A second quarter loss caused less-than-truckload carrier Saia to kick some cost reduction measures into third gear during the third quarter, resulting in profits and a net income of $3.3 million from $2.8 million a year ago

. During the quarter, the company modified its vacation policy and implemented other ways to reduce costs, including cuts to staff, wages and salaries.

The Georgia-based carrier saw its earnings per share go up to 24 cents, versus 21 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. However, revenues dropped 19 percent to $222 million.

"We continue to address the challenging environment by taking aggressive actions to control costs and improve productivity through focused engineered initiatives," said Rick O'Dell, president and CEO.

The company's less-than-truckload tonnage slipped 4.4 percent, as LTL shipments per workday were down 2.3 percent. There was also a 2.2 percent drop in weight per shipment. LTL yield fell 14.2 percent from the prior year quarter, due to the impact of lower fuel surcharges and competitive pricing.

"While our results remain affected by the economy and overcapacity in the industry, we continue to focus on Saia specific initiatives to improve customer service, invest in technology to enhance efficiency and take prudent balance sheet management actions," O'Dell said. "We believe that Saia is taking the appropriate measures to be well positioned to take advantage of any future industry consolidations and improvements in the economy."