonal trends common in the motor carrier industry. Operating margins in the first quarter are normally lower due to reduced shipments during the winter months. Harsh winter weather can also adversely impact our performance by reducing demand and increasing operating expenses. Freight volumes typically build to a peak in the third quarter and early fourth quarter, which generally results in improved operating margins for those periods. This typical build in freight volumes did not occur in 2008 due to the economic downturn, which increased the competitiveness of our industry.

Technology

We continually upgrade our technological capabilities, and we provide access to our systems through multiple gateways that offer our customers maximum flexibility and immediate access to information. We employ vehicle safety systems, freight handling systems and logistics technology to reduce costs and transit times. Our principal technologies include:

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Insurance

We carry a significant amount of insurance with third-party insurance carriers and we self-insure a portion of this risk. We are currently self-insured for bodily injury and property damage claims up to $2,750,000 per occurrence. Cargo loss and damage claims are self-insured up to $100,000 per occurrence. We are responsible for workers’ compensation claims up to $1,000,000 per occurrence, through either self-insurance or insurance deductibles. Group health claims are self-insured up to $325,000 per occurrence and long-term disability claims are self-insured to a maximum per individual of $3,000 per month.

We believe that our policy of self-insuring a portion of our risk, together with our safety and loss prevention programs, is an effective means of managing insurance costs. We also believe that our current insurance coverage is adequate to cover our liability risks.

Diesel Fuel Availability and Cost

Our industry depends heavily upon the availability of diesel fuel. Although we maintain fuel storage and pumping facilities at 36 of our service center locations, we may experience shortages at certain locations and may be forced to incur additional expense to ensure adequate supply on a timely basis to prevent a disruption to our service schedules. As a result of higher diesel fuel costs, we implemented a fuel surcharge program in August 1999 that has remained in effect since that time and has become one of many components in the overall price for our transportation services. Our fuel surcharges are generally indexed to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (the “DOE”) published fuel prices that reset each week. Our management believes that our operations and financial condition are susceptible to the same diesel fuel price increases or shortages as those of our competitors. Diesel fuel costs, including fuel taxes, totaled 16.8% and 14.1% of revenue in 2008 and 2007, respectively.

Employees

As of December 31, 2008, we employed 10,864 individuals on a full-time basis in the following categories:

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As of December 31, 2008, we employed 2,788 linehaul drivers and 2,822 P&D drivers on a full-time basis. All of our drivers are selected based upon safe driving records and experience. Each of our drivers is required to pass a drug test and have a current U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”) physical and a valid commercial driver’s license prior to employment. Once employed, drivers are required to obtain and maintain hazardous materials endorsements to their commercial driver’s licenses. Drivers are also required to take drug and alcohol tests, by random selection.

To help fulfill driver needs, we offer qualified employees the opportunity to become drivers through the “Old Dominion Driver Training Program”. Since its inception in 1988, 2,551 individuals have graduated from this program, from which we have experienced an annual turnover rate of approximately 10%. We believe our driver training and qualification programs have been important factors in improving our safety record. Drivers with safe driving records are rewarded with bonuses payable each year. Driver safety bonuses paid during 2008 and 2007 were $2,035,000 and $1,154,000, respectively. We increased this incentive for our drivers in 2008 by raising the maximum bonus amount from $1,000 to $3,000.

Our focus on communication and the continued education, development and motivation of our employees helps to ensure that we maintain an excellent relationship with our employees. There are no employees represented under a collective bargaining agreement, which we believe is an important factor in our continued success.

Governmental Regulation

We are subject to regulation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Agency and the Surface Transportation Board, which are agencies within the DOT, as well as the regulations of various state agencies. These regulatory authorities have broad powers, generally governing matters such as authority to engage in motor carrier operations, motor carrier registration, driver hours of service, safety and fitness of transportation equipment and drivers, certain mergers, consolidations and acquisitions, and periodic financial reporting. In addition, we are subject to compliance with cargo-security and transportation regulations issued by the Transportation Security Administration within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The trucking industry is subject to regulatory and legislative changes from a variety of other governmental authorities, which address matters such as: (i) increasingly stringent environmental and occupational safety and health regulations; (ii) limits on vehicle weight and size; (iii) ergonomics; and (iv) hours of service. These changes may affect our business or the economics of our industry by requiring changes in operating practices, or by influencing the demand for and increasing the costs of providing our services.

The cost of compliance with applicable laws and regulations has not materially impacted our results of operations or financial condition, and we believe that this will continue to be the case.

Environmental Regulation

We are subject to various federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations that focus on, among other things: the emission and discharge of hazardous materials into the environment or their presence on or in our properties and vehicles; fuel storage tanks; transportation of certain materials; and the discharge or retention of storm water. Under specific environmental laws, we could also be held responsible for any costs relating to contamination at our past or present facilities and at third-party waste disposal sites. We do not believe that the cost of future compliance with environmental laws or regulations will have a material adverse effect on our operations, financial condition, competitive position or capital expenditures for the remainder of fiscal year 2009 or fiscal year 2010.

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Available Information

Through our web site, http://www.odfl.com, we make available, free of charge, our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Act of 1934, as soon as practicable after we electronically file the material with or furnish it to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The public may read or copy any document we file with the SEC at the SEC’s web site, http://www.sec.gov (File No. 0-19582), or at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. The SEC can be reached at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the Public Reference Room. Information contained on our web site is neither part of nor incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K or any other report we file with or furnish to the SEC.

Various factors exist that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement. In addition to the factors discussed elsewhere in this report, we believe the following are some of the important risk factors that could materially affect our business, financial condition or results of operations:

We operate in a highly competitive industry, and our business will suffer if we are unable to adequately address potential downward pricing pressures and other factors that may adversely affect our operations and profitability.

Numerous competitive factors could impair our ability to maintain our current profitability. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

If our employees were to unionize, our operating costs would increase and our ability to compete would be impaired.

None of our employees are currently represented by a collective bargaining agreement. However, from time to time there have been efforts to organize our employees at various service centers. We can offer no assurance that our employees will not unionize in the future, particularly if legislation is passed that facilitates unionization such as the Employee Free Choice Act (“EFCA”).

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The unionization of our employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations because:

If we are unable to successfully execute our growth strategy, our business and future results of operations may suffer.

