US Xpress Names Smith President of Arnold Unit

U.S. Xpress Enterprises picked Todd Smith, former president of truckload operator LinkAmerica, as president of Arnold Transportation Services, a 750-truck affiliate.

Arnold is one of several regional subsidiaries owned or partially owned by U.S. Xpress, the fourth-largest truckload carrier in North America ranked by revenue. Jacksonville, Fla.-based Arnold handles regional and long-haul truckload freight and provides dedicated contract carriage services to shippers with private fleets.

Smith’s arrival signals strong interest in shorter-haul freight at U.S. Xpress Enterprises, which recently expanded its regional operations in the Northeast.

“I continue to see pressure on length-of-haul as customers focus on inventory levels,” John White, president of the U.S. Xpress division, said last month.

With shippers keeping less and less inventory, “it’s more important to bring the supply chain closer to the end user and speed is critical,” White said.

Smith spent five years as president of LinkAmerica, which was acquired by Tenex Capital Management last year. John Simone is now president of the company.

“I believe that Arnold is poised to become an even stronger player in the regional markets that we serve,” said Smith.

U.S. Xpress acquired a minority interest in Arnold in 2004, two years after Roadway sold the carrier to investors led by long-time president and CEO Michael S. Walters.

The truckload operator purchased a majority share in Arnold in 2006. Other affiliates include Smith Transport, Total Transportation andXpress Internacional.

Contact William B. Cassidy at wcassidy@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter at @wbcassidy_joc