New YRC boss to overhaul company culture; fix long-haul ops

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — The newly minted CEO of LTL giant YRC Worldwide said his first order of business is to try and repair the company culture at the struggling carrier.

James L. Welch – who came to YRC from Dynamex shortly after his former company was acquired by Montreal’s TransForce – told logistics publication DC Velocity that the company network and attitude around the business is not "where we want it to be."

Welch is making his return to YRC. He spent several years as CEO of the former Yellow Transportation, before it acquired Roadway Express.

Welch told publication that the company has undergone so many changes since that epic merger that customers and employees don’t have a consistent pattern to follow.

"We don’t have the culture defined at YRC National," he said, without getting into specifics.

However, Welch praised YRC’s regional divisions: Holland, Reddaway, and New Penn.

Welch commented that the company is working hard to win back former customers that defected to competitors while YRC was implementing its restructuring plan.

Welch also said he’s following a 100-day blueprint? for turning around the company. He did not comment whether part of the plan includes dumping underperforming units such as its truckload operations.