Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) posted a steep decline in fourth-quarter profitability, weighed down by record claims and rising insurance expenses that overshadowed a marginal increase in revenue.
The Johns Creek, Georgia-based less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier reported diluted earnings per share of $1.77 for the quarter, a significant drop from the $2.84 posted in the same period a year earlier.
While revenue for the quarter inched up 0.1% to $790 million, operating income fell sharply to $64 million.
Management attributed the earnings compression primarily to elevated self-insurance costs, which totaled approximately $4.7 million, and a quarterly claims ratio that hit a record 0.47%.
For the full year, revenue rose 0.8% to $3.2 billion, with diluted EPS ending at $9.52 compared to $13.51 in the prior year.
The trucking company is signaling a pullback in spending for the year ahead.
After deploying $544.1 million in net capital expenditures throughout 2025, Saia issued guidance for 2026 capital expenditures in the range of $350 million to $400 million, representing a substantial reduction in capital outlay.
Full-year operating income settled at $352.2 million, with adjusted operating income coming in at $337.7 million.
The company closed the year with $19.7 million in cash on hand and total debt of $164.0 million.