A monthly newsletter for Saia Employees

January 2010Saia Mission Statement: Provide the best-in-class regional service def ned by our Customer Service Indicators with cost-effective processes in an environment that respects employees and recognizes excellence.

1

Pick-Up Performance99.9%

99.6%

97.0%97.5%

100%100%

99.0%99.0%

99.6%99.6%

100%99.8%

GoalActual

On-Time Delivery

POD Turn-Around

Invoice Accuracy

Claims-Free Shipment

Claims Settled In 30 Days

Saia was recently named the 2009 Outbound

Carrier of the Year by the Clackamas, OR Distri-

bution Center of Beauty Systems Group (BSG), a

division of Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc.

As the largest full-service beauty supplier in the

world, BSG is a network of stores and professional

sales consultants selling exclusive professional sa-

lon brands to licensed beauty professionals. With

825 stores covering most of the United States

and Canada, Beauty Systems Group represents

some of the industry’s most important profes-

sional salon brands including Matrix, Redken,

Call Centers Experience Record-breaking Year

Saia Honored with Lowe’s 2009 Silver Award

December Customer Service Indicators

Paul Mitchell, L’Oréal Professionnel, American

Crew, Rusk, and OPI, among others.

The congratulatory letter stated that Saia “has

demonstrated a strong commitment to build-

ing a solid partnership by exhibiting excellent

customer service and service reliability day in and

day out.”

Saia ended 2009 with 97.2% on-time service

— the best annual performance ever posted by

the company. Saia’s “Delivery before Exception”

performance for December 2009 was 64.

Last year, Saia’s customer service call centers

exceeded the two million call mark for the first

time ever. Representatives answered 2,007,737

calls while still maintaining a yearly average aban-

doned call rate of just 2.27%. During the last five

months of the year, this average dropped to 2%.

In addition to these remarkable results, the

center’s call monitoring scores with regard to the

Customer Service CSIs improved to 92.8% while

single call resolution reached over 96%.

All of our call center customer service representa-

tives work very hard each and every day to make

sure our customers have all their shipping needs

met. Congratulations to everyone who made

these results possible!

Saia has been named the “2009 Silver Team

Award” recipient by Lowe’s Companies, Inc. for

exceeding two of the retailer’s service perfor-

mance indicators. This is the tenth consecutive

year Saia has been recognized by the nation’s

second largest home improvement company.

Saia was honored for achieving Lowe’s GAP

Compliance Goal and the company’s “deliveries

before exceptions” objective. In order to become

GAP compliant, carriers must consistently deliver

each Lowe’s shipment the same day it arrives at

the destination facility.

Saia Named Outbound Carrier of the Year by Beauty Systems Group

Saia’s On-time Service Surpasses 97% in 2009

While we often talk

about Saia’s on-time

delivery performance, it

is important to note that

we surpassed our 97%

on-time service goal last

year. In addition to this

achievement, we also attained 98% service in

our intra-state lanes. While many carriers boast

high on-time service percentages, we know at

Saia how hard we work to achieve our results and

exactly how we measure our performance. For

that, we should be very proud.

Recently, Saia began offering two separate pro-

mos intended to increase business. The first pro-

mo, a discount card, is designed to attract new

business from customers who we deliver freight

to, but who do not ship with us. In an effort to

attract this untapped shipping business, we have

designed an “Xtreme Performance” discount

card that all city drivers have been giving to such

customers. Customers who take advantage of the

card just have to ship two shipments on the same

day or one shipment greater than 1000 pounds

to receive an 85% discount off their bill.

The second promo is designed to attract volume

business. A customer simply has to ship four

truckload shipments weighing a minimum of

20,000 lbs. each to receive their choice of either

a $50 voucher or an MP3 player. To take advan-

tage of the offer, customers simply need to keep

track of their volume Saia shipments. Once they

reach four truckload shipments, they can either

fax or e-mail us the four pro numbers and their

reward selection.

