Annual State Farm® Distracted Driving survey shows drivers use phones for much more than talking.

Bloomington, Ill., November 12, 2013 / PRNewswire / ? The holiday travel season is upon us, and State Farm today released its annual research report on distracted driving, with troubling findings. Though cell phone use and texting while driving remain a serious concern on the nation's highways, with increasing frequency drivers admit to other distracting behaviors, particularly accessing the internet while driving.

The July 2013, survey of nearly 1000 motorists highlights a growing safety concern: a significant increase in the percentage of drivers who own smart phones, particularly among drivers age thirty and older. Additionally, the percentage of drivers who access the internet on their phone while driving has nearly doubled over the past five years, going up from 13% in 2009 to 24% in 2013.

The survey results also showed the use of hands-free cell phones while driving has increased, while the percentage of people talking on a hand-held cell phone or texting while driving has become stagnant over the past three years.

"As smart phone ownership increases for all age groups, the safety community must ensure we are keeping pace with our understanding of the types of distractions drivers face," said Chris Mullen, Director of Technology Research at State Farm. "Much attention is paid toward reducing texting while driving, but we must also be concerned about addressing the growing use of multiple mobile web services while driving."

While much of the distracted driving focus has been on young people, the data indicate that the percentage of motorists who own smart phones is increasing for all ages:

• Ages 18-29: 78% in 2011 to 86% in 2013
• Ages 30-39: 60% in 2011 to 86% in 2013
• Ages 40-49: 47% in 2011 to 82% in 2013
• Ages 50-64: 44% in 2011 to 64% in 2013
• Ages 65+: 23% in 2011 to 39% in 2013

We asked drivers to share how distracting they find a variety of common occurrences:

• Hand-held cell phone: very distracting - 34%, somewhat distracting - 46%
• Hands-free cell phone: very distracting - 14%, somewhat distracting - 43%
• Sending a text while driving: very distracting - 76%, somewhat distracting - 14%
• Reading a text while driving: very distracting - 62%, somewhat distracting - 27%
• Talking with a passenger: very distracting - 4%, somewhat distracting - 41%
• Reaching for a non-moving object: very distracting - 22%, somewhat distracting - 62%
• Attending to children in the back seat: very distracting - 41%, somewhat distracting - 29%
• Pet in lap: very distracting - 53%, somewhat distracting - 20%
• Reaching for a moving object: very distracting - 61%, somewhat distracting - 31%

When asked for their opinion on ways to encourage drivers to be more engaged in the task at hand, 74 percent of drivers surveyed strongly agree with laws or regulations prohibiting texting or emailing behind the wheel. However, more than half believe that laws governing cell phone use while driving are enforced to little or no extent. To a lesser degree, 44 percent of survey respondents were extremely likely to support technology that would prevent texting or emailing on a cell phone while driving.

"State Farm continues to support a multi-pronged approach to encouraging more engaged driving," Mullen said. "Legislation, enforcement, education and technology all have a role to play in making our roads safer for all who share them."

About the survey:
In August 2009 and 2010, and in July 2011, 2012 and 2013, The State Farm Strategic Resources Department used an outside panel vendor to conduct an online survey of U.S. consumers ages 18+. Survey responses were received from approximately 1,000 consumers each year, who identified themselves as having some insurance and financial responsibility for their household. Only responses from consumers who had a valid driver's license, owned a cell phone, and reported driving between 1 and 80 hours per week were used when reporting the findings of behavior-based questions. Responses from all respondents were used for the attitudinal questions. State Farm Consumer Consultants is an online community sponsored by the State Farm Strategic Resources Department and managed by Communispace. The 300 Consumer Consultants participants are influential, involved, activist consumers, who offer advice and perspective on a range of insurance and financial services topics. Opinions voiced may not be representative of all consumers. However, the comments can provide insight into how consumers feel about the topic at hand.

About State Farm^®:
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 18,000 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 44 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca. along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 44 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.

In the last election, the Illinois Republican Party suffered its worst defeat in modern history ? spawning Democrat super-majorities in both houses of the General Assembly.

