Saia (SAIA) PRE 14APreliminary proxy

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Filed by the Registrant  ☒                             Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ☐

Check the appropriate box:

Saia, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders

To be held April 29, 2022

March 21, 2022

To Our Stockholders:

We cordially invite you to attend the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders of Saia, Inc. The meeting will be held in a virtual format on April 29, 2022, at 10:30 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time. Stockholders will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting physically but will be able to participate by submitting questions and voting online. To be admitted to the virtual Annual Meeting at www.meetnow.global/MYUDPTF, you must enter the control number found on your proxy card, voter instruction form or the notice. A list of stockholders entitled to vote will be available via electronic link during the whole time of the annual meeting once you are admitted to the meeting room. We look forward to your participation.

The purpose of the meeting is to:

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on March 4, 2022 may vote at the meeting or any postponements or adjournments of the meeting.

By order of the Board of Directors,

Douglas L. Col

Secretary

PROXY SUMMARY

PROXY SUMMARY

PROXY SUMMARY

PROXY SUMMARY

SAIA, INC.

11465 Johns Creek Parkway, Suite 400

Johns Creek, Georgia 30097

2022 PROXY STATEMENT

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Saia, Inc. (“Saia” or the “Company”) is furnishing you this proxy statement in connection with the solicitation of proxies on its behalf for the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders. The meeting will be held in a virtual format on April 29, 2022, at 10:30 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time. Stockholders will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting physically. To be admitted to the virtual Annual Meeting at www.meetnow.global/MYUDPTF, you must enter the control number found on your proxy card, voter instruction form or the notice you previously received. At the meeting, stockholders will vote on (a) the election of four directors, (b) an advisory basis to approve the compensation of Saia’s Named Executive Officers, (c) a management proposal to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to eliminate supermajority voting requirements, (d) a management proposal to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of our common stock, (e) the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as Saia’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2022, and (f) the transaction of any other business that may properly come before the meeting, and any postponement or adjournment of the meeting, although we know of no other business to be presented.

By submitting your proxy (either by signing and returning the enclosed proxy card or by voting electronically on the internet or by telephone), you authorize Frederick J. Holzgrefe, III and Richard D. O’Dell and each of them to represent you and vote your shares at the meeting in accordance with your instructions. They also may vote your shares to adjourn the meeting and will be authorized to vote your shares at any postponements or adjournments of the meeting.

Saia’s Annual Report to Stockholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, which includes Saia’s audited annual consolidated financial statements, accompanies this proxy statement. Although the Annual Report is being distributed with this proxy statement, it does not constitute a part of the proxy solicitation materials and is not incorporated by reference into this proxy statement.

We are first sending this proxy statement, form of proxy and accompanying materials to stockholders on or about March 21, 2022.

Proposal 1 – Election of Directors

Stockholders approved the phased elimination of the staggered election of directors at the Company’s 2021 annual meeting of stockholders. Starting with the election of directors at this 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, all directors whose terms are expiring at an annual meeting will be elected for a one year term. The Board of Directors currently consists of ten directors divided into three classes (Class I, Class II and Class III).

The terms of the Class II directors will expire at the upcoming annual meeting. Following the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, only two classes will remain (Class I and Class III). The Board of Directors has nominated Kevin A. Henry, Frederick J. Holzgrefe, III, Donald R. James and Richard D. O’Dell for election as Class III directors for terms expiring at the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders. Each nominee currently serves as a director.

Each nominee has consented to being named in this proxy statement and has agreed to serve if elected. If a nominee is unable to stand for election, the Board of Directors may either reduce the number of directors to be elected or select a substitute nominee. If a substitute nominee is selected, the proxy holders will vote your shares for the substitute nominee, unless you have withheld authority. Proxies cannot be voted for a greater number of persons than the four nominees named herein.

In addition to the information presented below regarding the specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills of each nominee and continuing director that led the Board of Directors to the conclusion that such person should serve as a director, the Board also believes that all of the nominees and continuing directors have a reputation for high personal and professional ethics, integrity, values and character. Each nominee and continuing director brings a strong and unique background and set of skills to the Board of Directors giving the Board as a whole competence and experience in a wide variety of areas, including corporate governance and board service, executive and operations management, strategic planning, sales and marketing, the less-than-truckload (“LTL”) and transportation industry, accounting and finance, and risk assessment. They have demonstrated business acumen and an ability to exercise sound judgment, as well as a commitment of service to the Company and the Board. Each nominee and continuing director is committed to achieving, monitoring and improving on the Company’s business strategy.

PROPOSAL 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Board Nomination Process

The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for recommending director candidates to the Board of Directors. The Nominating and Governance Committee will apply the criteria set forth in the Corporate Governance Guidelines when considering whether to recommend any candidate as a director nominee, including candidates recommended by stockholders. The Nominating and Governance Committee seeks nominees with a broad range of experience, professions, skills, geographic representation and backgrounds. The Nominating and Governance Committee believes that the backgrounds and qualifications of the directors, considered as a group, should provide a significant composite mix of experience, knowledge and abilities that will allow the Board to fulfill its responsibilities.

The Corporate Governance Guidelines include director qualification standards that provide as follows:

While the selection of qualified directors is a complex, subjective process that requires consideration of many intangible factors, the Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that directors and candidates for director generally should, at a minimum, meet the following criteria:

If a vacancy arises or the Board decides to expand its membership, the Nominating and Governance Committee may seek recommendations of potential candidates from a variety of sources (including incumbent directors, stockholders, the Company’s management and professional recruitment firms). The Nominating and Governance Committee evaluates each potential candidate’s educational background, employment history, outside commitments and other relevant factors to determine whether he or she is potentially qualified to serve on the Board. The Nominating and Governance Committee seeks to identify and recruit the best available candidates. The Committee evaluates qualified candidates recommended by stockholders on the same basis as those submitted by other sources. Stockholders who wish to recommend a candidate for director or nominate a candidate for election at an annual meeting should follow the procedures described on page 72.

PROPOSAL 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Board Diversity

The Board is committed to having diverse individuals from different backgrounds with varying perspectives, professional experience, education and skills serving as members of the Board. The Board believes that a diverse membership with a variety of perspectives and experiences is an important feature of a well-functioning board, and the composition of the Board reflects the Board’s commitment to diversity. When identifying candidates for the Board, the Board endeavors to search for highly qualified women and individuals from minority groups to include in the pool from which directors are chosen. Of the ten members of Saia’s Board, three are women and four are ethnically diverse.

Director Skills

PROPOSAL 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Board Refreshment

In the past seven years, the Company has refreshed its Board by adding eight new directors, seven of whom are independent. The Company believes that it benefits from having longer tenured directors, including our Chairman, on the Board who are familiar with the Company’s business. We believe the average tenure of our directors of six years reflects the balance the Board seeks between different perspectives brought by longer-serving directors and new directors.

PROPOSAL 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

INFORMATION CONCERNING NOMINEES AND CONTINUING DIRECTORS

The following tables set forth certain information regarding each nominee for director and continuing director of the Company. The information presented includes information provided to the Company by each nominee and continuing director including such person’s name, age, principal occupation and business experience for at least the past five years, the names of other publicly-held companies of which such person currently serves as a director or has served as a director during the past five years and the year in which the nominee or continuing director first became a director of Saia.

