The Wall Street Journal-20080129-Earnings Digest -- Transportation- YRC Worldwide Inc-

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Earnings Digest -- Transportation: YRC Worldwide Inc.

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Trucking giant YRC Worldwide Inc. swung to a big fourth-quarter loss due mostly to a $782 million impairment charge. Still, its quarterly profit plunged even without the charge as shipment tonnage weakened along with the economy. Shares of the Overland Park, Kan., fell 15% to $16.08 in New York Stock Exchange 4 p.m. composite trading. YRC executives, speaking at a conference with analysts, said changes at two regional operations and a new tentative labor agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union should lead to operating improvements in 2008. Still, Chief Executive Bill Zollars said he expects economic conditions to be tough at least through the first quarter. He said the industry looks to be at its bottom and not getting worse. Mr. Zollars said it is hard to figure how long the bottom will last, but the best guess is for another quarter of "rough sledding."