EXHIBIT 5.1



                               December 23, 2003

Yellow Roadway Corporation
10990 Roe Avenue
Overland Park, Kansas 66211


Gentlemen:

     I am the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Yellow
Roadway Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Registrant"), and in such
capacity, I have acted as counsel for the Registrant in connection with the
registration under the Securities Act of 1933 of 1,000,000 shares of the
Registrant's common stock, par value $1.00 per share (the "Shares"), which are
to be offered upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the
Roadway LLC 401(k) Stock Savings Plan (the "Plan").

     In connection therewith, I have examined originals or copies, certified or
otherwise identified to my satisfaction, of the Restated Certificate of
Incorporation of the Registrant, the Bylaws of the Registrant, as amended, the
Plan, the records of relevant corporate proceedings with respect to the offering
of the Shares and such other documents and instruments as I have deemed
necessary or appropriate for the expression of the opinions contained herein. I
also have examined the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the
"Registration Statement") to be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission with respect to the Shares.

     I have assumed the authenticity and completeness of all records,
certificates and other instruments submitted to me as originals, the conformity
to original documents of all records, certificates and other instruments
submitted to me as copies, the authenticity and completeness of the originals of
those records, certificates and other instruments submitted to me as copies and
the correctness of all statements of fact contained in all records, certificates
and other instruments that I have examined.

     Based on the foregoing, and having regard for such legal considerations as
we have deemed relevant, I am of the opinion that the Shares have been duly and
validly authorized for issuance and, when issued in accordance with the terms of
the Plans, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

     The opinions expressed herein relate solely to, are based solely upon and
are limited exclusively to the laws of the State of Delaware and the federal
laws of the United States of America, to the extent applicable.

     I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement.

                                                            Very truly yours,

                                                            /s/ Daniel J. Churay

                                                            Daniel J. Churay