SAIA INC - Quarter Report: 2021 March (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2021

OR

Commission file number: 0-49983

Saia, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(770) 232-5067

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).     Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

There were 26,333,692 shares of Common Stock outstanding at April 28, 2021.

SAIA, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

INDEX

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

Saia, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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Saia, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

For the quarters ended March 31, 2021 and 2020

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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Saia, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity

For the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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Saia, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

For the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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Saia, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(unaudited)

(1) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Saia, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (together, the Company or Saia).  All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the condensed consolidated financial statements.

The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company without audit by the independent registered public accounting firm.  In the opinion of management, all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the condensed consolidated balance sheets, statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the interim periods included herein have been made.  These interim condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information, the instructions to Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X.  Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted from these statements.  The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.  Operating results for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that may be expected for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Business

The Company provides regional and interregional less-than-truckload (LTL) services through a single integrated organization.  While more than 97 percent of its revenue has been derived from transporting LTL shipments across 44 states, the Company also offers customers a wide range of other value-added services, including non-asset truckload, expedited and logistics services across North America.  The Company’s customer base is diversified across numerous industries.

Revenue Recognition

The Company’s revenues are derived primarily from the transportation of freight as it satisfies performance obligations that arise from contracts with its customers.  The Company’s performance obligations arise when it receives a bill of lading (“BOL”) to transport a customer's commodities at negotiated prices contained in either a transportation services agreement or a publicly disclosed tariff rate. Once a BOL is received, a legally-enforceable contract is formed whereby the parties are committed to perform and the rights of the parties, shipping terms and conditions, and payment terms have been identified. A customer may submit many BOLs for transportation services at various times throughout a service agreement term but each shipment represents a distinct service that is a separately identified performance obligation.

The typical transit time to complete a shipment is from 1 to 5 days.  Billing for transportation services normally occurs after completion of the service and payment is generally due within 30 days after the invoice date. The Company recognizes revenue related to the Company’s LTL, non-asset truckload and expedited services over the transit time of the shipment as it moves from origin to destination. Revenue for services started but not completed at the reporting date is recognized on actual transit status in each reporting period.

Key estimates included in the recognition and measurement of revenue and related accounts receivable are as follows:

The portion of the gross invoice related to interline transportation services that involve the services of another party, such as another LTL service provider, is not recorded in the Company’s revenues.  Revenue from logistics services is recognized as the services are provided.

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Remaining performance obligations represent the transaction price allocated to future reporting periods for freight services started but not completed at the reporting date. This includes the unearned portion of billed and unbilled amounts for freight shipments in transit that the Company expects to recognize as revenue in the period subsequent to the reporting date, which is on average less than one week.  The Company has elected to apply the optional exemption in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 606 as it pertains to additional quantitative disclosures pertaining to remaining performance obligations.  

Claims and Insurance Accruals

Effective March 1, 2018, the Company entered into a new automobile liability insurance policy with a three-year term. Generally, the Company is responsible for the risk retention amount per occurrence of $2.0 million under the policy.  Thereafter, the policy provides insurance coverage for a single loss of $8.0 million, an aggregate loss limit of $24.0 million for each policy year, and a $48.0 million aggregate loss limit for the 36-month term originally ended March 1, 2021.  Under the policy, the Company may elect to commute the policy with respect to the first 12 months of the policy term and concurrently extend the policy for an additional one-year period if paid losses in the first 12 months of the policy are less than $5.2 million.  In August 2019, the Company elected to commute the policy for such period. As a result, the Company received a return of $5.2 million of the premium paid (the maximum return premium available), based on the amount of claims paid and the insurer was released from all liability in connection with claims occurring in such 12-month period.  The Company is now self-insured for the first $10 million per occurrence with respect to such 12-month period and the policy has been extended for one additional year to March 1, 2022.  As a result of the return premium and policy extension, the Company recognized a $0.5 million reduction in insurance premium expense in the first quarter of 2021.  The Company will continue to recognize the remainder of the return premium as a reduction in insurance premium expense ratably over the remainder of the policy period now ending March 1, 2022. Additionally, the Company is required to pay an additional premium of up to $11.0 million if losses paid by the insurer are greater than $15.6 million over the three-year policy period ending March 1, 2022.  Based on claims occurring since March 1, 2019, no such additional premium was accrued at March 31, 2021.  Commencing on August 30, 2022, the Company may elect to commute the policy with respect to the insurer’s entire liability under the policy in which case the Company would be entitled to a return of a portion of the premium paid, up to $15.6 million, based on the amount of claims paid and the insurer would be released from all liability under the policy ending March 1, 2022.  As a result, if the Company elects to commute the policy as to the entire policy term, the Company would be self-insured for $10 million per occurrence for the four years ended March 1, 2022.

