It was a time of growth, transformation and positive momentum for Yellow heading into 2023. Here are the highlights. 

 

At Yellow, the most important development in 2022 was our continued transformation into a super-regional LTL carrier. However, there were many other highlights from the year, including individual honors for Yellow employees and our ongoing efforts to draw from a diverse talent pool in training the next generation of professional truck drivers.

 

Here’s just a sampling of some of the biggest stories around Yellow in 2022: 

 

Three Drivers Join America’s Road Team

 

In January, three of Yellow’s long-time professional truck drivers were selected as the newest members of the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) America’s Road Team Captains:

 

• Richard Frazer of Rockford, Ill., who has driven 23 years for Yellow.

• Oklahoma City’s Mike Buck, a 19-year driver for Yellow.

• Jeff Rose of Akron, Ohio, who has spent his entire 29-year driving career at Yellow.

 

The three winning drivers were selected from among 34 finalists to fill 22 slots on the 2022-2023 America’s Road Team. Drivers competing for the Road Team are considered the “best of the best” in the industry, tested on their safe-driving records, knowledge of their profession and how they communicate about and help promote safe driving practices. 

 

“We are proud that the ATA and its panel of judges selected our drivers who, combined, have nearly nine million miles of safe driving,” Yellow President and Chief Operating Office Darrel Harris said. “They will represent our industry and company well.”

Peggy Arnold Named Women In Trucking’s “Driver of The Year”

 

A professional driver for Yellow for more than 30 years and nearly two million accident-free miles, Peggy Arnold was honored in March as Women In Trucking’s third-ever “Driver of the Year.” She is also one of WIT’s 2022 Top Women to Watch in Transportation and was named an America’s Road Team Captain finalist by the ATA.

 

Arnold, who operates out of Nashville Terminal #422, credits trucking with moving her into the middle class and helping to support her children and other family members. In addition to her driving duties, she also helps to instruct new truck drivers as a safety trainer. 

 

In March, Arnold attended the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville to hear WIT announce its Driver of the Year. She had no idea that she would win. 

 

“When they announced my name… I just couldn’t be more proud,” Arnold said in a recent interview for The Extra Mile blog. “It was just awesome and amazing, and I’m so grateful to Women In Trucking.”

 

Yellow Receives Honor from The Home Depot

 

In April, The Home Depot named Yellow its Online Linehaul Carrier (LTL) of the Year for 2021, recognizing Yellow’s support in exceeding expectations with final mile delivery. 

 

Awarded each year by The Home Depot, the honor recognizes a commitment to excellence in service performance, responding to and resolving issues, and providing creative solutions. It reflects Yellow’s continuous commitment to its partners by providing superior freight services and an enhanced customer experience.

 

“This is a great recognition from one of our most valued partners,” Jason Bergman, chief commercial officer for Yellow, said in April. “I am extremely proud of our team at Yellow, as this is a testament to their resilience in these adverse times of ongoing disruptions in the global supply chain.”

Driving Academies on Pace to Graduate 1,000 New Truck Drivers

 

The past year saw tremendous expansion for Yellow’s CDL Driving Academy, with the addition of nine new academies for a total of 22 locations across 17 U.S. states. Early this year, we set the ambitious goal of graduating 1,000 new drivers from the academies in 2022, a number that we are projecting to meet in December, thanks to the hard work of instructors, safety trainers and students across the network. 

 

Yellow launched its Driving Academy in 2021 in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor to help address the nationwide shortage of qualified professional truck drivers. It is one of the few programs in the industry in which student drivers receive tuition-free training, while also being paid and compensated for all related expenses. 

 

Yellow Expands Apprenticeship Program 

 

During a September meeting at the White House, Yellow CEO Darren Hawkins announced plans to expand Yellow’s Registered Apprenticeship program to include training initiatives for dockworkers and diesel mechanics. Both jobs are in significant demand nationwide and are essential in delivering freight and sustaining U.S. supply chains.

 

Like Yellow’s Driving Academy, the effort to train more mechanics and dockworkers will be done in partnership with the Department of Labor’s apprenticeship program. “I’m confident that by working with the DOL and industry partners, we can train the professionals America needs while offering men and women a path to a well-paid, reputable career,” Hawkins said.

Alphonso Lewis Finishes Third at NTDC 

 

Eighteen Yellow drivers competed in the National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC), which returned in August after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. Alphonso Lewis finished in third place in the 5-axle class, adding another trophy to his long career that includes nine NTDC appearances and winning Grand Champion in 2007.

 

The event in Indianapolis brought in more than 400 of the country’s best truck drivers to compete in the “Super Bowl of Safety.” 

 

“It’s always great when you come to nationals,” Lewis said. “You’re competing against 400-some state champions. So just to make it to this stage is a great opportunity.”

 

ATA Honors Yellow with Diversity Award

 

On Oct. 23, the ATA presented Yellow and eight other transportation companies with its inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Change Leader Award, honoring their commitment to creating a culture of acceptance and belonging for all their employees.

 

Yellow received other recognitions throughout the year for its approach to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB). Those honors included being named by Women In Trucking as a Top Company for Women to Work for in Transportation for the fifth straight year, and receiving the Military-Friendly Employer designation for the second consecutive year. 

 

Yellow has made significant strides in recent years toward fostering DEIB across the organization. That includes the creation of Yellow’s Diversity Advisory Council and launching the following employee resource groups that now have more than 700 employee members: 

 

• The Women’s Inclusion Network

• Veterans Enrichment & Troop Support (VETS)

• Multicultural Inclusion Network

• Emerging Professionals Inclusion Network (EPIN)

• Pride Inclusion Network

 

Super-Regional Transformation Kicks Off in the West

 

On Sept. 18, Yellow launched the first of three phases that will align its linehaul and regional services under one company nationwide. Phase 1 of our One Yellow transformation took place in the West, combining YRC Freight and Reddaway in a move that impacted more than 20% of Yellow’s nationwide network. 

 

The launch was a success, thanks to the hard work and dedication of Yellow employees over several busy weeks in September and October. Phase 2 of our One Yellow Journey will launch soon in the Northeast, Midwest and Southeast regions, while Phase 3 in the Central region will be completed early in 2023.