INTERVIEW-UPDATE 1-YRC CEO says U.S. in mild recession

* U.S. in mild recession for past six months

* Economy should start to recover in 2009

* Pricing in trucking sector still "competitive" (Adds details on YRC profit, analyst comments, industry background)

By Nick Carey

CHICAGO, July 25 (Reuters) - Data will likely show the United States has been in recession for the past six months, the top executive of the No. 1 U.S. trucking company said on Friday.

"It looks like we are bottoming out. Luckily, this recession does not appear to be as severe as previous downturns," Bill Zollars, chief executive of YRC Worldwide Inc (YRCW.O), told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Zollars added that a recent drop in the price of oil was a significant boost for the U.S. economy, as "$150-a-barrel oil would have pushed us into a ditch."

Barring any major new shocks, the economy should start to recover in 2009, he added. In the meantime, pricing in the trucking sector remains "competitive," Zollars said.

The CEO of YRC spoke to Reuters the day after the company reported a second-quarter profit that came in above analyst expectations, but was 34 percent down on the same period in 2007.