NOMINEES FOR ELECTION AS CLASS III DIRECTORS

FOR A ONE-YEAR TERM EXPIRING AT THE 2023 ANNUAL MEETING

Kevin A. Henry

		DIRECTOR SINCE: 2021   AGE: 54   COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP: •  Compensation

Mr. Henry has served as Chief People Officer at BlueLinx Holdings Inc. since March 2022. He was previously Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Extended Stay America from 2014 to 2022. From 2010 to 2014, Mr. Henry served as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Snyder’s-Lance, Inc., a national snack food company. Prior to that, Mr. Henry served in a variety of positions at Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, a beverage manufacturer and distributor, including as Chief Human Resources Officer from 2007 to 2010 and Senior Vice President of Human Resources from 2001 to 2007.

PROPOSAL 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Frederick J. Holzgrefe, III

		DIRECTOR SINCE: 2019   AGE: 54   COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP: •  None

Mr. Holzgrefe has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Saia, Inc. since April 2020. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Saia, Inc. from May 2019 to April 2020 and President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer from January 2019 to May 2019. Previously, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company from July 2017 to January 2019. Mr. Holzgrefe joined the Company in September 2014 as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Prior to joining Saia, he led the international business of Golden Peanut and Treenut, serving as Chief Financial Officer from 2006-2012. Mr. Holzgrefe’s prior experience includes tenure in food and technology businesses and banking and financial advisory services.

Donald R. James

		DIRECTOR SINCE: 2021   AGE: 49   COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP: •  Audit

Dr. James joined Solero Technologies, a global supplier of solenoids, accumulators and control modules to the automotive industry and industrial sector, in March 2022 and has accepted an offer to become chief executive officer of that company, effective April 1, 2022. Previously, he was President of the Americas for Joyson Safety Systems from 2019 to 2021. Dr. James was with

PROPOSAL 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Richard D. O’Dell

		DIRECTOR SINCE: 2006   AGE: 60   COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP: •  None

Mr. O’Dell is Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saia, Inc. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Saia, Inc. from January 2019 until his retirement in April 2020 and served as President and Chief Executive Officer from December 2006 to January 2019. Prior to assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer, Mr. O’Dell served as President of Saia from July 2006 to December 2006. In 1997, Mr. O’Dell joined Saia LTL Freight, the principal operating subsidiary of the Company, as Chief Financial Officer. He continued in that position until his appointment as President and CEO of Saia LTL Freight in 1999.

PROPOSAL 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

CLASS III DIRECTORS CONTINUING IN OFFICE WHOSE TERMS EXPIRE

AT THE 2023 ANNUAL MEETING

Donna E. Epps

		DIRECTOR SINCE: 2019   AGE: 57   COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP: •  Audit •  Nominating and Governance

Ms. Epps was with Deloitte LLP for over 31 years. Ms. Epps served as an attest Partner of Deloitte LLP from 1998 through 2003 and as a Risk and Financial Advisory Partner of Deloitte LLP from 2004 until her retirement in 2017.

PROPOSAL 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

John P. Gainor, Jr.

		DIRECTOR SINCE: 2016   AGE: 65   COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP: •  Audit •  Nominating and Governance

Mr. Gainor served as the President and CEO of International Dairy Queen, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, from 2008 until his retirement in 2017. Mr. Gainor was with International Dairy Queen starting in 2003 and served as its Chief Supply Chain Officer prior to being named President and CEO. From 2000-2003, Mr. Gainor was President and Co-Founder of Supply Solutions, Inc., a company that focused on designing and implementing supply chain solutions and business expansion models for major restaurant chains and consumer products companies. Mr. Gainor has also held various executive positions focusing on logistics, supply chain and transportation with Consolidated Distribution Corporation, AmeriServe Distribution Corporation, and Warner Lambert Corporation.

Randolph W. Melville

		DIRECTOR SINCE: 2015   AGE: 63   COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP: •  Compensation •  Nominating and Governance

Mr. Melville was the Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Western Division of PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America until his retirement in 2017. In that position, he was accountable for all aspects of the company’s western division performance, including sales, operations, supply chain, finance, human resources and strategic planning. Prior to his 20-plus years at Frito-Lay, Mr. Melville served as a Senior Vice President at Maytag Corporation from 1999-2001 and held various sales and marketing leadership positions with Procter & Gamble Distributing Company from 1981 to 1993.

 

PROPOSAL 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

CLASS I DIRECTORS CONTINUING IN OFFICE WHOSE TERMS EXPIRE

AT THE 2024 ANNUAL MEETING

Di-Ann Eisnor

		DIRECTOR SINCE: 2017   AGE: 49   COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP: •  Compensation

Ms. Eisnor is the co-founder and serves as Chief Executive Officer of Core, a venture-backed construction labor marketplace since 2019. Ms. Eisnor was an executive of The We Company, a part of the We Work Companies, from February 2019 until her departure in October 2019. In this position, she was responsible for development of their cities platform. Prior to that time, she was Director of Growth of Waze Inc., a crowd-sourced navigation and real-time traffic application owned by Alphabet, Inc. Ms. Eisnor was with Waze starting in 2009, when she founded its U.S. office. Prior to joining Waze, Ms. Eisnor was co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Platial Inc., a collaborative, user-generated cartographic website.

Jeffrey C. Ward

		DIRECTOR SINCE: 2006   AGE: 63   COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP: •  Compensation •  Nominating and Governance

Mr. Ward is a Vice President and Partner of A.T. Kearney, Inc., a global management consulting firm. Mr. Ward joined A.T. Kearney, Inc. in 1991. Mr. Ward’s experience at A.T. Kearney is focused on the North American transportation market. Additionally, he has experience in a privately-held LTL company.

PROPOSAL 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Susan F. Ward

		DIRECTOR SINCE: 2019   AGE: 61   COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP: •  Audit

Ms. Ward served as Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of United Parcel Service, Inc. from 2015 until her retirement in 2019. Prior to her appointment as Chief Accounting Officer she served in various finance- and accounting-related positions during her 27 years at UPS. Prior to UPS, Ms. Ward spent 10 years at Ernst & Young in Assurance Services.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Corporate Governance Guidelines and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines establishing guidelines and standards with respect to Board governance and meetings, Board composition and diversity, selection and election of directors, director responsibility, director access to management and independent advisors and non-employee director compensation. The Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board regularly reviews and assesses corporate governance developments and recommends to the Board modifications to the Corporate Governance Guidelines as warranted.

The Company has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to all directors, officers and employees, including its principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is filed as Exhibit 14.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, and incorporated by reference into the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Corporate Governance Guidelines and the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics are posted at the “Investor Relations – Governance” page of the Company’s website (www.saia.com).

Director Independence

In February 2022, the Board, with the assistance of the Nominating and Governance Committee, conducted an evaluation of director independence based on the rules and regulations of Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) and determined that each of Di-Ann Eisnor, Donna E. Epps, John P. Gainor, Jr., Kevin A. Henry, Donald R. James, Randolph W. Melville, Jeffrey C. Ward, and Susan F. Ward qualifies as an independent director under such rules and regulations. Mr. O’Dell, as a result of serving as Chief Executive Officer until April 2020, and Mr. Holzgrefe, as a result of his current service as Chief Executive Officer, are not independent.

