Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAIA) Q3 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Amit Mehrotra: Okay. And then just as a follow-up. Obviously, pay very close attention to the last year data and if you look at the Mastio data carefully. It looks like you guys are even more of a value today in your eyes of the customers then you were last year I mean you’re already pretty nice value last year. I just wonder if the pricing is keeping pace with the service, sustainability and whether there’s an opportunity more aggressively. I know you did a GRI of 7.5%, the highest GRI tied to 2021. So it’s a little bit of a weird question, but I wonder if you could be even more aggressive given – in the eyes of your customers the survey tells you that you are even more of a value today than you were last year?

Fritz Holzgrefe: I mean, we’ve – as you might expect we studied the last year’s data as well. One of the things is particularly pleasing as we look across all the attributes. How many that we approved improved on year-over-year in terms of that customer experience. And that’s really important, because that then gets to the place that says. You know that level of service requires a high-level of investment on our part and that’s going to require, that we continue to push the – and making sure that we’re paid for all of that investment. Customer are getting a lot of value for it. And at the same time that requires investment from us and that’s going to – require that we make sure that the pricing is in-line with where it needs to be.

So, I look at that data. And I’m pleased with the service performance, because I think what that says is that Saia has an opportunity to continue to pursue best-in-class opportunity. And then get paid-for it. I mean that’s all part of it and it requires investment we’ll maintain that service.

Amit Mehrotra: Thank you very much.

Operator: Thank you. Your next question comes from the line of Scott Group with Wolfe Research. Please go ahead.

Scott Group: Hi, thanks, good morning. Did you guys give the October tonnage and pricing renewals if you could – I don’t think I heard those, if you can give those? And then Doug, can you just clarify your comment about like the July OR versus the Q3 OR like, is that somewhat seasonally normal where July is always the worst OR of the quarter in Q3?

Doug Col: Sure, good morning, Scott. So September. I don’t think we have the September numbers yet, we haven’t given those. So September shipments were up 16.3%. The tonnage was up 9.7%. With weight per shipment down 5.7%, all of those per workday numbers. October shipments per workday up 18.6%. And tonnage is up 8.4% per workday in October. So, weight per shipment continuing to run lower down 8.6% so far in October. That’s sort of the middle of this week. And it turns, the OR I mean look July has got 20 days this year, we kind of figure we had a half a day and there two, because of where for the drive fell Monday was kind of a hanging day. So yes, I mean, that’s a tough, tough month with 19.5 workdays in it, but – I’m just saying the magnitude of improvement in August of 300-400 basis points.

Really shows us well more than that 400-500 basis points, really shows us that we absorbed it pretty well despite the need for the extra labor in linehaul support. That we’re pretty pleased with how – to those volumes. And as we get folks settled and can bring the PT or the overtime costs down or that’s an opportunity. Yes – as we run into the seasonally slower months for the next few months. I mean, that’s what you do, right. I mean, we managed down hours every day and every terminal and get ready for it, because seasonally that’s what we’re walking into next few months.

Scott Group: And then people – maybe people are disappointed near-term OR fine. Fritz, I wanted to just ask you about like ultimately what the operating leverage and margin profile could look like a year from now, right. I think in the past you’ve talked about 100 to 200 basis points of margin improvement a year. I know it’s early, but we’re digesting some cost this year. I’m guessing a lot of opportunities to get more price next year like. Is next year, a year where it should be. In that one to two point range, should it be better than that given what you know today. Just how should we think about ultimately where the operating leverage and margins can go?

Fritz Holzgrefe: Well I think that is a big, big thing to think about, is that if you look at this over the longer-term. I don’t see an impediment for us not driving this into the 70s OR right. That’s out there that’s available to us. We have proven that we can handle a disruption. Big step-up in volume changes and all those things. Our team is really conditioned to maintain very-high levels of service and if you do that, you’ve got an opportunity to continue to push our pricing to where it ought to be in the market. Now, the tough part about the question you ask Scott, is going to require next year. I would expect to have our improvement overall we exit this year. And I think the range you talk about – they make some sense.

Maybe it’s a 150 to 200 basis points. That makes some sense. But, I can’t really opine yet on what the overall macro-environment is going to look like next year. I hear things that are a little bit positive and constructive. I’m sure like to see that realized. But, I think that what’s most important on the things that Saia can control. I think we have done a great job of handling our customer’s business this quarter. And I think what that does is that positions us to continue to drive the results. And I think that that, I think we ought to perform well next year in a good environment. And I think, most significantly longer-term I don’t see a limit, to what we can do as an organization. So I’m excited about the prospects.

Scott Group: So the answer first said hi, we’ve never had mid-teens high-teens shipment growth before. Ultimately this is going to be great, but that’s a big number it’s just going to take maybe a little bit longer to sort of fully digest and leverage. Is that sort of the idea?

Fritz Holzgrefe: Yes. I mean, we’ve got, Scott, we’ve got – we’re going to build and we talked about the 1,000 folks that we added on the team in the third quarter. I mean, 40% of those were drivers. So what that is. Is that’s us building density in our internal resources, that’s driving our linehaul costs, leveraging our linehaul network as we get scale in the business. I think we’re going to see the benefits of scale. But what’s important while we’re getting that figured out and getting that scale, to the right level, we cannot absolutely do not come short on service with customers. So our focus is always going to be service first. And then let’s get everything – let’s build the cost structure around that and I think there is an opportunity for us to certainly leverage the business. That’s the great value of what we can drive-in the organization, because we’ve proven that we can provide repeatable high levels of service.