Our growth strategy includes increasing the volume of freight moving through our existing service center network, selectively expanding our geographic footprint and broadening the scope of our service offerings. In connection with our growth strategy, at various times, we have purchased additional equipment, expanded and upgraded service centers, hired additional personnel and increased our sales and marketing efforts, and we expect to continue to do so. Our growth strategy exposes us to a number of risks, including the following:

We cannot assure that we will overcome the risks associated with our growth. If we fail to overcome those risks, we may not realize additional revenue or profits from our efforts, we may incur additional expenses and therefore our financial position and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Insurance and claims expenses could significantly reduce our profitability.

We are exposed to claims related to cargo loss and damage, property damage, personal injury, workers’ compensation, long-term disability and group health. We have insurance coverage with third-party insurance carriers, but self-insure a portion of the risk associated with these claims. If the number or severity of claims for which we are self-insured increases, or we are required to accrue or pay additional amounts because the claims prove to be more severe than our original assessment, our operating results would be adversely affected. In addition, insurance companies require us to obtain letters of credit to collateralize our self-insured retention. If these requirements increase, our borrowing capacity could be adversely affected.

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Our customers and suppliers’ business may be impacted by the current downturn in the worldwide economy and disruption of financial markets.

Current economic conditions have adversely affected and may continue to adversely affect our customers’ business levels, the amount of transportation services they need and their ability to pay for our services. Customers encountering adverse economic conditions may be unable to obtain additional financing, or financing under acceptable terms, because of the disruptions to the capital and credit markets. These customers represent a greater potential for bad debt losses, which may require us to increase our reserve for bad debt. Economic conditions resulting in bankruptcies of one or more of our large customers could have a significant impact on our financial position, results of operations or liquidity in a particular year or quarter.

Our supplier’s business levels have also been and may continue to be adversely affected by current economic conditions or financial constraints, which could lead to disruptions in the supply and availability of equipment, parts and services critical to our operations. A significant interruption in our normal supply chain could disrupt our operations, increase our costs and negatively impact our ability to serve our customers.

We have significant ongoing cash requirements that could limit our growth and affect our profitability if we are unable to obtain sufficient financing.

Our business is highly capital intensive. Our purchases of property and equipment in 2008 and 2007 were $181,499,000 and $186,828,000, respectively. We expect our net capital expenditures for 2009 to be approximately $190,000,000. While we intend to finance expansion and renovation projects with existing cash, cash flow from operations and available borrowings under our existing senior unsecured credit agreement, we may require additional financing to support our continued growth. However, due to the existing uncertainty in the capital and credit markets, capital may not be available on terms acceptable to us. If we are unable in the future to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or borrow the necessary capital to fund our planned capital expenditures, we will be forced to limit our growth and operate our equipment for longer periods of time, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

In addition, our business has significant operating cash requirements. If our cash requirements are high or our cash flow from operations is low during particular periods, we may need to seek additional financing, which may be costly or difficult to obtain. We have a $225,000,000 senior unsecured revolving credit facility that matures on August 10, 2011, which we believe provides us with a sufficient source for borrowing as needed. If any of the financial institutions that have extended credit commitments to us are or continue to be adversely affected by current economic conditions and disruption to the capital and credit markets, they may become unable to fund borrowings under their credit commitments or otherwise fulfill their obligations to us, which could have a material and adverse impact on our financial condition and our ability to borrow additional funds, if needed, for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other corporate purposes.

We may be adversely impacted by fluctuations in the price and availability of diesel fuel.

Diesel fuel is a significant operating expense. We do not hedge against the risk of diesel fuel price increases. An increase in diesel fuel prices or diesel fuel taxes, or any change in federal or state regulations that results in such an increase, could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, unless the increase is offset by increases in freight rates or fuel surcharges charged to our customers. Historically, we have been able to offset significant increases in diesel fuel prices through fuel surcharges to our customers, and we were able to minimize the negative impact on our profitability in 2008 that resulted from the rapid and significant increase to the cost of diesel fuel. Depending on the base rate and fuel surcharge levels agreed upon by individual shippers, a rapid and significant decline in the cost of diesel fuel could also have a material adverse effect on our operating results. We continuously monitor the components of our pricing, including base freight rates and fuel surcharges, and address individual account profitability issues with our customers when necessary. While we have historically been able to adjust our pricing to offset changes to the cost of diesel fuel, through changes to base rates and/or fuel surcharges, we cannot be certain that we will be able to do so in the future.

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Although we maintain fuel storage and pumping facilities at 36 of our service center locations, we may experience shortages in the availability of diesel fuel at certain locations and may be forced to incur additional expense to ensure adequate supply on a timely basis to prevent a disruption to our service schedules. An interruption in the supply of diesel fuel could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

Difficulty in attracting drivers could affect our profitability.

We periodically experience difficulties in attracting and retaining qualified drivers. Our operations may be affected by a shortage of qualified drivers in the future, which could cause us to temporarily under-utilize our fleet, face difficulty in meeting shipper demands and increase our compensation levels for drivers. If we encounter difficulty in attracting or retaining qualified drivers, our ability to service our customers and increase our revenue could be adversely affected.

Limited supply and increased prices for new equipment may adversely affect our earnings and cash flow.

Investment in new equipment is a significant part of our annual capital expenditures. We may face difficulty in purchasing new equipment due to decreased supply. The price of our equipment may also be adversely affected in the future by regulations on newly manufactured tractors and diesel engines. See the risk factor below entitled: “We are subject to various environmental laws and regulations, and costs of compliance with, liabilities under, or violations of, existing or future environmental laws or regulations could adversely affect our business.”

We are subject to various environmental laws and regulations, and costs of compliance with, liabilities under, or violations of, existing or future environmental laws or regulations could adversely affect our business.

We are subject to various federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations that govern, among other things, the emission and discharge of hazardous materials into the environment, the presence of hazardous materials at our properties or in our vehicles, fuel storage tanks, the transportation of certain materials and the discharge or retention of storm water. Under certain environmental laws, we could also be held responsible for any costs relating to contamination at our past or present facilities and at third-party waste disposal sites. Environmental laws have become and are expected to continue to be increasingly more stringent over time, and there can be no assurance that our costs of complying with current or future environmental laws or liabilities arising under such laws will not have a material adverse effect on our business, operations or financial condition.

