Growth Metrics

Saia (SAIA) Return on Capital Employed (2011 - 2026)

Saia posted quarterly Return on Capital Employed of 10.92% for Q1 2026, down 387.0% year-on-year from 3.8% in Q1 2025, and little changed on a QoQ basis from 10.92% in Q4 2025.

Saia (SAIA) has 16 years of Return on Capital Employed data on file, last reported at 10.92% in Q1 2026.

  • For the quarter ending Q1 2026, Return on Capital Employed fell 387.0% year-over-year to 10.92%; the trailing twelve-month figure through Mar 2026 stood at 10.92% (down 387.0% YoY), and the FY2025 full-year result was 11.51%, down 705.0% from the prior year.
  • Return on Capital Employed for Q1 2026 stood at 10.92%, roughly flat from 10.92% in the prior quarter.
  • Across five years, Return on Capital Employed topped out at 27.44% in Q2 2022 and bottomed at 3.24% in Q3 2023.
  • The 5-year median for Return on Capital Employed is 14.78% (2025), against an average of 14.96%.
  • The widest annual swing landed in 2023, when Return on Capital Employed slumped 2406 bps; it then surged 1623 bps in 2024.
  • A 5-year view of Return on Capital Employed shows it stood at 5.22% in 2022, then soared by 299 bps to 20.81% in 2023, then decreased by 19 bps to 16.94% in 2024, then slumped by 36 bps to 10.92% in 2025, then gained by 0 bps to 10.92% in 2026.
  • The last three Return on Capital Employed figures came in at 10.92% (Q1 2026), 10.92% (Q4 2025), and 12.24% (Q3 2025), per Business Quant data.

Peer Comparison

# Company Market Cap Enterprise Value Gross Profit (Qtr) ROCE (Qtr)
1 Old Dominion Freight Line 47.65 Bn 47.37 Bn 1.33 Bn 26.96%
2 Xpo 25.84 Bn 25.61 Bn 1.67 Bn 10.45%
3 Saia 12.92 Bn 12.88 Bn - 10.92%
4 Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings 12.67 Bn 12.61 Bn 1.57 Bn 1.68%
5 Schneider National 6.38 Bn 6.12 Bn 1.27 Bn 3.81%
6 Rxo 4.55 Bn 4.53 Bn 254.00 Mn -3.46%
7 Arcbest 3.15 Bn 3.06 Bn 951.93 Mn 4.94%
8 Werner Enterprises 2.55 Bn 2.51 Bn 726.17 Mn 0.83%
9 Marten Transport 1.43 Bn 1.38 Bn 203.18 Mn 0.59%
10 Heartland Express 1.20 Bn 1.16 Bn 167.03 Mn -4.27%

Historic Data

Download Data 🔒
DateValue
Mar 31, 2026 10.92%
Dec 31, 2025 10.92%
Sep 30, 2025 12.24%
Jun 30, 2025 12.75%
Mar 31, 2025 14.78%
Dec 31, 2024 16.94%
Sep 30, 2024 18.46%
Jun 30, 2024 19.60%
Mar 31, 2024 20.51%
Dec 31, 2023 20.81%
Sep 30, 2023 3.24%
Jun 30, 2023 3.37%
Mar 31, 2023 4.85%
Dec 31, 2022 5.22%
Sep 30, 2022 27.07%
Jun 30, 2022 27.44%
Mar 31, 2022 25.16%
Dec 31, 2021 22.40%
Sep 30, 2021 20.90%
Jun 30, 2021 17.67%
Mar 31, 2021 14.95%
Dec 31, 2020 14.07%
Mar 31, 2020 13.05%
Dec 31, 2019 12.96%
Sep 30, 2019 13.86%
Jun 30, 2019 14.29%
Mar 31, 2019 14.53%
Dec 31, 2018 15.66%
Sep 30, 2018 14.91%
Jun 30, 2018 13.80%
Mar 31, 2018 12.89%
Dec 31, 2017 11.94%
Sep 30, 2017 11.66%
Jun 30, 2017 11.36%
Mar 31, 2017 11.47%
Dec 31, 2016 12.00%
Sep 30, 2016 11.96%
Jun 30, 2016 11.50%
Mar 31, 2016 14.11%
Dec 31, 2015 15.03%
Sep 30, 2015 15.51%
Jun 30, 2015 16.74%
Mar 31, 2015 16.49%
Dec 31, 2014 15.79%
Sep 30, 2014 15.12%
Jun 30, 2014 14.63%
Mar 31, 2014 15.83%
Dec 31, 2013 15.82%
Sep 30, 2013 15.18%
Jun 30, 2013 15.30%
Mar 31, 2013 16.37%
Dec 31, 2012 15.07%
Sep 30, 2012 14.15%
Jun 30, 2012 12.59%
Mar 31, 2012 10.00%
Dec 31, 2011 8.04%
Sep 30, 2011 6.86%