Director Compensation

Our non-employee directors receive annual compensation as shown in the tables below for service on the Board. Director compensation is approved by the Board based on the recommendation of the Compensation Committee, except the Compensation Committee sets the number of shares of restricted stock to be issued to non-employee directors each year. In order to assist the Compensation Committee in its recommendation, the Committee’s executive compensation consultant conducts an annual review of Saia’s non-employee director compensation program to assess the competitiveness of the compensation program for non-employee directors and advises the Committee of recent market trends as to director compensation. As part of the review, the consultant analyzes Saia’s non-employee director compensation relative to a composite of peer group data and relevant cross-industry survey data. Based in part on the consultant’s study, the Compensation Committee annually makes a recommendation concerning non-employee director compensation for approval by the full Board.

The amounts payable to non-employee directors for 2021 are indicated below:

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

There are no separate fees paid for meeting attendance. If a director serves on more than one Committee, additional compensation is paid for each Committee. All non-employee directors are reimbursed for travel and other out-of-pocket incidental expenses related to meetings.

The 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan governed grants of restricted stock to non-employee directors in 2021 and will continue to do so in 2022. Under the 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan, each non-employee director has the option to receive up to 100% of his or her annual Board and Committee retainers in shares of common stock in lieu of cash, with the value of the shares to be computed by reference to the fair market value of Saia’s common stock on the date of payment.

Under the 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan, the Compensation Committee is to approve an annual grant of restricted stock to each non-employee director, with the value on the grant date not to exceed $500,000. The shares of restricted stock are issued on May 1st each year. For 2021, each non-employee director serving as of May 1, 2021, received 548 shares of restricted stock. This number was determined by the Compensation Committee based on its decision to award non-employee directors restricted stock with a value of $110,000 using the closing stock price on February 11, 2021, which was the date of the Committee’s decision. Mr. Henry and Dr. James each received a pro rata award of 294 shares of common stock upon joining the Board.

For 2022, shares of restricted stock will be issued to non-employee directors under the 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan. On February 7, 2022, the Compensation Committee approved a grant of 396 shares of restricted stock to each non-employee director based on its decision to award restricted stock with a value of $110,000 using the closing stock price on that date. These shares of restricted stock are to be issued on May 1, 2022.

The restricted stock issued in 2021 is subject to a one-year cliff vesting restriction and the shares of restricted stock to be issued in 2022 will also be subject to a one-year cliff vesting restriction. In each case, any unvested shares will become fully vested upon cessation of the director’s service on the Board (other than for cause) or upon a change in control of the Company.

Under the Director’s Deferred Fee Plan, non-employee directors may defer all or a portion of annual fees earned. The deferrals are converted into phantom stock units equivalent to the value of Company common stock. Upon the director’s termination, death or disability, accumulated deferrals are distributed in the form of Company common stock in accordance with elections made by the directors. The following non-employee directors held phantom stock units under the Director’s Deferred Fee Plan as of December 31, 2021, for the following number of shares: Ms. Epps 548; Mr. Gainor 15,768; Mr. Henry 484; Mr. Melville 20,583; Mr. Ward 54,625; and Ms. Ward 2,104.

Directors who are Company employees do not receive any additional compensation for their service as directors. Mr. Holzgrefe, as an employee of Saia, did not receive any compensation for his service as a director in 2021.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The following table sets forth all compensation earned by the Company’s non-employee directors for service as a director for the year ended December 31, 2021. Mr. Holzgrefe’s compensation is shown in the “Summary Compensation Table” herein, Mr. Henry and Dr. James joined the Board on September 1, 2021.

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Saia provides customary liability insurance for its directors and officers. The annual cost of this coverage for 2021 was $1,031,234.

Director Stock Ownership Guidelines

In order to align non-employee directors’ interests with those of the Company and its stockholders, the Board has approved stock ownership guidelines for the Company’s non-employee directors. Under the guidelines, non-employee directors have three years from the date they joined the Board to acquire shares of the Company’s common stock valued at five times the then-current annual retainer for non-employee directors. Units held in the Company’s Director’s Deferred Fee Plan are included as units of stock for the purposes of the guidelines. Under Company policy, directors are precluded from selling shares earned as a director until the director is in compliance with the stock ownership guidelines. All of our directors have met or are on track to meet their objectives within the three-year time requirement.

Majority Voting Standard for Director Elections

The election of directors at the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders is an uncontested election under the Company’s Bylaws. Because this is an uncontested election, a nominee for director is elected to the Board if the votes cast for such nominee’s election exceed the votes cast against such nominee’s election. Abstentions will not affect the election of directors. In tabulating the voting results for the election of directors, only “FOR” and “AGAINST” votes are counted. If an incumbent director fails to receive a majority of the vote for re-election in an uncontested election, the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board will act on an expedited basis to determine whether to accept the director’s previously tendered irrevocable resignation and will submit such recommendation for prompt consideration by the Board. In considering whether to accept or reject the tendered resignation, the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Board will consider any factors they deem relevant. Any director who fails to receive a majority of the vote for re-election will not participate in the Nominating and Governance Committee recommendation or Board decision whether to accept the tendered resignation.

Election to the Company’s Board of Directors in a contested election is by a plurality of the votes cast at any meeting of stockholders having a quorum. An election will be considered contested if (i) the Secretary of the Company receives a notice that a stockholder has nominated a person for election to the Board of Directors in compliance with the advance notice requirements for stockholder nominees for director set forth in the Company’s Bylaws and (ii) such nomination

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

has not been withdrawn by such stockholder on or before the 10th day before the Company first mails its notice of meeting for such meeting to the stockholders. If directors are to be elected by a plurality of the votes cast, stockholders are not permitted to vote against a nominee.

Board Meetings, Committees of the Board and Board Leadership Structure

Attendance at Board and Committee Meetings; Executive Sessions

The Board of Directors held five meetings in 2021. Each director attended at least 75% of the meetings convened by the Board and the applicable Committees during such director’s service on the Board during 2021.

Executive sessions of non-employee directors and executive sessions of independent directors are held as part of each regularly scheduled meeting of the Board. The sessions of the independent directors are chaired by the Lead Independent Director.

Annual Evaluation Process of the Board and Committees

With oversight by the Nominating and Governance Committee, the Board of Directors and each of its Committees conducts annual performance evaluations that are intended to determine whether the Board and its Committees are functioning effectively and to provide the directors the opportunity to reflect upon and improve processes and effectiveness. The evaluation is conducted through the completion by each director of a questionnaire assessing the performance of the Board and each Committee of which the director is a member. Each Committee and the full Board review and discuss the results of the Committee and Board evaluations. The goal is to use the results of the assessment process to enhance the functioning of the Board and the Committees as well as the ability of the Board and Committees to carry out their oversight functions.

Director Orientation and Continuing Education

The Company conducts an orientation program for each new director that includes, among other things, a review of the Company’s business strategy and operations, technology, financial condition, legal and regulatory framework and other relevant topics. The Company also provides continuing education opportunities and programs for current directors. These programs include presentation by outside subject matter experts, participation in governance and industry seminars and visits to Company facilities.

Board Leadership Structure

Saia’s Board structure provides for a Chief Executive Officer separate from the Chairman of the Board. The Board believes maintaining separate roles allows the Chairman to devote his time and attention to matters of Board oversight and governance and allows the Chief Executive Officer to focus his time and energy managing the business.