The Environmental Protection Agency has issued regulations that require progressive reductions in exhaust emissions from diesel engines through 2010. Beginning in October 2002, new diesel engines were required to meet these new emission limits. Some of the regulations required reductions in the sulfur content of diesel fuel beginning in June 2006 and the introduction of emissions after-treatment devices on newly-manufactured engines and vehicles beginning with model year 2007. These regulations have resulted in higher prices for tractors and diesel engines and increased fuel and maintenance costs, and there can be no assurance that continued increases in pricing or costs will not have an adverse effect on our business and operations.

We operate in a highly regulated industry, and increased costs of compliance with, or liability for violation of, existing or future regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are regulated by the DOT and by various state agencies. These regulatory authorities have broad powers, generally governing matters such as authority to engage in motor carrier operations, as well as motor carrier registration, driver hours of service, safety and fitness of transportation equipment and drivers, transportation of hazardous materials, certain mergers and acquisitions and periodic financial reporting. In addition, the trucking industry is subject to regulatory and legislative changes from a variety of other governmental authorities, which address matters such as: (i) increasingly stringent environmental, occupational safety and health regulations; (ii) limits on vehicle weight and size; (iii) ergonomics; and (iv) hours of service. In

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addition, we are subject to compliance with cargo-security and transportation regulations issued by the Transportation Security Administration within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Regulatory requirements, and changes in regulatory requirements, may affect our business or the economics of the industry by requiring changes in operating practices or by influencing the demand for and increasing the costs of providing transportation services.

Our financial results may be adversely impacted by potential future changes in accounting practices.

Future changes in accounting standards or practices, and related legal and regulatory interpretations of those changes, may adversely impact public companies in general, the transportation industry or our operations specifically. New accounting standards or requirements, such as a conversion from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles to International Financial Reporting Standards, could change the way we record revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities or could be costly to implement. These types of regulations could have a negative impact on our financial position, liquidity, results of operations or access to capital.

Our results of operations may be affected by seasonal factors and harsh weather conditions.

Our operations are subject to seasonal trends common in the trucking industry. Our operating margins in the first quarter are normally lower due to reduced demand during the winter months. Harsh weather can also adversely affect our performance by reducing demand and reducing our ability to transport freight, which could result in increased operating expenses.

Our information technology systems are subject to certain risks that we cannot control.

Our information systems, including our accounting systems, are dependent upon third-party software, global communications providers, telephone systems and other aspects of technology and Internet infrastructure that are susceptible to failure. Although we have implemented redundant systems and network security measures, our information technology remains susceptible to outages, computer viruses, break-ins and similar disruptions that may inhibit our ability to provide services to our customers and the ability of our customers to access our systems. This may result in the loss of customers or a reduction in demand for our services.

If we are unable to retain our key employees, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected.

Our success will continue to depend upon the experience and leadership of our key employees and executive officers. In that regard, the loss of the services of any of our key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operation and liquidity.

Our principal shareholders control a large portion of our outstanding common stock.

Earl E. Congdon, John R. Congdon and members of their respective families beneficially own approximately one-third of the outstanding shares of our common stock. As long as the Congdon family controls a large portion of our voting stock, they will be able to significantly influence the election of the entire Board of Directors and the outcome of all matters involving a shareholder vote. The Congdon family’s interests may differ from the interests of other shareholders.

None.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

We own our general office located in Thomasville, North Carolina, consisting of a two-story office building of approximately 160,000 square feet on 30.1 acres of land. At December 31, 2008, we operated 206 service centers, of which 108 were owned and 98 were leased. We own all of our major breakbulk facilities, which are listed below with the number of doors as of December 31, 2008.

These facilities are strategically dispersed over the states in which we operate. At December 31, 2008, the terms of our leased properties ranged from month-to-month to a lease that expires in 2023. We believe that as current leases expire, we will be able to renew them or find comparable facilities without incurring any material negative impact on service to our customers or our operating results.

We also own thirteen non-operating properties, all of which are held for lease. Eight of these properties are leased with lease terms that range from month-to-month to a lease that expires in 2011.

We believe that all of our properties are in good repair and are capable of providing the level of service required by current business levels and customer demands.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We are involved in various legal proceedings and claims that have arisen in the ordinary course of our business that have not been fully adjudicated. Many of these are covered in whole or in part by insurance. Our management does not believe that these actions, when finally concluded and determined, will have a material adverse effect upon our financial position, liquidity or results of operations.

On July 30, 2007, the Company was named in a putative class action complaint against us and 10 other major LTL motor carriers and large transportation companies offering LTL services (together, “the Defendants”). This complaint alleges that the Defendants conspired to restrain trade in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act in connection with fuel surcharges to customers, and seeks injunctive relief, treble damages and attorneys’ fees. Subsequent to this original complaint, similar complaints have been filed against the Defendants and other LTL motor carriers, each with the same allegation of conspiracy to fix fuel surcharge rates. On December 20, 2007, these cases were consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, and all of the pending cases were transferred to that court. On May 23, 2008, plaintiffs filed a consolidated amended complaint naming the Company and eight other defendants. The defendants concluded briefing on a motion to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint, and on January 28, 2009, the motion to dismiss was granted without prejudice by the U.S. District Court. The plaintiffs are permitted to file a motion to amend the complaint on or before March 16, 2009. We believe that these allegations have no merit and intend to vigorously defend ourselves in the event that the plaintiffs amend their complaint prior to this date. Due to the nature and status of these claims, we cannot determine the likelihood of an adverse outcome nor an amount or reasonable range of potential loss, if any, in these matters.

ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

None.

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PART II

Common Stock and Dividend Information

Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol ODFL. At February 24, 2009, there were approximately 8,781 holders of our common stock, including 152 shareholders of record. We did not pay any dividends on our common stock during fiscal year 2008 or 2007, and we have no current plans to declare or pay any dividends on our common stock during fiscal year 2009. For information concerning restrictions on our ability to make dividend payments, see Liquidity and Capital Resources in Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and Note 3 in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report.

The following table sets forth the high and low sales price of our common stock for the periods indicated, as reported by the NASDAQ Global Select Market:

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Performance Graph

The following graph compares the total shareholder cumulative returns, assuming the reinvestment of all dividends, of $100 invested on December 31, 2003, in (i) our Common Stock, (ii) the NASDAQ Trucking & Transportation Stocks and (iii) the NASDAQ Stock Market (US) for the five-year period ended December 31, 2008:

Cumulative Total Return

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Overview

We are a leading non-union less-than-truckload (“LTL”) multi-regional motor carrier providing one- to five-day service among six regions in the United States and next-day and second-day service within these regions. More than 90% of our revenue has historically been derived from transporting LTL shipments for our customers, whose demand for our services is generally tied to the overall health of the U.S. domestic economy.

