YRC Worldwide (NASDAQ: YRCW) is primarily a trucking company, transporting industrial, commercial and retail goods. YRC charges its customers a base rate and then a variable fee based on the price of diesel fuel, allowing it to pass changes in fuel prices along to its customers. While this fee structure shields the company from immediate changes in fuel prices, its customers may be willing to ship less overall as fuel prices climb.
The company ships a wide variety of goods, making its revenues a barometer for the overall economy's health. YRCW is particularly exposed to the manufacturing and retail sectors, and it depends on the two biggest U.S. retailers, Wal-Mart and Home Depot, for 12% of its business.