2009 National Truck Driving Championships Finalists Announced

The finalists for the 2009 National Truck Driving Championships were announced early this morning after a three day competition that tested driver's knowledge of safety, equipment, the industry and driving skills. Considered the "Super Bowl of Safety," the competition is in the midst of a drive-off.

The top three drivers in each of the eight competing categories, along with the affiliated step van competition, will now run a specially designed obstacle course that will be unveiled this morning to determine the top driver. At the end of the day, the best driver from all eight categories will be named, with one driver named the 2009 National Grand Champion Truck Driver.

2009 National Truck Driving Championship Finalists

Straight Truck Class

Robert (Bob) J. Dolan - Con-way Freight (Catasauqua, Pa.)
Brent A. Glasenapp - FedEx Express (Franklin, Wis.)
Leroy Williams, Sr. - Con-way Freight (Zachary, La.)

3-Axle Class

Brian Clark - FedEx Express (Pittsboro, Ind.)
Don Logan - FedEx Freight (Eskridge, Kan.)
Joe Mangiaracino - FedEx Freight (Sullivan, Mo.)

4-Axle Class

Mike Stickley - Con-way Freight (Winchester, Va.)
Tim Dean - Werner Enterprises, Inc. (Omaha, Neb.)
Darryl Dodd - Wal-Mart Transportation, LLC (Phil Campbell, Ala.)

5-Axle Class

Dale Duncan - Con-way Freight (San Diego, Ca.)
Ray Jackson - H-E-B Grocery Co. (San Antonio, Texas)
J.W. (Jesse) Ballard - YRC (Portland, Ore.)

Flatbed Class

Rick Kinsey - Con-way Freight (Winchester, Va.)
Rich Sweeney - Con-way Freight (Springfield, Mass.)
Mick Simpson - Family Dollar Trucking, Inc. (Rose Hill, N.C.)

Tank Truck Class

Tony Spero - ABF Freight (Stratford, Conn.)
Dennis Chambers - Crete Carrier Corporation (Spartanburg, Neb.)
Jon Hume - FedEx Freight (Hillsboro, Mo.)

Twins Class

Mark McLean - FedEx Freight (Gardiner, N.Y.)
Stacy Sansom - YRC (Shreveport, La.)
Chris Poynor - Con-way Freight (Pasco, Wash.)

Sleeper Berth Class

Ralph Garcia - ABF Freight System, Inc. (Rio Rancho, N.M.)
John Hummel - UPS Freight (Gaffney, S.C.)
Troy Swenson - FedEx Freight (Watertown, S.D.)

Step Van

Skippy LeBlanc - FedEx Ground (Seaford, Del.)
Nick Paradiso - FedEx Ground (Portland, Ore.)
David Thompson - FedEx Ground (Alexander, Ark.)

YRC wage cut will remain through 2009

A 10-percent wage cut for YRC Worldwide Inc.’s nonunion workforce will remain in effect through the remainder of the year.

The Overland Park-based trucking giant initially planned to reduce the salary cut to 5 percent in July. But economic conditions forced the company to keep the 10 percent reduction in place, said YRC chairman and chief executive Bill Zollars.
YRC Worldwide has about 1,200 area nonunion workers.

Also, the company reportedly will seek $1 billion in federal aid to help with the company’s obligations to the pension funds for union employees.

The company is starting to realize benefits from the merger of its two national carriers in March, Zollars said this week, but the economy has yet to respond. That has forced YRC Worldwide to maintain the current level of pay cuts as well as keep the company’s suspension of the 401(k) plan match.

“We just can’t predict what’s going to happen with the economy,” he said.
YRC’s drivers and dockworkers voted to accept a 10 percent wage cut for all of 2009. That agreement also eliminates cost-of-living increases and reduces future annual pay raises by 10 percent through the life of the contract, which expires in 2013.

While the wage structure with the union employees remains resolved, the pension is another matter. The Teamsters multi-employer pension plans have become underfunded as fewer carriers participate in the plans. United Parcel Service made a one-time payout to exit the plans last year, leaving YRC Worldwide as the biggest contributor. Full Story.......

Four YRC Worldwide Drivers Were Named State Champions at Idaho Truck Driving Championships

Four YRC Worldwide drivers won their classes at the May 1-2, 2009, Idaho State Truck Driving Championships in Meridian.