In analyzing the components of our revenue, we monitor changes and trends in the following key metrics:

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Our primary revenue focus is to increase shipment and tonnage growth within our existing infrastructure, generally referred to as increasing density, thereby maximizing asset utilization and labor productivity. We measure density over many different functional areas of our operations including revenue per service center, linehaul load factor, P&D stops per hour, P&D shipments per hour and platform pounds handled per hour. We believe continued improvement in density and a focus on individual account profitability are key components in our ability to sustain profitable growth.

Our primary cost elements are direct wages and benefits associated with the movement of freight; operating supplies and expenses; and depreciation of our equipment fleet and service center facilities. We gauge our overall success in managing these costs by monitoring our operating ratio, a measure of profitability calculated by dividing total operating expenses by revenue, which also allows industry-wide comparisons with our competition.

We continually upgrade our technological capabilities to improve our customer service and lower our operating costs. Our technology provides our customers with visibility of their shipments throughout our network, increases the productivity of our workforce and provides key metrics from which we can monitor our processes.

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Results of Operations

The following table sets forth, for the years indicated, expenses and other items as a percentage of revenue from operations:

2008 Compared to 2007

Key financial and operating metrics for 2008 and 2007 are presented below:

We remained true to our long-term strategy in 2008 by providing consistent on-time service, maintaining price discipline and driving additional operating efficiencies into our processes, despite one of the most challenging operating environments we have ever experienced. We were faced with record high fuel prices in the first half of 2008, which contributed to the overall increase in our operating expenses. As fuel prices began to decline, the domestic economy slipped into a recession causing significant and further declines in tonnage for the

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industry. As a result, pricing emerged as a primary driver of competition. While we maintained a commitment to our pricing philosophy and achieved productivity improvements, these factors were not sufficient to overcome our increased operating expenses and the negative impact of the recessionary economy. As a result, our earnings per diluted share decreased 4.7% to $1.84 for 2008 and our operating ratio increased 90 basis points to 91.6%. We believe our strategy of providing high service levels, maintaining price discipline and aggressively managing costs proved to be the best course of action in the LTL marketplace in 2008 and minimized much of the negative impact on our financial performance caused by increased competition and the downward spiral of the economy.

Despite the challenges in 2008, our revenue increased 9.7% to $1,537,724,000, which was driven by a 5.2% increase in total tonnage shipped and a 4.4% increase in revenue per hundredweight. The 5.2% increase in tonnage shipped resulted from a 6.4% increase in weight per shipment that was partially offset by a 1.1% decrease in the number of shipments. While an increase in weight per shipment is generally an indication of an improving economy, we believe the increase in 2008 is more attributable to changes in customer shipping patterns as transportation costs increased. We believe shippers are increasingly consolidating their shipments into larger units to ship less frequently at lower costs per hundredweight. Our mix of freight in 2008 reflects growth in truckload shipments, spot quotes and container shipments, all of which have an average higher weight per shipment.

We attribute our growth in tonnage primarily to increases in market share in our existing areas of operations. While we increased the total number of service centers in our network to 206 at December 31, 2008 from 192 at December 31, 2007, over 95% of our revenue was produced from service centers open for more than one year. As we continue to expand our geographic reach, increase our full-state coverage and increase our service capabilities, we believe we will continue to gain additional market share from our existing customers and new customers who seek consistent, high-quality and value-driven service. While we experienced an overall increase in tonnage for 2008, freight demand weakened throughout the second half of the year and our tonnage declined 4.9% during the fourth quarter. We believe that freight demand in the LTL industry will not improve until there is a general recovery in the domestic economy or a significant decrease in industry capacity. As a result, we could experience additional declines in our shipments and tonnage in 2009.

Revenue per hundredweight increased 4.4% to $13.88 from $13.30 in 2007. Revenue per hundredweight for 2008 reflects the impact of the general rate increase on our base rates and minimum charges for certain tariffs implemented on February 11, 2008, as well as an increase in fuel surcharge revenue that resulted from the increase in the average price of diesel fuel during the year. Excluding fuel surcharges, revenue per hundredweight decreased 1.4% in 2008. Our revenue per hundredweight was also negatively impacted by the increase in weight per shipment as well as the 2.7% decline in the average length of haul.

The pricing environment in the LTL industry was extremely competitive throughout 2008. The competitiveness intensified in the second half of the year as the historical seasonal increase in freight volumes did not materialize. As a result, many carriers in our industry reduced their prices in an attempt to minimize declines in tonnage and shipment volumes. Although we increased the volume of freight moving through our service center network, we did so while maintaining our basic pricing philosophy of evaluating each individual account for profitability in an effort to maintain rational pricing for our services. We intend to maintain our disciplined approach to pricing by keeping our service at superior levels, thus creating additional value to our customers. We believe our rational and measured approach to the current pricing environment will be in our best long-term interest. However, a prolonged recession and competitive forces may result in some short-term erosion in our pricing and shipment volumes, which could have a material adverse impact on our revenue and net income.

Fuel surcharge revenue increased to 17.2% of revenue from 12.4% in 2007. Most of our tariffs and contracts provide for a fuel surcharge, which is recorded as additional revenue, as diesel fuel prices increase above stated levels. These levels are generally indexed to the DOE’s published fuel prices that reset each week. The fuel surcharge is one of many components included in the overall negotiated price for our transportation services with

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our customers. We continuously monitor the components of our pricing, including base freight rates and fuel surcharges, and address individual account profitability issues with our customers when necessary as part of our effort to minimize the negative impact on our profitability that would likely result from a rapid and significant change in any of our operating expenses.

Salaries, wages and benefits decreased to 52.3% of revenue in 2008 from 53.6% in 2007. While we were able to improve the productivity of our linehaul, P&D and platform operations, the decrease, as a percent of revenue, primarily resulted from the overall increase in revenue. The productivity improvements, however, helped minimize the impact of the annual general wage increase provided to our workforce in September 2007 and 2008 and the deleveraging effect of the fourth quarter decline in tonnage.

