YRC Reimer shutters city operations

A U.S.-based shipping company is shutting down its operations in Edmonton Oct. 31 after its unionized employees refused to take cuts in their wages and benefits, says the company's Canadian president.

"It's a tough economy and people have to realize this," said YRC Reimer Canadian president Clayton Gording.

He said about 55 to 60 drivers and warehouse workers will be affected.

Gording said the unionized workers who belong to a Teamsters local voted just days ago against taking a cut in wages and benefits.

The vast majority of Reimer employees in the U.S. took rollbacks earlier this year averaging 25%, Gording said.

Proposed wage rollbacks in Canada were not that large.

He would not give breakdowns on the value of rollbacks the company was seeking in Edmonton. He said it has operated here since the 1950s. Gording said Reimer will continue to service Edmonton through other means.

A spokesman for the Teamsters local union could not be reached for comment.

TCA Honors ABF Driver Stanley Gorczak as a Highway Angel

Driver helped a hotel clerk through a medical emergency

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) is honoring truck driver Stanley P. Gorczak as a Highway Angel for helping someone pull through a medical emergency.

It was August 8, 2009, and Gorczak had checked into the Carlisle Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska, where he planned to spend the night before continuing on his route the next day. A seasoned traveler, Gorczak had come down to the hotel lobby to fill his thermos with coffee before heading back upstairs to his room for the night.

Suddenly, a hotel clerk came running toward Gorczak screaming that Ashley, another hotel employee, had collapsed. Thinking quickly, Gorczak handed his cell phone to the clerk and told her to call 911. He then rushed to help Ashley, who was lying prone on the floor.

Gorczak’s first instinct was to carefully roll Ashley onto her back and check her vital signs. He checked for a heartbeat and looked at her eyes to see if the pupils were dilated. He spoke to Ashley, trying to get her to respond, but she was incoherent. Her eyes were moving left to right underneath her eyelids, but she couldn’t open them. Noticing she was shivering, he sat her up in a chair and covered her with towels. Then, he held her head up to prevent her from choking in case of a seizure. Gorczak patiently waited with Ashley until the paramedics arrived.

“I was just being myself, and I only did what I hope someone would do for me,” said Gorczak modestly. “I was in the right place at the right time to help somebody.”

Actually, this is the second time that Gorczak has helped someone while on duty for ABF. Earlier this year, he was eating at an Illinois truck stop when a customer began choking on a hamburger and fell to the floor. The man was too heavy to pick up, so Gorczak turned him on his side and managed to get him to cough the hamburger out.

Now that Gorczak has been accepted as a TCA Highway Angel, he will receive a Highway Angel lapel pin, certificate, and patch for the kindness he showed to Ashley. ABF Freight System, Inc., will also receive a certificate acknowledging that one of its drivers is a Highway Angel.

YRC Worldwide Advances Functional Organization Structure with Leadership Changes

Company continues to implement comprehensive plan, with focus on customer service, sales and finance

YRC Worldwide today announced the appointment of a chief operating officer and subsequent changes to its senior leadership alignment. The modifications are an advancement of the functional organization structure introduced in June across YRC Worldwide to streamline decision-making, eliminate duplicate efforts and costs while maintaining focus on critical customer-impacting areas.

"As we continue to work our comprehensive plan to restore financial strength and position our company for future growth, the most critical interdependencies rest between finance, operations and sales," stated Bill Zollars, chairman, president and chief executive officer - YRC Worldwide. "Today's actions ensure these key functions are working directly together to meet our service commitments to customers and attain our strategic goals."

The following YRC Worldwide appointments are effective immediately:

Tim Wicks, formerly executive vice president and chief financial officer, assumes the role of chief operating officer - YRC Worldwide, reporting to Zollars. In this new role, Wicks is responsible for sales, marketing, pricing, operations and financial strategy results across the company. Reporting directly to Wicks are Mike Smid, president - YRC Inc., and chief operations officer - YRC Worldwide and John Garcia, executive vice president and chief sales officer - YRC Worldwide. In addition, Greg Reid, executive vice president and chief marketing officer along with Andy Slusher, vice president pricing will report to Wicks.

Also reporting to Wicks is Sheila Taylor, who will assume a new role as executive vice president and chief financial officer - YRC Worldwide. Prior to this position, Taylor served as vice president - Investor Relations and Treasurer. Taylor now leads a consolidated organization comprised of all strategic and operational finance activities across YRC Worldwide. Paul Liljegren will lead Investor Relations and Treasury, and Phil Gaines will assume the role of chief accounting officer, in addition to his other finance duties. Both will report to Taylor, along with Terry Gerrond, vice president -Taxation.

Mike Naatz, executive vice president and chief information and service officer - YRC Worldwide, will take on an expanded role leading revenue management, in addition to billing, quality, information technology and customer service, as the company sharpens its focus on the end-to-end customer experience. Naatz will continue to report to Zollars.

Dan Churay, executive vice president, general counsel and secretary; Jim Kissinger, executive vice president - Human Resources; and John Carr, president - YRC Logistics, remain in their current roles, reporting to Zollars.

YRC and YRC Reimer Reduce Cross-Border Transit Times Between U.S. and Canada

YRC, Inc. and YRC Reimer in Canada, both subsidiaries of YRC Worldwide, announced that they have enhanced their industry-leading northbound and southbound service between the United States and Canada by reducing transit times in 5,500 lanes, effective immediately.