YRC Driver Paul Unser of Boise won the straight truck championship and received the award for best Pre-Trip inspection. Unser has competed at National Truck Driving Championships (NTDCs) in 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2008.

Reddaway Driver Ron Coles of Boise has earned the right to compete at nationals in the Flatbed class. Coles has competed at NTDCs in 2002, 2003 and 2006.

Scott Colwell, driving for Reddaway out of Boise, won the championship in the sleeper class. He competed at the 2007 NTDC.

Daniel Istre of Reddaway in Boise is the 2009 Twins champion. Istre competed at NTDCs in 1999 and 2002.

These YRC Worldwide drivers will represent Idaho and their companies at the 2009 National Truck Driving Championships from Aug. 17-22, 2009, in Pittsburgh, PA.

YRCW now has seven state champions ready to participate at NTDC.

Roadway Receives 2009 NASSTRAC Carrier of the Year Award for 19th Consecutive Year

Roadway, a YRC heritage brand, announced today that it has been named "2009 Carrier of the Year" by the National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council and Logistics Management magazine.

The annual program recognizes transportation providers on a quantitative scale in five key areas: customer service, operational excellence, pricing, business relationship, leadership and technology.

"For the 19th consecutive year, we are pleased to receive this prestigious industry award," said Mike Smid, President YRC. "Our dedicated team has an outstanding reputation, and we are proud that our efforts continue to exceed the challenging demands in the transportation industry."

The 2009 Carrier of the Year Awards Program will take place during the NASSTRAC Logistics Conference & Expo taking place April 26-29 at the Buena Vista Palace & Spa in Orlando, FL. Terry Gilbert, SVP, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, YRC will accept the award on the company's behalf, and will speak briefly at the ceremony.

Smid will also speak on an industry panel at the conference titled: "Motor Carrier CEOs: 2009 Opportunities, Issues, Challenges."

The NASSTRAC Carrier of the Year program is an annual program co-sponsored by NASSTRAC and Logistics Management, a trade magazine for buyers of logistics services. Roadway has been named the NASSTRAC carrier of the year for 19 consecutive years and 20 of the 22 years the award has been given.

YRC CEO: Volume May Be Bottoming; Rules Out Bankruptcy

Trucking giant YRC Worldwide Inc. weighed in on the steep slump in freight volumes Friday, with Chief Executive Bill Zollars voicing some optimism that the industry-wide trend at least may be bottoming.

"The percentage declines year-over-year have started to stabilize" in the early weeks of 2009, Zollars said in an interview. "Believe me, we're looking really hard for any sign of improvement."

Meanwhile, Zollars reiterated that bankruptcy isn't being considered as an option for debt-laden YRC. He said talks aimed at relaxing some debt covenants have been proceeding well with lenders and should be successfully completed by mid-February.

YRC shares were trading recently at $3.01, off 3.8%, after falling about 20% Thursday.

Shipping volumes have been on the wane for some time industry wide, but freight haulers - including fellow trucking companies J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. and Con-way Inc., as well as top U.S. railroads - have reported that the trend accelerated in the fourth quarter, in line with the deteriorating economy. Most have been hesitant to call a bottom.

Zollars concurred that the overall economy "definitely decelerated" in the fourth quarter, noting that YRC's freight volumes "progressively weakened" each month. Per-day tonnage for YRC's national segment dropped 15% in the quarter, with its regional business seeing a 14% drop when adjusted for network changes that took place early this year.

But Zollars said the trend "looks like it has stabilized" since the end of the year, particularly when adjusted for poorer weather conditions this winter.

Still, he said YRC isn't planning for an economic recovery in 2009 and still assumes freight volumes will be down overall from 2008 levels. YRC has been experiencing pricing pressure as well - with prices down an average 1.5% in the fourth quarter - although Zollars said he expects YRC to do better on pricing than the trucking sector overall this year.

Additional insight on the outlook for industry freight volumes likely will come Tuesday, when United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS), the largest U.S. package shipper, posts fourth-quarter earnings.

The UPS results are coming on the heels of a report Thursday indicating that international air cargo fell 23% in December from a year earlier, signaling a broader slump in global trade. The report from the International Air Transport Association includes freight on both passenger carriers and all-cargo carriers.