Driver wages decreased to 21.0% of revenue in 2008 from 22.1% in 2007. We were able to effectively match our labor with the changes in shipment volume during the year while also improving our productivity. In our linehaul operations, we increased our laden load average 1.8%. P&D shipments per hour and P&D stops per hour increased 2.3% and 0.7%, respectively. Platform wages decreased to 6.7% of revenue from 7.3% in 2007. Platform pounds handled per hour increased 10.4%, primarily as a result of the increase in weight per shipment.

Employee benefit costs increased to 30.1% of salaries and wages in 2008 from 28.5% in 2007. The increase is attributable to rising group health and dental costs, which increased to 10.3% of total salary and wages in 2008 from 9.1%, and increased costs associated with our paid time off for employees. We experienced an increase in the severity of our health claims in 2008, which resulted in a 16.3% increase in claim payments as compared to 2007.

Operating supplies and expenses increased to 19.9% of revenue in 2008 from 17.0% in 2007. This increase is primarily due to the significant rise in diesel fuel costs, excluding fuel taxes, which is the largest component of operating supplies and expenses. These costs increased 37.2% during the year as a result of a significant increase in the price of diesel fuel and, to a lesser extent, a 0.2% increase in gallons consumed. We were able to minimize our consumption of fuel in 2008 by implementing several initiatives designed to improve our miles per gallon. We do not use diesel fuel hedging instruments and are therefore subject to market price fluctuations.

Depreciation and amortization remained consistent at 5.7% of revenue for both 2008 and 2007. We continued to make significant investments in our service center network and revenue equipment in 2008. We purchased eleven service centers and also completed several expansion projects to existing service centers to increase the overall capacity of our service center network. We reduced our capital expenditures for revenue equipment in 2008 as compared to our purchases in recent years to appropriately match our fleet size with freight demands. We also incurred an increase in building and office equipment rents to 0.9% of revenue from 0.8% for 2007, due to an increase in both the number and size of leased facilities.

Other expense, net increased to 0.2% of revenue from 0.1% of revenue in 2007. The increase reflects the decline in the cash value of our variable life insurance contracts related to the Company’s non-qualified deferred compensation plans. The cash value of these contracts was unfavorably impacted by the decline in equity markets during 2008.

Our effective tax rate for 2008 was 39.0% compared to 38.0% in 2007. Our effective tax rate was lower in 2007 as a result of the favorable impact of alternative fuel tax credits for the use of propane in our operations that we became eligible for in 2007 and, to a lesser extent, the resolution of various state tax matters in the first quarter of 2007 that decreased our liability for unrecognized tax benefits. We expect the alternative fuel tax credits will continue to favorably impact our effective tax rate until these credits are no longer available in 2010. Our effective tax rate exceeded the federal statutory rate of 35% primarily due to the impact of state taxes and certain non-deductible items.

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2007 Compared to 2006

Key financial and operating metrics for 2007 and 2006 are presented below:

Our 2007 financial results were reflective of a difficult operating environment that became increasingly competitive in terms of pricing throughout the year. Despite the general weakness in the domestic economy and resulting competitive pricing environment, we were able to increase revenue by 9.5% to $1,401,542,000 in 2007 and increase our total tonnage shipped by 8.5%. These accomplishments were the result of the consistent execution of our business strategies in the LTL marketplace, which resulted in increased market share. We also maintained our revenue focus on increasing density, which resulted in producing over 95% of our revenue from service centers open for more than one year and an overall increase in average revenue per service center of 2.5%. Despite our growth in revenue and tonnage during 2007, we were unable to increase our pricing sufficiently to overcome increased operating costs, particularly with respect to the increased cost of diesel fuel. As a result, net income decreased 1.0% to $71,832,000 in 2007 and our operating ratio increased to 90.7% from 89.8% in 2006. Nevertheless, our slightly higher operating ratio in 2007 was the second best we have achieved since becoming a public company in 1991 and reflected our continued focus on managing costs during a period of slower growth and continued gains in efficiency throughout our operations.

Our revenue growth in 2007 was the result of a 5.2% growth in shipments and a 4.1% increase in revenue per shipment. The increase in revenue per shipment consists of increases in both weight per shipment and revenue per hundredweight of 3.0% and 1.1%, respectively, from 2006. Our tonnage increased 8.5% over 2006 from the combination of increases in shipments and weight per shipment. We believe our growth is attributable to our ability to offer a one-source solution for shippers’ regional and inter-regional needs by providing these services through one company, in contrast to many of our principal competitors. Additionally, the expansion of our geographic footprint, as well as increased full-state coverage, has positioned us to become a better shipping alternative for more and more shippers. The increase in weight per shipment in 2007, despite the economic environment, was indicative of our success in gaining market share from larger national shippers.

While most of our revenue growth is derived from service centers open for more than one year, the expansion of our service center network and improvement in our service capabilities should provide a platform for future growth. We increased the total number of service centers in our network to 192 at December 31, 2007 from 182 at December 31, 2006. Revenue growth from geographic expansion typically results in additional freight moving through our existing service center network, which helps to offset lower profit margins that typically accompany new service center openings.

Revenue per hundredweight increased 1.1% to $13.30 from $13.16 in 2006 and includes the impact of the general rate increase on our base rates and minimum charges for certain tariffs we implemented on March 26, 2007. Our revenue per hundredweight in 2007 was negatively impacted by a competitive pricing environment that progressively worsened in the second half of the year and an increase in weight per shipment. As a result of a

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general slowdown in the domestic economy and a reduction in freight shipped during 2007, many carriers in our industry reduced their prices to increase or maintain tonnage and shipment volumes. While we increased the volume of freight moving through our service center network, we followed our basic pricing philosophy of evaluating each individual account for profitability in an effort to maintain rational pricing for our services. We implemented a general rate increase effective February 11, 2008 in an effort to maintain our disciplined pricing approach; however, a prolonged slowdown in the domestic economy or recession may lead to additional pressure on our pricing metrics and negatively impact our net income and margins.

Fuel surcharge revenue increased to 12.4% of revenue from 11.9% in 2006. Our tariffs and contracts generally provide for a fuel surcharge as diesel fuel prices increase above stated levels, which are generally indexed to the DOE’s published fuel prices that reset each week. This surcharge is recorded as additional revenue and was implemented to offset significant fluctuations in the price of diesel fuel, which is one of the larger components of our operating supplies and expenses. Because of the sustained increase in diesel fuel costs and other petroleum-based products, our freight pricing strategy, as well as that in the LTL industry, has evolved such that the fuel surcharge is one of many components in the overall price for our transportation services. We continuously monitor the components of our pricing, including fuel surcharges, to minimize any negative impact to our profitability that would likely result from a rapid and significant change in diesel fuel prices.