The Board of Directors designates a director to serve as Chairman of the Board and selected Richard D. O’Dell to serve as Chairman. The primary responsibilities of the Chairman are to:

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Because the Chairman is not independent under Nasdaq rules and regulations, the Board also utilizes a Lead Independent Director, who is selected by the independent directors. The independent directors elected Randolph W. Melville as Lead Independent Director for 2021. The primary responsibilities of the Lead Independent Director are to:

In addition, the Lead Independent Director has the authority to call meetings of independent directors. If requested by major stockholders, the Lead Independent Director will make himself reasonably available for direct communication.

Board’s Role in Corporate Strategy

The Board is actively involved in overseeing, reviewing and guiding the Company’s corporate strategy. The Board formally reviews the Company’s business strategy, including the risks and opportunities facing the Company and its business, at an annual strategic planning session. In addition, long-range strategic issues are discussed as a matter of course at regular Board meetings. The Board regularly discusses corporate strategy throughout the year with management formally as well as informally and during executive sessions of the Board as appropriate. As discussed in “Board’s Role in Risk Management Process” below, the Board views risk management and oversight as an integral part of the strategic planning process, and provides oversight of management’s process to identify, manage and mitigate risks inherent in the Company’s strategic plans.

Board’s Role in Risk Management Process

The Company’s senior management has the responsibility to develop and implement the Company’s strategic plans and to identify, evaluate, manage, and mitigate the risks inherent in those plans. It is the responsibility of the Board to oversee the development and execution of the Company’s strategic plans and to understand the associated risks and the steps that senior management is taking to manage and mitigate those risks. The Board executes its oversight responsibility both through active review and discussion of key risks facing the Company and by delegating certain oversight responsibilities to the Board Committees. The full Board has retained responsibility for oversight of strategic risks as well as risks not otherwise delegated to one of the Committees, including cybersecurity, sustainability and climate change risks.

As part of its risk management oversight, the full Board, based on input from management and the Nominating and Governance Committee, conducts a number of reviews throughout the year to ensure that the Company’s strategy and risk management is appropriate and prudent, including a review of specific risks, ranking of the likelihood and significance of those risks and a review of mitigation plans. In addition, the Board has delegated certain risk management oversight responsibilities to specific Board Committees, each of which reports regularly to the full Board. In performing these oversight responsibilities, each Committee has full access to management, as well as the ability to engage independent advisors.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The following is a summary of the general risk oversight functions of the Committees:

COMMITTEE RISK OVERSIGHT

Succession Planning

Succession planning and leadership development are key priorities for the Board and management. The Board regularly reviews the Company’s human capital related activities in support of the Company’s business strategy, which includes a discussion of the Company’s training and development programs, leadership bench and succession plans with a focus on key positions at the senior executive level and other critical roles. The Board also has regular and direct exposure to high potential leaders through formal Board and Committee presentations and informal events.

Board Committees

The Board of Directors has an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating and Governance Committee, each of which is comprised entirely of independent directors. Current Committee memberships are as follows:

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Each of the Committees acts pursuant to a written charter adopted by the Board. A copy of each Committee charter is posted at the “Investor Relations – Governance” page of the Company’s website (www.saia.com).

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee has been established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Securities Exchange Act of 1934”). The Audit Committee held five meetings in 2021. The functions of the Audit Committee are described in the Audit Committee Charter and include, among others, the following:

The Board of Directors has determined that Ms. Ward, Ms. Epps and Mr. Gainor are “audit committee financial experts,” as defined by applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and all members of the Audit Committee have accounting and related financial expertise and are independent in accordance with Nasdaq rules.

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee held seven meetings in 2021. The functions of the Compensation Committee are described in the Compensation Committee Charter and include, among others, the following:

Each member of the Compensation Committee qualifies as (i) an independent director under applicable Nasdaq rules and Rule 10C-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and (ii) a “non-employee director” for purposes of Rule 16b-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The Compensation Committee has retained Mercer (US) Inc. as its executive compensation consultant to provide information, analysis and recommendations regarding executive and director compensation. Mercer reports directly to the Compensation Committee and takes direction from the Committee. The Committee periodically meets with the Mercer consultant outside the presence of management to discuss executive compensation philosophy and specific levels of compensation and to ensure that Mercer receives from management the information required to perform its duties on a timely basis. The Compensation Committee formally evaluates the performance of Mercer on an annual basis and may terminate the services of Mercer at any time.

For 2021, the Company paid Mercer $124,869 for executive and director compensation services rendered to the Compensation Committee. Mercer is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (“MMC”). Since 2010, including during 2021, the Company has used Marsh USA, Inc., an affiliate of MMC, to provide insurance brokerage services, based on a determination made by management of the expertise of Marsh USA, Inc. in providing

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

insurance brokerage services for the transportation industry. The Company paid Marsh USA, Inc. $3,054,019 in fees in 2021 for such insurance brokerage services (this amount does not include insurance premiums that are paid through Marsh USA, Inc. to insurance carriers on behalf of Saia).

In connection with the Compensation Committee’s consideration of the independence of Mercer, the Committee confirmed with Mercer that:

In its evaluation of the relationship with Mercer, the Compensation Committee also reviewed the protocols used by the Committee in its dealings with Mercer which include:

Following this assessment of the relationship of Mercer and its affiliates with the Company, the Compensation Committee concluded that Mercer’s work for the Committee does not raise any conflict of interest and that Mercer qualified as independent.

Nominating and Governance Committee

The Nominating and Governance Committee held five meetings in 2021. The functions of the Nominating and Governance Committee are described in the Nominating and Governance Committee Charter and include, among others, the following:

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Each member of the Nominating and Governance Committee meets the definition of an independent director under applicable Nasdaq rules.

Corporate Responsibility at Saia

We are committed to being a good corporate citizen and we embrace our responsibility to the environment, our employees and the communities we serve. Our management is focused on developing and implementing strategies and initiatives that address each of these areas and the Board provides direct oversight of management’s execution of those strategies and initiatives.

Environmental Initiatives

We seek to meet or exceed environmental standards in all areas where we operate. We are focused on improving energy efficiency and lowering our greenhouse gas emissions through updating our tractor and trailer fleet and improving our freight terminals.

Social Responsibility

The success of Saia is fundamentally connected to the well-being of our people. We strive to attract, engage, develop and retain employees who feel valued and included, have opportunities to grow and who are driven to succeed. Saia’s human capital management strategies and initiatives are overseen at the Board level by the Compensation Committee.

Safety. Our highest priority is the safety of our employees and the communities we serve. We have invested in some of the latest safety technologies and we provide our employees with extensive safety training. Saia has repeatedly been recognized by the American Trucking Associations’ Safety Council for our outstanding safety record.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Employee Development and Training. We place a premium on finding and developing the right people and we invest significant effort and resources on developing and training our employees.

Workplace Culture. Creating and maintaining a strong and positive employee culture is critical to our success. We pride ourselves on the fair treatment of our employees and strive to have a high level of employee satisfaction and productivity. Saia is committed to fostering a work environment that values and promotes diversity and inclusion. In 2020, Forbes named Saia to its list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity.

For more information about the Company’s Corporate Responsibility matters please visit the Company’s website at www.saia.com.

Stockholder Communications with the Board of Directors

Stockholders seeking to communicate with the Board of Directors should submit their written correspondence to the Secretary of the Company, Saia, Inc., 11465 Johns Creek Parkway, Suite 400, Johns Creek, Georgia 30097. The Secretary of the Company will forward all such communications (excluding routine advertisements and business solicitations and communications which the Secretary of the Company, in his or her sole discretion, deems to be a security risk or for harassment purposes) to each member of the Board of Directors, or if applicable, to the individual director(s) named in the correspondence. Subject to the following, the Chairman of the Board and the Lead Independent Director will receive copies of all stockholder communications, including those addressed to individual directors. The Secretary will consider each communication to determine whether it should be forwarded promptly or compiled and sent with other communications and other Board materials in advance of the next scheduled Board meeting.

