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                                                        ROADWAY
                                                    SERVICES, INC.
                                                --------------------

                                                1077 GORGE BOULEVARD
                                                    P.O. BOX 88
                                                AKRON, OH 44309-0088
                                        
                                                  (216) 384-2661

                              December 28, 1995

                                
         JOHN M. GLENN
VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL


Gentlemen:

As Vice President and General Counsel for Roadway Services, Inc., an Ohio
corporation (the "Company"), I am familiar with the Registration Statement on
Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement") filed by the Company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933 with
respect to 225,000 Common Shares, without par value, of the Company (the
"Shares") being offered to independent contractors ("Contractors") that are
parties to operating agreements with Roadway Package System, Inc., a wholly
owned subsidiary of the Company, and that have adopted The Merrill Lynch,
Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated Special Prototype Profit Sharing Plan and
Trust for Independent Contractors ("Plan").  As indicated in the Prospectus
contained in the Registration Statement, the Shares will be purchased from time
to time in the open market at prevailing market prices by Merrill Lynch,
Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a Delaware corporation, ("Merrill Lynch")
acting on behalf of each Contractor's Plan in accordance with the instructions
of such Contractor.

In connection with the foregoing, I have examined the Articles of Incorporation
and the Code of Regulations of the Company, each as amended to date, and such
other records of the corporate proceedings of the Company and such other
documents as I have deemed necessary to render this opinion.

Based upon such examination, I am of the opinion that:

1.     The Company is a corporation duly organized and validly existing under
       the laws of Ohio.

2.     The Common Shares are validly issued and outstanding, fully paid and
       nonassessable and, when purchased in the open market by Merrill Lynch on
       behalf of the Contractors' Plans, will remain validly issued and
       outstanding, fully paid and nonassessable.

I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5 to the Registration
Statement and to the reference to me under the caption "Legal Opinions" in the
Prospectus which is a part of the Registration Statement.

                               Very truly yours,


                                /s/ John M. Glenn
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