Saia Reports Accelerated Tonnage Growth in August Amid Easier Comparisons
Saia, a less-than-truckload carrier based in Johns Creek, Georgia (NASDAQ: SAIA), reported an 8.7% year-over-year increase in tonnage for August 2026, driven by easier prior-year comparisons and improved shipment metrics. Daily shipments rose 1.1%, while weight per shipment increased 7.5%. The company also implemented a general rate increase of 7.1% on July 6, which it noted could cause short-term volatility. Despite the tonnage growth acceleration compared to July, Saia's two-year-stacked comparison showed slower gains in August (+6.5%) than in July (+8.7%). The company expects continued easier comparisons for most of the year and has seen improvements in revenue per shipment during Q2 2026. However, it anticipates a slight margin decline from second to third quarter due to operational factors such as new terminal operations and overlapping wage increases. The broader logistics sector faced some headwinds earlier that week after weaker-than-expected manufacturing data led to declines in publicly traded LTL carriers' shares.
Topics: comparisons rate increases tonnage growth