Solution: Run for Precinct Committeeman

You have no doubt heard the expression, "All politics is local." That may be true in many respects, but it's certainly true in one way which Republicans have paid little attention to. Democrats fill all of their Precinct Committeeman (PC) positions with active party members who get out the vote. Republicans have filled only half of their PC positions throughout the state. It's PCs who turn out Republican votes at the local level, who elect Republican County Chairmen, and who vote for members of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee.

If we want to restore honor and accountability to the party at the state level and enable conservative candidates for success in future elections, the answer is within our reach: fill as many Republican PC positions with some real grassroots conservative people.

Unfortunately, it's often difficult to find information on what a PC is and how to run for that position. Do a search for "precinct committeeman" on the official Illinois Republican web site weareillinois.org -- you won't find any references. If you want to control a party, you need to discourage grassroots participation and keep the power in the hands of a few -- and this principle is one which the establishment Illinois Republicans hold dear. It's called top-down politics.

Duties of a Precinct Committeeman

1. A Republican Precinct Committeeman represents the Republican voters of his precinct. He is the liaison between the Republican voters in his neighborhood (precinct) and the county's Republican Party.

2. Get out the vote. "This volunteer position is really what one makes of it. Some do more than others. But the Republican Precinct Committeeman's job is in essence all about helping to grow the GOP and working to deliver the maximum number of Republican votes from his or her precinct on Election Day. Precinct Committeemen comprise the core of any grassroots effort and no political campaign can be successful without these front line GOP ambassadors." (taken from Republican News Watch by Doug Ibendahl  http://republicannewswatch.com/wp/)

3. Republican Precinct Committeemen are to advance the Illinois Republican platform principles of lower taxes, smaller government, fiscal responsibility, individual freedom, strong national defense, and traditional family values.

4. Precinct Committeemen are responsible for appointing their party's election judges and are also able to register voters in their county. This will allow people to register to vote without having to drive to the courthouse.

5. All the elected PCs of a county make up that county's Central Committee.

10 ILCS 5/7-8(d): "The county central committee of each political party in each county shall consist of the various township committeemen, precinct committeemen and ward committeemen, if any, of such party in the county."

For example, Mercer County has a total of 24 precincts. Those 24 elected Precinct Committeemen of Mercer County (if indeed all 24 precincts have people running for PC) are called the Mercer County Central Committee.

6. The members of this county Central Committee are the only people who are allowed to vote during the County Convention, which is held every two years, 29 days after the March primary. Two important votes happen during a County Convention: 1) election of the County Chairman, and 2) election of the Illinois State Central Committee member (more on the Illinois State Central Committee here  http://republicannewswatch.com/wp/?p=12222). The County Chairman is elected for a two year term and the Illinois State Central Committee member is elected for a four year term.

10 ILCS 5/7-9(a): "On the 29th day next succeeding the primary at which committeemen are elected, the county central committee of each political party shall meet within the county and proceed to organize by electing from its own numbers a chairman and either from its own numbers, or otherwise, such other officers as such committee may deem necessary or expedient. Such meeting of the county central committee shall be known as the county convention."

How to Run for Precinct Committeeman

1. MEET THE REQUIREMENTS ? To run for Precinct Committeeman you must be:

-A registered voter of your precinct.

2. GET ON THE BALLOT

-Fill out the Precinct Committeeman Primary Petition and print two copies.

 http://www.elections.il.gov/Downloads/ElectionInformation/PDF/P-27.pdf

-Begin gathering signatures of registered voters IN YOUR PRECINCT beginning on September 3, 2013.

-Meet the signature requirements - Precinct Committeemen require a minimum of 10 signatures. Make sure to get at least 20 signatures to avoid a petition challenge.

-File the following nominating papers with the County Clerk (along with your petitions with the 20 signatures) the week of November 25th thru December 2nd, 2013:

 http://www.elections.il.gov/Downloads/ElectionInformation/PDF/P-1.pdf

 http://www.elections.il.gov/Downloads/ElectionInformation/PDF/P-1C.pdf

Elected Vs Appointed Precinct Committeemen

1. The County Chair must be a currently elected Precinct Committeeman. Any other county party officers (vice-chair, secretary, treasurer) do not have to be elected PCs. See 10 ILCS 5/7-9 (a) cited above.

