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Side-by-side financial comparison of COVENANT LOGISTICS GROUP, INC. (CVLG) and SAIA INC (SAIA). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

SAIA INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($790.0M vs $307.2M, roughly 2.6× COVENANT LOGISTICS GROUP, INC.). SAIA INC runs the higher net margin — 6.0% vs 1.4%, a 4.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, COVENANT LOGISTICS GROUP, INC. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (14.0% vs 0.1%). Over the past eight quarters, COVENANT LOGISTICS GROUP, INC.'s revenue compounded faster (3.4% CAGR vs 2.3%).

Covenant Logistics Group, Inc. is an American company focused on truckload shipping. The company is headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The company provides temperature controlled trucking, regional delivery, and longhaul team driver delivery.

Saia is an American less than truckload (LTL) trucking company that originated in Houma, Louisiana, in 1924. With original operation occurring in Louisiana and Texas for the first fifty years, expansion came after 1980 when coverage began reaching into more states in the South. Further expansion happened through mergers with other companies, which allowed Saia to provide service for thirty six states. Saia ranks in the top ten of LTL carriers in the United States, with revenues of over $1.8 b...

CVLG vs SAIA — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
SAIA
SAIA
2.6× larger
SAIA
$790.0M
$307.2M
CVLG
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
CVLG
CVLG
+13.9% gap
CVLG
14.0%
0.1%
SAIA
Higher net margin
SAIA
SAIA
4.6% more per $
SAIA
6.0%
1.4%
CVLG
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
CVLG
CVLG
Annualised
CVLG
3.4%
2.3%
SAIA

Income Statement — Q1 2026 vs Q4 2025

Metric
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Revenue
$307.2M
$790.0M
Net Profit
$4.4M
$47.5M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
2.0%
8.1%
Net Margin
1.4%
6.0%
Revenue YoY
14.0%
0.1%
Net Profit YoY
-32.7%
-37.6%
EPS (diluted)
$0.17
$1.77

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$307.2M
Q4 25
$295.4M
$790.0M
Q3 25
$296.9M
$839.6M
Q2 25
$302.9M
$817.1M
Q1 25
$269.4M
$787.6M
Q4 24
$277.3M
$789.0M
Q3 24
$287.9M
$842.1M
Q2 24
$287.5M
$823.2M
Net Profit
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$4.4M
Q4 25
$47.5M
Q3 25
$9.1M
$86.3M
Q2 25
$9.8M
$71.4M
Q1 25
$6.6M
$49.8M
Q4 24
$76.1M
Q3 24
$13.0M
$92.7M
Q2 24
$12.2M
$102.5M
Operating Margin
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
2.0%
Q4 25
-8.2%
8.1%
Q3 25
2.7%
14.1%
Q2 25
3.8%
12.2%
Q1 25
2.8%
8.9%
Q4 24
3.1%
12.9%
Q3 24
5.6%
14.9%
Q2 24
5.4%
16.7%
Net Margin
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
1.4%
Q4 25
6.0%
Q3 25
3.1%
10.3%
Q2 25
3.2%
8.7%
Q1 25
2.4%
6.3%
Q4 24
9.6%
Q3 24
4.5%
11.0%
Q2 24
4.2%
12.5%
EPS (diluted)
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$0.17
Q4 25
$-0.68
$1.77
Q3 25
$0.35
$3.22
Q2 25
$0.36
$2.67
Q1 25
$0.24
$1.86
Q4 24
$0.25
$2.84
Q3 24
$0.47
$3.46
Q2 24
$0.44
$3.83

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$19.7M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$163.0M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$407.6M
$2.6B
Total Assets
$1.0B
$3.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.06×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
Q4 25
$4.9M
$19.7M
Q3 25
$2.7M
$35.5M
Q2 25
$143.0K
$18.8M
Q1 25
$11.2M
$16.5M
Q4 24
$35.6M
$19.5M
Q3 24
$35.2M
$14.4M
Q2 24
$1.3M
$11.2M
Total Debt
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
Q4 25
$261.7M
$163.0M
Q3 25
$233.3M
$218.0M
Q2 25
$245.8M
$307.1M
Q1 25
$216.3M
$291.8M
Q4 24
$221.6M
$195.0M
Q3 24
$231.4M
$184.2M
Q2 24
$235.0M
$169.1M
Stockholders' Equity
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$407.6M
Q4 25
$404.0M
$2.6B
Q3 25
$423.7M
$2.5B
Q2 25
$416.9M
$2.4B
Q1 25
$443.6M
$2.4B
Q4 24
$438.3M
$2.3B
Q3 24
$431.6M
$2.2B
Q2 24
$419.4M
$2.1B
Total Assets
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$1.0B
Q4 25
$1.0B
$3.5B
Q3 25
$1.0B
$3.5B
Q2 25
$1.0B
$3.5B
Q1 25
$980.0M
$3.4B
Q4 24
$997.6M
$3.2B
Q3 24
$1.0B
$3.1B
Q2 24
$995.0M
$3.0B
Debt / Equity
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.65×
0.06×
Q3 25
0.55×
0.09×
Q2 25
0.59×
0.13×
Q1 25
0.49×
0.12×
Q4 24
0.51×
0.08×
Q3 24
0.54×
0.08×
Q2 24
0.56×
0.08×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$137.3M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$37.5M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
4.7%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
12.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
2.89×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$27.3M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
Q4 25
$25.5M
$137.3M
Q3 25
$41.4M
$177.8M
Q2 25
$21.9M
$170.7M
Q1 25
$24.8M
$109.1M
Q4 24
$21.9M
$164.7M
Q3 24
$56.9M
$181.7M
Q2 24
$22.4M
$130.8M
Free Cash Flow
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
Q4 25
$-3.0M
$37.5M
Q3 25
$-7.8M
$87.6M
Q2 25
$-14.5M
$-3.9M
Q1 25
$-8.6M
$-93.8M
Q4 24
$464.0K
$-3.5M
Q3 24
$24.3M
$-11.7M
Q2 24
$-28.1M
$-94.0M
FCF Margin
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
Q4 25
-1.0%
4.7%
Q3 25
-2.6%
10.4%
Q2 25
-4.8%
-0.5%
Q1 25
-3.2%
-11.9%
Q4 24
0.2%
-0.4%
Q3 24
8.4%
-1.4%
Q2 24
-9.8%
-11.4%
Capex Intensity
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
Q4 25
9.7%
12.6%
Q3 25
16.6%
10.8%
Q2 25
12.0%
21.4%
Q1 25
12.4%
25.8%
Q4 24
7.7%
21.3%
Q3 24
11.3%
23.0%
Q2 24
17.6%
27.3%
Cash Conversion
CVLG
CVLG
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
Q4 25
2.89×
Q3 25
4.55×
2.06×
Q2 25
2.23×
2.39×
Q1 25
3.78×
2.19×
Q4 24
2.16×
Q3 24
4.36×
1.96×
Q2 24
1.84×
1.28×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CVLG
CVLG

Freight revenue$281.9M92%
Fuel surcharge revenue$25.2M8%

SAIA
SAIA

Segment breakdown not available.

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