Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Credit Losses

v3.20.2
Credit Losses
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Credit Losses  
Credit Losses

3.         Credit Losses

Effective January 1, 2020, the Company adopted new accounting guidance that significantly changes the impairment model for estimating credit losses on financial assets to a current expected credit losses (“CECL”) model that requires entities to estimate the lifetime expected credit losses on such assets, leading to earlier recognition of such losses. Under the new guidance, the Company is required to measure expected credit losses using forward-looking information to assess its allowance for credit losses. The guidance also requires the Company to consider of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information in estimating credit losses. The measurement of expected credit losses is based on relevant information about past events, including historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount. Effective January 1, 2020, the adoption of CECL accounting, through a modified-retrospective approach, caused an increase to the allowance for credit losses of approximately $400 and $350 for the Work Truck Attachments and Work Truck Solutions segments, respectively.

The majority of the Company’s accounts receivable are due from distributors of truck equipment and dealers of completed upfit trucks. Credit is extended based on an evaluation of a customer’s financial condition. A receivable is considered past due if payments have not been received within agreed upon invoice terms. Accounts receivable are written off after all collection efforts have been exhausted. The Company takes a security interest in the inventory as collateral for the receivable but often does not have a priority security interest. The Company has short-term accounts receivable at its Work Truck Attachments and Work Truck Solutions segments subject to evaluation for expected credit losses. Expected credit losses are estimated based on the loss-rate and probability of default methods. On a periodic basis, the Company evaluates its accounts receivable and establishes the allowance for credit losses based on specific customer circumstances, past events including collections and write-off history, current conditions, and reasonable forecasts about the future. Management evaluated the need for an additional allowance for credit losses related to economic conditions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Management has not seen indications of customers going out of business and not being able to pay their bills (although the receivables may become more aged). Management believes customers of the Work Truck Attachments segment have long-standing relationships with the Company, and are mature dealers that are likely able to weather the crisis. Many Work Truck Solutions customers are governments and municipal entities who management believes are highly unlikely to default. In addition management believes Work Truck Solutions has long-standing relationships with its customers, and the customers are in general mature dealers that are unlikely to default as a result of the pandemic. Therefore, as of September 30, 2020, no additional reserve related to the COVID-19 pandemic was deemed necessary. As of September 30, 2020, the Company had an allowance for credit losses on its trade accounts receivable of $1,355 and $1,600 at its Work Truck Attachments and Work Truck Solutions segments, respectively.

The following table rolls forward the activity related to credit losses for trade accounts receivable at each segment, and on a consolidated basis for the nine months ended September 30, 2020:

Balance at

Adoption of

Additions

Changes to

Balance at

December 31,

ASU 2016-13

charged to

Writeoffs

reserve, net

September 30,

2019

earnings

2020

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020

Work Truck Attachments

$

600

$

400

$

300

$

12

$

43

$

1,355

Work Truck Solutions

887

350

478

55

(170)

1,600

Total

$

1,487

$

750

$

778

$

67

$

(127)

$

2,955