John Simone has been named president and CEO of USA Truck, the company announced. Former CEO Cliff Beckham has returned to his previous role as the executive vice president and CFO, which he previously held from 2002 to 2007. Both changes are effective immediately.

Simone has over 30 years of operational and management experience in the transportation industry with companies that include UPS, Ryder, and Greatwide Logistics. Most recently, he was the CEO of LinkAmerica where he led a successful operational turnaround, USA Truck said.

“USA Truck has a strong foundation to build upon, including a relatively new fleet, dedicated employees, modern technology, and significant balance sheet strength and liquidity,” Simone said. “I was attracted to the situation because of these resources and because of the strong commitment to teamwork I sensed from the board of directors and the executive team. Our team will be dedicated to achieving operational excellence in our execution with the goals of superior customer service, efficiency in all functions, and full support for our drivers. We expect improved operational execution and enhanced financial management to generate value for stockholders, employees, and other stakeholders.”