Promos Offer Saia Customers Something More

Pick-Up Performance99.9%

99.6%

97.0%97.2%

100%100%

99.0%99.1%

99.6%99.5%

100%99.8%

GoalActual

On-Time Delivery

POD Turn-Around

Invoice Accuracy

Claims-Free Shipment

Claims Settled In 30 Days

2009 Customer Service Indicators

2

Open Enrollment Update

I want to take this opportunity to update all our

employees on our recent open enrollment. As you

know, this was our first effort at enrollment online.

We are pleased to report that it went well and the

overwhelming majority of comments from the field

were positive.

Of course, we had some difficulties, which included

some technological complications and a delay in

getting the workbooks out. Our vendor, at their

own expense, was able to get these out through

an overnight mailing. A small number of employ-

ees also had problems logging in and completing

the enrollment. Fortunately, we were able to work

through all of our challenges as they occurred.

By far the most convenient and appreciated com-

ponent of the new process was the ability to enroll

24-hours-a-day during the two week enrollment

timeframe. Yet another great benefit was the bilin-

gual option.

Moving forward, we will be conducting a process

review to identify any areas that can be improved.

As such, next year’s enrollment should be even

more user-friendly. I appreciate everyone’s enthusi-

asm and prompt enrollment - thank you!

Take Two Minutes

There are 1,440 minutes in every day. Schedule

two of them for exercises that you can do anytime

and just about anywhere:

» Stand on one leg to improve your balance

» Strengthen calves and ankle muscles by rising up

and down on your tiptoes 10 times - repeat two

to three times

» Lift one leg to your side or back while balancing

on the other leg

Driving and Texting

When it comes to driv-

ing and texting, just

don’t do it! Many states

have recently enacted

laws prohibiting driving

and texting. If you are

caught texting, you can

be slapped with significant fines. These new laws

also include cell phone use too. A recent online

MSNBC report provided an alarming set of facts

about using a cell phone while driving. Here they

are:

» People who send text messages while driving are

six times more likely to have an accident.

» A driver that is texting tended to decrease their

minimum following distance.

» Reaction times were delayed as drivers were

slower to hit their brakes. Driver reaction time

was decreased by 30% when texting and 9%

when talking on the phone.

» Previous studies found that adults who talk on

their cell phone while driving in simulators per-

form as dismally as drunken driver study partici-

pants.

We all know that the cell phone has become an

essential in American culture particularly for our

youth. Businesses have also capitalized on the

instant form of communication as a better means

to serve customers. If you need further prove of

how cell phones have engrained themselves into

our everyday lives, just take a walk through your

mall and see how many cell phones are in use and

who is using them. Or, if you like, simply count

how many drivers are using their phones while they

speed down our streets and highways.

Don’t become a statistic. Keep yourself and your

loved ones safe by discouraging the use of cell

phones for talking or texting while driving. No one

needs the expense of an accident. Auto damage,

increased insurance costs, injuries, civil litigation,

possible criminal charges, and death are quite

possibly the outcome of using your cell phone for

talking or texting while you drive.

A Helping Hand

The American Dietetic Association has some inter-

esting information for all parents. Nine out of ten

kids say they would wash their hands if a moist

towelette or hand sanitizer was included in their

lunch container. Left to their own devices, more

than 60% of kids surveyed admit that they don’t

wash their hands before eating lunch.

Benefits CornerBy John Ferguson – Director of Insurance & Privacy Offcer

Congratulations to the following driver and sales representative teams who surpassed their 18 ship-ments per day goal for the month of December:

ATL Carla RichterCGO Ryan VaskoCLV Dave YeropoliCMB Jeremy LeedDLS Bob TaylorFON Jenna Heim

GRA Kim MeeterGVL John HernLOU Kevin HatfieldMPS Joe WilsonSEA Steve Ahlin

December 18 Again! Results Announced

Wes Smith, an MPS

dockworker, retired

recently after 15 years

of service to Saia.

Congratulations Wes on

your retirement. We all

wish you many happy

years!

