LTL news: YRC changes name to YRC Freight as part of rebranding effort

Less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation services provider YRC Worldwide (YRCW) said earlier today that it is rebranding its largest unit, YRC, as YRC Freight.

This effort includes myriad components, according to YRCW, including: investing in a new driver program; rebranding road equipment; and adding new terminal signage. Company officials said that the rebranding process, which was introduced to employees last month, is already underway, with one of the first steps being to convert equipment as part of regularly scheduled maintenance and refurbishing schedules.

“Putting ‘Freight’ on YRC Freight really tells people what it is we do,” said YRC Freight President Jeff Rogers in an interview. “Ever since James Welch became YRCW CEO and I became YRC Freight President…what we have been talking about is going back to the fundamentals and being really good at what we are, which is a good trucking company. For so many years, we were trying to be anything but that to a certain extent. Adding ‘Freight’ to the name coincides really well with what we are trying to do.”

Rogers added that when YRC and Roadway became YRC in 2009, there was some uncertainty in the market as to who YRC was and by adding ‘Freight’ to the company title he said it more clearly designates YRC Freight as a trucking company and is a natural progression of where YRCW wants this organization to go.

And with such disparity of the roughly 22,000 people at the former YRC either originally part of Yellow or Roadway, Rogers said in a sense people were living in the past, with the name change to YRC Freight giving everyone something to move towards as a new company.

“This had a lot to do with improving morale and giving people a new identity,” he said.

When asked about freight trends for YRC Freight, Rogers said the company saw surprisingly strong volume through December 23, the Friday before Christmas.

January is historically a slow month for freight on a per-day perspective, but he said the company had a decent month and it bodes well for 2012 to be a good year for the trucking sector.

“Part of the reason is that winter weather has not made a huge difference in things and that makes a huge impact on customers, as they are open everyday and schedules are not affected by weather,” he said. “There are also some good signs with the economy, too. Things are feeling strong and customers are liking what they are seeing in that we are providing solid, consistent service.”