2. What if there is a vacant precinct -- no one runs for Precinct Committeeman in any particular precinct in that year's primary? The newly elected County Chair (elected at the County Convention) may appoint a Precinct Committeeman for a vacant precinct one day after the County Convention, not before.

10 ILCS 5/7 9(i): "Except as otherwise provided in this Act, whenever a vacancy exists in the office of precinct committeeman because no one was elected to that office or because the precinct committeeman ceases to reside in the precinct or for any other reason, the chairman of the county central committee of the appropriate political party may fill the vacancy in such office by appointment of a qualified resident of the county and the appointed precinct committeeman shall serve as though elected; however, no such appointment may be made between the general primary election and the 30th day after the general primary election." 10 ILCS 5/7-8(b): "All precinct committeemen elected under the provisions of this Article shall continue as such committeemen until the date of the primary to be held in the second year after their election."

An appointed PC serves "as though elected," so, his term, as well as the elected PC's term, expires at the date of the next primary. Therefore, an appointed PC cannot be elected as county chairman, vote for county chairman or vote for the SCC unless he is elected at the primary election preceding the county convention.

Conclusion

Just like the person who serves on the petty jury -- whose vote may be the most important judicial vote there is -- if you believe in small "r" republicanism, then the Precinct Committeeman may be the single most important political position in state government.

And it only takes a few signatures.

Laurie Bluedorn

New Boston, Mercer County

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Branstad today launched an innovative new public-private partnership called Home Base Iowa, an effort that will match military veterans with jobs available across Iowa.

Home Base Iowa will raise private funds to support national targeted marketing efforts to veterans, including in-person outreach, a social media campaign and outreach through military publications.

Former Congressman Leonard Boswell and Casey's General Stores CEO Bob Myers will co-chair the effort.

"Through their service, veterans have already proven they share the values we hold dear as Iowans - hard work, leadership, and patriotism, among others," said Branstad. "We'll be calling upon the business community to partner with Home Base Iowa to help us meet our goals of increasing employment in this state, decreasing veterans' unemployment, and recruiting high quality individuals to Iowa."

Several hundred thousand veterans will leave the service over the next few years, while having a higher unemployment rate nationally.

Gov. Branstad notes that in his travel to Iowa's 99 counties, he's heard from companies that are ready to hire, but struggle to find workers with the right skills.

"We repeatedly hear from employers that they are ready to hire," said Branstad. "We've made significant investments in developing the skills of Iowa's workforce - through education reform, increased support for community colleges, the STEM initiative, and Skilled Iowa. However, this skills gap still exists. Home Base Iowa is a public-private partnership which will recruit veterans to come to Iowa to work, to become part of our communities - to be Iowans."

Branstad made the announcement during his weekly news conference, held at the Iowa Gold Star Museum at Camp Dodge in Johnston.

# # #

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa, Nov. 11, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of
Directors of Heartland Express, Inc. ("Heartland") (Nasdaq:HTLD) is
pleased to announce today that it has acquired 100% of the stock of
Gordon Trucking, Inc. of Pacific, Washington ("GTI") and certain
associated assets in transactions valued at approximately $300 million.
With combined total revenue of approximately $1 billion and a terminal
network spanning from Washington to Florida and from Pennsylvania to
Southern California, Heartland estimates the combined companies will
operate the fifth largest asset-based truckload fleet in North America.
Steve and Scott Gordon have joined Heartland's management team. Larry
and Virginia Gordon will retire after 50 years of building GTI, and
Larry Gordon has joined Heartland's Board of Directors. The
transactions are expected to be immediately accretive to Heartland's
earnings per share, excluding transaction-related expenses.

Highlights


--  Total transactions value at closing of approximately $300 million
consisting of cash, Heartland stock, and assumed GTI debt, before taking
into account approximately $60 million in net present value of expected
future cash tax savings attributable to a Section 338(h)(10) tax
election.
--  Total transactions valued at closing, on a debt-free, cash-free basis,
at approximately 5.0x adjusted earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation, and amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA") for the twelve months
ended September 30, 2013 ("LTM") (approximately 4.0x LTM Adjusted EBITDA
considering net present value of expected future cash tax savings).
Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. See Appendix for
reconciliation and non-GAAP disclosures.
--  Earn-out of up to $20 million strongly aligned with goal of
approximately $30 million in consolidated adjusted operating income
improvements through 2017.
--  GTI's West Coast-centered operations and terminal network dramatically
increase Heartland's size, geographic coverage, and customer
diversification.
--  GTI's customer service, safety, and driver focus are similar to
Heartland's.




