Trucking Freight

YRCW announced that the company has been named a recipient of the 2010 CIO 100 award by CIO magazine. The 23rd annual award program recognizes organizations around the world that exemplify the highest level of operational and strategic excellence in information technology (IT).

YRC Worldwide was honored by CIO magazine for the company’s integration and systems migration of Yellow Transportation and Roadway Express into YRC. Combining the strengths of Yellow and Roadway through the integration of networks, services and capabilities required the largest technology migration in the history of the transportation and supply chain industry.

“Our team is dedicated to creating an exceptional customer experience. Accelerating our business leadership through technology leadership is an important part of delivering on our commitment to customers,” said Mike Naatz, president-Customer Care Division and chief customer officer-YRC Worldwide. “Receiving this honor again this year recognizes the outcome and significant value of successful business and IT collaboration at YRC Worldwide.”

The primary business goal of the project has resulted in increased operational effectiveness and margins; improvements to the industry value chain; globalization and supply chain efficiency.

“The IT team at YRC Worldwide managed to do what no one had done before: a complete and successful migration of all systems between two huge transportation providers. And it was accomplished in a very compressed amount of time,” added Naatz.

The comprehensive business integration included:

• New use of existing technology to minimize disruptions and ease the transition
• Migration of all systems, data, and processes, including custom applications
• Innovative use of team resources to prepare for the transition and deal with challenges that inevitably arose during the integration process
• Freight quote system

“This year’s CIO 100 awards draws well-deserved attention to companies that are not only innovating with IT but creating genuine business value as well,” said Maryfran Johnson, editor in chief of CIO magazine & Events. “These winning companies and their IT organizations are an inspiration to businesses everywhere.”

The 2010 CIO 100 awards will be presented at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, Cal., on Aug. 24 at the conclusion of the 12th annual CIO 100 Symposium(R) and Awards Ceremony.

YRC Worldwide Inc., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Overland Park, Kan., is one of the largest transportation and logistics service providers in the world and the holding company for a portfolio of brands including Yellow Transportation, YRC Reimer, YRC Glen Moore, New Penn, Holland and Reddaway. YRC Worldwide has the largest, most comprehensive network in North America with local, regional, national and international capabilities. Through its team of experienced service professionals, YRC Worldwide offers industry-leading expertise in heavyweight shipments and flexible supply chain solutions, ensuring customers can ship industrial, commercial and retail goods with confidence.

Air freight forwarders provide a service to shippers and importers which originally involved receiving a consignment of freight from a shipper, arranging its routing, transportation handling and documentation to either the final receiver or to a foreign airport. The role of the forwarders has developed over the years with the largest forwarders describing themselves as logistics providers, like DB Schenker.

The next day air freight industry consists of a number of different commercial organizations who provide shippers with through freight services. These organizations, mainly within the private sector, operate in a highly competitive environment.

Airports act as landlords and infrastructure providers charging landing fees and stand rentals or parking fees to airlines (their main customers) and charging rent to service companies for passenger reception terminals, retail and catering outlets offices, cargo transit sheds, air craft maintenance work shops etc.

Airlines are the suppliers of air cargo capacity into and out of the US are either scheduled operators, charter operators, freighter operators or integrated carriers. Scheduled operators provide air cargo capacity principally in the belly holds of passenger or combo aircraft, though some also operate freight only capacity. Charter operators like BAX Global operating on holiday routes also offer freight capacity, which in line with their passenger business is seasonal. Freighter operators are the operators of freight only aircraft. Integrated carriers operate their own aircraft (and use belly hold capacity) to carry their own cargo, as part of a door-to-door express service for shippers and importers of goods.

YRC remain confident we will have a successful note exchange that can significantly reduce our debt and improve liquidity. And we continue to receive solid support from our stakeholders, including our lender group.

We also continue to receive questions whenever an analyst casts doubts on the YRCW debt-for-equity offer. The questions are to be expected: If you read or hear about a critical analyst report, you want to know what’s really happening.

Case in point: An analyst with R.W. Baird & Co. recently said it’s unlikely that YRCW will achieve a 95% agreement rate with bondholders by Dec. 8. While that analysis made for interesting headlines, the real story goes much deeper. For example, the report notes that if 95% of the bondholders don’t sign on, we still have other options, such as lowering the percentage requirement.

With these types of note exchange offers, changes–and the resulting deadline extensions–are typical. It’s also typical for note holders to wait until the deadline before taking official action. There may be other extensions announced before completion of this phase. In every event, however, we will bring you updates on Insight in a timely and transparent manner. It’s part of our Confidence Delivered(TM) promise to you.