Bob Smith, a KCY line driver, retired recently after

17 years with the company. He had been running

to Tulsa on a daily basis. Bob is pictured at right,

third from the left, on his last trip to Tulsa where

several employees shared cake and coffee with

him. Pictured, along with Bob, from left to right,

are Dock Supervisor JD Duryea, Operations Clerk

Tammy Coker, Line Driver Connie Wilson, and Lead

Dockworker Damon Fields. TUL Terminal Manager

David Baldridge said everyone at their terminal will

miss Bob. We all wish him a wonderful retirement!

Good luck Bob!

MPS Dockworker RetiresKCY Line Driver Retires

HST Dockworkers Recognized for DBE Performance

Pictured from left to right are Dock Supervisor TJ Benavides; Dockworkers Derrick Taylor and Richard Paley; Dock Mentor Marcus Provost; Dockworkers Leroy Moore and Elgin Dillard; Dock Mentor Pedro Martinez; and Regional Safety and Claims Manager Sam Lynch.

Several HST dockworkers were recognized for their overall 2009 performance. Each employee performed at a high level and achieved a DBE of 100 or better last year including Elgin Dillard who handled 26,803 shipments. He was HST’s top performer with a DBE of 121. Leroy Moore handled 17,909 ship-ments. His DBE was 108 for the year. Matt Evans handled 28,121 shipments. His DBE was 107. Rich-ard Paley handled 11,669 shipments. He had a DBE of 106. Marcus Provost handled 20,290 shipments. His DBE was 105. Derrick Taylor handled 23,271 shipments. He had a DBE of 103. Pedro Martinez handled 25,640 shipments. His DBE was 100.

3A monthly newsletter for Saia Employees January 2010

LettersEmployee Service Anniversaries

JanuaryDoug Williams

National Account Executive

SEA

Mr. Williams:

I wanted to send you an appreciation note. We had

a shipment to Kansas City, which contained a piece

of equipment that was installed in one of only three

shutdowns at this processing plant. The customer is

a large account for me and you are the primary car-

rier. With the outstanding help and attention-to-de-

tail by BGO Special Accounts Representative Chris

Fejeran, the shipment delivered in just two days

from California to St. Joseph, MO. Once involved,

Christopher managed and communicated clearly

with superb follow-up. When the customer called,

it was with great pleasure that I could indicate that

the shipment had delivered. My thanks go out to

Saia and your team. While it is inevitable that there

will be errors, it is these times which truly separate

carriers. I truly value Christopher’s help along with

those who made this possible.

Brian Post

eShipping

Delbert Bryer

Regional Manager

HST

Mr. Bryer:

I am James McAda with Kennedy Wire Rope in

Corpus Christi, TX. I am the shipping supervisor

and coordinate all of our outbound shipments. I

would like take the time to commend your Corpus

Christi terminal and their commitment to customer

service. In my opinion, CCI Terminal Manager Paul

Howard goes above and beyond to take care of his

customers. Patty Whitehouse, my business develop-

ment executive, gives me the same quality service.

I know if I have a problem, question or complaint,

Paul will be there to address any of them. The driv-

ers I see daily are without a doubt very professional

and courteous. I have used a lot of LTLs over the

years. Saia has become my first choice for shipping

thanks to the Corpus Christi terminal crew and

the on-time deliveries for in-state and out-of-state

shipments.

James McAda

Shipping Supervisor

Kennedy Wire Rope

Corpus Christi, TX

Anna Weill

Recruiting Coordinator

ACO

I am sending this e-mail to you to let you know

your driver, HNT City Driver John Penny, was in

the Sam’s Club in Florence, AL eating lunch when

a lady behind him started choking and couldn’t

breathe. John stopped eating and went to her aid.

He did the Heimlich maneuver a couple times and

cleared her airway. She actually was starting to turn

blue. The lady was very thankful to say the least.

