YRC Freight unveils time-in-transit upgrade to standard delivery service

YRC Freight, the long-haul unit of less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier YRC Worldwide Inc., said it has rolled out a faster version of its basic delivery service designed to deliver shipments one to two days sooner than its basic, or "standard," service at a modest price increase.

Called "Accelerated," the service is targeted at users who want a faster transit-time option but don't want or need the unit's premium-priced "time-critical" delivery option, which guarantees deliveries, often on a rush basis, to meet a customer's urgent needs, according to Darren Hawkins, YRC Freight's president. For example, a shipment traveling 1,200 miles that would normally be delivered in three days would now be delivered in two, while a 3,000-mile delivery that might have taken five days could be completed in three, Hawkins said in a phone interview.

The "Accelerated" service does not come with delivery guarantees.

The price increase over the basic service could range from $20 for a small consignment, where minimum charges apply, to $40 for a heavier consignment, Hawkins said. "The cost increase is minimal," Hawkins said.

All shipments using the new service will move in the YRC Freight infrastructure already established to handle its time-critical consignments, Hawkins said. YRC Freight's network is operational around the clock, so shipments tendered late in the normal workweek could move through its pipeline on weekends, Hawkins said. Weekend deliveries will only be made at a customer's request, and would be subject to a surcharge, known in the trade as an "accessorial" fee, he added.

Companies moving business-to-consumer (B2C) shipments, which LTL carriers are handling more of these days, would be most likely to take advantage of the new service for weekend deliveries, Hawkins added.

YRC Freight, like its parent, is based in Overland Park, Kan.