Description of Transaction

Heartland acquired 100% of the outstanding voting and non-voting stock
of GTI and certain associated assets. At closing, the transactions were
valued at approximately $300 million before taking into account the net
present value of future cash tax savings, the potential earn-out, and
any post-closing working capital adjustment. Heartland expects to use
approximately $165 million of its cash reserves and expects to have
approximately $95 million in outstanding debt after the transaction and
repayment of assumed GTI debt.

The consideration at closing included approximately $150 million in
assumed or refinanced GTI debt and $150 million paid to the
stockholders of GTI and associated asset owners. Payments to
stockholders of GTI and associated asset owners were approximately $110
million in cash and approximately $40 million in Heartland's common
stock. The allocation was approximately $14 million for voting stock,
$121 million for non-voting stock, and $15 million for associated
assets. The Gordon family has agreed to retain a substantial portion of
its Heartland stock through 2017 to align the family's interests with
the interests of Heartland's other stockholders.

GTI was an S corporation for federal tax purposes and passed through
most of its income tax attributes to its stockholders. The transaction
included an election under Internal Revenue Code Section 338(h)(10),
under which Heartland will acquire tax basis of approximately $191
million relating to revenue equipment and other fixed assets. The
balance of the transaction value, after adjustments, will be allocated
to intangible assets. Future tax deductions associated with the
increase in tax basis and deductible intangible assets are expected to
generate cash tax savings with a net present value of approximately $60
million (discounted at 6%). The actual cash savings will depend on the
final purchase price allocation, the amount and timing of future
taxable income and deductions, any earn-out achieved, escrow releases,
changes in law, and other factors.

About GTI

GTI is a truckload carrier headquartered near Seattle, Washington. GTI
was founded by the Gordon family in 1946, and the family remains
actively involved in the business. GTI is primarily focused on dry van
markets but also gains approximately 14% of its revenue from
refrigerated operations and 7% from freight brokerage operations. GTI's
equipment includes approximately 2,000 tractors and 6,500 trailers.
GTI's average length of haul is approximately 400 miles.

GTI's service center network is concentrated in strategic markets in
the western United States, with major locations in Washington, Oregon,
Northern California, Southern California, and Idaho. These locations
have no overlap with Heartland's locations and are expected to provide
substantial geographic diversity to Heartland's overall operations.
Other locations include Arizona, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. Most
of these facilities are leased from limited liability companies
controlled by the Gordon family.

GTI has a diverse and high-quality customer base, with major customers
including Georgia Pacific, General Mills, Pepsi, Wal-Mart, and
Unilever. Only one customer accounts for more than 10% of GTI's total
revenue, and on a combined basis, no customer is expected to account
for more than 8.5% of combined Heartland/GTI total revenues. Of GTI's
ten largest customers by revenue, only 5 are among Heartland's top 10
accounts.

GTI's drivers and owner-operators offer a high level of service as well
as a commitment to safe operations. GTI has received numerous "carrier
of the year" and similar service awards from its customers. GTI has
been the Washington Trucking Association's safe carrier of the year for
six straight years, is the 2012 Truckload Carriers' Association safest
carrier in the U.S. (100+ million miles category), and proudly employs
the reigning TCA truck driver of the year. Both companies exhibit
outstanding Compliance, Safety, Accountability ("CSA") scores as
reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Expected Financial Impact

Income Statement

GTI generated approximately $433 million in total revenue and $20
million in operating income, during the twelve months ended September
30, 2013. For the same period, Heartland estimates that GTI generated
approximately $22 million of adjusted operating income and $60 million
of Adjusted EBITDA. The adjustments consist primarily of expenses under
the prior ownership that are not expected to continue, as well as items
considered to be unusual. Adjusted financial items are non-GAAP
financial measures. See Appendix for reconciliation to the most closely
comparable GAAP measure and other disclosures.

Transaction-Related Expenses

Heartland expects to recognize approximately $1.0 million in
transaction-related expenses in the fourth quarter of 2013. Additional,
unknown costs may arise as the acquisition is integrated.

