The creation and expansion of Roadway Express
closely parallels the growth of trucking as an industry. The motor carrier
industry of today moves more than 75% of the nation's economic product,
employs more than 7 million people and pays more than $20 billion in annual
taxes.
- 1930 - Galen Roush joins the R&M Transportation Company,
a freight-moving endeavor set up by his brother Carroll
and partner Charles Morrison to move tires between Akron,
Ohio, and St. Louis, Mo. The first shipment is moved
on Feb. 22, 1930.
In December, the Roush brothers found a new company, Roadway
Express, Inc.
- 1931 - The Gadsden, Ala., terminal is set up in July
and becomes the keystone of Roadway's southern operation.
Roadway Express operating revenues in 1931 are $200,000.
- 1932 - R&M's operation is merged with Roadway's.
Roadway Express operating revenues in 1932 are $700,000.
- 1933 - Initially specializing in truckload shipments, Roadway began
to shift to less-than-truckload shipments in 1933. Roadway began to actively
promote its LTL operation in 1934.
- 1934 - The Roush brothers emphasize safety on all their routes. Programs
that stress safety, including an inspection system that ensures all equipment
is checked before leaving the terminal, begin.
- 1935 - Roadway's
operations extend from the Southwest to the East Coast. The Roush brothers
contract with shippers to deliver their freight, and then hire independent
drivers who own their equipment to move the shipments.
- 1936 - Roadway Express operating revenues in 1936 are $1.2 million.
- 1938 - Tabulating equipment for processing freight bills is installed at
the Akron office, putting Roadway at the forefront of the industry's
use of technology to manage information.
The Roadway fleet wins first place in the large-fleet class in the
national truck safety contest sponsored by the American Trucking
Associations.
- 1939 - Roadway has offices in 22 cities, including Chicago, Atlanta,
Dallas, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Philadelphia.
Roadway experiments with a diesel unit on a trip from Atlanta to
Dallas and back.
Roadway inaugurates a safety program, giving awards to drivers who
have driven without a preventable accident for the past calendar
quarter.
- 1945 - The conversion from owner-operated to company-owned equipment is begun to retain
more control over shipments and improve service. The changeover
is completed by 1957.
- 1947 - Roadway develops the industry's first management training program.
- 1950s - Roadway begins developing the relay and breakbulk/satellite
systems. The relay system enabled a driver who met the daily
driving limit to be replaced with a fresh driver who continued
the route. The breakbulk/satellite system enabled shipments
to come into a hub facility and be reloaded onto trailers
by specific destination. These innovations redefine Roadway's
operations.
- 1951 - The American Trucking Associations announces a "Share
the Road" campaign to improve the image of the trucking
industry among motorists. In June 1951, Roadway begins
its own "I'll Help You Pass" campaign.
- 1952 - Roadway begins using electric forklifts.
- 1954 - The sliding-axle trailer, which allows the weight
on the tractor’s drive axle to be varied, is introduced
into the Roadway fleet.
Roadway experiments with a plastic tarpaulin for its
open trailers.
To lower costs, Roadway begins retiring older trailers
from the linehaul fleet and placing them in pickup and
delivery operations.
Roadway installs a new teletype system to reduce communications
costs.
Roadway installs a two-way radio system in trucks in
Charlotte, N.C., to improve dispatching.
The Ohio Turnpike opens in December 1954 and a Roadway
truck is the first vehicle to use the new highway.
- 1955 - Roadway begins an award program to recognize employees
who have given five or more years of continuous service.
Roadway becomes the first trucking company in the United
States to begin installing safety belt harnesses in its
vehicles.
- 1956 - Roadway becomes a publicly traded company, with Galen Roush keeping his interest
and Carroll selling his share.
Roadway publishes the first standards for shipment transit
times in the industry, and implements its first employee
profit-sharing program.
Operating revenues are $42.7 million and earnings are
$1.1 million. Roadway owns 985 trucks and tractors, and
1,894 trailers. Roadway operates terminals in 65 cities,
including newly constructed terminals in Buffalo, N.Y.;
Cincinnati, Ohio; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Greenville, S.C.;
and Milwaukee, Wis.