Stockholders also have an opportunity to communicate with the Board of Directors at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders. The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that absent unusual circumstances, directors are expected to attend all annual meetings of stockholders. All members of the Board of Directors attended the 2021 annual meeting of stockholders.

Stock Ownership

Directors and Executive Officers

The following table sets forth the amount of Saia’s common stock beneficially owned by each director and each executive officer named in the Summary Compensation Table on page 41 and all directors and executive officers as a group, as of January 15, 2022. Unless otherwise indicated, beneficial ownership is direct and the person indicated has sole voting and investment power.

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes our executive compensation philosophy and programs, the decisions the Compensation Committee has made under those programs and the factors considered in making those decisions. This Compensation Discussion and Analysis focuses on the compensation of our Named Executive Officers for 2021, who were:

In March 2021, Mr. Sugar was promoted to Executive Vice President of Operations for which he is responsible for operations, industrial engineering and transportation functions.

Executive Summary

The following provides an overview of our compensation philosophy and programs, including the focus on pay for performance, best practice pay programs and alignment of the interests of Saia’s executives with those of Saia’s stockholders. Details about the compensation awarded to Saia’s Named Executive Officers can be found in the Summary Compensation Table and related compensation tables in this proxy statement.

The Company’s executive compensation program is designed to link pay with performance by requiring that a significant portion of each executive’s target compensation is at risk and is earned based on achieving corporate financial and operating targets, total stockholder return and stock price appreciation.

All significant elements of long-term compensation are paid through equity awards in the form of performance stock units, stock options and restricted stock. The Company maintains stock ownership guidelines for the executive officers to further align the interests of our executive officers with our stockholders.

The Compensation Committee designs the Company’s executive compensation program to attract, motivate, reward and facilitate the retention of executive talent to achieve corporate objectives. The program is comprised of base salary, cash-based annual incentive awards, equity-based long-term incentive awards, customary benefits and perquisites and severance benefits. Elements of the program are generally designed to provide target compensation opportunity around the 50^th percentile of the peer group, but can be higher or lower based on individual performance, tenure, additional responsibility and for executive retention and succession planning purposes. The Committee works with Mercer (US) Inc., its executive compensation consultant, each year to assess our program against our transportation industry peers and general industry.

In accordance with the recommendations of our stockholders, Saia holds a stockholder advisory “say-on-pay” vote on an annual basis. In 2021, holders of 97.7% of Saia’s stock voting on the matter approved, on an advisory basis, the compensation paid to Saia’s Named Executive Officers as described in the 2021 proxy statement. The Compensation Committee believes that this vote demonstrates strong support by our stockholders of our compensation philosophy and goals and the compensation decisions made by the Committee. Based on these favorable results, the Compensation Committee was encouraged to continue its practices in determining executive compensation.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Key Features of Saia’s Executive Compensation Program

COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to create challenges during 2021. From the outset of the pandemic, the Company was identified as an essential service provider, thus we have operated throughout the pandemic. Our Named Executive Officers and other senior management of the Company have provided strong leadership through the pandemic. They implemented a number of measures that were designed to limit the adverse effect of the pandemic on our business and on our employees and customers. Such measures have included:

Financial and Operating Performance

The following graphs highlight Saia’s financial and operating performance for fiscal years 2019-2021:

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Executive Compensation Oversight

Role of Compensation Committee

Saia’s executive compensation program is designed and administered by the Compensation Committee, which is made up entirely of independent directors. The Compensation Committee, with the assistance of Mercer, as independent compensation consultant to the Compensation Committee, annually reviews the Company’s compensation philosophy, the overall design of the compensation program and the elements of each component of compensation. In making decisions about compensation for the Named Executive Officers as described in the compensation tables in this proxy statement, the Compensation Committee takes the following factors into consideration, among others, although none of these factors is determinative individually:

The Compensation Committee reviews and approves all elements of our executive compensation program, other than Mr. Holzgrefe’s compensation, which is approved by the Board, based on an assessment of his performance conducted by the Board and based on the recommendation of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Holzgrefe makes recommendations to the Compensation Committee as to elements of compensation for his direct reports and provides performance reviews to assist the Compensation Committee in setting executive compensation.

Role of Compensation Consultant

The Compensation Committee enters into a consulting agreement with its outside consultant on an annual basis. The Compensation Committee retained Mercer as its executive compensation consultant to provide information, analysis and recommendations regarding executive and director compensation. Mercer reports directly to the Compensation Committee and takes direction from the Committee. The Committee periodically meets with the Mercer consultant outside the presence of management to discuss executive compensation philosophy and specific levels of compensation and to ensure that Mercer receives from management the information required to perform its duties on a timely basis. The Committee formally evaluates the performance of Mercer on an annual basis and may terminate the services of Mercer at any time.

Additional Information

Additional information about the structure and practices of the Compensation Committee and role of the compensation consultant is presented under the heading Corporate Governance – Meetings, Committees of the Board and Leadership Structure, Compensation Committee in this proxy statement.

Executive Compensation Philosophy

The Compensation Committee believes the executive compensation program should link pay with performance and should attract, motivate, reward and facilitate the retention of the executive talent required to achieve corporate objectives and to create value for the Company’s stockholders. We align the interests of our executives with those of our stockholders through an annual incentive plan using annual operating income and operating ratio because we believe those metrics are important in determining our stock price and through long-term equity incentives in the form of

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

performance stock units, stock options and restricted stock. Our compensation program has achieved strong support from our stockholders with over 97.7% of the shares voting on the matter at the 2021 annual stockholders meeting having voted in favor of approval of the compensation of our Named Executive Officers, as disclosed in the 2021 proxy statement.

Executive Compensation Components

The specific components, key characteristics and objectives of Saia’s executive compensation program are:

Pay equity

To create stockholder value and motivate its employees, the Company is committed to internal and external pay equity. To assess internal pay equity, the Compensation Committee annually reviews the relationship between the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer to that of other Named Executive Officers and salaried employees generally. During the past three years, the Chief Executive Officer’s total direct compensation (salary and short- and long-term incentive awards) has been approximately 1.89 times the total direct compensation of the next highest paid Named Executive Officer, which the Committee believes is an appropriate multiple based on the additional responsibilities of the Chief Executive Officer. See also CEO Pay Ratio, elsewhere in this proxy statement. To test external pay equity, the Committee annually reviews compensation data for similar positions at peer group companies, described below, in the transportation industry with revenue levels comparable to Saia’s and data from general industry surveys.

