Con-way Freight Receives Department of Defense Award

ANN ARBOR, MI and NEWARK, NJ--(Marketwire - Sep 11, 2012) - Con-way Freight, a less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier and subsidiary of Con-way Inc. ( NYSE : CNW ), announced today that its Newark, N.J., facility was presented with the Patriotic Employer Award for its support of the National Guard and Reserve. The award ceremony was held at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The Patriot Award was created by Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) and the Department of Defense to publicly recognize employers who believe in a strong National Guard and Reserve. Employers qualify for recognition when they demonstrate leadership and promote personnel policies that encourage employee participation in the Guard and Reserve.

I'm proud to work for an employer who provides extraordinary patriotic support and cooperation to their employees, who like the citizen warriors before them have answered their nation's call to serve, said Lenny Romano, personnel supervisor at Con-way Freight's Newark service center. Mr. Romano, who accepted the award on behalf of the company, also was recognized for his individual actions in support of deployed soldiers. He went on to say, Engaged employers are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the nation's National Guard and Reserve units.

Con-way Freight was nominated for the award by Army Reserve Specialist (SPC) Oliver Cunningham, a freight operations supervisor at the company's Newark location. SPC Cunningham serves with the HHD, 436th Transportation Battalion (MC), Ft. Wadsworth, Staten Island, N.Y.

Employers who receive the Patriot Award are committed to their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve and publicly acknowledge the contributions of Reserve component employees to our nation's defense. They also devote resources that go beyond the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) requirements, and provide assistance to Guard and Reserve employee families during mobilizations.

Soldiers returning from duty have for generations experienced hardship re-entering employment in the private sector, stated Lieutenant Colonel Downey, U.S. Army Reserve. He continued, As the drawdown of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan continues, we have a debt of honor to these heroes. They deserve employers who are dedicated to helping these heroes make the transition from military to civilian employment as seamless as possible.

Con-way offers its employee/soldiers pay differentials and uninterrupted health benefits for their families during the first year of deployment. Over the last five years, the company has paid more than $1.1 million in differential compensation to its deployed citizen/soldiers. The company's human resources representatives maintain contact with soldiers' families to ensure that they understand all available benefits, while employee volunteers also provide outreach to families, assisting them with everyday challenges such as home maintenance, auto repairs and snow removal. For employees on active duty, the company sends care packages full of items like soap, shampoo and magazines.

Upon return from active duty, employees are reinstated to the same or equal job, pay and grade level. If an employee needs to move for a returning job, the company pays relocation expenses. To help employees readjust to civilian duty, Con-way's Employee Assistance Program provides access to counseling through the company's health benefit plans.

Today, Con-way employs nearly 2,700 military service veterans, including members of the National Guard and Reserves.

Patriot Award winners are eligible for The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award --the highest recognition given by the U.S. government to employers committed to employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.

Con-way Inc. is a previous recipient of the Freedom Award, having been conferred the honor in September 2007.

About Con-way Freight

Con-way Freight is the industry's leading less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation company, providing guaranteed, day-definite regional and transcontinental service with exception-free delivery, on-time service performance and faster transit times through a single, unified network of more than 300 service centers in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Con-way Freight offers LTL freight transportation across North America and through Global LTL™ delivery in the United States from around the world. Global solutions include international less-than-container (LCL) ocean shipments from Asia through its OceanGuaranteed® service; U.S. and Europe delivery for inbound and outbound international cargoes through an exclusive alliance with TNT; direct service to more than 30 Bahamian and Caribbean ports through TropicalDirect(SM); and domestic offshore transportation to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., Con-way Freight is a certified FAST highway carrier and is C-TPAT/PIP, ACE- and CSA-certified.