Q&A with UPS Freight President Jack Holmes

Last week, LM Group News Editor Jeff Berman conducted an on-stage interview with Jack Holmes, president of UPS Freight, the less-than-truckload (LTL) subsidiary of UPS at the 10th annual eyefortransport 3PL Summit, which was held in Chicago. Holmes provided an in-depth look at the LTL sector and how LTL’s and shippers should—and could—work well together, among other topics.

Logistics

YRC Worldwide Plans Tariff Rate Hikes

LTL carrier YRC Freight to raise rates 6.9 percent, YRCW CEO Welch says

YRC Freight plans to raise base rates 6.9 percent on average, matching rate increases announced by several competitors, YRC Worldwide CEO James Welch said Friday.

“Rates still aren’t where they need to be,” Welch said in an interview. “The industry as a whole needs to improve its returns so companies can recapitalize

Holland Hiring Additional 450 Professional Drivers to Meet Growing Demand

Holland plans to hire an additional 450 qualified over-the-road and local city drivers throughout the Midwest in the next few months. Driver recruitment efforts are system-wide with a spotlight on the Evansville, South Bend, Ind.; Chicago and Wheeling, Ill.; as well as Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio; Louisville, Ky.; and Milwaukee, Wis. areas.

Holland continues to experience increasing demand

U.S. freight levels decline for second month

For the second month in a row, U.S. freight levels slowed, declining 0.7 percent in May compared with April, according to new data from the American Trucking Associations.

The ATA’s seasonally adjusted index of for-hire truck tonnage fell 1.1 percent in April. The index now stands at 117.8, down from April’s 118.7. The year 2000 equals 100 on the index.

“Two straight months of contractions

YRC Freight Announces Increased Speed In More Than 24,000 Lanes Across Its North American LTL Network

YRC Freight, a subsidiary of YRC Worldwide Inc., recently implemented significant improvements to its North American LTL network, which now features faster service into and out of every major U.S. city.

With its new network optimization plan fully engaged, YRC Freight is now at least one day faster than before in hundreds of the most significant supply chain lanes in North America. These

ARKANSAS BEST CORPORATION AGREES TO ACQUIRE PANTHER EXPEDITED SERVICES

Transaction Expected to Significantly Enhance Arkansas Best’s End-To-End Solutions Offering 

Offers Asset-Light Platform for Growth in $700 Billion Transportation and Logistics Market

Arkansas Best Corporation, a leading provider of freight transportation and logistics solutions, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Panther Expedited Services, Inc. (“Panther”

Holland Receives Eastman 2011 Supplier Excellence Award

Eastman Chemical Company has awarded Holland its 2011 Supplier Excellence Award, an element of its Eastman Supplier Excellence Program (ESEP). This marks the sixth consecutive year that Holland has received this award.

In order to determine award recipients, Eastman evaluates its transportation service providers along a number of criteria, including but not limited to: on-time percentages,