Compensation Review Peer Group

To assist the Compensation Committee in determining the design, components and levels of compensation for the Company’s executive officers, the Committee annually reviews compensation data for similar positions at U.S. publicly-traded transportation companies with annual revenues of approximately one-half to two and one-half times Saia’s revenues. The Committee focuses on these transportation peers because it believes transportation companies with a scale comparable to Saia’s are our primary competitors for executive talent and provide a sound basis to assess Saia’s executive compensation.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

The peer group used in 2020 to assist in setting compensation for 2021 was:

Some of the peer group companies have substantial stock ownership by executives. If the stock ownership amounts were disclosed by the peer group company to have a material impact on their executive compensation levels, the specific compensation element is excluded from the competitive data and associated analysis as decided by Mercer.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION DECISIONS FOR 2021

Pay Mix

The following graph sets forth the key components of compensation and pay mix for the Named Executive Officers based on target payout levels for 2021:

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Base Salary

Saia provides market competitive base salaries to attract and retain outstanding talent and to provide a fixed component of pay for our Named Executive Officers for performing daily responsibilities. The Compensation Committee uses the median of the peer group companies as the general reference point for base salaries because it believes the median is the best representation of competitive base salary levels in the market for similar roles and talent. In setting individual base salary levels, the Compensation Committee adjusts levels as it deems appropriate. Typical reasons for adjusting an individual officer’s base salary above or below the market median include tenure of the officer in the position, job performance, pay mix, internal pay equity, additional responsibilities of the officer, executive retention and succession planning.

Changes made to base salaries of the Named Executive Officers for 2021 were as follows:

Annual Cash Incentives

Annual cash incentive awards are used to reward executives for achievement of corporate annual operating income and operating ratio targets for the year. The annual cash incentive awards provide for threshold, target and maximum payouts as a percentage of base salary for each executive. The Committee elected not to change the methodology used in the annual incentive plan for 2021.

The Compensation Committee uses the median of annual incentives of the peer group companies as the general reference point for target annual cash incentives because it believes the median is the best representation of competitive annual cash incentive levels in the market for similar roles and talent. In setting an individual officer’s target annual cash incentive level, the Compensation Committee has the discretion to adjust the target level as it deems appropriate. Typical reasons for adjusting an individual officer’s target annual incentive level above or below the market median include tenure of the officer in the position, job performance, additional responsibilities of the officer, internal pay equity, executive retention and succession planning. At the highest level of achievement, the annual cash incentive opportunity was 200% of the target in 2021. At a threshold level of performance, the incentive opportunity was 25% of the target in 2021, with no incentive earned if performance was below the threshold achievement level.

The Committee seeks to set the threshold, target and maximum performance goals at levels such that the relative likelihood that Saia will achieve such goals remains consistent from year to year. It is the intent of the Committee that the threshold goals should be attainable a majority of the time, target goals should, on average, be reasonably expected to be achieved and maximum goals should be attained a minority of the time. Establishing the expected performance goals relative to these criteria is inherently subject to considerable judgment on the part of the Committee.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

The Committee did not change the annual cash incentive targets for the Named Executive Officers for 2021, except as follows:

For 2021 the potential payout levels under the annual incentive awards for the Named Executive Officers were as follows:

Potential Payouts of Annual Incentives for 2021

Performance Targets and Actual Performance for 2021

For 2021, the annual cash incentive awards for the Named Executive Officers were based 50% on achieving an annual operating income target and 50% on achieving an annual operating ratio target. The Compensation Committee believes using an operating income target rather than an earnings per share target more closely reflects actual performance of management for the year by eliminating the impact of changes to the effective tax rate. Saia uses operating ratio as a performance goal because it is an objective measure of profitability of Saia’s business, is a common measure of profitability within the industry and can have a direct impact on Saia’s stock price. Operating ratio is defined as operating expenses divided by operating revenue. Real estate gains and losses, one-time charges and integration charges are excluded from the calculation in the discretion of the Compensation Committee.

The operating income and operating ratio performance targets for 2021 were set by the Compensation Committee considering past performance, the strategic plan, current economic conditions and other forecasts of performance for the year. The performance targets and actual performance for 2021 were as follows:

Based on operating income and operating ratio results for 2021, the final payout of the annual incentive plan was 200.0% of target for 2021. See the “2021 Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table” that follows the Summary Compensation Table for additional information about annual cash incentive awards granted to the Named Executive Officers for 2021.

Long-Term Equity Incentives

The Compensation Committee provides long-term equity awards to the executive officers to align the interests of the executive with the interests of our stockholders, reward executives for achieving stockholder valuation increases over a multi-year period, and encourage executive retention. The long-term equity awards are provided through performance stock units, restricted stock and stock options.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Long-term equity awards are typically granted in early February each year on the third trading day following the release of the Company’s financial results for the prior fiscal year. For new hires, the grant date is typically on or around their hire date.

Long-Term Equity Incentive Plan Targets

The Committee grants long-term equity awards for each Named Executive Officer based on a target percentage of base salary for such officer. The Compensation Committee uses the median of long-term incentives of the peer group companies as the general reference point for target long-term equity awards because it believes the median is the best representation of competitive long-term equity incentive levels in the market for similar roles and talent. In setting individual target equity incentive levels, the Compensation Committee has discretion to adjust the target level as it deems appropriate. Typical reasons for adjusting an individual officer’s target equity incentive level above or below the market median include tenure of the officer in the position, job performance, additional responsibilities of the officer, internal pay equity, executive retention and succession planning.

Changes made to the long-term equity incentive targets as a percentage of base salary for the Named Executive Officers for 2021 were as follows:

For 2021 the target long-term equity incentive as a percentage of base salary for the Named Executive Officers was as follows:

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Components of Long-Term Equity Incentive Awards

For 2021, 50% of a Named Executive Officer’s long-term equity incentive opportunity was granted in performance stock units, 25% in stock options (valued using the Black-Scholes option pricing model), and 25% in restricted stock (valued using the intrinsic-value pricing model). The Committee elected not to change this mix of awards for 2021 because it believes this mix appropriately balances relative and absolute stock performance, reflects competitive pay practices and promotes executive retention.

The long-term equity incentive awards made to the Named Executive Officers in 2021 were as follows:

Performance Stock Units

For 2021, 50% of the Named Executive Officers’ long-term equity incentive opportunity was awarded in performance stock units, which are paid in shares of Saia stock. The role of performance stock units is to reward executives for long-term value creation relative to other transportation companies. The Compensation Committee believes that measuring Saia stock performance against that of a broad group of transportation companies over a multi-year period provides a key metric for assessing the long-term performance of Saia’s Named Executive Officers. Providing a significant portion of long-term compensation on this basis also aligns the interests of the Named Executive Officers with the interests of our stockholders and helps insure against executives taking excessive or unnecessary risks that might threaten the long-term value of the Company.

The number of shares of stock that are earned by a participant is based on the total stockholder return of Saia compared to the total stockholder return (assuming reinvestment of dividends) of the companies in the broader transportation group over a three-year performance period. At the end of the performance period, the percentile rank of the Company’s total stockholder return is calculated relative to the total stockholder return of each of the companies in the group. Because the performance period for each grant of performance stock units is three years, participants can have overlapping three-year award opportunities at any time.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Since the size of the companies is not critical in assessing relative total stockholder returns, the group used for comparison purposes for performance stock units (the “PSU Group”) is comprised of U.S. publicly-traded companies in the broader transportation industry, regardless of revenues. The Committee believes using performance of the PSU Group provides a wider spectrum from which to assess management performance. The companies included in the PSU Group for open performance periods are as follows:

For the performance periods beginning in 2019, 2020 and 2021, the payouts of performance stock units are determined as follows:

The payout associated with the Company’s percentile rank is based on the chart above with payouts interpolated for performance between the 25th and 50th percentiles and the 50th and 75th percentiles.

