JOHNS CREEK, GA -- (Marketwire) -- 07/29/10 -- Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAIA), a leading multi-regional less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier, today reported improved second quarter 2010 results on stronger revenue, improved pricing fundamentals and solid cost performance.

Second Quarter 2010 Compared to Second Quarter 2009 Results

• Revenues were $231 million, an increase of 6 percent from the prior year quarter.
• Operating income was $5.9 million compared to operating loss of $0.4 million in the prior year quarter.
• Earnings per share were $0.12 vs. losses per share of $0.13 in the prior year quarter.
• Operating ratio was 97.5 vs. 100.2 in the prior year quarter.
• LTL tonnage increased by 1.6 percent from the prior year quarter as LTL shipments per workday were down 2.4 percent with a 4.1 percent increase in weight per shipment.
• LTL yield was up 2.9 percent from the prior year quarter due to the impact of measured pricing actions and higher fuel surcharge.

"I am encouraged that improvements in the environment during 2010 have permitted us to implement prudent pricing actions allowing us to produce materially better results than the prior year quarter. These pricing actions have resulted in deselecting a number of unprofitable accounts and obtaining increases on the majority of our contracts that were renewed during the quarter. This is a clear reversal from the pricing and challenging volume environment in which we have been operating," said Rick O'Dell, president and chief executive officer.

"We continue to perform well with respect to service and productivity initiatives which produced improvements in terminal cost per freight bill over the same quarter last year. Our cargo claims ratio improved again this quarter making it the best we have had in six years. Additionally, we are pleased to note that we had another good quarter with regard to safety. Moreover, our engineered cost initiatives are also contributing as we have achieved a 3.7 percent reduction in city miles from the implementation of our enhanced city dispatch system which was fully installed at all terminals in June," continued O'Dell.

"Though our absolute results remain challenged by the overall economy, we are continuing our strategy of addressing pricing and remain focused on our cost and quality initiatives. As always, Saia's dedicated employees remain focused on providing best in class customer service. We believe Saia is well positioned to take advantage of any future industry consolidations and to capitalize on what appears to be improving industry fundamentals," O'Dell said.

Year to Date 2010 Compared to Year to Date 2009 Results

• Revenues were $444 million compared to $425 million in the prior year period, an increase of 4.5 percent.
• Operating income was $3.7 million compared to operating loss of $7.9 million in the prior year period.
• Net loss was $1.2 million compared to net loss of $8.0 million in the prior year period.
• Losses per share were $0.08 compared to losses per share of $0.60 in the prior year period.
• Operating ratio was 99.2 vs. 101.8 in the prior year.

Financial Position and Capital Expenditures
Total debt was $90.0 million at June 30, 2010. Net of the Company's $13.6 million cash balance at quarter-end, net debt to total capital was 27.4 percent. This compares to total debt of $116.3 million and net debt to total capital of 37.5 percent in the prior year quarter.

Net capital expenditures for the first six months of 2010 were $0.2 million. This compares to $4 million in the prior year period. The Company is planning net capital expenditures in 2010 of approximately $10 million. This reduced level is due to the uncertain economic environment and will be reevaluated as tonnage improves.

Conference Call
The Company will hold a conference call to discuss these results today at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. To participate in the call, please dial 1-800-776-9057 or dial 913-312-9321 for international calls and using conference ID #4878983. Callers should dial in five to 10 minutes in advance of the conference call. This call will be webcast live via the Company web site at www.saia.com and will be archived on the site. A replay of the call will be available two hours after the completion of the call through August 5, 2010. The replay is available by dialing 1-888-203-1112 or 719-457-0820.

The webcast is also being distributed through the Thomson StreetEvents Network. Individual investors can listen to the call at www.earnings.com, Thomson's individual investor portal, powered by StreetEvents. Institutional investors can access the call via Thomson StreetEvents (www.streetevents.com), a password-protected event management site.

Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAIA) is a less-than-truckload provider of regional, interregional and guaranteed services covering 34 states. With headquarters in Georgia and a network of 147 terminals, Saia employs 7,400 people. For more information, visit the Investor Relations section at www.saia.com.

