Old Dominion Ups Ante With $1.5BN Bid On Yellow's Terminals As Bidding War Heats Up

By Todd Maiden of FreightWaves

Less-than-truckload carrier Old Dominion Freight Line entered a $1.5 billion bid for Yellow Corp.’s terminals, according to a Friday filing in a Delaware bankruptcy court.

The new offer exceeds the $1.3 billion bid from LTL peer Estes Express Lines, which was revealed at a Thursday status update.

The offer for the 166-terminal portfolio is a stalking horse purchase agreement, wherein the bidder sets the floor for the value of the assets to be sold out of a bankruptcy estate. The properties will still undergo a marketing and sale process in which higher offers from other parties may be accepted.

The terms provide a maximum breakup fee of $26 million and up to $2 million in expense reimbursement. Old Dominion is required to make a 5% deposit. The bid remains effective for 180 days.

The Thursday court proceeding also named bankruptcy financing lenders.

Hedge funds Citadel and MFN Partners will provide $142.5 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing, which will give Yellow’s estate the funds necessary to liquidate assets.

The deal also includes an additional commitment from MFN for a delayed draw of up to $70 million.

MFN acquired a 42.5% equity stake in Yellow ahead of its shutdown.

Citadel recently bought Yellow’s term loan from Apollo Global Management after superior DIP financing offers came forward following Yellow’s Aug. 7 bankruptcy filing.

Apollo’s DIP deal was said to be the only viable offer provided to Yellow prior to the Chapter 11 petition.