"We are dedicated to providing comprehensive transportation solutions, which means continual enhancement of our services and our networks," Mike Smid, president - YRC Inc., and chief operations officer - YRC Worldwide. "As we expand our cross border services provided by YRC, and YRC Reimer, reducing transit times is one more way we can offer better predictability and more precise delivery options."

In addition to improved transit times, YRC and YRC Reimer can provide a seamless experience through the availability of YRC Border Ambassadors who work with customers to ensure proper shipment documentation - and integrated customs brokerage services through affiliated broker, YRC Logistics. Customs brokerage is provided free of charge when new customers book guaranteed or expedited shipments.

YRC is also border-security compliant and certified in the U.S. Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism Program, as well as the Canada Partners in Protection program; the Free and Secure Trade program of the Canadian and U.S. governments; and the Customs Self-Assessment program.

Through certification in these programs, the efforts of the YRC Border Ambassadors and integrated customs brokerage services, shipments clear the border in minutes and 98 percent of all shipments are pre-released before they reach the border. With one call and one carrier, customers also enjoy better control and improved shipment visibility, as well as the convenience of one itemized invoice for transportation, brokerage services, duties and taxes.

For more information about YRC customs brokerage service, customers should contact their account representative or visit Cross-Border Shipping to Canada

YRC Inc. Hosts Christina's Smile Children's Dental Clinic at YRC Worldwide Headquarters

YRC Inc., a subsidiary of YRC Worldwide Inc. and Christina’s Smile Dental Care Clinic will be offering free dental care to needy children on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 1-2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the YRC Worldwide Headquarters.

Christina’s Smile is a traveling dental clinic that provides free dental care to underprivileged children. Various charitable groups and organizations select the children prior to the Clinic.

“YRC Worldwide is committed to the education and health needs of children and young people,” said Mike Smid, president – YRC Inc., and chief operations officer – YRC Worldwide. “This program provides help and support to children across the country. We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Christina’s Smile, as we have for the past 20 years.”

Dr. Richard R. Garza, who treated many underprivileged children in his Austin, Texas, dental practice for 22 years, conceived Christina's Smile Children's Dental Clinic in 1989. Dr. Garza came up with the idea of building a mobile clinic in a 48 foot vehicle that would impact as many children and families as possible. A partnership with a trucking company was necessary to move the mobile clinic around and for two decades, YRC Worldwide has partnered with Christina’s Smile to bring free dental care to children across the country.

According to Dr. Garza, children living in poverty throughout the U.S. lack access to dental services, and high health care costs virtually prohibit impoverished families from receiving quality dentistry except through "free clinics" or other such facilities.

“Children who otherwise would not have access to dental care are able to benefit, Christina’s Smile is providing charitable dentistry to thousands of kids,” said Dr. Garza. “This mission requires many partners, and we are lucky that YRC Worldwide continues to be a significant partner in helping these children attain healthier, happier smiles.”

In 2009, 21 Clinics will be conducted to treat over 2,400 children and provide over $1.5 million worth of dentistry to children who might not otherwise receive the care they so desperately need.

UPS Freight Returns to the No. 6 in Kansas

For the second and final time this season, UPS Freight will be featured on David Ragan’s No. 6 Ford Fusion .

As David makes his third Cup Series start at Kansas Speedway this weekend, his car’s design will incorporate the gray of UPS Freight, along with traditional UPS brown and gold crushed glass coloring. These colors reflect UPS Freight vehicles that are out on the roads each and every day.

“The last time our team ran the UPS Freight car, we heard a lot of compliments from fans about how much they liked how the car looked,” said David. “It’s always neat to have a different design on the car, and this one definitely stands out on track. UPS employees are second to none, so it’s great to have a special design that brings some extra attention to a specific part of UPS. We’ll do our best to put the UPS Freight Ford Fusion in Victory Lane this weekend in Kansas.”

YRC changes a portion of its financing

Amendment reduces or eliminates the obligation to repay certain amounts

YRC Worldwide Inc., the Overland Park, Kan.-based trucking company with Roadway operations in Akron, said Monday it amended its $500 million asset-backed credit facility.

The company said what is called a receivables-purchase agreement was changed to ''reduce the impact of certain negative effects'' from the integration of Yellow Transportation and Roadway.

The statement came from a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

YRC Worldwide was created with the 2003 acquisition of Roadway in Akron by smaller competitor Yellow. The combined company changed its name from Yellow Roadway in 2006.

The amendment reduces or eliminates the obligation to repay certain outstanding amounts because of the combination, according to the filing. In addition, a $10 million fee that was originally due Sept. 30 was suspended, YRC said.

YRC integrated the national networks of Yellow Transportation and Roadway on March 1, the company said in a March 2 statement.

''There was a $10 million payment due on Sept. 30 if the company did not meet certain provisions,'' the company said in an e-mail, which said the asset-backed facility is $500 million.

Regarding speculation about job cutbacks, YRC issued this statement: ''The company continues to make workforce adjustments across the company in response to economic conditions affecting business volumes.

''The company is not providing updated employment numbers at this time, since workforce actions are still in process. YRC Worldwide is making workforce adjustments across the company in response to economic conditions affecting business volumes and to advance the company's movement to a functional organizational structure.

''A functional structure further strengthens the company's focus on critical customer-impacting areas, while streamlining decision-making and eliminating duplicate efforts and costs.''