 Accounting Pronouncements Adopted in 2021

In 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes,” which is intended to simplify various aspects related to accounting for income taxes. ASU 2019-12 removes certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application. This standard became effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020. The Company adopted the standard effective January 1, 2021 and upon adoption this standard did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements or related disclosures.

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(2) Computation of Earnings Per Share

The calculation of basic earnings per common share and diluted earnings per common share was as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):

  For the quarter ended March 31, 2021, options and restricted stock for 20,164 shares of common stock were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share because their effect was anti-dilutive.  For the quarter ended March 31, 2020, options and restricted stock for 69,211 shares of common stock were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share because their effect was anti-dilutive.

(3) Commitments and Contingencies

The Company pays its pro rata share of the cost of letters of credit outstanding for certain workers’ compensation claims incurred prior to March 1, 2000 that Saia’s former parent maintains for insurance programs. The Company’s pro rata share of these outstanding letters of credit was $1.8 million at March 31, 2021.

The Company is subject to legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of its business. Management believes that adequate provisions for the resolution of all contingencies, claims and pending litigation have been made for probable and estimable losses and that the ultimate outcome of these actions will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition but could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations in a given quarter or annual period.

(4) Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying amounts of financial instruments including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and short-term debt approximated fair value as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, because of the relatively short maturity of these instruments.  Based on the borrowing rates currently available to the Company for debt with similar terms and remaining maturities, the estimated fair value of total debt at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 was $66.2 million and $71.2 million, respectively, based upon level two in the fair value hierarchy.  The carrying value of the debt was $66.0 million and $71.0 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

(5) Debt and Financing Arrangements

At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, debt consisted of the following (in thousands):

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The Company’s liquidity needs arise primarily from capital investment in new equipment, land and structures, information technology and letters of credit required under insurance programs, as well as funding working capital requirements.

The Company is party to a revolving credit agreement with a group of banks to fund capital investments, letters of credit and working capital needs.

Credit Agreement

On February 5, 2019, the Company entered into the Sixth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with its banking group (as amended, the Amended Credit Agreement).  The amendment increased the amount of the revolver from $250 million to $300 million and extended the term until February 2024.  The Amended Credit Agreement also has an accordion feature that allows for an additional $100 million availability, subject to certain conditions and availability of lender commitments.  The amendment reduced the interest rate pricing.  The Amended Credit Agreement provides for a LIBOR rate margin range from 100 basis points to 200 basis points, base rate margins from minus 50 basis points to plus 50 basis points, an unused portion fee from 17.5 basis points to 30 basis points and letter of credit fees from 100 basis points to 200 basis points, in each case based on the Company’s leverage ratio.  Under the Amended Credit Agreement, the Company must maintain a minimum debt service coverage ratio set at 1.25 to 1.00 and a maximum leverage ratio set at 3.25 to 1.00.  The Amended Credit Agreement provides for a pledge by the Company of certain land and structures, accounts receivable and other assets to secure indebtedness under this agreement.  The Amended Credit Agreement contains certain customary representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants and provisions relating to events of default. Under the Amended Credit Agreement, if an event of default occurs, the banks will be entitled to take various actions, including the acceleration of amounts due.

At March 31, 2021, the Company had no outstanding borrowings and outstanding letters of credit of $28.8 million under the Amended Credit Agreement.  At December 31, 2020, the Company had no outstanding borrowings and outstanding letters of credit of $27.2 million under the Amended Credit Agreement.  The available portion of the Amended Credit Agreement may be used for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures, working capital and letter of credit requirements as needed.