Salaries, wages and benefits increased to 53.6% of revenue in 2007 from 53.4% in 2006. Driver wages increased to 22.1% of revenue from 21.7% in 2006 and employee benefit costs increased to 11.9% of revenue from 11.5% in 2006, primarily due to higher group health costs and increased costs for our employee paid time off plans. These increases were partially offset by decreased wages for salaried and clerical employees, primarily due to a reduction in bonuses. Bonus payments are generally based on multiple factors including growth in revenue, on-time service and/or income before taxes. Our revenue increased 9.5% in 2007 as compared to 20.5% in 2006 and net income decreased slightly.

While our driver wages increased as a percent of revenue, we were able to utilize our own equipment and labor to decrease our reliance on purchased transportation services from other motor carriers and railroads to 3.1% of revenue from 3.4% in 2006. These services are primarily utilized when there are capacity restraints or imbalances in freight flow within our service center network or when it is economically beneficial. In addition to the increased use of our workforce for linehaul services, we provided annual pay increases to our driver workforce in September 2006 and 2007, which we seek to recover through increases in the pricing for our services and productivity improvements in our linehaul and P&D operations. We realized productivity improvements in 2007, as our linehaul load factor improved 2.0%, P&D stops per hour improved 2.8% and P&D shipments per hour improved 2.4%. Our P&D operations continue to benefit from the additional density caused by growth in tonnage, the efficiencies in our route planning through the use of our P&D route optimization software and the use of our driver handheld computers. Despite these productivity gains, our price increases were not sufficient in overcoming our wage increases and the decrease in purchased transportation.

Operating supplies and expenses increased to 17.0% of revenue in 2007 from 16.0% in 2006. This increase is primarily due to an increase in diesel fuel costs, excluding fuel taxes, which increased to 11.5% of revenue from 10.7% in 2006. The increase in these costs is a result of a 7.4% increase in the average price per gallon of diesel fuel and an 8.8% increase in consumption. The consumption increase also resulted in an increase in our fuel taxes, which primarily accounts for the change in our “operating taxes and licenses”. We currently do not use diesel fuel hedging instruments and are thus subject to market price fluctuations.

We made significant investments in revenue equipment and real estate in 2007 to increase the capacity of our fleet and support our planned growth in shipments. As a result of these investments, as well as lower shipment growth than originally forecasted for 2007, depreciation and amortization increased to 5.7% of revenue in 2007 from 5.3% in 2006.

Interest expense, net of interest income, increased to $12,960,000 for 2007 from $10,206,000 for 2006. This increase is primarily due to an increased average balance outstanding on our long-term debt resulting from the

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two separate issuances of privately-placed senior notes under the Note Purchase Agreement entered into on April 25, 2006. In addition, interest income decreased $731,000 in 2007 due to a decline in the average balance of cash equivalents and short-term investments. The effective average tax-equivalent yield, excluding state-tax benefits, on our short-term investments was 6.32% and 5.68% for 2007 and 2006, respectively.

Our effective tax rate for 2007 was 38.0% compared to 39.2% in 2006. The decrease in our effective tax rate is due primarily to the impact of alternative fuel tax credits for the use of propane in our operations that we became eligible for in 2007 and, to a lesser extent, the resolution of various state tax matters in the first quarter of 2007 that decreased our liability for unrecognized tax benefits. We expect the alternative fuel tax credits will continue to favorably impact our effective tax rate until these credits are no longer available in 2010. Our effective tax rate exceeded the federal statutory rate of 35% primarily due to the impact of state taxes and certain non-deductible items.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

A summary of our cash flows is presented below:

We have three primary sources of available liquidity to fund our estimated capital expenditures: cash flows from operations, cash and cash equivalents and available borrowings under our senior unsecured revolving credit agreement described below. At December 31, 2008, cash and short-term investments decreased to $28,965,000 from $30,703,000 at December 31, 2007.

Despite the current economic environment, we believe that our ability to generate cash from operations, together with our $225,000,000 senior unsecured revolving credit facility and other available methods of financing, will be adequate to meet our operating, investing and financing needs. We believe we also have sufficient access to the capital markets to provide another source of liquidity, if needed. However, there can be no assurance that continued or increased volatility in the global capital and credit markets will not impair our ability to access these markets on terms commercially acceptable to us or at all.

Capital Expenditures

The table below sets forth our net capital expenditures for property and equipment, including those obtained through acquisition of business assets and capital leases, for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006:

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Our capital expenditure requirements are based primarily upon expansion in the size and number of service center facilities, our planned tractor and trailer replacement cycle and revenue growth. In order to support these requirements, we purchased property and equipment of $181,499,000 and paid $7,267,000 to acquire certain business assets through acquisitions. These expenditures were completely funded by cash flows from operations and proceeds from the sale of property and equipment. Our capital expenditures for tractors and trailers in 2008 were lower than 2007 and 2006, as we were able to effectively utilize our existing fleet in 2008 to meet our freight demands. As a result, our purchases were limited to replacing a portion of the equipment being retired through the normal replacement cycle, as compared to the capital expenditures in 2007 and 2006, when we both replaced equipment and increased capacity to support our growth and geographic expansion.

We currently project capital expenditures, net of anticipated proceeds from dispositions, to be approximately $190,000,000 for the year ending December 31, 2009. Of our capital expenditures, approximately $90,000,000 is allocated for the purchase of tractors and trailers to replace equipment at the end of its useful life; approximately $85,000,000 is allocated for the purchase of service center facilities, construction of new service center facilities or expansion of existing service center facilities; and approximately $13,000,000 is allocated for investments in technology. We expect to fund a substantial majority of these capital expenditures primarily through cash flows from operations and the liquidation of our cash and short-term investments.

