NASSTRAC Names ABF National LTL Carrier of the Year for 2010

ABF Freight System, Inc., has been named National LTL Carrier of the Year by the National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council (NASSTRAC). The selection of ABF was announced April 26, 2010, during the NASSTRAC Conference and Expo in Orlando, Florida.

"In receiving this award we acknowledge the ABF professionals who have not only persevered through adverse market conditions but also have continued to uphold the highest standards of professional integrity and operational excellence," said ABF Senior Vice President – Sales and Marketing Roy Slagle. "We also want to recognize all the ABF customers who depend upon ABF to provide them with extraordinary customer care and innovative supply chain solutions. Knowing that their supply chain partner has earned the admiration of such a prestigious organization further validates their decision to trust ABF with their business."

NASSTRAC recognizes transportation providers on a quantitative scale in five key areas: 1) customer service; 2) operational excellence; 3) pricing; 4) business relationship; and 5) leadership and technology.

"NASSTRAC encourages the high performance of carriers through this shipper-based recognition program," said Eric Morley, director of logistics and transportation for Best Buy Company and NASSTRAC's current president. "NASSTRAC leverages this annual awards program to continually promote performance excellence in various market segments of transportation. Carriers and shippers alike perceive this to be a very credible program through which appropriate industry recognition is given."

YRC stacks its board with turnaround experts

YRC Worldwide Inc. outlined an overhaul of its board of directors on Friday. The move is part of a deal the trucking carrier struck to entice bondholders to swap debt for equity.

Seven members of the YRC board will resign effective May 11, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Five new members — most with experience in turning around companies — will join the board while four current directors will remain. Full Story........

Arkansas Best, ABF Freight System Make Job Changes

Arkansas Best Corp. and ABF Freight System Inc. recently reassigned the jobs and duties for three executive positions.

According to a company news release issued late Tuesday, James Ingram, Arkansas Best vice president of market development, will add the responsibilities of strategic development. He will be vice president of strategic development and replace Chris Baltz, Arkansas Best senior vice president of yield management and strategic development.

Baltz has chosen to leave the company.

"I'd like to thank Chris Baltz for his 21 years of service to ABF and Arkansas Best," Judy McReynolds, Arkansas Best CEO and president, stated in the release. "Throughout his time here, our company has greatly benefited in a number of different areas from his positive contributions. I am sorry he has decided to leave us at this time, but I wish Chris and his family the best in the future."

From February 2006 through December 2007, Ingram was ABF vice president of market development.

ABF Freight System Inc., a less-than-truckload carrier, is the largest subsidiary of Arkansas Best and accounts for 95 percent of the company's revenue.
Roy Slagle, ABF senior vice president of sales and marketing, will assume responsibility for ABF's yield management.

Daniel Loe was promoted to ABF vice president of yield management.

Slagle is a 38-year veteran of the transportation industry and has served at ABF for 34 years in numerous capacities from operations supervisor to treasurer, the release states.

Loe began his career at ABF in 1997 as an analyst in the pricing department and held various positions during his seven years in that area. He has served as ABF director of marketing and public relations since 2004.

2010 Richmond: David Ragan NASCAR Nationwide Race Preview

Ragan on racing at Richmond International Raceway:

"Richmond is always an exciting track to race at. It’s a very fast short track and racing under the lights is always fun for us as drivers and for the fans to watch. After a good run last week in Talladega, I feel like our UPS team has some momentum headed into Richmond this weekend."

Crew chief Donnie Wingo on racing at Richmond International Raceway:

"Richmond should be a pretty good race for us this weekend. One of the biggest challenges of racing there is being loose into the turns and just getting it to turn. Practicing at day and racing at night used to be a big challenge, but lately the track hasn’t seemed to change much from day to night. Coming off a good run at Talladega we are all ready to get to Richmond and get another solid finish in our UPS Ford."

