ABF Earns Spot on 2009 InformationWeek 500 - Its Fourth Consecutive Appearance on the List

ABF Freight System, Inc., has been cited as an innovator in information technology by InformationWeek magazine, which lists ABF on the 2009 InformationWeek 500. The InformationWeek 500 companies were revealed on September 14, 2009, at a gala awards ceremony at the St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, Calif. ABF appears on the list for a fourth consecutive year.

"For over 20 years, the InformationWeek 500 has honored the most innovative users of business technology," said Rob Preston InformationWeek editor-in-chief. "Year after year, InformationWeek 500 companies harness technology to improve efficiency, boost productivity, drive revenue, and establish a competitive advantage. We applaud this year's winners, and the CIOs and other executives whose ingenuity and risk taking are at the center of business technology innovation."

The InformationWeek 500 rankings are unique among corporate rankings as it spotlights the power of innovation in information technology, rather than simply identifying the biggest IT spenders. To be ranked in the InformationWeek 500, companies with revenue of $250 million or more must complete a rigorous application on their technology strategies. The process includes quantitative and qualitative assessments of business tech innovation. Completed applications are reviewed by a panel of InformationWeek editors, who determine the ranking. The data is aggregated for all 500 companies.

"ABF is honored to be included on this prestigious list once again," said ABF Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Roy Slagle. "Through collaboration with our customers, our IT group continues to improve supply-chain visibility and processes through homegrown innovation. The result is a unique experience where user-centric applications are designed to meet the specific needs of our customers."

Analyst: "Fierce" competition leading to discounts in LTL market

Despite some signs that overall freight demand has bottomed and is picking up, the less-than-truckload market remains extremely competitive, with some of the biggest carriers continuing to offer steep discounts in an effort to grab market share in the down economy.

Still, shippers think prices are going to go up over the next few months. Full Story.....

YRC Worldwide’s future looks more promising, analyst says

YRC Worldwide Inc. still is losing customers to competitor Con-way Inc., but YRC’s future is beginning to look more promising, an analyst said Tuesday.

Con-way, based in San Mateo, Calif., has cut prices to drive volumes, prompting more small and midsized shippers to move additional portions of freight away from YRC because of concerns about the company, Longbow Research analyst Lee Klaskow said in a note. But recent channel checks have shown that freight from large customers has stabilized, the note said. Full Story.....

YRC Worldwide Ranks 62 on 2009 InformationWeek 500

YRC Worldwide Inc. announced today that the company has ranked 62 on the 2009 InformationWeek 500, an annual listing of the nation's most innovative users of business technology. The 2009 InformationWeek 500 companies were revealed on September 14, 2009 at an awards ceremony held during the InformationWeek 500 Conference at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California.

"This award is an affirmation of our continued steps to develop and advance technology that enables our employees to excel and better service our customers," said Mike Naatz, Chief Information Officer, YRC Worldwide. "It is a pleasure and honor to be acknowledged by InformationWeek again this year for our continual innovation in providing technology solutions for the transportation and supply chain industries."

YRC Worldwide Technologies was recognized by InformationWeek for its new application, the Pricing and Activity Management System (PAMS). YRC Worldwide IT, Pricing and Sales teams collaborated to develop this ground-breaking new application. YRC Worldwide was determined to cut the waiting time for customers requesting a pricing bid. YRC Worldwide wanted to retire the legacy systems used by Roadway and Yellow (now YRC). With PAMS, YRC has the ability to respond to bid requests promptly, with customized pricing agreements. In its first four months of full deployment, PAMS drove a reduction of 25% in the closure rate of pricing requests. YRC now completes most simple pricing requests in a day.

"For over 20 years, the InformationWeek 500 has honored the most innovative users of business technology," said InformationWeek Editor-in-Chief Rob Preston. "Year after year, InformationWeek 500 companies harness technology to improve efficiency, boost productivity, drive revenue, and establish a competitive advantage. We applaud this year's winners, and the CIOs and other executives whose ingenuity and risk taking are at the center of business technology innovation."