YRC, created through a 2003 combination of the Yellow and Roadway trucking brands, logged fourth-quarter results late Thursday, posting a narrower net loss on fewer write-downs.

The company's net loss came in at $244.4 million, or $4.14 a share, compared with a year-earlier net loss of $735.8 million, or $12.99 a share. Excluding write-downs, which in the latest quarter included charges related to the Roadway trade name, the loss was $1.63 a share.

Revenue dropped 18% to $1.93 billion.

On average, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters projected a 66-cent-a-share loss and revenue of $2.04 billion.

YRC has $1.36 billion in debt, a portion of which it has been struggling to refinance. But because of a sinking bottom line, the company is at risk of falling out of compliance with credit lines and has been working to renegotiate covenant

UPS Starts New NASCAR Era with Roush Fenway Racing

New Driver David Ragan Poised for Victory In 2009 Sprint Cup Series Season

Counting down to the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 15, UPS today announced further details of its 2009 NASCAR campaign.

A long-time fixture in the popular sport of stock car racing, UPS starts the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season in the familiar position as a race team primary sponsor. This year, however, the world’s largest package delivery company is aligned with a new driver and team. At Daytona, UPS makes its official debut aboard the No. 6 Ford Fusion fielded by Roush Fenway Racing for rising star driver David Ragan.(See b-roll of David Ragan )

Ragan barely missed the 2008 Championship Chase, finishing 13th in points with six top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. He led the Sprint Cup Series in laps completed in a display of consistent, safe driving befitting of UPS.

In addition to its alignment with the powerhouse Roush team, the UPS on-track presence will be accentuated with dramatic new race car graphics in the brand’s signature brown hue. A new UPS 30-second TV commercial featuring Ragan also will launch in conjunction with the Daytona 500 as part of a season-long advertising campaign.

"There is a great deal of positive anticipation for the new season" said Ron Rogowski, director of sponsorships for UPS. "We have a lot of confidence in the Roush organization to field winning entries and we’re equally confident that David Ragan will be a strong ambassador for the UPS brand"

In 2009, UPS begins its 10th year as the Official Delivery Company of NASCAR and its ninth consecutive year of primary sponsorship in the league’s top-ranked Sprint Cup Series. UPS uses the immensely popular stock car league as the backdrop for marketing and sales-driven commercial activation as well as employee and customer entertainment and recognition.

"We consider 2009 the start of a new chapter for UPS in NASCAR" added Rogowski. "Race fans can expect UPS to deliver a racing program that’s exciting, with a few surprises as well"

Roadway to close most of local facility

Tannersville terminal to lose estimated 143 jobsRoadway Express will close most of its Tannersville terminal by March 1, transferring or eliminating an estimated 143 jobs as part of a nationwide consolidation of the trucking company's operations.

The move will affect 55 drivers, 42 transfer dock workers, 25 mechanics plus other employees. Most of those jobs will be moved to other facilities.

Just a few jobs related to pickup and delivery will remain in Tannersville; the exact number is unclear.

"Tannersville will be a much smaller operation than it is today," said Mike Smid, president of YRC North America. YRC owns Roadway Express and Yellow Freight and is combining the companies. According to Smid, integration of the Yellow and Roadway will create the largest trucking operation in North America.

At the Yellow location in Allentown, 19 jobs will be gained, while Roadway in Allentown will lose 37 jobs.

Roadway's Tannersville location has experienced several staff reductions in the last few years. In recent weeks some Tannersville workers have been furloughed because of the season and economics.

Of the Tannersville workers affected "most will have opportunities to follow work to locations that are gaining work," Smid said. Those locations have not yet been determined. First, a change-of-operations hearing must be held with the Teamsters union, which represents the workers. That will happen in January, but the exact date and location has not been determined.

The "change of operations" is a document for the union which states the intentions of a company.

"It's a massive change. Probably one of the biggest I've ever seen," said a business agent who declines to give his name at Local 229 Teamsters in Scranton, the home union for Tannersville Roadway employees. Yellow and Roadway job transfers and work-force reductions are planned across North America.

"YRC is being forced to make changes in an attempt to cut costs. Unfortunately that will have some impact on our members. We will work tirelessly to ensure their contract rights are enforced and their seniority is protected," said Leigh Strope, a spokeswoman for the Teamsters.

Tannersville is one of 450 truck terminals in the United States owned by YRC North America.