MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a leader in commercial transportation and
supply chain management solutions, announced today that it and Staples
have agreed to add ten heavy duty compressed
natural gas (“CNG”) tractors to Ryder’s dedicated fleet servicing
Staples, the world’s largest office products company. These CNG tractors
– the first of their kind used in Staples’ third party dedicated
operations – will replace ten diesel tractors currently used by Ryder
for Staples, and have been made available through Ryder’s natural gas
vehicle project agreement with the San Bernardino Associated Governments
(“SANBAG”)
in Southern California. The $38.7 million Ryder/SANBAG project is part
of a public/private partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy,
the California Energy Commission, the Southern California Association of
Governments Clean Cities Coalition, and Ryder. The project includes 202
natural gas vehicles, upgrades to three maintenance facilities for the
proper servicing of natural gas vehicles, and the construction of two
fueling stations.
Staples has been a Ryder Dedicated
Contract Carriage (“DCC”) customer for 19 years, benefiting from a
customized suite of transportation services that optimize fleet
operations, including drivers, equipment, management, and ongoing
engineering support. Ryder’s DCC solution enables businesses to provide
and control product and service delivery without having to invest in
their own private fleets.
The CNG tractors will be used to transport inventory to Staples stores
in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and the Inland Empire, and
will be serviced out of Ryder’s network of natural gas compliant
maintenance facilities in Southern California.
“Improving the efficiency of our transportation fleet is an important
part of our strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve
energy conservation in our operations,” stated Mark Day, senior manager
of carrier management at Staples. “Leveraging the environmental and
cost-saving benefits of natural gas vehicles is one example of the kind
of sustainable choices that we are making to reduce our operational
impacts. We believe that by partnering with Ryder in this type of
initiative, we can do our part to help protect the environment and save
money at the same time.”
According to Ryder, CNG vehicles produce 20 to 30 percent less emissions
than comparable diesel vehicles, and natural gas costs as much as 42
percent less per equivalent gallon of diesel (based on current diesel
fuel prices). More information about natural gas vehicles and other
alternative fuel solutions can be found online at www.ryder.com/alternativefuels.
“Ryder’s natural gas vehicle solution provides our customers with an
innovative opportunity to save money and make efficiency improvements in
their supply chains, without sacrificing quality and service execution,”
said John Sonia, Ryder’s senior vice president of operations for Ryder’s Dedicated
Contract Carriage division. “These vehicles will enhance the good
work we are already doing with Staples to improve the efficiency,
environmental-soundness, and overall performance of their supply chain.”
Staples’ environmental commitment strives to make it easy for customers,
associates and the communities the company serves to help protect the
environment. Staples focuses its efforts on areas where it can have the
greatest positive impact, including: environmentally preferable
products; recycling and other environmental services; and sustainable
operations, with a focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and
waste reduction. Staples has been a member of the United States
Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) Climate Leaders program since
2004, and is an EPA 2011 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. For more
information about Staples’ environmental commitment, please visit www.staples.com/soul.
About Ryder
Ryder is a FORTUNE 500® commercial transportation, logistics and supply
chain management solutions company. Ryder’s stock (NYSE:R) is a
component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average and the Standard &
Poor’s 500 Index. Inbound Logistics magazine has recognized Ryder
as a top third party logistics provider and included Ryder in its 2010
and 2011 “Green Partners” listing. Ryder also ranked 114 out of the top
500 U.S. companies and sixth in its industry sector in the 2010 Newsweek
Green Rankings. Ryder is a charter member of the NGV Fleet Forum and a
member of the Department of Energy’s National Clean Fleets partnership.
Ryder is also a proud member of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster
Giving Program, supporting national and local disaster preparedness and
response efforts. For more information on Ryder System, Inc., visit www.ryder.com.
About Staples
Staples is the world’s largest office products company and a trusted
source for office solutions. The company provides products, services and
expertise in office supplies, copy & print, technology, facilities and
breakroom, and furniture. Staples invented the office superstore concept
in 1986 and now has annual sales of $25 billion, ranking second in the
world in eCommerce sales. With 90,000 associates worldwide, Staples
operates in 26 countries throughout North and South America, Europe,
Asia and Australia, making it easy for businesses of all sizes, and
consumers. The company is headquartered outside Boston. More information
about Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) is available at www.staples.com/media.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements
and information included in this news release are
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Federal Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements are based on our current plans and expectations and are
subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Accordingly,
these forward-looking statements should be evaluated with consideration
given to the many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results and events to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements including those risks set forth in our
periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. New
risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for management
to predict all such risk factors or to assess the impact of such risks
on our business. Accordingly, we undertake no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Source: Ryder System, Inc.