Saia Inc., a provider of less-than-truckload (LTL) services, recently announced that it has added a second terminal in the metropolitan Chicago area.

According to Logistics Management, the company said the new terminal was added to bolster service for its Midwest market customers. And it added the terminal, which is located at the junction of interstates 57, 80, and 294, will be comprised of 67 doors that will add a fair amount of capacity, and 7,000 square feet of office space. The new terminal is located at 16100 Springfield Avenue in Markham, Illinois.

Saia president and CEO Rick O'Dell told Logistics Management that one of the main drivers behind the decision to open the new terminal was continued growth in the region, with a 24 percent shipment increase over last year.

O'Dell added that synergy revenue, which consists of revenue between Saia terminals prior to 2004 and the Midwest terminals from the 2004 Clark Bros. acquisition, is now is on a run rate to exceed $84 million per year, with Chicago as one of the fastest-growing markets for synergy revenue.

"The addition of a second terminal in the region was a natural evolution for Saia," said O'Dell. "Having more than one terminal in large markets benefits customers by being closer to them, allowing for earlier deliveries, and extending time for later pick-ups while continuing to provide a high percentage of on-time departures to destination terminals around the country."

Saia's first terminal in Chicago is located in Franklin Park, adjacent to O'hare International Airport. This terminal provides LTL, truckload (TL), and expedited service. "The new Markham terminal is critical to future expansion into adjacent Midwestern states, as it will become Saia's break-bulk facility for the Chicago Region," said O'Dell.