For awards made in 2020 and 2021, if the Company’s total stockholder return for the three-year performance period is negative, any payouts of the incentive are reduced by half. For example, if the Company’s total stockholder return over the three-year period is negative, but the Company’s total stockholder return compared to the PSU Group is at the 50^th percentile, the associated payout percentage will be 50% of target, not 100%. Previously, if the Company’s total stockholder return over the performance period was negative, no payouts of performance stock units were made for the performance period, even if Company performance was strong compared to the PSU Group. Given the cyclical nature of the transportation industry, the Compensation Committee made this change to continue to provide an incentive under the plan in the case of an economic downturn affecting the entire industry and to conform to peer group practice generally.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

The following table details the payout percentages compared to target of the performance stock units paid out the last three years:

In February 2021, the Company granted performance stock units for 9,773 shares (at target) to the Named Executive Officers, representing 64% of the total target units granted at that time. See the “2021 Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table” that follows the Summary Compensation Table for additional information about performance stock units granted to the Named Executive Officers in 2021.

See the “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” section for a description of the effect a termination of employment or a change in control of the Company have on the performance stock units awarded to the Named Executive Officers.

Stock Options

The role of stock options is to reward executives for increasing absolute long-term stockholder value. For 2021, the value of each stock option award was equal to 25% of the target long-term equity incentive award for the executive using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The exercise price of the stock options is equal to the closing share price of Saia common stock on NASDAQ on the grant date. The Company’s Omnibus Incentive Plan strictly prohibits re-pricing of stock options. All stock options granted have been non-qualified stock options.

All stock options vest based on the passage of time, subject to earlier vesting upon a change in control and, as to Mr. Holzgrefe, subject to his employment agreement described below. The Committee believes time-vested options encourage long-term value creation and executive retention because generally executives can realize value from such options only if the Company’s stock price increases after grant and the executive remains employed at Saia at least until the options vest. In the view of the Committee, providing for a vesting period over a number of years also helps ensure against executives taking excessive or unnecessary risks that might threaten the long-term value of the Company.

In February 2021, the Company granted a total of 12,300 stock options to the Named Executive Officers, representing 64% of the total stock options granted at that time. Stock options granted in February 2021 vest one-third each year on the anniversary of the grant date and have a seven-year term, after which, if not exercised, the option expires. See the “2021 Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table” that follows the Summary Compensation Table for additional information about the specific stock option grants made to the Named Executive Officers in 2021.

See the “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” section for a description of the effect a termination of employment or a change in control of the Company have on the stock options awarded to the Named Executive Officers.

Restricted Stock Awards

The Committee uses restricted stock as a part of the long-term equity incentive plan to help reduce significant executive compensation swings, for executive retention and to better align the Company’s long-term compensation practices with its peers. The value of restricted stock grants in 2021 under the long-term equity incentive plan was equal to 25% of the target long-term equity incentive award for the executive. In February 2021, the Company granted a total of 4,888 shares of restricted stock to the Named Executive Officers, representing 64% of the total restricted stock awards granted at that time. These restricted stock grants have a three-year cliff vesting schedule subject to earlier vesting upon death, disability, retirement of the officer, and upon a change in control of Saia. See the “2021 Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table” that follows the Summary Compensation Table for additional information on restricted stock grants made to the Named Executive Officers in 2021.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

The Company also uses restricted stock grants from time to time to address concerns about long-term executive retention, as part of a total compensation package granted to an executive upon initial hiring and to recognize the significant promotion of an executive. These restricted stock grants have historically vested over a five year period in order to promote executive retention. In connection with his promotion to Executive Vice President of Operations, Mr. Sugar received a grant of 914 shares of restricted stock on March 9, 2021 with an initial valuation of $200,000, which vest over five years.

See the “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” section for a description of the effect a termination of employment or a change in control of the Company have on the restricted stock granted to the Named Executive Officers.

Other Benefits and Perquisites

Benefits

The Company provides customary employee benefits to substantially all employees, including the Named Executive Officers. These benefits include paid holidays and vacation, medical, disability and life insurance and a defined contribution retirement plan. The defined contribution retirement plan is a 401(k) savings plan to which employees may elect to make pre-tax contributions. The Company has the discretion to match 50% of all employee contributions, up to a maximum employee contribution of 6% of annual salary.

Deferred Compensation Plan

The Company has established for officers (including all of the Named Executive Officers) and certain other employees a Capital Accumulation Plan, which is a non-qualified deferred compensation plan. The Capital Accumulation Plan was implemented to motivate and retain key employees by providing them with greater flexibility in structuring the timing of their compensation and tax payments. The Compensation Committee believes that the Capital Accumulation Plan provides a valuable benefit to senior executives with minimal cost to the Company.

The Capital Accumulation Plan allows a participant to make an elective deferral each year of up to 50% of base salary and up to 100% of any annual incentive plan payment. The Company typically makes an annual discretionary contribution under the Capital Accumulation Plan for each participant equal to 5% of his or her base salary and annual incentive payment, which contribution is subject to a five year vesting period. In addition, to the extent a participant’s contribution to the 401(k) savings plan is limited under restrictions placed on “Highly Compensated Employees” under ERISA, the participant may elect to contribute the amount so limited to the Capital Accumulation Plan. To the extent the Company is unable to match participant contributions under the 401(k) savings plan because of the ERISA limitations, the matching contributions will be made by the Company to the Capital Accumulation Plan.

The Capital Accumulation Plan provides the same investment options to participants as are available under the 401(k) savings plan, except that participants may also elect to invest in Saia stock under the Capital Accumulation Plan. Participants may elect to transfer balances between investment options without restriction at any time throughout the year, except that any investment in Saia stock is an irrevocable election and upon distribution that investment will be paid out in Saia stock, rather than cash. Vested plan balances become distributable to the participant upon termination of employment subject to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code.

Perquisites

The types and amounts of perquisites provided to the Named Executive Officers are determined by the Compensation Committee with input from Mercer based on perquisites granted to comparable officers by companies in the executive compensation peer group. The Company provides perquisites because many companies in the peer group provide similar perquisites to their Named Executive Officers and because the Committee believes they are important for executive retention. However, the perquisites that the Company provides are generally fewer and less costly than those provided by members of the peer group. The value of the perquisites provided to the Named Executive Officers for 2021 are set forth in the “All Other Compensation” column of the Summary Compensation Table.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Post-Employment Compensation

Severance Agreements

Commencing in February 2015, all stock option grants (including those made to each of the Named Executive Officers other than the Chief Executive Officer) contain non-competition and employee and customer non-solicitation provisions, as well as provisions designed to protect Saia’s intellectual property. To provide an additional incentive for executives to agree to the restrictive covenants, the Company entered into a severance agreement with each executive who received a stock option grant (other than the Chief Executive Officer) that generally provides for severance payments equal to base salary over the non-compete period in the event the executive’s employment is involuntarily terminated without cause as defined in the agreements. To receive the severance payments, the executive must sign a general release of claims against the Company and must comply with the executive’s obligations under any other agreement with the Company, including the restrictive covenants in the executive’s stock option agreement. (Mr. Holzgrefe’s severance arrangements are governed by the terms of his employment agreement and Change in Control Agreement.)

Double Trigger Change in Control Agreements

The Company has change in control agreements with each of the Named Executive Officers (the “Change in Control Agreements”). The Compensation Committee believes the Change in Control Agreements are an important part of Saia’s overall compensation program for the Named Executive Officers because they help secure the continued employment and dedication of the Named Executive Officers notwithstanding any concern the executive might have regarding their own continued employment in the event of a potential change in control transaction.

