By Tony Farina
If you think there are no worlds left to conquer, let me introduce you to a gentleman who seems to find new exciting worlds in his life every day and there are no signs he’s slowing up anytime soon even though he’s a proud grandfather.
You see, Bill Yuhnke, known for many years around Buffalo as the Liberty Yellow Cab guy (president and CEO), is an incredible success story almost too overwhelming to capture in a few short words. But I’ll try.
The story begins in 1970 with the birth of Liberty Yellow Cab and for more than five decades, through all sorts of challenges in the ground transportation industry, Bill Yuhnke and Yellow Cab have more than just survived, upgrading services and expanding the business side of the ledger to encompass medical, dialysis, and wheelchair transportation for those that need it. And though there were challenges from competing ground transportation services like Uber and Lyft, Yellow Cab still sits at the top of the game.
And now, after becoming a radio station entrepreneur by acquiring both WLVL 1340 AM & WEBR Radio 1440 AM, Bill Yuhnke’s resume just got even more impressive as he has been selected as president of The Transportation Alliance, the largest trade organization in the industry with members operating over 100,000 vehicles and serving 900 million passengers per year.
The list goes on and on for Bill Yuhnke who seems to be able to handle it all in his usual calm and and thoughtful demeanor, never too giddy about it all but charming and insightful and ready to take on whatever is in front of him. That’s just who he is.
“I’m more than a little honored to become president of The Trade Alliance, an international entity, and I’m ready for the challenge ahead,” says Yuhnke, nothing too much for this old pro who seems to rise to the moment and has adaptable qualities and an incredible creative style that has kept Liberty Yellow Cab at the top of the game.
And the challenges are there. The Transportation Alliance represents the interests of members in 250 cities on four continents, including airport shuttle, executive sedan, limousine, non-emergency medical transportation, paratransit, and taxicab fleets.
For Bill Yuhnke, who manages the largest fleet of ground transportation vehicles in upstate New York and has more than 35 years experience in the ground transportation industry, the Transportation Alliance is another world to conquer for this man who seems to rise to the occasion whatever is in front of him.
Congratulations, Bill Yuhnke, who will be sworn in as president of The Transportation Alliance during their conference September 19-23 in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and all the best in the many roads ahead. You have created a legacy to be proud of.