company is about: people working hard and solving customer problems to make a difference every day.” A self-described lifelong learner,
McReynolds said she enjoys the process of thinking about the future. “What’s been frustrating is there are so many uncertainties,” she said before adding: “You should make the most of uncer- tainties. The uncertain world is here to stay. That’s what drives me to make the day, the week and future better. ABF is known for that.” Slagle said he’s been fortunate to
work for the ABF organization for such a long time. “There have been people who have been of service to me as men- tors, advisors and friends,” he says. “There’s a value system we all willingly belong to at ABF. Early on, you learn there is a culture to do the right thing, tell the truth, own up to mistakes, learn from them and move on. It all starts at the top with (former chairmen) Robert Young Jr. and Robert Young III, who provided leadership along the way.” Slagle has worked in both the pre-
1980 regulated environment in the LTL sector as well as today’s no-holds-barred world of trucking competition. It’s American commerce at its best, he said, but not for the faint of heart, he added. “If you’re resistant to change, you
shouldn’t get in this business,” he said. “It’s constantly changing and evolving.” Slagle likes to joke that when dereg-
ulation occurred with the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, he predicted it would take five to seven years for the industry to absorb the changes and for the market place to settle down. “We’re now on our 33rd year,” he
quipped. “It’s one thing that keeps me excited. It’s not the same thing every day.”
McReynolds said the price of
entry into the LTL market place is “much, much higher” than it once was. Everybody has trucks. Everybody (well, nearly everybody anyway) has drivers. Everybody has technology. And nearly everybody has an efficient operating model. “The intelligence of pricing is
ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 5 2013
“IF YOU ARE RESISTANT TO CHANGE, YOU SHOULDN’T GET IN THIS BUSINESS.”
—ROY SLAGLE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ABF FREIGHT SYSTEM, INC.
improving,” she said. “What you have to do to differentiate yourself is to be much more tuned into your customer and what their needs are. Find those difference makers, and bring them to that discussion. That’s what ABF is all about. We’re not talking about basics. We’re talking at a higher level.” Just in the past eight years, the
changes at ABF have been multifold. Far from being strictly a long-haul domes- tic LTL carrier, ABF now has customers worldwide handling myriad solutions that are rarely the same. “If their manufacturing is based in
Taiwan, ABF sales people can manage that process for you,” Slagle says. “We have people in Taiwan to see that mate- rial gets from factory to port, gets load- ed on the proper vessel, clears customs and pays duties. If you need warehous- ing and distribution, truckload, LTL, long haul, short haul LTL, final mile, expedited, premium logistics, we have it. In eight years, that’s a pretty robust transformation.” McReynolds said the ultimate goal
is to deliver transportation and supply chain solutions, regardless of mode. “We are not overly concerned
which subsidiary is going to deliver those services,” she said “In our 90-year history, our subsidiaries in the trans- portation and logistics businesses are
working together more than ever. We are working together to get that right answer for the customer.” Increasingly, McReynolds said,
shippers want a single source to handle their transportation needs. “We like owning assets but we like bringing solu- tions,” she said “Customers don’t want you hand-
ing them off (to other third parties). We’re continuing to drive single source answers to customers. We want to make it easy and have that be as simple as possible. We have a great opportunity going forward to continue to do that.” McReynolds said eight years ago,
ABF was focused on the $34 billion LTL market. “Today with everything we offer, we are operating in a $200 billion market,” she said. “That’s significant.” The trucking market, like many in
this country, will find most efficient answer to serve the business. “We are not naïve. We understand that,” McReynolds said. “We see opportunities to find those answers that will affect their business in a positive way. The market will be efficient. “ABF has always been focused on
that kind of delivery of answers and solutions. You have to be that go-to person who makes their business work,” she concluded.
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