Saia (SAIA) 8-K Saia, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2010 Earnings Per Share of $0.16 on 6% Revenue Growth

Exhibit 99.1

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

Saia, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2010
Earnings Per Share of $0.16 on 6% Revenue Growth

     JOHNS CREEK, GA. — October 28, 2010 — Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAIA), a leading multi- regional less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier, today reported third quarter 2010 financial results.

Third Quarter 2010 Compared to Third Quarter 2009 Results

• Revenues were $235 million, an increase of 6 percent from the prior year quarter.

• Operating income was $6.5 million compared to $7.8 million in the prior year quarter. Third quarter 2009 results included $8.4 million in reduced expenses due to a change in vacation policy in that quarter.

• Earnings per share were $0.16 vs. $0.24 in the prior year quarter which included the impact of the favorable vacation adjustment.

• Operating ratio was 97.2 vs. 96.5 in the prior year quarter. Third quarter 2009 operating ratio would have been 100.3 excluding the impact of the favorable vacation adjustment.

• LTL tonnage was up 1.2 percent from the prior year quarter as LTL shipments per workday were down 1.0 percent with a 2.2 percent increase in weight per shipment.

• LTL yield was up 3.3 percent from the prior year quarter primarily due to the impact of increased fuel surcharge and measured pricing actions.

“Though the current environment has provided some unique challenges, Saia has not wavered from our commitment to provide an outstanding experience for our customers, while taking aggressive cost measures and investing in efficiency initiatives which benefit both our customers and our shareholders. This concerted effort, combined with more aggressive pricing actions taken over the past several quarters, has improved cash flow and core operating margins. I am pleased to report that, during the third quarter, we achieved higher increases in contract renewals as we went through the quarter. This is a continuation of the trend that we have seen with contract renewals since March of this year. It is encouraging that we are seeing a clear reversal of the pricing trends that have been such a challenge for the industry,” said Rick O’Dell, president and chief executive officer.

“In addition to improvements from engineered processes, Saia continues to perform well in safety and cargo claims. We recently were recognized by the American Trucking Associations with safety awards including a first place in the LTL/Local category. The ATA safety awards are the most prestigious in our industry and reflect the professionalism, dedication and commitment of Saia’s drivers to safety.

“In spite of progress on a number of fronts, our results continue to be impacted by softness in the economy and the cumulative effect of unprecedented multi-year declines in pricing in our industry. However, Saia’s broad coverage and the continued commitment from Saia’s 7,500 union-free employees to efficiency and customer satisfaction have contributed to steady improvement in our results while we negotiate our way through a very difficult economic period. We expect our focus on yield enhancements, efficiency initiatives and customer satisfaction to further benefit Saia as industry fundamentals improve,” O’Dell said.

Saia, Inc. Third Quarter 2010 Results
Page 2

Year to Date 2010 Compared to Year to Date 2009 Results

• Revenues were $678 million compared to $647 million in the prior year period.

• Operating income was $10.3 million compared to operating loss of $100 thousand in the prior year period.

• Net income was $1.3 million compared to net loss of $4.7 million in the prior year period.

• Earnings per share were $0.08 compared to losses per share of $0.36 in the prior year period.

Financial Position and Capital Expenditures

Total debt was $90.0 million at September 30, 2010. Net of the Company’s $27.2 million cash balance at quarter-end, net debt to total capital was 23.4 percent. This compares to total debt of $116.3 million and net debt to total capital of 35.2 percent at the end of the prior year quarter.

Net capital expenditures for the first nine months of 2010 were $1.2 million. This compares to $6.2 million in the prior year period. The Company now forecasts net capital expenditures in 2010 of approximately $7 million.

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 use 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 November 4, 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 7,500 people. For more information, visit the Investor Relations section atwww.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 update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements reflect the present expectation of future events of our management as

Saia, Inc. Third Quarter 2010 Results
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of the date of this news release 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, assumptions and uncertainties 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 litigation including class action lawsuits; cost and availability of qualified drivers, fuel, purchased transportation, real property, revenue equipment and other assets; governmental regulations, including but not limited to Hours of Service, engine emissions, the Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010, 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; increased costs as a result of recently enacted healthcare reform legislation and other financial, operational and legal risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings. As a result of these and other factors, no assurance can be given as to our future results and achievements. 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.

