Ray Harlin, CFO of U.S. Xpress, replaces Patrick Quinnas president of the company.

The families that own U.S. Xpress Enterprises have picked a successor to the late Patrick Quinn, who founded the company in 1985 along with the current chairman and CEO, Max Fuller.

Ray Harlin will replace Quinn as president and will continue to serve as chief financial officer, the company said in a news release.

Quinn was widely seen as a top trucking executive and industry spokesman, and was an outspoken advocate not just for U.S. Xpress, but for the transportation sector as a whole.

The choice of a successor at the nation's second-largest privately held trucking company comes a little less than two months after Quinn's death at age 65 from brain cancer.

At the time of Quinn's death, the business was split 50-50 between Quinn and Fuller, Fuller said. Quinn's U.S. Xpress shares passed to his family, and his offspring - such as daughter Lisa Pate - still serve in high-ranking positions in the company.

Pate, executive vice president and general counsel for U.S. Xpress, said she supported the choice of Harlin for president.

"Ray is a great choice to serve as president of U.S. Xpress Enterprises, and the Quinn family is looking forward to supporting Ray in his new position," Pate said.

Following the announcement, Harlin said he is proud to be part of U.S. Xpress, and thanked the owners for the promotion.

"I am honored that the Fuller and Quinn families have chosen me for this position with the company," Harlin said in a statement.

Harlin joined the trucking company in 1997 as executive vice president and chief financial officer, after 20 years at accounting firm Arthur Andersen LLP.

"Ray Harlin has played an important role in the growth and development of U.S. Xpress Enterprises over the past 15 years," Fuller said. "Ray has a proven track record as an effective leader, and we believe he will excel in his new position with the company."

In addition to the company's large trucking fleet, Harlin will oversee U.S. Xpress Enterprises' affiliates, including Arnold Transportation Services, Smith Transport, Total Transportation of Mississippi, Xpress Global Systems and Xpress Internacional.