Founded in 1930 by brothers Carroll and Galen Roush, Roadway Express quickly became a prosperous business, perhaps due to their motto, "Dedicated To Better Service". By the time this matchbook was produced, Roadway terminals dotted the Eastern half of the United States, from Aberdeen, Maryland to York, Pennsylvania. (The KC Matchgirl notes with interest that the local Roadway terminal was located across the state line, in Kansas City, Kansas and was the last point west.) Another odd fact was that 3 of their 4 sales offices were located in Canada.
Always moving and growing, Roadway acquired the Canadian freight line Reimer Express, in 1997. Then in 2003, those 2 companies merged with Yellow Freight, a process that would take six years to legally complete. Yellow Freight was also founded by 2 brothers, back in 1924, and was at one time an expansion of the Yellow Cab Co.
Once the merger was complete, the new name reflected the original companies- Yellow Roadway Corp. (YRC). On the verge of bankruptcy, the new corporation saved either Roadway or Yellow, or both, from imminent demise- KC Matchgirl is a collector and not a financial analyst. Today, YRC delivers freight across the US, including Alaska and Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
Matchbook Date: Late 1960's
