Roadway Services
Roadway Services was a transportation holding company located in Akron, Ohio, which owned several trucking companies, including Roadway Express, Roadway Global Air, Viking Freight, Central Freight Lines, Spartan Express and Coles Express. They also owned Roadway Package System, Roberts Express and Roadway Logistics (ROLLS).
Roadway Express was spun off as a debt-free company by itself. Since they had the legal rights to the Roadway name, the companies left in the holding company changed the name to Caliber Systems. Roadway Global Air was shuttered and what was left of it was sold to BAX Global. After the Roadway spinoff, management attempted to put the four regional LTL companies together as a nationwide company, which failed miserably. Coles and Spartan were shut down, Central was sold back to its original owners, and Viking-the only profitable company—continued service in their regional area. After the UPS strike of 1997, Federal Express acquired Caliber Systems. In fall 1999, RPS was renamed Fed Ex Ground, and Roberts Express became Fed Ex Custom Critical. Later on, American Freightways approached Fed Ex about buying west coast carrier Viking Freight, to complete full coverage of the United States. Instead Fed Ex bought American Freightways and merged it with Viking to make Fed Ex Freight. Watkins Motor Lines was acquired, and run separately as Fed Ex National LTL, and then finally merged into Fed Ex Freight. Fed Ex Ground started a home delivery division, Fed Ex Home Delivery.
Roadway Express was later acquired by Yellow Freight, ran as a separate company for a few years, then merged into the company now known as YRC. At no time was Roadway Express owned by Fed Ex.