Trailer Bridge finally reports 4th-quarter loss

Trailer Bridge finally reports 4th-quarter loss    Trailer Bridge, the embattled money-losing U.S. mainland/Puerto Rico shipping line, finally announced its 2003 results several weeks late on Friday, showing it narrowed its losses in the fourth quarter and year ended Dec. 31.
   The reporting delay has led the Nasdaq stock exchange to threaten to take the Trailer Bridge stock off its exchange.
   The Jacksonville-based company reported that 2003 was another year of losses, although its net deficit narrowed 23 percent to $5.5 million last year from $7.1 million in 2002. The operating deficit for 2003 was $2.6 million, as compared to $4.0 million in the previous year. Trailer Bridge’s revenue rose 14 percent last year to $86.4 million from $76 million.
   For the fourth quarter, the company’s net deficit narrowed to $1.4 million from $2.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2003. Trailer Bridge's operating loss was $702,888, compared to an operating loss of $1.6 million in the prior year period. Included in fourth quarter expenses was a $243,611 expenditure related to the full dry-docking cost of one of the company's “Triplestack Box Carrier” vessels that will not require another dry-docking for five years, the company said.
   Total revenue for the fourth quarter rose 9 percent to $22.1 million.
   For the quarter, southbound volume increased 6 percent and northbound volume increased 7 percent. The effective yield of all of the southbound cargo rose 1.2 percent, while the northbound effective yield increased 9.5 percent, the company reported.
   The company’s Jacksonville/San Juan vessel capacity utilization during the fourth quarter was 89 percent to Puerto Rico up from 87 percent a year ago, and 22 percent from Puerto Rico up from 20 percent.
   After more than three consecutive years of losses, Trailer Bridge said it expects to report a profit for the first quarter.
   “Since the beginning of 2004, the company has experienced higher volume and net pricing consistent with what it anticipated in its profit plan for 2004,” Trailer Bridge said.
   Trailer Bridge said last month it has obtained a three-year $20-million credit facility to refinance debts.
   Trailer Bridge said Friday it is current with all of its debt obligations, including the Title XI debt.