John stood with her for a few minutes to make sure

she was okay and then he finished his lunch like

25+ Years

ACO Mark Abadie (29)

ACO Mark Robinson (25)

ATL William Rogers (28)

LKC Charles Guidry (25)

LRK Jimmy Ledbetter (25)

MAD Dennis Braatz (26)

MBL Freddie Washington (26)

MKE Frederick

Kurkierewicz (28)

MON David Petch (26)

NFK Kevin Bremer (33)

OMA Marilee Schulz (31)

SPT Arnold Owen (29)

20 Years

BOI George Martin

HGO Terry Williams

HST Kevin Jolley

LAF Barry Badeaux

15 Years

ABL Johnny McWright

ATL Robert Hollister

CCI Richard Johnson

Leonardo Valdez

CTN Roy Mahan

GRN Otis Parker

HMA Duard Cheramie

HRL Jose Loredo

Uvaldo Vasquez

JAX Tony Albanese

LEX Claude Bowen

MIA Edward Frith

MPS Anthony Tunstall

TFT Royce Brooks

TYL Nathaniel Cunningham

VCT Samuel Alvarez

10 Years

ACO James Darby

Ginger McElhannon

CLT Leah Evans

DET Gerald Rudzinskas

FON David McDermott

GBO Donald Perdue

GRA Larry Punt

GRL Gavino Guerrero

PHX Timothy Wickert

TOL Paul Kraft

5 Years

ATL Chad Green

W. Frederic MacPhee

Kobie Scott

Rodney Turner

BGO Chantel Kosberg

BMT Michael Thomas

BND Robert Garner

CGO Dariusz Piotrowski

Jasmin Ramovic

COL James Ray

DET Robert Drake

FON Cesar Caballero

GBO Jack Sky

GRA Geoffery Archer

GRL Jessica Hargis

JKN Jason Burgess

LVS Steve Alvarado

MPS Joseph Wilson

OCA Oscar Collier

James Melvin

Christopher Noel

PDX Richard Peek

SAC Daniel Roberts

SAG Thomas Willett

SEA Richard Aliifua

TPA James Butler

Todd Colborne

Jay Knapp

Gerald Vaccaro

VCT David Duncan

nothing happened. The lady came back by once

again to thank him before leaving. He said it was

nothing and that he was just glad he was there

when she needed help. He then got up and left.

There needs to be more people like him in the world.

If you could tell him thanks, I would appreciate it.

Kelly Jackson

Bill Zipp Terminal Manager FTS

Dear Bill:

I would like to compliment the entire Fort Smith terminal. They have always been very helpful in making sure my freight has been picked up. One driver in particular has made a big impact, in my opinion. FTS City Driver Neal McQuiston has always been professional and reliable. As long as he is on this run, he has always called and checked to see if freight is available for pick-up. If the freight is going to be late, he makes an effort to come by when it is ready or refers me to the terminal if he will be unable to pick it up. There have been several times my manager or I have called him directly to find out if he will be able to pick our freight up — before we schedule with Saia. He also has always been reliable during holiday seasons when we are running reduced receiving/shipping hours and for emergency pick-ups or deliveries. Another person I would like to compliment is Saia Senior Account Executive Mike McCaig. He is always a pleasure to work. He has an open-door policy and is easy to reach.

Thank You! Amanda Dickey Shipping Clerk Baldor Electric Company Westville, OK

Cathy Falgoust Cargo Claims Specialist HGO

I would like to take a moment to let you know that your driver MPS City Driver Jay George went above and beyond for us the day we had a damaged pallet delivered. He was very patient and kind to us as we went through the pallet to decide what we would and could not keep. We all know time is very valuable so I would like for him to be recognized for his act of kind customer service and patience. Not to mention he brought the items back a second time. We have trucks making deliver-ies all the time and there are some drivers that always give you attitude, if they are held up for one minute. Jay definitely went above and beyond to make sure we were satisfied. You are fortunate to have him as a driver for you.

Thanks so much! Annie Guy Mid-South Digital Office Products Division Memphis, TN

Letters Are Edited

Letters to Saia Directions are edited for length and

clarity. The editor strives to preserve each writer’s

point-of-view.

continued on page 4 »

4 A monthly newsletter for Saia Employees January 2010

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PAIDPermit 459

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We Want To Hear From You

Share your input on the Saia Directions newsletter. What do you like?

What would you change? What would you enjoy seeing more of? Send

information to: Jeannie S. Jump, Corporate Communications Coordina-

tor, 11465 Johns Creek Parkway, Suite 400, Johns Creek, GA 30097 or

jjump@saia.com.