Finance Leases

The Company is obligated under finance leases with seven-year original terms covering revenue equipment.  Total liabilities recognized under finance leases were $66.0 million and $71.0 million as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.  Amortization of assets held under the finance leases is included in depreciation and amortization expense. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, approximately $97.3 million and $100.1 million of finance leased assets, net of depreciation, were included in Property and Equipment, respectively. The weighted average interest rates for the finance leases at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 were 3.5 percent and 3.5 percent, respectively.

Principal Maturities of Long-Term Debt

The principal maturities of long-term debt, including interest on finance leases, for the next five years (in thousands) are as follows:

(6) COVID-19

In March 2020, the World Health Organization categorized Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) as a pandemic, and the President of the United States declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency. The Company is considered an essential and critical business by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and will continue to operate under state of emergency and shelter in place orders issued in various jurisdictions across the country. Management has made a variety

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of efforts seeking to ensure the ongoing availability of Saia’s transportation services, while instituting actions and policies to help safeguard employees and customers from COVID-19, including limiting physical employee and customer contact, implementing enhanced cleaning and hygiene protocols at Saia’s facilities, and instituting telecommuting where possible.  Through the date of this filing, the Company has not experienced significant disruptions in the Company’s LTL network operations.

The Company’s consolidated financial statements reflect estimates and assumptions made by management that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities. The Company has considered the impact of COVID-19 on the assumptions and estimates used and determined that there were no material adverse impacts on the Company’s first quarter 2021 financial position. It is possible that these assumptions and estimates may materially change in the future.

On March 27, 2020, the U.S. government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) which includes modifications to the limitation on business interest expense and net operating loss provisions, and provides a payment delay of employer payroll taxes during 2020 after the date of enactment. On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law and provides further economic relief and stimulus to deal with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company continues to monitor any effects that may result from these Acts and other similar legislation or actions in geographies in which our business operates, however the Company does not believe it will be able to take advantage of the provisions of the CARES Act.

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Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis should be read in conjunction with the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and our 2020 audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.  Those consolidated financial statements include additional information about our significant accounting policies, practices and the transactions that underlie our financial results.

Forward-Looking Statements

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) 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 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” contains these types of statements, which are forward-looking 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 as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q 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, risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, the following:

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These factors and risks are described in Part II, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, as updated by Part II, Item 1A. of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

As a result of these and other factors, no assurance can be given as to our future results and achievements.  Accordingly, a forward-looking statement is neither a prediction nor a guarantee of future events or circumstances and those future events or circumstances may not occur.  You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Form 10-Q.  We are under no obligation, and we expressly disclaim any obligation, to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Executive Overview

The Company’s business is highly correlated to non-service sectors of the general economy. The Company’s strategy is to improve profitability by increasing yield while also increasing volumes to build density in existing geography and to pursue geographic expansion to promote profitable growth and improve our customer value proposition over time. The Company’s business is labor intensive, capital intensive and service sensitive. The Company looks for opportunities to improve safety, cost effectiveness and asset utilization (primarily tractors and trailers). Pricing initiatives have had a positive impact on yield and profitability. The Company continues to execute targeted sales and marketing programs along with initiatives to align costs with volumes and improve customer satisfaction. Technology continues to be an important investment that is improving customer experience, operational efficiencies and Company image.

COVID-19

In March 2020, the World Health Organization categorized Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) as a pandemic, and the President of the United States declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency. We are considered an essential and critical business by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and in some areas continue to operate under state of emergency and shelter in place orders issued in various jurisdictions across the country.  Management has made a variety of efforts seeking to ensure the ongoing availability of Saia’s transportation services, while instituting actions and policies to help safeguard employees and customers from COVID-19, including limiting physical employee and customer contact, implementing enhanced cleaning and hygiene protocols at Saia’s facilities, and instituting telecommuting where possible. Through the date of this filing, the Company has not experienced significant disruptions in the Company’s LTL network operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Beginning in the latter part of the first quarter of 2020, we experienced lower demand for our transportation services along with increased costs and other challenges related to COVID-19 that adversely affected our business.  We believe we have significant liquidity available to continue business operations in the event of future disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. As discussed in the “Financial Condition” section below, the Company has a revolving credit facility (including a $100 million accordion feature that

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is available, subject to certain conditions and lender commitments) and other sources of borrowing in place that provides liquidity of up to $300 million in addition to its regular cash inflows from operations. The Company was in compliance with the debt covenants under its debt agreements at March 31, 2021.