YRC Worldwide Inc., a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest transportation service providers in the world, is the holding company for a portfolio of successful brands including YRC, YRC Reimer, YRC Logistics, New Penn, Holland, Reddaway and YRC Glen Moore. Building on the strength of its heritage brands, Yellow Transportation and Roadway, the enterprise provides global transportation services, transportation management solutions and logistics management. The portfolio of brands represents a comprehensive array of services for the shipment of industrial, commercial and retail goods domestically and internationally.

Our owner-employees are trained to deliver confidence with claim-free shipping based on proper use of equipment, close adherence to procedures, and a personal commitment to your complete satisfaction.

How you prepare your shipments for transit is also important. Depending on what you are shipping, here are tips to help avoid damage:

Outer packaging

• Match your outer packaging to the nature of the contents. Wood crates provide the best protection for breakable items or very heavy, dense items. Sturdy corrugated cardboard is appropriate for most other shipments. Thin cardboard and repurposed old boxes rarely provide the necessary protection.
• Match your outer packaging to the size of the contents. Too big, and contents can move around and break. Too small and your shipment will not be properly protected.
• Securely seal the outer packaging with reinforced tape to help keep contents intact.

Packing materials

• Use sufficient packing materials around and between items to keep them from shifting inside the outer packaging.
• Consider using an inner box, surrounded by cushioning materials–a good rule of thumb is three inches on each side–for added protection.
• Reinforce corners and edges to keep them from bending or tearing.
• Select packing materials based on the contents–corrugated fiberboard, molded plastic, shredded paper, bubble wrap and packing peanuts are good options.

Palletizing shipments

• Build a cube: align the vertical edges of multiple cartons and maintain a flat, level top surface.
• Ensure the pallet is in good condition and larger than the cargo sitting on it.
• Use shrink or stretch wrap to keep multiple items together. Depending on the thickness of the wrap multiple layers may be necessary.
• Secure shipments to pallets with bands, tie downs, ratchet straps or rope.

YRC Worldwide Inc., a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest transportation service providers in the world, is the holding company for a portfolio of successful brands including YRC, YRC Reimer, YRC Logistics, New Penn, Holland, Reddaway and YRC Glen Moore. Building on the strength of its heritage brands, Yellow Transportation and Roadway, the enterprise provides global transportation services, transportation management solutions and logistics management. The portfolio of brands represents a comprehensive array of services for the shipment of industrial, commercial and retail goods domestically and internationally.

When shipping freight, there are times when numbers do tell the story.  Holland leads the field with the most next-day service lanes in the region with 3,348 next-day lanes in and between these 21 states.

Our next-day service takes the kinks out of your supply chain. Orders placed on Monday morning can be shipped and delivered on Tuesday often before noon with standard service. Your customers will be delighted with how quickly products get to market.

Equally important is the next-day reliability you count on from Holland, a YRC company. We deliver over 97% on time against the most stringent next-day transit times in the region. The result? Production lines stay on schedule and retail inventory can be restocked–with confidence–based on demand.

What do supply chain decision-makers really need?

According to third-party and YRC research, the answer is constant, no matter what the economic environment:

• Effective collaboration
• Complete visibility
• Flexible solutions that optimize resources, and
• Consistently reliable execution.

Speaking to a regional meeting of the Institute for Supply Chain Management in Columbus, Ohio, Tim Haitz, vice president of field sales east for YRC, explained that the Yellow Shipping network and YRC solutions are designed with those areas in mind.

“The supply chain environment is increasingly complex and fragmented,” Haitz said, “and many of our customers are trying to do more with smaller staffs.”

Given that, Haitz said, it’s important to work with providers who have the expertise needed to handle complex logistics challenges, and the flexibility required for customized solutions.

“Everyone in transportation and logistics has had to look at new ways to build flexibility into their supply chains,” he said. “Bottom line, it comes down to simple reliability. For a world-class supply chain, you want simple-to-engage processes that perform reliably, with metrics in place to allow ongoing management.”

Looking forward, Haitz said the move toward green supply chains can help efficiencies and the environment, and he encouraged attendees to work with transportation partners willing and able to collaborate on sustainability measures.

Story provided by a US apparel manufacturer:

I thank Wendy for reaffirming my choice of Yellow Freight. It’s one thing when a transportation provider drops the ball; it’s how you react that defines you.

One recent morning, a shipment scheduled for a 7:30 a.m. delivery at a warehouse-style retail outlet was not in sight. That meant the store would not accept the shipment until the following day, and I would lose the day’s sales and have to pay for the day’s floor space.

I called Wendy at YRC as soon as I learned of the problem. Wendy located the shipment and learned it could be delivered around 9:30 a.m. Then she called the store manager. I’m not sure what she said, but she persuaded him to allow the merchandise to be delivered later that morning.

Taking no chances with the delivery, Wendy jumped in her car and drove to the store location, arriving at the same time as the driver. I was amazed. She called me from the store, offering to help unload the racks and get the merchandise set up, while apologizing and reaffirming that the situation would be addressed internally at YRC.

Wendy truly cares about my business and that makes a huge difference to me.

While all our YRC employees work hard to ensure shipments are delivered on time and damage-free, unfortunately errors occasionally occur. When that happens we work hard to make it right. That’s part of confidence delivered.

YRC Worldwide Inc. announced today that it has reached a tentative agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters leadership to modify the terms of the current labor agreement for its employees covered by the National Master Freight Agreement. The proposed changes are designed to reduce the company’s cost structure and preserve operating capital.

Details surrounding the tentative agreement are expected to be available next week following further discussions with labor leadership. The modified agreement will be voted on by YRC Worldwide employees who are represented by the IBT.

Certain statements in this news release include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (each a “forward-looking statement”). Forward-looking statements include those preceded by, followed by or include the word “would” or similar expressions. The company’s actual future results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements because of a number of factors, including (among others) whether the employees covered by the National Master Freight Agreement ratify the modification to that agreement, inflation, inclement weather, price and availability of fuel, sudden changes in the cost of fuel or the index upon which the company bases its fuel surcharge, competitor pricing activity, expense volatility, including (without limitation) expense volatility due to changes in rail service or pricing for rail service, ability to capture cost reductions, including (without limitation) those cost reduction opportunities arising from the combination of the sales, operations and networks of Yellow Transportation and Roadway, changes in equity and debt markets, a downturn in general or regional economic activity, effects of a terrorist attack, labor relations, including (without limitation), the impact of work rules, work stoppages, strikes or other disruptions, any obligations to multi-employer health, welfare and pension plans, wage requirements and employee satisfaction, and the risk factors that are from time to time included in the company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008.

YRC Worldwide Inc., a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest transportation service providers in the world, is the holding company for a portfolio of successful brands including YRC, YRC Reimer, YRC Logistics, New Penn, Holland, Reddaway and YRC Glen Moore. Building on the strength of its heritage brands, Yellow Freight and Roadway Trucking, the enterprise provides global transportation services, transportation management solutions and logistics management. The portfolio of brands represents a comprehensive array of services for the shipment of industrial, commercial and retail goods domestically and internationally. Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, YRC Worldwide employs approximately 49,000 people.

YRC Worldwide Inc. announced that it has earned a Kaizen Challenge Award for continuous improvement from Toyota North American Parts Organization for the 2nd consecutive year. Toyota NAPO announced the 2008 award winners during its annual logistics provider meeting.

Kaizen, which means continuous improvement in Japanese, is an integral component of the Toyota Production System. To encourage its suppliers to embrace the same standards, Toyota created the Kaizen Challenge Award. All preferred suppliers are considered for the award. The award recipients are the suppliers that most effectively used Kaizen principles in helping Toyota address its supply-chain challenges.

About 20 preferred suppliers participated in the 2008 Kaizen Challenge and YRC Worldwide was one of 3 award recipients in its class.

Over the last several years, YRC Worldwide has established a strong partnership with Toyota NAPO, and more than 130 YRC Worldwide employees have completed training in the TPS and Kaizen.

The 2008 Kaizen Challenge award recognizes YRC Worldwide for developing a plan to improve delivery efficiency for over-sized and heavy parts such as truck beds, truck frames, drive trains, transmissions and engines from parts distribution centers and vendors to Toyota dealers throughout the country.

Plan elements included nationwide implementation of a standard process for equipment placement and material handling and a customer service process to coordinate delivery service with dealers. As a result of this process, damage claims and injuries were virtually eliminated.

“YRC Worldwide has been an outstanding partner over an extended period and has made a strong commitment to learn our business and our processes for continuous improvement,” said Sylvia Duran, National Logistics Manager at Toyota NAPO. “For both companies there is no best . . . only better.”

“The employees of YRC Worldwide are gratified to receive this prestigious recognition from Toyota,” said Greg Reid, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for YRC Worldwide. “Not only does it demonstrate our ability to deliver innovative, cost-effective solutions, it is a great vote of confidence from a valued client. We’re honored and dedicated to continue to exceed the expectations of Toyota in the future.”

YRC Worldwide Inc., a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest transportation service providers in the world, is the holding company for a portfolio of successful brands including YRC, YRC Reimer, YRC Logistics, New Penn, Holland, Reddaway and YRC Glen Moore. Building on the strength of its heritage brands, Yellow Freight and Roadway Express, the enterprise provides global transportation services, transportation management solutions and logistics management. The portfolio of brands represents a comprehensive array of services for the shipment of industrial, commercial and retail goods domestically and internationally. Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, YRC Worldwide employs approximately 49,000 people.