The Securities and Exchange Commission encourages companies to disclose forward-looking information so that investors can better understand the future prospects of a company and make informed investment decisions. This news release contains these types of statements, which are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "believe," "should" and similar words or expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements reflect the present expectation of future events of our management and are subject to a number of important factors, risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking statements. These factors and risks include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions including downturns in the business cycle; the creditworthiness of our customers and their ability to pay for services; competitive initiatives and pricing pressures, including in connection with fuel surcharge; the Company's need for capital and uncertainty of the current credit markets; the possibility of defaults under the Company's debt agreements (including violation of financial covenants); possible issuance of equity which would dilute stock ownership; indemnification obligations associated with the 2006 sale of Jevic Transportation, Inc.; the effect of ongoing litigation including class action lawsuits; cost and availability of qualified drivers, fuel, purchased transportation, property, revenue equipment and other operating assets; governmental regulations, including but not limited to Hours of Service, engine emissions, compliance with legislation requiring companies to evaluate their internal control over financial reporting, changes in interpretation of accounting principles and Homeland Security; dependence on key employees; inclement weather; labor relations, including the adverse impact should a portion of the Company's workforce become unionized; effectiveness of company-specific performance improvement initiatives; terrorism risks; self-insurance claims and other expense volatility; and other financial, operational and legal risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC filings.

                         Saia, Inc. and Subsidiary
                   Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
                           (Amounts in thousands)
                                (Unaudited)

                                                June 30,      December 31,
                                                  2010            2009
                                             --------------  --------------
ASSETS

CURRENT ASSETS:
  Cash and cash equivalents                  $       13,629  $        8,746
  Accounts receivable, net                          101,435          87,507
  Prepaid expenses and other                         37,679          38,300
                                             --------------  --------------
    Total current assets                            152,743         134,553

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT:
  Cost                                              613,202         615,803
  Less: accumulated depreciation                    308,422         292,443
                                             --------------  --------------
    Net property and equipment                      304,780         323,360

OTHER ASSETS                                          7,755           8,513
                                             --------------  --------------
    Total assets                             $      465,278  $      466,426
                                             ==============  ==============

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

CURRENT LIABILITIES:
  Accounts payable                           $       48,106  $       46,997
  Wages and employees' benefits                      22,379          18,793
  Other current liabilities                          32,420          36,981
  Current portion of long-term debt                   8,571               -
                                             --------------  --------------
    Total current liabilities                       111,476         102,771

OTHER LIABILITIES:
  Long-term debt, less current portion               81,429          90,000
  Deferred income taxes                              41,867          41,867
  Claims, insurance and other                        27,897          29,107
                                             --------------  --------------
    Total other liabilities                         151,193         160,974

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
  Common stock                                           16              16
  Additional paid-in capital                        202,204         201,041
  Deferred compensation trust                        (2,729)         (2,737)
  Retained earnings                                   3,118           4,361
                                             --------------  --------------
    Total shareholders' equity                      202,609         202,681
                                             --------------  --------------
    Total liabilities and shareholders'
     equity                                  $      465,278  $      466,426
                                             ==============  ==============


                         Saia, Inc. and Subsidiary
                   Consolidated Statements of Operations
        For the Quarters and Six Months Ended June 30, 2010 and 2009
               (Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
                                (Unaudited)

                              Second Quarter              Six Months
                         ------------------------  ------------------------
                             2010         2009         2010         2009
                         -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------

OPERATING REVENUE        $   231,342  $   218,433  $   443,566  $   424,535

OPERATING EXPENSES:
  Salaries, wages and
   employees' benefits       121,421      125,679      238,885      253,314
  Purchased
   transportation             22,011       17,505       39,446       31,366
  Fuel, operating
   expenses and supplies      58,380       47,734      114,282       93,220
  Operating taxes and
   licenses                    9,173        8,862       18,387       17,852
  Claims and insurance         5,411        9,063       10,496       16,674
  Depreciation and
   amortization                9,222        9,991       18,527       20,022
  Operating gains, net          (150)          (2)        (206)         (61)
                         -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------
    Total operating
     expenses                225,468      218,832      439,817      432,387
                         -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------

OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)        5,874         (399)       3,749       (7,852)

NONOPERATING EXPENSES:
  Interest expense             2,685        2,514        5,758        5,316
  Other, net                      63          (75)        (252)         (54)
                         -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------
    Nonoperating
     expenses, net             2,748        2,439        5,506        5,262
                         -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------


INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE
 INCOME TAXES                  3,126       (2,838)      (1,757)     (13,114)
Income tax expense
 (benefit)                     1,146       (1,091)        (514)      (5,078)
                         -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------
NET INCOME (LOSS)        $     1,980  $    (1,747) $    (1,243) $    (8,036)
                         ===========  ===========  ===========  ===========

Average common shares
 outstanding - basic          15,703       13,344       15,700       13,345
                         ===========  ===========  ===========  ===========
Average common shares
 outstanding - diluted        16,124       13,344       15,700       13,345
                         ===========  ===========  ===========  ===========

Basic earnings (loss) per
 share                   $      0.13  $     (0.13) $     (0.08) $     (0.60)
                         ===========  ===========  ===========  ===========

Diluted earnings (loss)
 per share               $      0.12  $     (0.13) $     (0.08) $     (0.60)
                         ===========  ===========  ===========  ===========


                         Saia, Inc. and Subsidiary
              Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
              For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2010 and 2009
                           (Amounts in thousands)
                                (Unaudited)

                                                        2010        2009
                                                    ----------- -----------

OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by operating activities           $     5,049 $     9,734
                                                    ----------- -----------
    Net cash provided by operating activities             5,049       9,734
                                                    ----------- -----------

INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
  Acquisition of property and equipment                    (560)     (4,949)
  Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment          337         584
                                                    ----------- -----------
    Net cash used in investing activities                  (223)     (4,365)

FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
  Repayment of long-term debt                                 -     (20,250)
  Proceeds from stock option exercises                       57           -
  Payment of debt issuance costs                              -      (1,758)
                                                    ----------- -----------
    Net cash provided by (used in) financing
     activities                                              57     (22,008)
                                                    ----------- -----------

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH
 EQUIVALENTS                                              4,883     (16,639)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD            8,746      27,061
                                                    ----------- -----------
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD            $    13,629 $    10,422
                                                    =========== ===========


                         Saia, Inc. and Subsidiary
                           Financial Information
               For the Quarters Ended June 30, 2010 and 2009
                           (Amounts in thousands)
                                (Unaudited)

                                                     Second Quarter
                                                    ----------------
                            Second Quarter     %     Amount/Workday     %
                           ---------------          ----------------
                             2010    2009   Change    2010    2009   Change
                           ---------------  ------  ---------------- ------

Workdays                                                  64      64

Operating ratio               97.5%  100.2%

F/S Revenue         LTL    213,850 204,632     4.5   3,341.4 3,197.4    4.5
                    TL      17,492  13,801    26.8     273.3   215.6   26.8
                    Total  231,342 218,433     5.9   3,614.7 3,413.0    5.9

Revenue excluding   LTL    214,308 204,882     4.6   3,348.6 3,201.3    4.6
revenue recognition TL      17,530  13,817    26.9     273.9   215.9   26.9
adjustment          Total  231,838 218,699     6.0   3,622.5 3,417.2    6.0

Tonnage             LTL        918     903     1.6     14.34   14.11    1.6
                    TL         186     161    16.0      2.91    2.51   16.0
                    Total    1,104   1,063     3.8     17.25   16.62    3.8

Shipments           LTL      1,642   1,683    (2.4)    25.66   26.29   (2.4)
                    TL          26      23    17.0      0.41    0.35   17.0
                    Total    1,669   1,705    (2.1)    26.08   26.65   (2.1)

Revenue/cwt.        LTL      11.68   11.35     2.9
                    TL        4.71    4.30     9.4
                    Total    10.50   10.28     2.1

Revenue/shipment    LTL     130.48  121.74     7.2
                    TL      662.24  610.95     8.4
                    Total   138.91  128.23     8.3

Pounds/shipment     LTL      1,117   1,073     4.1
                    TL      14,071  14,204    (0.9)
                    Total    1,323   1,247     6.1