FAST FACTS

Ragan has a total of six starts at Richmond. His best finish came in the fall of his rookie year in 2007 where he qualified eighth and finished third.

Out of a possible 2,410 laps at Richmond in his six prior starts, Ragan has competed 2,407, making his percentage of laps completed 99.9 percent.

Ragan has competed four times in the Nationwide Series at Richmond. His best finish came in the spring of 2008 when he qualified ninth and finished fourth.

Ragan also has one Camping World Truck Series start at Richmond. In 2004 Ragan qualified and finish 35th. UPS Maximum Center Recognition—Richmond International Raceway

The UPS Freight Norfolk, VA Service Center (NFK) was selected as the Maximum Center for the May 1 Crown Royal 400 as part of the UPS Center Recognition Program. The Richmond Green Flag will be delivered by Richmond Road Driver Ricky Hollingsworth. Ricky is a 30-year driver, the local union steward, and has an excellent safety record.

Teamsters Launch Campaign: 'FedEx Drivers Aren't Pilots'

Effort Supports Legislation to End FedEx Loophole, Level Playing Field

Ground control to FedEx: Your drivers aren't pilots. The Teamsters Union launched a campaign today to level the playing field in the package delivery industry. Through advertising, a website and videos, the Teamsters are urging Congress to pass legislation closing the loophole that gives FedEx a special status. That status allows FedEx Express to treat its truck drivers as airline workers.

"This is a simple issue of fairness," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "No company should be able to hide behind a special deal bought by political influence. It's time to level the playing field and close the FedEx loophole."

Through the new website, www.FedExDriversArentPilots.com, the campaign points out that FedEx Express is the only freight and package delivery company in the United States allowed to classify truck drivers, sorters, loaders and unloaders as airline workers. More than 90,000 FedEx Express employees who never even touch an airplane are treated as airline workers under the Railway Labor Act. Truck drivers, sorters, loaders and unloaders at small businesses, UPS and every other freight and package delivery company in the United States are under the National Labor Relations Act.

"Have you ever had a FedEx package delivered to your house by airplane? Of course not," said Ken Hall, Teamsters Vice President and Package Division Director. "FedEx's attempt to preserve its special political favor by arguing the company is an airline is absolutely ridiculous."

FedEx has about 13,000 more truck drivers than UPS, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. Recently, FedEx trucks logged about 165 million more miles per year than UPS.

Congress is currently considering legislation, the Express Carrier Employee Protection Act, to end the special treatment that FedEx lobbyists won in 1996. The measure would establish one set of rules for all package delivery companies. The provision is in the House-passed version of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Bill, which also includes important safety measures for the traveling public and the industry, and would create more than 125,000 new jobs each year.

The "FedEx Drivers Aren't Pilots" campaign includes advertising and a video highlighting the absurdity of truck drivers being treated the same as airline pilots.

The effort also will mobilize concerned citizens from across the country, including 1.4 million Teamsters, to voice their support for a level playing field.
For more information, visit www.FedExDriversArentPilots.com.

YRC returns president title to CEO

YRC Worldwide Inc. has made changes among top leadership of the company, returning the title of president to company Chairman and CEO Bill Zollars and appointing a top executive to focus on customer care.

Former COO and President Tim Wicks resigned April 12 to take a job with his former employer, United Healthcare. Zollars had given him the president title in October.

The company appointed Michael Naatz as president of YRC’s customer care division and chief customer officer, YRC said in a Wednesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Naatz will head up the company’s sales and sales support functions, the filing said.

He previously was YRC’s chief information and service officer and an executive vice president. His responsibilities included overseeing YRC’s customer care, revenue management, cargo claims administration, freight bill entry and technology teams.

Naatz joined YRC in May 2005, when the company bought USF Corp. He had been chief information officer and senior vice president at USF.

The Overland Park, Kan.-based trucking giant has been pursuing a turnaround following the effects of a drawn-out freight recession. Last year, YRC had revenue of $5.3 billion, down 41 percent from the prior year.