Trimble sees freight ‘green shoots’ as transportation revenue rises 5%

Trimble’s transportation and logistics business posted higher revenue and recurring revenue in the second quarter as CEO Rob Painter said the company is beginning to see signs that the prolonged freight downturn may finally be easing.

The technology company also disclosed Wednesday that it has received unsolicited interest from multiple parties in its transportation and logistics business, prompting Trimble’s board and management to launch a strategic review of the unit.

Trimble’s transportation and logistics segment generated $141 million in second-quarter revenue, up 5% organically year over year, while annualized recurring revenue, or ARR, increased 7% to $533 million. The segment’s operating margin reached 24%, an improvement of 240 basis points from a year earlier.

“After four years of a freight recession, we are seeing initial green shoots in the market,” Painter told analysts during Trimble’s second-quarter earnings call Wednesday before the market opened. Painter pointed to rising spot rates and tender rejection rates as indications that freight supply and demand are beginning to rebalance.

Trimble also reported healthy quarterly bookings in transportation and logistics, which Painter said reinforced the company’s expectations for midterm growth. Transporeon, Trimble’s cloud-based transportation management platform, grew in the mid-teens during the quarter, according to Painter.

The performance comes as the broader trucking industry continues trying to emerge from a freight downturn characterized by excess capacity, depressed rates and weak carrier profitability. Trimble (Nasdaq: TRMB) is a provider of technology solutions for trucking companies, freight brokerages and 3PLs.

The company also operates in industries such as buildings and infrastructure, geospatial hardware and software, and resources and utilities.

Trimble weighs future of transportation business Trimble made another potentially significant disclosure for the freight technology sector Wednesday: The company has received what Painter described as “credible inbound interest” in its transportation and logistics business from multiple parties.

Trimble’s board and management, working with longtime financial adviser Goldman Sachs, will conduct a strategic review to evaluate the third-party interest, Painter said. During the question-and-answer portion of the call, Painter said the interest was recent and originated with prospective outside parties rather than Trimble putting the unit on the market.

“There is no predetermined outcome,” Painter said. Painter said the transportation and logistics unit is strong, with significant future potential and said Trimble would weigh any outside proposal against the value it believes it can create by continuing to operate the business within the company’s platform.

The review comes as the transportation business has continued expanding recurring revenue despite difficult freight conditions. Trimble’s second quarter presentation shows transportation and logistics ARR increasing to $533 million in the second quarter from $492 million a year earlier.

Trimble pushes AI deeper into freight operations Trimble is also expanding its use of artificial intelligence across transportation and logistics. Painter highlighted the launch of ArcAgent, an AI agent designed to consolidate fragmented transportation tasks and automate execution while incorporating enterprise guardrails and human oversight.

Trimble said the technology operates across a global network touching more than 1 million trucks and 1,500 shippers and retailers. The company also said its AI-native autonomous procurement product landed new customers in North America during the quarter.

The company has increasingly positioned AI and connected data as central to its broader strategy, with Painter telling analysts that Trimble is deploying agentic workflows intended to automate tasks and improve customer productivity.

Companywide revenue reaches $972 million Trimble posted second-quarter revenue of $972 million, representing 10% organic growth and exceeding the high end of the company’s guidance. Revenue topped Wall Street forecasts of $950. 9 million. Adjusted earnings per share came to 86 cents in the quarter.

The results exceeded Wall Street expectations, which called for adjusted earnings of 80 cents per share. Total ARR reached a record $2. 509 billion, up 12% organically. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 120 basis points to 28. 6%, while non-GAAP earnings per share reached 86 cents, up 21% year over year.

Chief Financial Officer Phil Sawarynski said Trimble generated $502 million in free cash flow through the first two quarters of the year. The company ended the quarter with $214 million in cash and a leverage ratio of 1. 1 times. Trimble also authorized a new $1 billion share repurchase program. The company has repurchased nearly $1.

2 billion of shares since the beginning of 2025. Strong first-half results prompted Trimble to raise its full-year outlook