Ward Transport & Logistics Corp. 401(k) Review & Grade
Ward Transport & Logistics Corp. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan
Altoona, PATransportation & Warehousing1,585 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,599Employer $ per active participant
$5,252Employee $ saved per active participant
0.35%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$87.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$47,674Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity32.0 / 5064th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost8.8 / 2535th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.4 / 1576th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-5 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score57 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (392 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 64th |
| Lower admin cost | 35th |
| Employee saving | 76th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
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Red flags from the filing
Auditor disclaimer: the auditor issued a disclaimer of opinion.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ward Transport & Logistics put in about $1,599 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,070). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Direct plan expenses (0.35% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $2,534,231 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $8,323,784 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $856,342 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $289,850 |
| Contract administrator fees | $209,908 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $79,942 |
| Benefits paid out | $11,945,644 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $78.8M / $87.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,570 / 1,600 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,837 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Young Oakes Brown and Company |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $210,479 reported compensation |
| Global Retirement Partners LLC | $80,000 reported compensation |
| Young, Oakes, Brown & Co. | $6,548 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250701150204NAL0006824195001, received 2025-07-01, EIN 23-1299361, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.