The Change in Control Agreements include a “double trigger,” meaning they provide for severance payments and other benefits only if there is a change in control of the Company and only if after the change in control the executive’s employment is terminated involuntarily (other than for cause) or voluntarily with good reason within two years after the change in control. The Change in Control Agreements are reviewed periodically by the Committee to ensure they are consistent with the Company’s compensation philosophy. The Committee also receives input from Mercer and outside legal counsel to confirm that the agreements remain generally consistent with competitive practices.

The amount of the severance payments and benefits under these agreements are based on peer group and general industry practices and are described in the “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” section of this proxy statement.

Employment Agreement

To promote executive retention, continuity and stability in the Company’s leadership and help support certain non-competition and non-solicitation provisions, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Holzgrefe at the time he was named Chief Executive Officer in April 2020. The employment agreement is for a two-year initial term (renewing daily) and provides for a minimum base salary that is to be reviewed annually, participation in the Company’s annual and long-term incentive plans, other benefits that are provided to senior executives of Saia and severance benefits in the event of Mr. Holzgrefe’s employment termination under certain circumstances. All severance benefits under the employment agreement are conditioned upon Mr. Holzgrefe’s compliance with the non-disclosure, non-competition and employee and customer non-solicitation provisions of the employment agreement. The material terms of the employment agreement are reviewed periodically by the Committee with input from Mercer and outside legal counsel to confirm that they remain generally consistent with competitive practices. The payments to be made to Mr. Holzgrefe under his employment agreement upon termination of employment or a change in control of the Company are described in the “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” section of this proxy statement.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Risk Assessment in Compensation Programs

The Compensation Committee regularly assesses the Company’s executive and broad-based compensation and benefits programs, policies and practices to determine if they create undesired or unintended risk of a material nature. Although the Committee reviews all executive compensation programs, it focuses on those programs with variability of payout, and reviews the ability of a participant to directly affect payout, the controls on participant action and actual payouts.

Based on that assessment, the Compensation Committee concluded that the Company’s compensation programs are designed and administered with an appropriate balance of risk and reward in relation to the Company’s business strategy and do not encourage executives to take unnecessary or excessive risks. The following features of the compensation programs help to mitigate risk taking:

Other Compensation Policies

Stock Ownership Guidelines

Because the Company is committed to aligning the executives’ interests with those of Saia stockholders, the Board has adopted stock ownership guidelines for all officers who are eligible to receive long-term incentives, including all of the Named Executive Officers. The number of shares each officer is required to retain is determined by multiplying his or her current base salary by the multiple noted below and dividing by the current share price. The current guidelines for the Named Executive Officers are as follows:

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Executives are to satisfy the guidelines within five years of becoming subject to the guidelines. Until the guidelines are met, executives are encouraged to hold 75% of the realized share value (net of taxes) attributable to option exercises, performance stock unit payouts and vesting in restricted stock. The Compensation Committee monitors the progress toward, and continued compliance with, the stock ownership guidelines on a regular basis. The types of equity counted for purposes of the stock ownership guidelines are common stock, including restricted stock, and Company stock units held in the deferred compensation plan. Stock options and performance stock units are not counted for purposes of the guidelines.

Although there are no formal penalties for not fulfilling the requirements of the ownership guidelines, non-compliance may affect future equity awards. The foregoing sets forth the Company’s current ownership guidelines for executives. The Board (or any committee designated by the Board) may, at any time, amend, modify or terminate the guidelines in full or in part. The Board (or any committee designated by the Board) may also grant waivers of the guidelines in the event of special circumstances or as otherwise determined advisable or in the best interest of the Company in given circumstances.

Prohibition Against Short Sales, Hedging and Margin Accounts

Under the Company’s insider trading policy, Saia employees, including the Named Executive Officers, and Saia directors, are prohibited from engaging in short sales of Saia common stock or in transactions involving puts, calls, or other derivative securities or in hedging transactions (such as zero-cost collars and forward sale contracts) with respect to the Company’s stock. Additionally, such employees, including the Named Executive Officers, and directors are prohibited from holding Saia stock in a margin account and from pledging Saia common stock as collateral for indebtedness.

Clawback Policy

The Board of Directors has adopted a policy that authorizes the Company, at the direction of the Compensation Committee, to seek to recover incentive compensation awarded to an officer or executive of Saia if the result of a performance measure upon which the award was based is subsequently restated or otherwise adjusted in a manner that would reduce the size of the award. In addition, if an officer or executive of Saia engages in “Improper Conduct” (as defined under the policy), Saia may, within three years following the payment or vesting of incentive compensation, seek recovery of such incentive compensation. In such instance, the Company may also cancel any unpaid or unvested incentive compensation. The Compensation Committee has discretion to determine whether to seek recovery in a given situation based on a number of factors, including an assessment of the relative costs and benefits of seeking the recovery, whether seeking the recovery may violate applicable law or otherwise prejudice Saia’s interests, and such other factors as it deems relevant.

Tax Policies

Historically, the Compensation Committee structured annual and long-term incentives with the intention of satisfying the performance-based exemption from Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code in order to deduct for tax purposes compensation paid to certain executive officers in excess of $1 million. Federal legislation signed into law on December 22, 2017, referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, repealed the exemption from Section 162(m)’s deduction limit for performance-based compensation, effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. As a result, compensation granted or paid in 2018 or thereafter to the Named Executive Officers may not be fully deductible for income tax purposes.

In establishing the compensation for executive officers, the Compensation Committee believes that the potential deductibility of the compensation should be only one of a number of relevant factors taken into consideration, and not the sole or primary factor. The Committee believes that executive compensation must be maintained at the requisite level to attract and retain the executive officers essential to Saia’s financial success and, as a result, retains the flexibility to award compensation that it determines to be consistent with the goals of our executive compensation program even if the compensation is not deductible by Saia for tax purposes.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code regulates deferred compensation that was not earned and vested prior to 2005. The Committee considers Section 409A in determining the form and timing of compensation paid to executives.

Sections 280G and 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code limit Saia’s ability to take a tax deduction for certain “excess parachute payments” (as defined in Code Sections 280G and 4999) and impose excise taxes on each executive that receives “excess parachute payments” related to his or her severance from the Company in connection with a change in control. The Committee considers the adverse tax liabilities imposed by Code Sections 280G and 4999, as well as other competitive factors, in structuring certain post-termination compensation payable to the Named Executive Officers. The potential adverse tax consequences to the Company and/or the executive, however, are not necessarily determinative factors in such decisions.

Accounting Policies

The Company accounts for its employee stock-based compensation awards in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. ASC Topic 718 requires that all employee stock-based compensation is recognized as a cost in the financial statements and that for equity-classified awards such costs are measured at the grant date fair value of the award.

Compensation Committee Report of SAIA, Inc.

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company has submitted the following report for inclusion in this Proxy Statement:

Our Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis contained in this Proxy Statement with management. Based on the Committee’s review of and the discussions with management with respect to the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and in this Proxy Statement.

The foregoing report is provided by the following directors, who constitute the Committee:

Compensation Committee Members

Randolph W. Melville, Chair

Di-Ann Eisnor

Kevin A. Henry

Jeffrey C. Ward

Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets forth the compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to the Named Executive Officers for services rendered in all capacities within Saia during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.