Capital Expenditures

Immediately before the transaction, Heartland's tractors had an average
age of 1.9 years and its trailers had an average age of 3.2 years.
Immediately before the transaction, GTI owned or leased approximately
2,000 tractors with an average age of 3.2 years and 6,500 trailers with
an average age of 5.5 years. GTI's operations include a substantial
amount of very short and specialized hauls, and the fleet age is
expected to become modestly newer but remain somewhat older than
Heartland's historical fleet age.

Synergies

Heartland and GTI have identified a goal of $30 million in consolidated
adjusted operating income improvements (excluding gains on sale and
certain other items) by the end of 2017 compared with combined adjusted
operating income (excluding gains on sale and certain other items) of
approximately $96 million for Heartland and GTI for the twelve months
ended September 30, 2013. The major areas where synergies are expected
include implementing best practices across the organization, increasing
in-house maintenance using the combined network, optimizing staffing
and locations, purchasing economies, conforming insurance and claims
structure, and gaining efficiencies in revenue yield and empty miles
from optimizing the combined operations. The parties expect to gain
these improvements relatively steadily from 2014 through 2017, and a
substantial portion of the earn-out is aligned with this goal.

Outstanding Shares

Heartland issued approximately 2.9 million shares of its common stock
from treasury shares in the GTI acquisition. Shares were valued at
$14.37 per share, the average closing price for the ten trading days
ended November 8, 2013. Heartland's outstanding share count will
increase to approximately 87.7 million, and its diluted share count
will increase to approximately 87.9 million. Heartland expects to
continue paying its regular quarterly dividends of 2 cents per share.
The expected consolidated book effective tax rate is expected to
increase based on the mix of state taxes.

Management Comments

Michael Gerdin, Chairman, President, and CEO of Heartland, commented:
"We searched for many years for the best fit to expand our capabilities
for customers, our opportunities for drivers, and our growth for our
stockholders. With GTI, Heartland acquires a major presence in the
West, affording the combined customer base significant capacity
nationwide through what is expected to be one of the five largest
asset-based truckload fleets in North America. GTI has a well-earned
reputation for superior customer service, with a modern fleet and a
strong safety record. Culturally speaking, it is an excellent fit. I am
pleased that Steve and Scott Gordon have joined Heartland's management
team and Larry Gordon has joined our board of directors.

"We first approached Larry, Virginia, Steve, and Scott some time ago.
As the conversations continued early this year, we jointly identified a
few guiding principles: a fair price, substantial earnings accretion, a
unified culture, the commitment of Steve and Scott to joining the team,
and alignment of interest between the Gordon family and our other
stockholders. At each stage, we were able to progress the discussion
because we kept these guideposts in mind. In the end, we have an
energized team with strong alignment and a commitment to operating a
much larger company at the industry-leading profitability Heartland's
stockholders have come to enjoy. I could not be more excited about the
opportunity or more pleased to add the Gordons to our team."

Larry Gordon, founder and Chairman of GTI, commented: "From the
beginning, I told Mike that the owners were not eager to sell, but we
would consider Heartland's proposal because of our desire to be part of
the best truckload carrier in the industry. Through these transactions,
our people have the opportunity to build on a strong foundation, learn
best practices, contribute to an industry leader, and gain access to
new customers and geographies. We were excited to receive a substantial
portion of the family's value in Heartland shares and become one of
Heartland's largest stockholders. We believe in the transactions and in
our ability to contribute greatly to the combined company."

New Credit Facility

Heartland has entered into a five-year, unsecured $250 million
revolving credit facility supplied by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Borrowings
under the facility will bear interest at a floating rate of LIBOR +
62.5 basis points annually (currently an annual rate of 0.865%). Unused
amounts are subject to a commitment fee of 6.25 basis points annually.
After giving effect to the closing and refinancing of existing GTI
debt, Heartland expects to have available borrowing capacity of
approximately $155 million to fund working capital, capital
expenditures, and general corporate uses.