11465 Johns Creek Parkway

Suite 400

Johns Creek, GA 30097Saia Named Outbound Carrier of the Year by Beauty Systems Group Saia’s On-time Service Surpasses 97% in 2009 Call Centers Experience Record-breaking Year

Benefits Corner December 18 Again! Results Announced HST Dockworkers Recognized for DBE Performance

Letters Employee Service Anniversaries

Company Update

A monthly newsletter for

Saia Employees

January 2010

1234

Company Update

Barnett Receives Promotion; Named NAE

Frank Barnett has been named a national ac-

count executive. He has worked for Saia for five

years as both a sales representative and business

development executive (BDE) at our West Palm

Beach and Miami terminals. In his new role,

Frank will be responsible for national accounts in

southern Florida (MIA, ORL, WPB, and TPA). He

will maintain a field territory in south Florida as

well. Frank has a proven track record of sustained

revenue growth having earned year-end Presi-

dent’s Club honors twice. He was promoted to

BDE for his Best-in-Class achievement.

Boykin & Mueller Named New TMs

Joe Boykin has been named our new Memphis

terminal manager while Greg Mueller has been

named the new Little Rock terminal manager.

Joe joined Saia in October 2008 most recently

working as the Little Rock terminal manager. He

has over 15 years of experience in the transporta-

tion industry. Joe holds a master’s degree from

the University of Mississippi. Greg began working

at Saia in October 2005 serving as the Fort Myers

terminal manager. He has over 24 years of experi-

ence in the transportation industry - 15 of which

have been in management. He has a degree in

business administration from North Central State

College in Mansfield, OH.

Dutton Named New OMA TM

John Dutton has been named the new Omaha

terminal manager. John began his career as a

driver at Saia in May 1998 and has over 10 years

of experience in the transportation industry. Most

recently, he was the terminal manager for the

company’s Odessa and Lubbock facilities. He also

has served as a supervisor in Oklahoma City.

Ketch Named New SBN TM

James Ketch has been named the new South

Bend terminal manager. Though new to Saia,

James has over 32 years of experience in the

transportation industry. He has a bachelor’s de-

gree from the University of Dayton.

Letters

Craig Bordelon

Terminal Manager

LKC

Hello!

This is Theresa from Armstrong McCall in Lake

Charles. I just wanted to put in a good word for

LKC City Driver Carl McNeal. He has always

accommodated us in every way he can. When

we have pallets to return, he always takes them

back without having to be asked. He always has

a smile on his face and treats all my employees

with great respect. I just wanted to let you all

know how much we appreciate him and if pos-

sible, we would like him to be our delivery guy

every time.

Thanks for your attention!

Theresa Langley

Armstrong McCall

Lake Charles, LA

Jim Dunn

Business Development Executive

CLT

Hey Jim:

I just wanted to pass this along because no one

hears good things about people anymore. CLT

City Dispatcher Mitch Carpenter is a wonder-

ful man to work with. He makes shipping easy.

Your drivers are great as well. He is always calm

and we are not used to that, but it makes my

day. Please tell Saia’s president and the Charlotte

terminal manager that Mitch is an excellent

dispatcher and he is always on the top of his

game. He really does have the customer’s interest

at heart.

Thanks!

Kathy Sing

Coordinator – Shipping & Receiving

Samuel Strapping Systems

Fort Mill, SC

Steve Smith Business Development Executive NRF

Steve:

I am not sure if there is a way to recognize ACO National Accounts Service Representative Anne Brandt but she has been very helpful each time I work with her. She always gets me an answer and helps me when nobody can. I worked with her most recently on a Saia mix-up where products on two different pro numbers were delivered to the wrong address. I was able to get the issue resolved with minimal effort due to the effort on her part. This seems to be the same result each time I have to go to her. I only approach her on the more difficult issues I run into and she always seems to get everything resolved. It is not very often you work with someone as helpful as Anne. She always seems to that extra step to help me out.

Thank you! Rodney Davis – Onsite Account Executive LMR/Forbo Bonding Systems

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