- 1957 - Over 1,000 drivers have an accident-free year.
Roadway installs its first modern mainframe computer.
- 1960 - Roadway spends $5.6 million on fleet improvements
and additions. New facilities open in Rochester and Syracuse,
N.Y., and Savannah, Ga., bringing the number of terminals
to 73. Forty-one doors are added at Philadelphia, Pa., making
it the largest facility in Roadway's system at 84 doors.
- 1961 - Roadway employs over 5,900 people nationwide.
- 1963 - The three-axle tractor is introduced to the motor
carrier industry. With additional axle support, trucks are
capable of carrying 25 percent more freight. Roadway invests
in 61 three-axle tractors.
- 1964 - Roadway implements a new program to encourage drivers to drive safely by posting
their number of accident-free miles at terminals.
- 1965 - Roadway begins using high-cube trailers, which
measure 13'6" high versus 12'6" high.
Roadway establishes a college scholarship program for
the children of full-time employees.
A 150-door terminal opened in Winston-Salem, N.C., is
a model for modern common carrier terminals.
- 1966 - New facilities are built to replace existing ones
in Camden, N.J.; Albany, Ga.; Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis,
Ind.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Harrisburg, Pa. In total, Roadway
invests $2.8 million in 18 facilities. Eight new terminals
are opened in Austin, Texas; Athens, Ga.; and Raleigh, N.C.
The total number of terminals is 104.
All two-axle tractors are replaced with three-axle tractors,
and older trailers are replaced with new high-cube trailers.
Thirty-three drivers earn million-mile awards.
- 1967 - All of Roadway's operations are tied into a computer
for the first time. The Roadway Express Advance Notice (REXAN)
system tracks the operation of tractors, trailers, shipments
and driver time.
- 1969 - Roadway
helps move the materials of President Lyndon Johnson from
Washington, D.C., to the Johnson Library in Austin, Texas.
Roadway also helped move the papers of Harry Truman and
Dwight Eisenhower at the end of their presidencies.
Roadway driver Gene Grubb was the first Roadway Express
driver to win a National Champion title at the National
Truck Driving Championships, placing first in the straight
truck category held in Denver, Colorado.
- 1971 - Roadway operates 178 terminals, 25 of which were
opened in 1971.
- 1972 - Roadway opens terminals in 33 cities.
- 1974 - Roadway adds 40 new terminals, bringing the total
number of facilities to 286. Roadway operates 16,365 vehicles.
Of these, 10,044 are used for linehaul operations and 6,321
for local pickup and delivery operations.
- 1975 - Roadway opens 18 new terminals, bringing the total number
of facilities to 303.
- 1976 - Roadway co-founder Galen Roush dies on June 15
at the age of 84.
A four-year program to convert 42-foot trailers to 45-foot
trailers begins. Roadway opens 25 new terminals.
- 1977 - Roadway becomes a transcontinental carrier with the acquisition of Western Gillette,
a major freight carrier based in California. The purchase
added 18 terminals in four states and gave Roadway the
rights to operate throughout the western U.S.
Roadway opens 55 new terminals. The fleet has 21,121
vehicles, with 13,993 used for linehaul operations and
7,128 for local pickup and delivery operations.
- 1978 - Roadway opens 31 new terminals, bringing the total
number of terminals to 414.
- 1979 - Roadway operates 447 terminals, including 38 opened
in 1979. The fleet totals 23,077 vehicles, with 15,575
for linehaul operations and 7,532 for local pickup and
delivery operations.
- 1980 - The Motor Carrier Act of 1980 deregulates the
trucking industry.
- 1982 - QUIKTRAK®, a computerized instant freight-tracking system, is introduced.
Expansion into Canadian markets begins.
In response to competition brought on by deregulation, Roadway Express forms
a holding company called Roadway Services, Inc., to build a portfolio of transportation
companies that operate in areas beyond traditional LTL markets.
Roadway operates 506 terminals. The fleet totals 22,965 vehicles, with 15,934
for linehaul operations and 7,031 for local pickup and delivery operations.
