Judy McReynolds’ Legacy: Growth, Grit & Vision

Judy McReynolds won great respect from industry colleagues over her years of leadership at ArcBest Corp. (Provided

It is easy to forget where ArcBest Corp. of Fort Smith was when Judy McReynolds took over as CEO.

McReynolds, then 47, replaced Bob Davidson on Jan. 1, 2010, when the company was coming off a fiscal year loss of more than $127 million on the heels of the Great Recession. Over the next 15 years, McReynolds shepherded ArcBest through a rebranding, an operational refocus and some record-breaking results.

McReynolds announced in July that she would step down at the end of 2025 as ArcBest’s CEO. President Seth Runser will take over as CEO on Jan. 1. He will have big shoes to fill.

“Judy has made a lasting impact on the transportation industry and on our state,” said Shelley Simpson, CEO of J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. of Lowell. “Her leadership at ArcBest has positioned the company strong in logistics, and she’s done it with vision, strength and a deep sense of purpose. Judy is a trailblazer, and her legacy will continue to drive the future of our industry.”

McReynolds didn’t just oversee ArcBest’s return to financial success. In 2014, the company changed its name from Arkansas Best to ArcBest and transformed from a trucking company to a full-service logistics company, all while also confronting issues involving unions, pension plan liabilities and, several years later, a global pandemic.

Along the way, ArcBest’s new focus paid off. Revenue and profits began to climb. The company’s last nonprofitable year was 2013, when it lost $7.7 million, and from 2014 to present, it surpassed $40 million in every year except one.

ArcBest cleared $3 billion in revenue in 2018 and went over $5 billion in 2022. In 2024, ArcBest had $4.18 billion in revenue, up nearly 185% since 2009.

How ArcBest Corp. Performed Under CEO Judy McReynolds

McReynolds Became CEO on Jan. 1, 2010.

(Source: ArcBest Corp.)

“I saw her navigate her company through some really tough situations that required competence, influence, and just pure smarts,” said James Reed, the former CEO of the former USA Truck in Van Buren. “Navigating the pension liability saved the company; believing in the value of the enterprise when [Wall Street] was slow to recognize that required conviction and chutzpah that few possess; navigating veiled and open threats from activists and potential takeovers required a sophistication that is hard to find … .

“She was clearly masterful in representing the shareholders and team when others didn’t quite ‘get it.’ She was right a lot.”

McReynolds started her career as an accountant after graduating from the University of Oklahoma. While at Ernst & Young in Little Rock, McReynolds worked with several transportation companies and later went to work in finance at PAM Transport Services Inc. in Tontitown.

Lavon Morton, who worked with McReynolds at Ernst & Young, had moved on to ArcBest and recruited her to join the company as director of corporate accounting in 1997.

By 2006 she was CFO; four years later, she was CEO, and, in 2016, chairman of the board of directors.

“Judy McReynolds is a powerful example that exceptional leadership comes in many forms,” said Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association. “I’ve always felt a personal connection to her, as two naturally introverted accounting nerds who, through tenacity and purpose, pushed beyond our comfort zones to lead.

“She guided ArcBest through a remarkable transformation over her 15-year tenure as president and CEO, elevating its reach and expanding its brand. What I’ve admired most is that Judy never tried to be something she wasn’t. She did not attempt to conform to any stereotypical mold. That authenticity is her superpower — and the special ingredient that made her leadership so effective and inspiring.”

Dennis Anderson, the company’s chief innovation officer, has worked alongside and for McReynolds since he joined ArcBest in 2003.

“The word that comes to mind when I think of Judy’s leadership is transformative,” Anderson said. “I learned a great deal from her. I’ve seen her decision-making up close, and I’ve seen the character behind it. That, to me, is what stands out probably more than anything is watching her character on display.

“She’s just an amazing leader.”

Reed knows another side of McReynolds, even though the two were no more than top transportation executives in the same state.

In 2022, Reed engineered the sale of USA Truck to German global logistics giant DB Schenker. After the acquisition was finalized, Reed felt a bit adrift after leaving the company he had spent so many years building up to stability.

“It was like wandering alone in the wilderness,” Reed said. “Judy met me at Sweet Bay Coffee in Fort Smith and we just talked — I will never forget that gesture. Her kindness and authenticity helped me figure out my path and find comfort in what felt like I had lost my family. She made all the difference. Judy’s kindness and reassurance helped me through that.”

In 2014, McReynolds was elected chairman of the nonprofit American Transportation Research Institute, whose board she would lead for eight years. Rebecca Brewster, the ATRI president and COO, said McReynolds was a tremendous leader for the institute.

“I honestly could not have asked for a better leader for our organization,” Brewster said. “Her dedication to our mission and her steadfast commitment to its success led ATRI through tremendous growth as an organization, both in our research portfolio and our support from the industry.

“On a personal level, Judy was a gracious leader whose professionalism and friendly demeanor I have sought to emulate on a daily basis.”

Reed said it would be a mistake to think of McReynolds as a soft touch, though. McReynolds recruited Reed to join the ATRI board, which is made up of 15 top trucking executives.

Reed said there was no small amount of ego and assertiveness among the group. He watched as McReynolds subtly but unmistakably assumed direction of the board.

“She has the gravitas and people skills to manage really big egos,” Reed said. “The way she managed that group of CEOs was so skillful. She is better than people who think she is good realize. She is better than even you realize.”