Is LTL the NEW King? Market Shift & Carrier Investment Explained

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6}#fwtv_3tmV9RrSPs. fwtv-panel p{margin:0 0 12px}#fwtv_3tmV9RrSPs. fwtv-transcript p{margin:0 0 12px}SummaryView TranscriptThe freight market is seeing a major shift as rising truckload prices push shippers towards LTL solutions.

Brad Hadley, VP of National Accounts at Saia, joins FreightWaves Today to discuss this trend, Saia’s record Q2 tonnage, and their strategic investments in terminals and talent programs. Discover how carriers are adapting and what it means for the future of freight.

Saia recorded its best quarter ever for tonnage in Q2, according to Brad Hadley, the carrier’s vice president of national accounts, who spoke with FreightWaves at the Univar Solutions Carrier Kickoff event in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Hadley said the milestone reflects a broader mode shift that began around the start of Q2, as tightening truckload capacity and rising truckload rates pushed shippers to move half-load freight back onto LTL networks. “Capacity’s tightened, truckload prices have increased,” Hadley said.

“Shipments that might have been half loads that were cheaper for customers to move via truckload have now shifted back to the LTL side.” Average shipment weights at Saia have climbed alongside the volume gains, he added. Hadley framed the surge as the payoff for an aggressive infrastructure build. Over the past two years, Saia has deployed $1.

6 billion in capital expenditures — a significant share of revenue for a company generating more than $3 billion annually. That spending has funded 70 new terminal openings over seven years, plus the relocation or expansion of an additional 26 terminals. “We’ve basically been in a 4-year freight recession.

And what we’ve seen happen in Q2, we think is going to continue. And as I mentioned before, it’s kind of what we’ve been building towards.” On pricing, Hadley said LTL carriers are moving to recapture rates after years of margin pressure.

He noted that equipment costs alone have climbed sharply, with a single tractor now running $140,000 to $160,000, while insurance costs have also risen materially.

He said Saia intends to ensure it is “paid fairly” by customers who may have taken advantage of the soft market, while continuing to honor long-standing partnerships such as its roughly 15-year relationship with Univar Solutions. To protect profitability as volumes grow, Hadley said Saia is being selective about the freight it pursues.

The carrier is targeting shippers that engage across multiple service lines, including a white-glove final-mile logistics division called Saia Logistics that operates in Florida. He also noted that Saia recently opened a Saia Logistics international office in Chattanooga — two blocks from the Westin where the Univar event was held.

On the driver supply side, Hadley highlighted an internal program called dock-to-driver, in which high-performing dock workers are sponsored through CDL training at Saia break terminals at the company’s expense. He said the program reduces turnover and ensures the carrier knows the background of the drivers it places on the road.

Hadley, who has been with Saia for 19 years, said culture and continued investment are what keep him at the company. Saia also received Univar’s Superior Excellence in Service and Partnership award at the event. Saia reported a record Q2 tonnage quarter, driven by shippers shifting half-load freight from truckload to LTL as capacity tightens.

The carrier has invested $1. 6 billion in CapEx over the past two years, opening 70 new terminals in seven years to prepare for volume growth. Saia’s dock-to-driver program sponsors internal dock workers through CDL training to fill driver needs and reduce turnover. Speaker 1 [0:00] Welcome back everybody to FreightWaves Today.

Of course, we are at the Univar Solutions Carrier Kickoff event here at the Westin in the heart of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Of course, Malcolm Harris as well as Julie Vandekamp. We are now joined by Brad Hadley from Sire. He is the VP of National Accounts. Brad, hello. It’s good to see you. Speaker 2 [0:19] Is this an incredible event or what?

Speaker 3 [0:21] It’s very cool. Yeah, we’re thrilled to be here. Speaker 1 [0:23] This is great. Speaker 2 [0:2