- 1983 -Federal legislation permits twin 28-foot trailers on the interstate highway system
and other designated roads. Roadway begins to convert most
of its fleet to twin trailers.
E-Z RATE®, the industry's first rating system to
use postal zip codes to rate freight, is introduced.
Roadway begins offering direct service to Alaska and
opens terminals in 16 cities. The total number of terminals
is 520.
- 1985 - Roadway establishes quality teams in each district to improve performance and
service.
Offices in Mexico are opened to market Roadway's services
on the U.S. and Canadian portions of freight moves to
and from Mexico.
- 1986 - Roadway opens 19 new terminals, bringing the total number of terminals to 582.
- 1988 - A new 410-door facility in Harrisburg, Pa., the
largest in Roadway's system, opens.
- 1989 - Roadway introduces E-Z Bill®, a software program
that allows customers to create and print bills of lading
and transmit documents directly to terminals.
- 1990 - Roadway becomes the first major U.S. carrier to open a subsidiary operation serving
Mexico City. The facility enables Roadway to offer single-system
service between Mexico City and the U.S. and Canada.
- 1991 - Roadway begins export service to western Europe.
Roadway implements the Roadway Advanced Planning for
Inbound Dispatch (RAPID) system, an automated system
for preplanning delivery routes.
- 1993 - Roadway begins export service to the Pacific Rim and the Middle East.
Roadway begins providing LTL services within Mexico and
between Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. through the formation
of a Mexican subsidiary.
- 1994 - Roadway implements an automated computer-based rating and billing system.
A sleeper team operation with satellite communications
in the western U.S. is established. Network reengineering
to improve transit times and reduce freight handling
and linehaul costs begins.
- 1995 - Roadway introduces two-day service from 12 U.S. metropolitan areas to about 60
percent of the country's population. Transit time for "Express
From…" shipments is about 20 percent faster
than 1994's average transit times.
Roadway establishes a presence on the World Wide Web at www.roadway.com.
Roadway driver Keith Mergner is National Champion, tanker category, at the
ATA National Truck Driving Championships held in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- 1996 -
Roadway Express separates from its parent company, Roadway Services, Inc. to
again become an independent, publicly traded company with
no long-term debt.
- 1997 - With the friendly acquisition of Canadian carrier
Reimer Express Lines, Roadway expands its services within
and between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. Export services
to Africa and import services to North America from the
United Kingdom begin.
Time-Critical Service, which guarantees delivery of
emergency shipments, is launched.
- 1998 - Roadway honors 57 drivers, each of whom has accumulated
3 million consecutive accident-free miles, by presenting
them with keys to their own tractors at a special event
at the Volvo Trucks plant in Roanoke, Virginia.
Roadway is the first LTL carrier to provide U.S. exporters
with real-time status updates as their shipments are
processed within Customs at both the Canadian and Mexican
borders. Customers can retrieve updates via Roadway's
Web site and toll-free automated telephone system.
Roadway adds an option to precisely schedule deliveries
within a window of time as tight as one hour at multiple
locations to its menu of guaranteed time-based services.
Roadway driver Gary
Ott is National Champion, 3-axle category, at the
ATA National Truck Driving Championships held in Long
Beach, California.
- 1999 - A secure, customer-specific Web site, my.roadway.com,
is introduced. This password-protected site provides customers
with private access to real-time information on their accounts
and shipments and applications for managing their shipping
transactions.
Roadway introduces Border Ambassador Service, which
places specially trained personnel on site at major Mexico
and Canada border-crossing points to monitor shipments
and expedite customs clearance.
Roadway adds an option to guarantee delivery of regular
LTL shipments to its menu of time-based services.
- 2000 - Roadway and its subsidiary, Reimer Express Lines
Ltd. of Canada, receive system-wide ISO 9002 certification.
Roadway is the only LTL carrier whose entire freight network
and management systems are certified to the ISO international
quality standards for shipping goods from pickup to delivery.
Roadway expands sleeper operations to provide faster
transit between major metro areas and broaden regional
coverage.