The situation surrounding COVID-19 remains fluid and there may be developments outside our control requiring us to adjust our operating plan. As such, given the dynamic nature of this situation, we are unable to predict the extent to which the pandemic and related impacts could impact our business operations, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and cash flows.

First Quarter Overview

The Company’s operating revenue increased by 8.4 percent in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.  The increase resulted primarily from increases in revenue per shipment and tonnage.  

Consolidated operating income was $48.7 million for the first quarter of 2021 compared to $38.8 million for the first quarter of 2020.  In the first quarter of 2021, LTL shipments were up 2.6 percent per workday and LTL tonnage was up 5.3 percent per workday compared to the prior year quarter. Diluted earnings per share were $1.40 in the first quarter of 2021, compared to diluted earnings per share of $1.06 in the prior year quarter. The operating ratio (operating expenses divided by operating revenue) was 89.9 percent in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 91.3 percent in the first quarter of 2020. The improved operating ratio compared to prior year is due to the Company’s continued focus on pricing initiatives, cost control and operational efficiencies.

The Company generated $61.0 million in net cash provided by operating activities in the first three months of 2021 compared with $51.3 million in the same period last year.  The increase is primarily due to increased profitability compared to the same period last year.  The Company’s net cash used in investing activities was $25.4 million during the first three months of 2021 compared to $102.7 million in the first three months of 2020, primarily as a result of decreased capital expenditures for revenue equipment and real estate in the first three months of 2021 caused by COVID-19 related manufacturing delays for revenue equipment.  The Company’s net cash used in financing activities was $7.6 million in the first three months of 2021 compared to $98.1 million net cash provided by financing activities during the same period last year. This change was primarily due to reduced net borrowings after the Company’s revolver balance was paid in full in the fourth quarter of 2020 and decreased investing activities during the first three months of 2021.  The Company had no outstanding borrowings under its revolving credit agreement, outstanding letters of credit of $30.6 million and a cash and cash equivalents balance of $53.3 million at March 31, 2021.  The Company also had $66.0 million in obligations under finance leases at March 31, 2021.  At March 31, 2021, the Company had $271.2 million in availability under the revolving credit facility, subject to the Company’s satisfaction of existing debt covenants.  The revolving credit facility also has an accordion feature that allows for an additional $100 million availability, subject to certain conditions and availability of lender commitments. The Company was in compliance with the debt covenants under its revolving credit agreement at March 31, 2021.

General

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis describes the principal factors affecting the results of operations, liquidity and capital resources, as well as the critical accounting policies of Saia, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (together, the Company or Saia).

Saia is a transportation company headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia that provides less-than-truckload (LTL) services through a single integrated organization. While historically more than 97 percent of its revenue has been derived from transporting LTL shipments across 44 states, the Company also offers customers a wide range of other value-added services, including non-asset truckload, expedited and logistics services across North America.

Our business is highly correlated to non-service sectors of the general economy.  Our business also is impacted by a number of other factors as discussed under “Forward Looking Statements” and Part II, Item 1A. “Risk Factors.” The key factors that affect our operating results are the volumes of shipments transported through our network, as measured by our average daily shipments and tonnage; the prices we obtain for our services, as measured by revenue per hundredweight (a measure of yield) and revenue per shipment; our ability to manage our cost structure for capital expenditures and operating expenses such as salaries, wages and benefits; purchased transportation; claims and insurance expense; fuel and maintenance; and our ability to match operating costs to shifting volume levels.

