Except as noted below, there have been no material changes to our risk factors as previously disclosed in Item 1A to Part 1 of our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.
−Removed: The coronavirus outbreak or other similar outbreaks could negatively impact our financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, and cash flows.
−Removed: The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and any other outbreaks of contagious diseases or other adverse public health developments, could have a materially adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, and cash flows.
−Removed: The rapid spread of COVID-19 has resulted in governmental authorities implementing numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, stay-at-home orders, increased border security and closures.
−Removed: These measures and the public health concerns resulting from the outbreak have severely disrupted economic and commercial activity.
−Removed: The resulting impact on domestic and global supply chains has caused slowdowns and reduced freight demand for transportation companies such as ours.
−Removed: Because we have a significant concentration of customers within the automotive industry, our revenues have been significantly affected by the closure of North American automotive and heavy-truck manufacturing facilities beginning in late March and throughout the second quarter of 2020.
−Removed: Although most automotive and heavy-truck operations have resumed production, additional closures and other consumer activity affecting our customers and any future wave of the virus or other similar outbreaks could further adversely affect our business.
−Removed: A significant portion of our revenue is also provided by a network of agents and owner-operators located throughout the United States and in Ontario, Canada.
−Removed: As the COVID-19 virus continues to spread in areas we service, a significant impact to our network due to illness or government restrictions could have a material adverse effect on our ability to service our customers and on our business and results of operations.
−Removed: In addition, the implementation of measures to protect the health and safety of our employees, customers, vendors and the general public may disrupt our ability to efficiently manage personnel and operations and to recruit and retain driver and non-driver personnel, which could have a materially adverse effect on our operating results.
−Removed: Further, negative financial results, an economic downturn or uncertainty, or a tightening of credit markets caused by COVID-19 or other similar outbreaks could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and our ability to effectively meet our short- and long-term financial obligations.
−Removed: Our information technology systems are subject to certain cyber risks and disasters that are beyond our control.
−Removed: We depend heavily on the proper functioning and availability of our information, communications, and data processing systems, including operating and financial reporting systems, in operating our business.
−Removed: Our systems and those of our technology and communications providers are vulnerable to interruptions caused by natural disasters, power loss, telecommunication and internet failures, cyber-attack, and other events beyond our control.
−Removed: Accordingly, information security and the continued development and enhancement of the controls and processes designed to protect our systems, computers, software, data and networks from attack, damage or unauthorized access remain a priority for us.
−Removed: We have been, and in the future may be, subject to cybersecurity and malware attacks and other intentional hacking.
−Removed: Any failure to identify and address or to prevent a cyber- or malware-attack could result in service interruptions, operational difficulties, loss of revenues or market share, liability to our customers or others, the diversion of corporate resources, injury to our reputation and increased service and maintenance costs.
−Removed: In June 2020, we experienced a ransomware cyber-attack affecting certain of our network systems.
−Removed: The investigation into the attack is on-going, including the scope of transferred or extracted data, and continuing to assess the financial and other effects of this incident, which could have an adverse impact on our business, results of operations and reputation.
−Removed: Although our information systems are protected through physical and software security as well as redundant backup systems, they remain susceptible to cyber security risks.
−Removed: Some of our software systems are utilized by third parties who provide outsourced processing services which may increase the risk of a cyber-security incident.
−Removed: We have invested and continue to invest in technology security initiatives, employee training, information technology risk management and disaster recovery plans.
−Removed: The development and maintenance of these measures is costly and requires ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and efforts to overcome security measures become increasingly more sophisticated.
−Removed: Despite our efforts, we are not fully insulated from data breaches, technology disruptions or data loss, which could adversely impact our competitiveness and results of operations.
−Removed: Any future successful cyber-attack or catastrophic natural disaster could significantly affect our operating and financial systems and could temporarily disrupt our ability to provide required services to our customers, impact our ability to manage our operations and perform vital financial processes, any of which could have a materially adverse effect on our business.
+Added: A determination that independent contractors are employees could expose us to various liabilities and additional costs.
+Added: Federal and state legislation, as well as tax and other regulatory authorities, often seek to assert that independent contractors in the transportation service industry are employees rather than independent contractors.
+Added: An example of such legislation, recently enacted in California, had been under a judicial stay with respect to trucking companies while a legal challenge to the law is pending;
+Added: however, the judicial stay was reversed by a Ninth Circuit panel on April 28, 2021.
+Added: While the panel’s decision may be subject to a petition for rehearing, there can be no assurance that the California law will not be enforceable against trucking companies in the near future or that interpretations supporting the independent contractor status will not change, that other federal or state legislation will not be enacted, or that various authorities will not successfully assert a position that re-classifies independent contractors to be employees.
+Added: If our independent contractors are determined to be our employees, that determination could materially increase our exposure under a variety of federal and state tax, workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits, labor, employment and tort laws, as well as our potential liability for employee benefits.
+Added: In addition, such changes may be applied retroactively, and if so, we may be required to pay additional amounts to compensate for prior periods.
+Added: Any of the above increased costs would adversely affect our business and operating results.
+Added: We are subject to certain risks arising from doing business in Mexico.
+Added: As we continue to grow our business in Mexico, we are subject to greater risks of doing business internationally, including but not limited to the following:
+Added: Fluctuations in foreign currencies;
+Added: changes in the economic strength of Mexico;
+Added: difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations and intellectual property rights;
+Added: burdens of complying with a wide variety of international and U.S.
+Added: export and import laws;
+Added: social, political, and economic instability.
+Added: We also face additional risks associated with our business in Mexico, including but not limited to the following:
+Added: Changes in Mexican law that would prohibit the hiring of outsourced personnel except under specified circumstances;
+Added: any change in Mexican law that materially modifies the calculation of an employer’s profit-sharing payments to employees;
+Added: the adoption and enforcement of restrictive trade policies;
+Added: the imposition of any import or export tariffs, taxes, duties, or fees;
+Added: potential disruptions or delays at border crossings due to immigration-related issues or other factors.
+Added: If we are unable to address business concerns related to our Mexican operations in a timely and cost-efficient manner, our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows could be adversely affected.
UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
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