Roadway begins installing Roadway Digital Dispatch (RDD),
a two-way messaging and vehicle tracking system for pickup
and delivery operations. RDD provides automatic vehicle
tracking via global positioning satellite technology.
Roadway is the first LTL carrier to combine cellular
and satellite technologies for gathering and sending
data along pickup and delivery routes.
Roadway driver Ken Epley is named national champion
at the ATA National Truck Driving Championships.
- 2001 - Roadway Express forms a holding company called
Roadway Corporation to build a portfolio of strategically
linked companies.
Roadway continues to improve Web-based services. The
eTracking application, which customers can use to request
shipment status updates via e-mail, is added to Roadway's
public Web site, roadway.com.
Roadway cuts transit times on more than 20,000 lanes
in the largest single service standard reduction to date.
As a result, deliveries on metro area and regional lanes
are one to two days faster throughout Roadway's entire
system.
Roadway is approved for the Customs Self-Assessment
(CSA) program of the Canadian government. This program
for Canadian imports speeds clearances for importers
and carriers who provide data electronically.
Roadway introduces Sealed Trailer Service, which provides
extra protection for standard transit shipments that
require extra security.
Roadway launches a competition for Roadway dockworkers
modeled on the driving competitions sponsored by the
American Trucking Associations. The Professional Freight
Handlers Competition is designed to recognize safety
performance on Roadway's loading docks.
Roadway driver David McDonald is named national champion
in the twin trailers class at the ATA National Truck
Driving Championships.
- 2002 - Roadway works with federal agencies to help develop the transportation
requirements for the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program
of the U.S. government, the Partners in Protection (PIP) program of the Canadian
government, and the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program of the Canadian and
U.S. governments.
Roadway becomes the first major LTL carrier in North America to transmit
shipment data through Canada Customs' new electronic data interchange system.
The system enables a customs officer to scan a bar code and the Roadway driver's
registration to authorize the truck to proceed.
Roadway introduces a door-to-door service for air freight shipments in all
50 states and Puerto Rico, expands international export services, and introduces
import services for overseas shipments.
Transit times on more than 35,000 lanes were cut in 2002 in the largest
single service standard reduction in company history. This speed initiative
affects every terminal in Roadway's network.
August 17, 2002: Roadway driver Richard Seigle is National Champion, 3-axle
category, at the ATA National Truck Driving Championships held in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin.
Roadway driver Richard Seigle is named national champion in the three-axle
class at the 2002 National Truck Driving Championships.
- 2003 - Roadway is among the first carriers authorized to participate in the
C-TPAT, PIP and FAST programs for protecting the supply chain.
Roadway and Reimer are certified to ISO 9001: 2000 international quality
standards.
Roadway launches Sealed Divider Service, which provides added security for
LTL shipments in transit.
Roadway Express becomes part of the newly formed Yellow Roadway Corporation.
Roadway driver Greg Nauertz is National Champion, 3-axle category, at the
ATA National Truck Driving Championships held in Columbus, Ohio.
- 2004 -
Roadway establishes 76 local Customer Care Teams focused on specific customers
and markets. Roadway is the only carrier with highly trained local teams providing
superior service and individualized transportation solutions for customers.
Roadway launches Time-Advantage® Service, a highly reliable and competitively
priced option for customers who need expedited transit via ground or air
but not necessarily a guarantee.
Roadway expands guaranteed Time-Critical Service to include multi-day delivery
windows. With the new Time-Advantage® Service and guaranteed Time-Critical
Service, customers have more options than ever for deliveries via ground
or air at any speed and any hour anywhere in North America, with or without
a guarantee.
Roadway becomes the first transportation provider to automatically provide
a delivery guarantee for tradeshow shipments at no additional charge. Delivery
guarantees for Sealed Divider and Sealed Trailer services, which provide
extra protection to standard transit shipments during transit, are also introduced.
- 2005 -
Roadway Express celebrates its 75th anniversary. February 22, Founder’s
Day, marks the company’s first shipment between Akron, Ohio, and St. Louis,
Missouri back in 1930.