The revolving credit facility contains customary terms and conditions.
Heartland must maintain a consolidated leverage ratio (total funded
debt divided by Adjusted EBITDA) of less than 2:00 to 1:00. In
addition, Heartland must generate at least $1.00 of adjusted net income
annually and maintain tangible net worth of at least $200 million.
Heartland expects to be in compliance with the financial covenants for
the foreseeable future.

Advisors

Scudder Law Firm, P.C., L.L.O. served as transaction and legal advisor
to Heartland. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. provided financing, and Wells
Fargo Securities, LLC provided financial advice.

Moss Adams Capital LLC served as financial advisor, and Perkins Coie
LLP served as legal advisor, to GTI and its stockholders.

Conference Call

Heartland will conduct a live conference call Tuesday morning at 10:00
am EST. The dial-in number is 866-710-0179, access code 28539.
Heartland representatives will include Heartland's CEO Michael Gerdin
and Heartland's CFO John Cosaert. Also present will be GTI's CEO Larry
Gordon, GTI's COO Steve Gordon, and GTI's CIO Scott Gordon. Heartland
representatives will be referring to a slide presentation that will be
available at www.heartlandexpress.com/investors and on Form 8-K filed
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Telephone replay will
be available for 30 days beginning tomorrow by dialing 877-919-4059
(334-323-7226 international), access code 12686180.

About Heartland

A leader in transportation and logistics, Heartland Express provides
collaborative truckload transportation service that enables companies
to deliver exceptional service across their transportation network to
improve customer satisfaction. Companies choose Heartland Express for
its award winning on-time pickup and delivery, fleet capacity to cover
commitments scaled to their needs, leadership in providing information
about their shipments, and its performance in moving beyond the
transactional to the strategic relationship to solve problems.
Heartland is based in North Liberty, IA with nationwide service from
Washington to Florida and New England to California.

Forward-Looking Statements

This report contains forward-looking statements relating to the
expected results of acquiring GTI, future capital expenditures and debt
levels, expected synergies, and financial goals. Forward-looking
statements are usually identified by words such as "anticipates,"
"believes," "estimates", "plans," "projects," "expects," "hopes,"
"intends," "will," "could," "may," or similar expressions. These
statements are based on information currently available and speak only
as of the date the statement was made. Such forward-looking statements
are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking
statements are inherently uncertain, are based upon the current
beliefs, assumptions and expectations of management, and are based on
current market conditions, all of which are subject to significant
risks and uncertainties as set forth in the Risk Factors Section of our
Annual Report Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, as those
risk factors may be updated from time to time. As a result of these and
other factors, actual results may differ from those set forth in the
forward-looking statements. The prices of the Company's securities may
fluctuate dramatically. The Company makes no commitment, and disclaims
any duty, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect
future events, new information or changes in these expectations.

Appendix

1. Reconciliation of GTI's estimated Adjusted EBITDA to GTI's net
income for the twelve months ended September 30, 2013.




Non-GAAP Reconciliation




This press release contains EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, which are
"non-GAAP financial measures" as that term is defined in Regulation G
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In accordance with Regulation
G, Heartland has reconciled these non-GAAP financial measures to their
most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are included because Heartland used these
measures in evaluating the GTI acquisition, and management believes
these measures provide investors and securities analysts information
used generally in evaluating acquisitions in Heartland's industry.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not intended to represent, and should
not be considered more meaningful than, or as an alternative to, net
income. Investors should not place undue reliance on these measures, as
Heartland primarily evaluates its results using net income.




Estimated
Twelve
Months
Ended
(DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS)            September
(Unaudited)                       30, 2013
---------

Net Income(1)                      $ 16,331
Plus:
Income tax expense(1)                  188
Interest expense                     3,493

Depreciation and amortization       37,561
---------
Earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortization
(EBITDA)                            57,573
Adjustments:(2)
Discontinued owner expenses            983
Discontinued facilities and
aircraft costs                      1,130

Other unusual items                    410
---------

Adjusted EBITDA                    $ 60,096
=========

(1) GTI was an S corporation prior to
acquisition date and thus did not
recognize federal or most state income
taxes.
(2) Adjustment items are not expected to
continue. These do not constitute all
adjustments that are required or permitted
under Regulation S-X.




CONTACT:  Heartland Express, Inc.
Mike Gerdin, Chief Executive Officer
John Cosaert, Chief Financial Officer
319-626-3600