| The big buzz in the freight industry last month came | | | | The already established global FedEx brand, along |
| out of FedEx. Douglas G. Duncan, president and CEO | | | | with the company's unmatched (at the time) |
| of FedEx Freight from its inception, will retire next | | | | spending on technology and service enhancements, |
| February. The announcement took the industry by | | | | forced other LTL carriers to rethink their businesses. |
| surprise. | | | | (Consolidated Freightways folded in 2002, and Yellow |
| FedEx Freight was created in 2001 via the acquisition | | | | Corp. acquired Roadway in 2003 to create what is |
| and merger of American Freightways and Viking | | | | now YRC Worldwide.) |
| Freight. Duncan had been the head at Viking, having | | | | The landscape of LTL freight hauling changed fairly |
| previously worked at several other freight companies | | | | dramatically during Duncan's leadership at FedEx |
| including Roadway. | | | | Freight. Much of it is related to the direct effect of |
| Under Duncan's leadership, FedEx Freight became one | | | | the Internet and web-based freight transportation |
| of the country's leading non-union less-than-truckload | | | | management services, but substantial credit should |
| (LTL) carriers. It is the second largest LTL operator in | | | | probably also go to Duncan's work at FedEx. His |
| the country, after YRC Worldwide. | | | | tactical decisions and investment in technology quickly |
| Many in the trucking industry view it's creation as the | | | | made FedEx a huge player in the LTL game. |
| beginning of a major shift in LTL. The major unionized | | | | We are confident that FedEx under Douglas Duncan's |
| carriers at the time - Yellow, Roadway and | | | | successor will continue to be an industry leader and a |
| Consolidated Freightways - began to lose some | | | | provider of high quality, reliable service. |
| ground to non-union lines. | | | | |