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Results of Operations

Saia, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Selected Results of Operations and Operating Statistics

For the quarters ended March 31, 2021 and 2020

(unaudited)

Quarter ended March 31, 2021 compared to quarter ended March 31, 2020

Revenue and volume

Consolidated revenue for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 increased 8.4 percent to $484.1 million primarily as a result of increased revenue per shipment and tonnage.  Saia’s LTL revenue per hundredweight (a measure of yield) increased 5.6 percent to $19.18 per hundredweight for the first quarter of 2021 as a result of changes in business mix.  For the first quarter of 2021, Saia’s LTL tonnage was up 5.3 percent per workday to 1.2 million tons, and LTL shipments increased 2.6 percent per workday to 1.8 million shipments.  For the first quarter of 2021, approximately 75 to 80 percent of Saia’s operating revenue was subject to specific customer price negotiations that occur throughout the year.  The remaining 20 to 25 percent of operating revenue was subject to a general rate increase which is based on market conditions.  For these customers subject to a general rate increase, on January 18, 2021 and February 3, 2020, Saia implemented 5.9 percent general rate increases.  Competitive factors, customer turnover and mix changes, impact the extent to which customer rate increases are retained over time.

Operating revenue includes fuel surcharge revenue from the Company’s fuel surcharge program.  That program is designed to reduce the Company’s exposure to fluctuations in fuel prices by adjusting total freight charges to account for changes in the price of fuel.  The Company’s fuel surcharge is based on the average national price for diesel fuel and is reset weekly.  Fuel surcharges have remained in effect for several years, are widely accepted in the industry and are a significant component of revenue and pricing.  Fuel surcharges are an integral part of customer contract negotiations but represent only one portion of overall customer price negotiations as customers may negotiate increases in base rates instead of increases in fuel surcharges or vice versa. Fuel surcharge revenue as a percentage of operating revenue increased to 12.9 percent for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 compared to 12.8 percent for the quarter ended March 31, 2020, as a result of an increase in the cost of fuel.

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Operating expenses and margin

Consolidated operating income was $48.7 million in the first quarter of 2021 compared to $38.8 million in the prior year quarter.  Overall, the operations were favorably impacted in the first quarter of 2021 by pricing actions and 5.3 percent higher tonnage per day, combined with continued focus on cost controls and operational efficiencies.  The first quarter of 2021 operating ratio (operating expenses divided by operating revenue) was 89.9 percent compared to 91.3 percent for the same period in 2020.

Salaries, wages and benefits increased $5.8 million in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the first quarter of 2020 due to a salary and wage increase of approximately 3.5 percent for all of its employees and an increase in performance based compensation as profitability improved from a year ago.  Fuel, operating expenses and supplies increased $2.0 million in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the prior year quarter largely due to increases in fuel expense during the quarter, partially offset by a decrease in travel expense compared to the prior year.  During the first quarter of 2021, claims and insurance expense was $1.1 million higher than the first quarter of 2020 primarily due to higher cost of insurance. Purchased transportation increased $15.0 million in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the first quarter of 2020 primarily due to surges in demand and capacity constraints in the internal network during the first quarter of 2021.

Other

Substantially all non-operating expenses represent interest expense.  Interest expense in the first quarter of 2021 was lower than the first quarter of 2020 due to decreased borrowings in the first quarter of 2021.

The effective tax rate was 22.3 percent and 23.7 percent for the quarters ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.  The decrease in the first quarter tax rate in 2021 is primarily a result of increased excess tax benefits related to stock compensation activity.

Net income was $37.3 million, or $1.40 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2021 compared to net income of $28.1 million, or $1.06 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2020.

Working capital/capital expenditures

Working capital at March 31, 2021 was $41.1 million, which decreased from working capital at March 31, 2020 of $56.9 million.

