YRC Driver is Indiana Truck Driving Champion

Dabiel Ferenczi, a driver for YRC Worldwide, was named the best professional truck driver in Indiana after winning the four axle competition and receiving the highest overall score in the eight competing categories at the 2009 Indiana Truck Driving Championships. The annual event is sponsored by the Indiana Motor Truck Association.

Ferenczi, who resides in Niles, Mich., now qualifies to compete in the American Trucking Associations' National Truck Driving Championships August 18-22, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Penn. -- also known as the "Super Bowl of Safety." The winners from each of the seven other categories are also eligible to compete in the national championship.

Nearly 400 drivers from all 50 states will compete in Pittsburgh for four days, challenging their driving skills, and knowledge of safety, equipment and the industry. From 18-wheeler five axle sleepers to tank trucks to twin trailers -- they will drive a course that recreates situations truck drivers face daily. These maneuvers may include: an alley dock, a rear line stop, a side park, a scale stop, a right turn, a front line stop, and straight line driving through a diminishing clearance.

On Saturday night, August 22, one contestant will drive away as the 2009 National Grand Champion Truck Driver.

"The Truck Driving Championships represent the culmination of the industry's dedication to safety," said Indiana Motor Truck Association President & CEO Kenny Cragen. "I congratulate all the contestants and I hope Indiana cheers for our drivers as they move on to Nationals in Pittsburgh."

Indiana participants at Nationals for each category include:

Wm "Neal" Belton, YRC Worldwide, Avon, Ind. (Straight Truck)

Brian Clark, FedEx Express, Pittsboro, Ind. (Three-Axle)

Aaron McCormick, Con-way Freight, Muncie, Ind. (Four-Axle)

Don Conklin, YRC Worldwide, LaPorte, Ind. (Five-Axle)

Ron Marker, Wal-Mart Transportation, Washington, Ky. (Five-Axle Sleeper)

Daniel Ferenczi, YRC Worldwide, Niles, Mich. (Tankers)

Ronald Tobin, J.E.T. Transit, Huntingburg, Ind. (Flatbed)

Ralph Bogue, Styline Logistics, New Carlisle, Ind. (Twins)

Another big loss for YRC

YRC Worldwide Inc., the struggling Overland Park trucking company, posted another big loss in the second quarter amid plunging revenues.

Including special charges, YRC lost $309 million, or $5.20 a share for the three months ended June 30. Excluding charges related to reducing and merging trucking operations, the loss was $3.53 a share.

Revenues plummeted 45 percent for the quarter to $1.33 billion, compared to $2.40 billion in the same quarter last year. Quarterly revenues had fallen 33 percent in the first quarter. The results were much worse than forecast by analysts, who on the average expected a $1.71 per share loss.

Shares in YRC closed at $1.69, up 3 cents. The earnings were released after the closing bell on Wall Street.

"The second quarter was focused on executing our comprehensive plan to realize efficiencies from the YRC integration, restore financial strength and position our operating companies for future success," said YRC chairman and CEO Bill Zollars in a statement.

YRC lost $257 million in the first quarter and accumulated $1.6 billion in losses in 2008 and 2007.

Many analysts have speculated whether YRC can survive the economic downturn without filing for bankruptcy. The company's future may hinge on whether its union drivers and dock workers accept more compensation cuts that could save the company $825 million through 2010.

Voting on those concessions will conclude next week.

In addition, YRC said its lending group today agreed to eliminate operating earnings requirements for the third quarter. The banks now will require the company to post operating earnings of $15 million and $20 million for the fourth quarter and 2010 first quarter, respectively.

The company had $164.5 million in cash and cash equivalents on June 30, compared to $325.3 million at the start of the quarter.

Arizona Crowns State Truck Driving Champion

Nine Drivers Continue on to National Competition

Gregory Nauertz, of Peoria, was named the best professional truck driver in Arizona after winning the five axle competition and receiving the highest overall score in the nine competing categories at the 2009 Arizona Truck Driving Championships. The annual event is sponsored by the Arizona Trucking Association.

Nauertz, who drives for YRC Worldwide, now qualifies to compete in the American Trucking Associations' National Truck Driving Championships August 18-22, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Penn. -- also known as the "Super Bowl of Safety." The winners from each of the eight other categories are also eligible to compete in the national championship.

Nearly 400 drivers from all 50 states will compete in Pittsburgh for four days, challenging their driving skills, and knowledge of safety, equipment and the industry. From 18-wheeler five axle sleepers to tank trucks to double trailers -- they will drive a course that recreates situations truck drivers face daily. These maneuvers may include: an alley dock, a rear line stop, a side park, a scale stop, a right turn, a front line stop, and straight line driving through a diminishing clearance.

On Saturday night, August 22, one contestant will drive away as the 2009 National Grand Champion Truck Driver.

"The Truck Driving Championships represent the culmination of the industry's dedication to safety," said Arizona Trucking Association President & CEO Karen Rasmussen. "I congratulate all the contestants and I hope Arizona roots for our drivers as they move on to Nationals in Pittsburgh."