# # #

CONTACT:	Saia, Inc.
	Renée McKenzie, Treasurer
	RMcKenzie@Saia.com
	678.542.3910

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

	September 30,			December 31,
	2010			2009
ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	27,208		$	8,746
Accounts receivable, net		104,473			87,507
Prepaid expenses and other		28,393			38,300
Total current assets		160,074			134,553
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT:
Cost		613,590			615,803
Less: accumulated depreciation		316,230			292,443
Net property and equipment		297,360			323,360
OTHER ASSETS		7,688			8,513
Total assets	$	465,122		$	466,426
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	$	44,272		$	46,997
Wages and employees’ benefits		24,310			18,793
Other current liabilities		32,246			36,981
Current portion of long-term debt		8,571			—
Total current liabilities		109,399			102,771
OTHER LIABILITIES:
Long-term debt, less current portion		81,429			90,000
Deferred income taxes		41,830			41,867
Claims, insurance and other		26,943			29,107
Total other liabilities		150,202			160,974
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY:
Common stock		16			16
Additional paid-in capital		202,634			201,041
Deferred compensation trust		(2,742	)		(2,737	)
Retained earnings		5,613			4,361
Total shareholders’ equity		205,521			202,681
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	465,122		$	466,426

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

	Third Quarter						Nine Months
	2010			2009			2010			2009
OPERATING REVENUE	$	234,662		$	222,205		$	678,228		$	646,740
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Salaries, wages and employees’ benefits		123,298			118,053			362,183			371,367
Purchased transportation		21,617			18,004			61,063			49,370
Fuel, operating expenses and supplies		58,987			52,340			173,269			145,560
Operating taxes and licenses		9,293			8,905			27,680			26,757
Claims and insurance		5,997			7,343			16,493			24,017
Depreciation and amortization		8,946			9,797			27,473			29,819
Operating (gains) loss, net		(23	)		11			(229	)		(50	)
Total operating expenses		228,115			214,453			667,932			646,840
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)		6,547			7,752			10,296			(100	)
NONOPERATING EXPENSES:
Interest expense		2,469			3,053			8,227			8,369
Other, net		(95	)		(106	)		(347	)		(160	)
Nonoperating expenses, net		2,374			2,947			7,880			8,209
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES		4,173			4,805			2,416			(8,309	)
Income tax expense (benefit)		1,678			1,513			1,164			(3,565	)
NET INCOME (LOSS)	$	2,495		$	3,292		$	1,252		$	(4,744	)
Average common shares outstanding — basic		15,719			13,363			15,707			13,351
Average common shares outstanding — diluted		16,094			13,867			16,082			13,351
Basic earnings (loss) per share	$	0.16		$	0.25		$	0.08		$	(0.36	)
Diluted earnings (loss) per share	$	0.16		$	0.24		$	0.08		$	(0.36	)

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

	Nine Months
	2010			2009
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by operating activities	$	19,527		$	19,969
Net cash provided by operating activities		19,527			19,969
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment		(1,575	)		(6,812	)
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment		401			579
Net cash used in investing activities		(1,174	)		(6,233	)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Repayment of long-term debt		—			(20,250	)
Proceeds from stock option exercises		109			294
Payment of debt issuance costs		—			(2,638	)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities		109			(22,594	)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS		18,462			(8,858	)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD		8,746			27,061
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD	$	27,208		$	18,203

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

											Third Quarter
		Third Quarter						%			Amount/Workday				%
		2010			2009			Change			2010		2009		Change
Workdays												64		64
Operating ratio			97.2	%		96.5	%
F/S Revenue	LTL		217,327			208,062			4.5			3,395.7		3,251.0		4.5
	TL		17,335			14,143			22.6			270.9		221.0		22.6
	Total		234,662			222,205			5.6			3,666.6		3,472.0		5.6
Revenue excluding revenue	LTL		217,358			207,940			4.5			3,396.2		3,249.1		4.5
recognition adjustment	TL		17,338			14,135			22.7			270.9		220.9		22.7
	Total		234,696			222,075			5.7			3,667.1		3,469.9		5.7
Tonnage	LTL		924			912			1.2			14.43		14.26		1.2
	TL		179			162			10.6			2.80		2.53		10.6
	Total		1,102			1,074			2.6			17.23		16.79		2.6
Shipments	LTL		1,670			1,687			(1.0	)		26.09		26.36		(1.0	)
	TL		25			23			10.4			0.40		0.36		10.4
	Total		1,695			1,710			(0.9	)		26.49		26.71		(0.9	)
Revenue/cwt.	LTL		11.77			11.39			3.3
	TL		4.84			4.37			10.9
	Total		10.64			10.34			3.0
Revenue/shipment	LTL		130.17			123.27			5.6
	TL		685.28			616.69			11.1
	Total		138.45			129.89			6.6
Pounds/shipment	LTL		1,106			1,082			2.2
	TL		14,144			14,121			0.2
	Total		1,301			1,257			3.5