Financing Agreements

We have a $225,000,000 senior unsecured revolving credit facility pursuant to the terms of an amended and restated credit agreement that matures on August 10, 2011 (the “Credit Agreement”). Wachovia Bank, National Association (“Wachovia”) serves as administrative agent for the lenders, which also include: Bank of America, N.A.; Branch Banking And Trust Company; SunTrust Bank; U.S. Bank, National Association; and High Point Bank and Trust Company. Of the $225,000,000 line of credit commitments, $150,000,000 may be used for letters of credit and $15,000,000 may be used for borrowings under Wachovia’s sweep program. The sweep program is a daily cash management tool that automatically initiates borrowings to cover overnight cash requirements up to an aggregate of $15,000,000 or initiates overnight investments for excess cash balances. In addition, we have the right to request an increase in the line of credit commitments up to a total of $300,000,000 in minimum increments of $25,000,000. At our option, revolving loans under the facility bear interest at either: (a) the higher of Wachovia’s prime rate or the federal funds rate plus 0.5% per annum; (b) LIBOR (one, two, three or six months) plus an applicable margin (“Adjusted LIBOR Rate”); or (c) one-month LIBOR plus an applicable margin (“LIBOR Index Rate”). The applicable margin is determined by a pricing grid in the Credit Agreement and ranges from 0.5% to 1.125%. The applicable margin for the Credit Agreement in 2008 was 0.625%. Revolving loans under the sweep program bear interest at the LIBOR Index Rate.

In December 2008, Wachovia Corporation merged with Wells Fargo & Company. Pursuant to the merger, Wells Fargo & Company acquired all of Wachovia Corporation’s business and obligations. Of the total $225,000,000 line of credit commitments from all lenders, Wachovia has committed $52,500,000. We do not expect this merger to have an impact on Wachovia’s commitment under the Credit Agreement or our ability to access available funds.

The Credit Agreement contains customary covenants, including financial covenants that require us to observe a maximum ratio of debt to total capital and a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio. Any future wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company would be required to guarantee payment of all of our obligations under the facility. At December 31, 2008, there was no outstanding balance on the line of credit facility and there was $50,260,000 of outstanding letters of credit relating primarily to our self-insured obligations.

Commitment fees ranging from 0.1% to 0.225% are charged quarterly in arrears on the aggregate unutilized portion of the Credit Agreement. Letter of credit fees equal to the applicable margin for Adjusted LIBOR Rate loans are charged quarterly in arrears on the daily average aggregate stated amount of all letters of credit outstanding during the quarter. The commitment fees and letter of credit fees were 0.125% and 0.625%, respectively, for the Credit

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Agreement in 2008. In addition, a facing fee at an annual rate of 0.125% is charged quarterly in arrears on the daily average aggregate stated amount of all letters of credit outstanding during such quarter.

We have two unsecured senior note agreements outstanding totaling $250,000,000 at December 31, 2008. These notes call for periodic principal payments with maturities in 2015 and 2016, of which $10,714,000 is due in the next twelve months. Interest rates on these notes are fixed at 4.68% and 5.85%. The effective average interest rate on our outstanding senior note agreements was 5.50% and 5.56% at December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively.

With the exception of borrowings pursuant to the Credit Agreement, if any, interest rates are fixed on all of our debt instruments. Therefore, short-term exposure to fluctuations in interest rates is limited to our line of credit facility. We do not currently use interest rate derivative instruments to manage exposure to interest rate changes.

Our Credit Agreement limits the amount of dividends that could be paid to shareholders to the greater of (i) $10,000,000; (ii) the amount of dividends paid in the immediately preceding fiscal year; or (iii) an amount equal to 25% of net income from the immediately preceding fiscal year. We did not declare or pay a dividend on our common stock in 2008 or 2007, and we have no plans to declare or pay a dividend in 2009.

A significant decrease in demand for our services could limit our ability to generate cash flow and affect profitability. Most of our debt agreements have covenants that require stated levels of financial performance, which if not achieved could cause acceleration of the payment schedules. As of December 31, 2008, we were in compliance with these covenants. Despite current macroeconomic and credit conditions, we do not anticipate a significant decline in business levels or financial performance that would cause us to violate any such covenants in the future, and we believe the combination of our existing Credit Agreement along with our additional borrowing capacity will be sufficient to meet foreseeable seasonal and long-term capital needs.

Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes our significant contractual obligations as of December 31, 2008:

Critical Accounting Policies

In preparing our financial statements, we apply the following critical accounting policies that we believe affect our judgments and estimates of amounts recorded in certain assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses. These critical accounting policies are further described in Note 1 of the Notes to the Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this report.

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Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue based upon when our transportation services have been completed in accordance with the bill of lading contract, our general tariff provisions or contractual agreements with our customers. Generally, this occurs when we complete the delivery of a shipment. For transportation services not completed at the end of a reporting period, we use a percentage of completion method to allocate the appropriate revenue to each separate reporting period. Under this method, we develop a factor for each uncompleted shipment by dividing the actual number of days in transit at the end of a reporting period by that shipment’s standard delivery time schedule. This factor is applied to the total revenue for that shipment and revenue is allocated between reporting periods accordingly.

Allowances for Uncollectible Accounts and Revenue Adjustments

We maintain an allowance for uncollectible accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make required payments. We estimate this allowance by analyzing the aging of our customer receivables, our historical loss experience and other trends and factors affecting the credit risk of our customers. Write-offs occur when we determine an account to be uncollectible and could differ from our allowance estimate as a result of factors such as changes in the overall economic environment or risks surrounding our customers. Additional allowances may be required if the financial condition of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments. We periodically review the underlying assumptions in our estimate of the allowance for uncollectible accounts to ensure that the allowance reflects the most recent trends and factors.

We also maintain an allowance for revenue adjustments resulting from billing corrections, customer allowances, money-back service guarantees and other miscellaneous revenue adjustments. These revenue adjustments are recorded in our revenue from operations. We use historical experience, trends and current information to update and evaluate these estimates.

Management believes the methodologies for estimating these allowances to be reliable based on the accuracy of our estimates in prior periods. As such, we do not anticipate any near-term changes in our methodologies for these estimates.

Claims and Insurance Accruals

Claims and insurance accruals reflect the estimated cost of claims for cargo loss and damage, bodily injury and property damage, workers’ compensation, long-term disability and group health not covered by insurance. The related costs are charged to insurance and claims expense except for workers’ compensation, long-term disability and group health, which are charged to employee benefits expense.

Insurers providing excess coverage above retention levels adjust their premiums to cover insured losses and for other market factors. As a result, we periodically evaluate our self-insured retention levels to determine the most cost-efficient balance between self-insurance and excess coverage.