Current assets at March 31, 2021 increased by $42.4 million as compared to March 31, 2020 and includes an increase in accounts receivable of $32.0 million, and an increase of cash and cash equivalents of $6.4 million.  Current liabilities increased by $58.2 million at March 31, 2021 compared to March 31, 2020 largely due to an increase in accounts payable, and claims and insurance liabilities.  Cash flows provided by operating activities were $61.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 versus $51.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020.  The increase is primarily due to increased profitability compared to the same period last year.  For the three months ended March 31, 2021, net cash used in investing activities was $25.4 million versus $102.7 million in the same period last year, a $77.3 million decrease.  This decrease for the three months ended resulted primarily from decreased capital expenditures caused by COVID-19 related  manufacturing delays for revenue equipment.  The Company currently expects that net capital expenditures in 2021 will be approximately $275 million.  For the three months ended March 31, 2021, net cash used in financing activities was $7.6 million compared to $98.1 million net cash provided by financing activities during the same period last year, as a result of reduced net borrowings after the Company’s revolver balance was paid in full in the fourth quarter of 2020 and decreased investing activities during the first three months of 2021.

Outlook

Our business remains highly correlated to non-service sectors of the general economy and competitive pricing pressures, as well as the success of Company-specific improvement initiatives.  Because the severity, magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences are uncertain, rapidly changing and difficult to predict, the pandemic’s impact on our operations, financial performance and financial condition, as well as its impact on our ability to successfully execute our business strategies and initiatives, remains uncertain and difficult to predict. We are continuing initiatives to increase yield, reduce costs and improve productivity while

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also focusing on providing top quality service and improving safety performance.  On January 18, 2021 and February 3, 2020, Saia implemented a 5.9 percent general rate increase for customers comprising approximately 20 to 25 percent of Saia’s operating revenue.

If the Company continues to build market share, including through its geographic expansion, it expects numerous operating leverage cost benefits. Conversely, throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the period of economic disruption, the Company plans to match resources and capacity to shifting volume levels to lessen any unfavorable operating leverage. Additionally, the Company’s renewal of insurance policies effective March 1, 2021 resulted in $3.3 million of anticipated cost increases for 2021 compared to 2020. The success of cost improvement initiatives is impacted by the cost and availability of drivers and purchased transportation, fuel, self-insurance claims and insurance expense, regulatory changes, successful expansion of our service geography throughout the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors discussed under “Forward-Looking Statements” and Part II, Item 1A. “Risk Factors.”

See “Forward-Looking Statements” and Part II, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” for a more complete discussion of potential risks and uncertainties that could materially affect our future performance.

Financial Condition

The Company’s liquidity needs arise primarily from capital investment in new equipment, land and structures, information technology and letters of credit required under insurance programs, as well as funding working capital requirements.

Credit Agreement

On February 5, 2019, the Company entered into the Sixth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with its banking group (as amended, the Amended Credit Agreement).  The amendment increased the amount of the revolver from $250 million to $300 million and extended the term until February 2024.  The Amended Credit Agreement also has an accordion feature that allows for an additional $100 million availability, subject to certain conditions and availability of lender commitments.  The amendment reduced the interest rate pricing.  The Amended Credit Agreement provides for a LIBOR rate margin range from 100 basis points to 200 basis points, base rate margins from minus 50 basis points to plus 50 basis points, an unused portion fee from 17.5 basis points to 30 basis points and letter of credit fees from 100 basis points to 200 basis points, in each case based on the Company’s leverage ratio.  Under the Amended Credit Agreement, the Company must maintain a minimum debt service coverage ratio set at 1.25 to 1.00 and a maximum leverage ratio set at 3.25 to 1.00.  The Amended Credit Agreement provides for a pledge by the Company of certain land and structures, accounts receivable and other assets to secure indebtedness under this agreement.  The Amended Credit Agreement contains certain customary representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants and provisions relating to events of default. Under the Amended Credit Agreement, if an event of default occurs, the banks will be entitled to take various actions, including the acceleration of amounts due.

At March 31, 2021, the Company had no outstanding borrowings and outstanding letters of credit of $28.8 million under the Amended Credit Agreement.  At December 31, 2020, the Company had no outstanding borrowings and outstanding letters of credit of $27.2 million under the Amended Credit Agreement.  The available portion of the Amended Credit Agreement may be used for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures, working capital and letter of credit requirements as needed.

Finance Leases

The Company is obligated under finance leases with seven-year original terms covering revenue equipment.  Total liabilities recognized under finance leases were $66.0 million and $71.0 million as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.  Amortization of assets held under the finance leases is included in depreciation and amortization expense. The weighted average interest rates for the finance leases at both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 were 3.5 percent, respectively.