Arizona participants at National for each category include:

Joseph Gross, FedEx Ground, Chandler, Ariz. (Straight Truck)

Jerry Baker, Con-way Freight, Flagstaff, Ariz. (Three-Axle)

Jose "Manny" Franco, UPS Freight, Avondale, Ariz. (Four-Axle)

Gregory Nauertz, YRC Worldwide, Peoria, Ariz. (Five-Axle)

Rafael Palomino, Swift Transportation, Goodyear, Ariz. (Five-Axle Sleeper)

Tim Grogan, Shamrock Foods Company, Goodyear, Ariz. (Tankers)

David Messmer, YRC, Phoenix, Ariz. (Flatbed)

Brad Clyne, FedEx Freight, Sahuarita, Ariz. (Doubles)

Sean Saxon, FedEx Ground, Mesa, Ariz. (Step Van)

YRC Worldwide Schedules Second Quarter Earnings Call

YRC Worldwide Inc. will host a conference call for shareholders and the investment community on Thursday, July 30, 2009, beginning at 4:30pm ET, 3:30pm CT. Second quarter earnings will be released at approximately 4:15pm ET, 3:15pm CT, that same day.

Hosting the teleconference will be Bill Zollars, Chairman, President and CEO, and Tim Wicks, Executive Vice President and CFO.

The conference call will be available to listeners via a webcast on the YRC Worldwide Internet site yrcw.com. Recorded playback of the call will be available via yrcw.com.

Teamsters Launch Campaign To Support Health Care Reform

Web Site, Ad Campaign, e-Activism Part of Unprecedented Union Effort

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa on Monday announced that the union will campaign vigorously for health care reform using a new Web site, an ad campaign, call-in days, e-activism and events planned throughout Congress's August recess.

The campaign will kick off with a new Web site today, teamstersforhealthcarereformnow.com, to mobilize members in the fight for health care reform. The Web site launch will be supported by a Web-based ad campaign on targeted state blogs and on-line publications.

Tens of thousands of Teamsters activists will be asked to call Congress on Tuesday to support quality, affordable health care for everyone now - part of a national call-in day sponsored by Health Care for America Now.

"Health care reform is too important for the labor movement to sit on the sidelines," Hoffa said. "The high cost of health care is burdening American workers, crippling U.S. companies, hurting the economy and adding to the deficit.

"I am personally urging Teamsters local unions to get out there and support President Obama's efforts to fix our broken health-care system. This is an unprecedented effort on our part."

The Web site features a toolkit for taking action, news, legislative updates and facts about the health care crisis facing America.

"Our e-activist effort is only the most recent in our ongoing mobilization of our members as we pursue our priorities: protecting and expanding American jobs and improving the quality of life for American working families," Hoffa said.

23 UPS and UPS Freight Drivers Going to U.S. Championships

Twenty-three state champions, including 10 returning state winners, will represent UPS and UPS Freight at the 2009 National Truck Driving and Step Van Driving Championships in Pittsburgh next month.

Together, the 23 UPS drivers have garnered 67 state championships and more than 450 years of accident-free driving.

"These safety-first drivers, a mix of veteran and relative newcomers to the competition, represent the most skilled professionals in the trucking industry,” said Phil Warren, UPS Freight vice president for community affairs. "For UPS and all competitors, the Nationals -- the acknowledged Super Bowl of Safety -- represent a showcase of our industry’s top drivers.”

The veteran UPS contingent is led by returning state champion Ralph Gragg of Charleston, W.Va., who is making his 11th trip to the Nationals, and Dennis Kendrick of Richmond who won his third straight and ninth overall Virginia title this year. Kendrick will compete in the 3-axle competition at the August championships while Gragg will test the nation’s best in the 5-axle.

Returning for the third straight year to the Nationals is UPS feeder driver John Foran, who successfully defended the Vermont four-axle championship he first won in 2007.

Other members of the 2009 team include three UPS feeder drivers who will make their second straight trip to the Nationals. They are David Sharp from Nevada and Troy Turtle and Bill Harvey from Oklahoma.

First-time state winners making their Nationals debut will be UPS drivers Jeff Kalinowski and Bill Raff from Illinois and Ron Seltzer from Texas.

Raff will compete in the 3-axle competition while Kalinowski and Seltzer become the first UPS drivers in the Step Van competition that debuted this year in some 23 state championships.

The 23 UPS drivers advancing to the Nationals come from 14 states and captured team titles in the state championships of four states: South Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

Four South Carolinians, led by Steve Newsome, will wear the company’s colors in Pittsburgh. Newsome won his fifth state championship this year and was named Grand Champion in the state competition with the highest score among all competitors. Joining Newsome from the state are John Cook, also a five-time winner; John Hummel, a two-time state titleholder, and newcomer James Belcher. All four UPS Freight drivers are based in Gaffney, S.C.

Three UPS Freight drivers from Georgia will carry the company’s colors. Al Churchwell of Marietta will appear in his seventh Nationals and will be joined by Mike Britt of Marietta and Tommy Lasalata of North Atlanta.

Other company drivers earning their tickets to Pittsburgh are Rodney Cosper and Duane Holmes, both from UPS Freight’s Birmingham, Ala., service center; Randy Crews, Lynchburg, Va.; Manny Franco, Phoenix, Ariz.; John Lawrence, Jackson, Tenn.; Paul Savill, Ohio, and Jerry Sheble, Fontana, Calif.

Both the state and national competitions include difficult driving skills, maneuvering tests, equipment inspections and exams covering safety policies and regulations. More than 400 drivers from across the nation will compete in Pittsburgh in nine equipment classes between Aug. 18 and 22.