In establishing accruals for claims and insurance expenses, we evaluate and monitor each claim individually, and we use factors such as historical claims development experience, known trends and third-party estimates to determine the appropriate reserves for potential liability. We believe the assumptions and methods used to estimate these liabilities are reasonable; however, changes in the severity of previously-reported claims, significant changes in the medical costs and regulatory changes affecting the administration of our plans could significantly impact the determination of appropriate reserves in future periods.

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Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated on a straight-line basis over their estimated economic lives. Management uses historical experience, certain assumptions and estimates in determining the economic life of each asset. Periodically, we review property and equipment for impairment due to changes in operational and market conditions, and we adjust the carrying value and economic life of any impaired asset as appropriate. Currently, estimated economic lives for structures are 7 to 30 years; revenue equipment is 4 to 12 years; other equipment is 2 to 20 years; and leasehold improvements are the lesser of the economic life of the leasehold improvement or the remaining life of the lease. The use of different assumptions, estimates or significant changes in the resale market for our equipment could result in material changes in the carrying value and related depreciation of our assets.

Inflation

Most of our expenses are affected by inflation, which generally results in increased operating costs. In response to fluctuations in the cost of petroleum products, particularly diesel fuel, we generally include a fuel surcharge in our tariffs and contractual agreements. The fuel surcharge is designed to offset the cost of diesel fuel above a base price and increases as diesel fuel prices escalate over the base, which is generally indexed to the DOE’s published fuel prices that reset each week. Volatility in the price of diesel fuel, independent of inflation, has impacted our business, as described in this report. However, we do not believe inflation has had a material effect on our results of operations for each of the past three years.

Related Person Transactions

Family Relationships

Each of Earl E. Congdon, John R. Congdon, David S. Congdon, John R. Congdon, Jr. and John B. Yowell are related to one another and serve in various executive management positions and/or on our Board of Directors. In addition, Earl E. Congdon, John R. Congdon and John B. Yowell each beneficially owned 5% or more of our common stock at December 31, 2008. In 2008, we entered into amended and restated employment agreements with Earl E. Congdon, John R. Congdon, David S. Congdon and John B. Yowell, which are filed as exhibits to our annual report on Form 10-K. We regularly disclose the amount of compensation that we pay to these individuals in the proxy statement for our annual meeting of shareholders.

Transactions with Old Dominion Truck Leasing, Inc.

Old Dominion Truck Leasing, Inc. (“Leasing”) is a North Carolina corporation whose voting stock is owned by the Earl E. Congdon Intangibles Trust, David S. Congdon, Trustee; the John R. Congdon Revocable Trust; and members of Earl E. Congdon’s and John R. Congdon’s families. Leasing is primarily engaged in the business of purchasing and leasing tractors, trailers and other vehicles. John R. Congdon is Chairman of the Board of Leasing, and Earl E. Congdon is Vice Chairman of the Board of Leasing. Since 1986, we have combined our requirements with Leasing for the purchase of tractors, trailers, equipment, parts, tires and fuel. We believe that the termination of this arrangement would not have a material adverse impact on our financial results.

For the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, we charged Leasing $11,000, $4,000 and $3,000, respectively, for vehicle repair, maintenance and other services we provide to Leasing at cost plus a negotiated markup.

We purchased $260,000, $257,000 and $186,000 of maintenance and other services from Leasing in 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively. We believe that the prices we pay for such services are lower than would be charged by unaffiliated third parties for the same quality of work, and we intend to continue to purchase maintenance and other services from Leasing, provided that Leasing’s prices continue to be favorable to us.

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We also paid Leasing $257,000, $588,000 and $519,000 for leased equipment in 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively. The leased equipment was primarily utilized by our customers in 2007 and 2006, who reimbursed us for the lease amount through a periodic billing process that included charges for additional services we provided to these customers. We believe these leasing agreements are at arm’s length, and we received no commission or other financial benefit from Leasing or any other party in connection with these lease transactions. Our lease payments in 2008 were for long-term leases for tractors that we utilize in our linehaul operations and expire in January 2011.

Split Dollar Life Insurance Policies

We are the owner of two split-dollar life insurance contracts insuring the life of John R. Congdon. The net cash surrender value for these policies was $2,405,000 and $2,258,000 at December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively, and is included in our financial statements under the caption “Other assets”. These policies provided for an aggregate of $4,706,000 in net death benefits due to the Company at December 31, 2008, of which we have endorsed $2,000,000 to Mr. Congdon’s spouse.

Audit Committee Approval

The Audit Committee of our Board of Directors reviewed and approved all of the related person transactions described above in accordance with the Company’s Related Person Transactions Policy.

Market risk represents the risk of loss that may impact our financial position, results of operations and cash flows due to adverse changes in financial market prices and rates.

We are exposed to interest rate risk directly related to loans, if any, under our Credit Agreement, which have variable interest rates. A 100 basis point increase in the average interest rate on this agreement would have no material effect on our operating results. We have established policies and procedures to manage exposure to market risks and use major institutions that are creditworthy to minimize credit risk.

We are exposed to interest rate and market risk related to our short-term investments, which include variable-rate demand obligations as of December 31, 2008. However, we invest in high quality investment grade securities with interest reset periods generally between 1 to 7 days. A 100 basis point decrease in the average interest rate on our short-term investments would have no material effect on our operating results. The majority of our excess cash is now invested in money market funds that are included in “Cash and cash equivalents” on our Balance Sheets. We have not experienced any losses in the investment of our cash in money market funds or short-term investments. At December 31, 2008, the Company did not own any auction-rate securities.

We are exposed to market risk for equity investments relating to Company-owned life insurance contracts on certain employees. At December 31, 2008, the cash value for variable life insurance contracts was $7,379,000 of the total $12,839,000 of cash values for all life insurance contracts included on our Balance Sheet in “Other assets”. Variable life insurance contracts expose the Company to fluctuations in equity markets; however, we utilize a third-party to manage these assets and minimize that exposure. A 10% change in market value in those investments would have a $738,000 impact on our operating income.

We are also exposed to commodity price risk related to diesel fuel prices and manage our exposure to that risk primarily through the application of fuel surcharges.

For further discussion related to these risks, see Notes 2 and 3 of the Notes to the Financial Statements included in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.

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OLD DOMINION FREIGHT LINE, INC.

BALANCE SHEETS

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

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OLD DOMINION FREIGHT LINE, INC.

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS