Con-Way regionals complete last link in nationwide system

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 5/1/1998

Con-Way Central Express (CCX) and Con-Way Western Express (CWX), two of the less-than-truckload carriers in the Con-Way Transportation Services group of regional carriers, have begun providing service between all points in each other's trucking networks.

The new service completes the interline network among those carriers plus sister company Con-Way Southern Express (CSE). Earlier this year, CWX and CSE began providing mutual coverage in their respective markets. CCX and CSE have provided full coverage in each other's markets since January 1995. With these changes, the group now can offer customers nationwide day-definite LTL service. The company says it can provide coast-to-coast LTL service in four days.

The regional carriers were formed in 1983 to provide overnight services within their respective networks. They later added second-day services for lanes of up to 1,600 miles. Gerald L. Detter, Con-Way Transportation's president and CEO, says the carriers' primary markets are one- and two-day regional hauls, which make up 95 percent of their traffic.

Detter expresses confidence that the Con-Way group can succeed where others have failed, citing the carriers' common culture, integrated computer system, consistent operating procedures, and uniform fleet equipment.