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Other

The Company has historically generated cash flows from operations to fund a large portion of its capital expenditure requirements.  Cash flows from operating activities were $309.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, while net cash used in investing activities was $218.8 million.  Cash flows provided by operating activities were $61.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, $9.7 million higher than the first three months of the prior year. The increase is primarily due to increased profitability compared to the prior year.  The timing of capital expenditures can largely be managed around the seasonal working capital requirements of the Company.  The Company believes it has significant sources of capital to meet short-term liquidity needs through its operating cash flows and availability under the Amended Credit Agreement. At March 31, 2021, the Company had $271.2 million in availability under the Amended Credit Agreement, subject to the Company’s satisfaction of existing debt covenants.  The Company was in compliance with its debt covenants at March 31, 2021.  Future operating cash flows are primarily dependent upon the Company’s profitability and its ability to manage its working capital requirements, primarily accounts receivable, accounts payable and wage and benefit accruals.

Effective March 1, 2018, the Company entered into a new automobile liability insurance policy with a three-year term. Generally, the Company is responsible for the risk retention amount per occurrence of $2.0 million under the policy.  Thereafter, the policy provides insurance coverage for a single loss of $8.0 million, an aggregate loss limit of $24.0 million for each policy year, and a $48.0 million aggregate loss limit for the 36-month term originally ended March 1, 2021.  Under the policy, the Company may elect to commute the policy with respect to the first 12 months of the policy term and concurrently extend the policy for an additional one-year period if paid losses in the first 12 months of the policy are less than $5.2 million.  In August 2019, the Company elected to commute the policy for such period. As a result, the Company received a return of $5.2 million of the premium paid (the maximum return premium available), based on the amount of claims paid and the insurer was released from all liability in connection with claims occurring in such 12-month period.  The Company is now self-insured for the first $10 million per occurrence with respect to such 12-month period and the policy has been extended for one additional year to March 1, 2022. As a result of the return premium and policy extension, the Company recognized a $0.5 million reduction in insurance premium expense in the first quarter of 2021.  The Company will continue to recognize the remainder of the return premium as a reduction in insurance premium expense ratably over the remainder of the policy period now ending March 1, 2022. Additionally, the Company is required to pay an additional premium of up to $11.0 million if losses paid by the insurer are greater than $15.6 million over the three-year policy period ending March 1, 2022. Based on claims occurring since March 1, 2019, no such additional premium was accrued at March 31, 2021.  Commencing on August 30, 2022, the Company may elect to commute the policy with respect to the insurer’s entire liability under the policy in which case the Company would be entitled to a return of a portion of the premium paid, up to $15.6 million, based on the amount of claims paid and the insurer would be released from all liability under the policy ending March 1, 2022.  As a result, if the Company elects to commute the policy as to the entire policy term, the Company would be self-insured for $10 million per occurrence for the four years ended March 1, 2022.

Net capital expenditures pertain primarily to investments in tractors and trailers and other revenue equipment, information technology, land and structures. Projected capital expenditures for 2021 are expected to be approximately $275 million. This would represent a increase from 2020 net capital expenditures of $219 million for property and equipment, inclusive of equipment acquired using finance leases, information technology, and land and structures. Projected 2021 capital expenditures include a normal replacement cycle of revenue equipment and technology investment for our operations. Net capital expenditures were $25.4 million in the first three months of 2021. Approximately $171.8 million of the 2021 remaining capital budget was committed as of March 31, 2021.

In addition to the principal amounts disclosed in the tables below, the Company has interest obligations of approximately $3.2 million for the remainder of 2021 and decreasing for each year thereafter based on borrowings and commitments outstanding at March 31, 2021.

Contractual Obligations

The following tables set forth a summary of our contractual cash obligations and other commercial commitments as of March 31, 2021 (in millions):

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The Company has accrued approximately $1.2 million for uncertain tax positions and $0.1 million for interest and penalties related to the uncertain tax positions as of March 31, 2021.  The Company cannot reasonably estimate the timing of cash settlements with respective taxing authorities beyond one year and accordingly has not included the amounts within the above contractual cash obligations and other commercial commitment tables.

At March 31, 2021, the Company has accrued $91.9 million for claims and insurance liabilities.  The Company cannot reasonably estimate the timing of cash settlements with respective adverse parties beyond one year and accordingly has not included the amounts within the above contractual cash obligations and other commercial commitment tables.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The Company makes estimates and assumptions in preparing the condensed consolidated financial statements that affect reported amounts and disclosures therein.  In the opinion of management, the accounting policies that generally have the most significant impact on the financial position and results of operations of the Company include:

Revenue is recognized in a systematic process whereby estimates of shipments in transit are based upon actual shipments picked up, day of delivery and current rates charged to customers.  Since the cycle for pickup and delivery of shipments is generally 1-5 days, typically less than 5 percent of a total month’s revenue is in transit at the end of any month.  Estimates for credit losses and billing adjustments are based upon historical experience of credit losses, adjustments processed and trends of collections.  Billing adjustments are primarily made for discounts and billing corrections.  These estimates are continuously evaluated and updated; however, changes in economic conditions, pricing arrangements and other factors can significantly impact these estimates.

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These accounting policies and others are described in further detail in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to adopt accounting policies and make significant judgments and estimates to develop amounts reflected and disclosed in the consolidated financial statements. In many cases, there are alternative policies or estimation techniques that could be used. We maintain a thorough process to review the application of our accounting policies and to evaluate the appropriateness of the many estimates that are required to prepare the consolidated financial statements. However, even under optimal circumstances, estimates routinely require adjustment based on changing circumstances and the receipt of new or better information.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

The Company is exposed to a variety of market risks including the effects of interest rates and fuel prices.  The detail of the Company’s debt structure is more fully described in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.  To help mitigate our risk to rising fuel prices, the Company has implemented a fuel surcharge program.  This program is well established within the industry and customer acceptance of fuel surcharges remains high.  Since the amount of fuel surcharge is based on average national fuel prices and is reset weekly, exposure of the Company to fuel price volatility is significantly reduced. However, the fuel surcharge may not fully offset fuel price fluctuations during periods of rapid increases or decreases in the price of fuel and is also subject to overall competitive pricing negotiations.

The following table provides information about the Company’s third-party financial instruments as of March 31, 2021.  The table presents principal cash flows (in millions) and related weighted average interest rates by contractual maturity dates.  The fair value of the variable and fixed rate debt (in millions) was estimated based upon levels one and two in the fair value hierarchy, respectively.  The fair value of finance leases is based on current market interest rates for similar types of financial instruments.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Quarterly Controls Evaluation and Related CEO and CFO Certifications

As of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the Company conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of its “disclosure controls and procedures” (Disclosure Controls). The Disclosure Controls evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Based upon the controls evaluation, the Company’s CEO and CFO have concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the Company’s Disclosure Controls are effective to ensure that information the Company is required to disclose in reports that the Company files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms.

During the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, there were no changes in internal control over financial reporting that materially affected, or that are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Attached as Exhibits 31.1 and 31.2 to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are certifications of the CEO and the CFO, which are required in accordance with Rule 13a-14 of the Exchange Act. This Controls and Procedures section includes the information concerning the controls evaluation referred to in the certifications and it should be read in conjunction with the certifications.

Definition of Disclosure Controls

Disclosure Controls are controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Company’s reports filed under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported timely. Disclosure Controls are also designed to ensure

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that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the CEO and CFO, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company’s Disclosure Controls include components of its internal control over financial reporting which consists of control processes designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Company’s financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls

The Company’s management, including the CEO and CFO, does not expect that its Disclosure Controls or its internal control over financial reporting will prevent all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Controls can also be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by management override of the controls. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

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PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings — For a description of all material pending legal proceedings, see Note 3 “Commitments and Contingencies” of the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

Item 1A. Risk Factors —Risk Factors are described in Item 1A.  “Risk Factors” of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and there have been no material changes.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds —

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities—None

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures—None

Item 5. Other Information—None

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Item 6. Exhibits

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SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

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