New 66-tractor, heavy-haul fleet will deliver reduced environmental
impact and company savings
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Ryder
System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a leader in commercial fleet and supply
chain solutions, announced today that it is partnering with
Anheuser-Busch to replace the beer company’s 66 diesel tractor fleet in
Houston with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered engines. This marks
Anheuser-Busch’s first conversion of an entire fleet and represents a
significant milestone in demonstrating the company’s commitment to
reducing environmental impact in logistics.
“The next generation CNG engine technology paired with support from
state incentive programs contributed to our ability to take such a
significant step in fully converting our Houston fleet,” said James
Sembrot, Senior Director, Transportation, Anheuser-Busch. “Houston is a
strategic choice due to the central location to our facilities and
distribution radius, as well as its proximity to fueling stations.”
The CNG conversion comes as the 2014 football season kicks off one of
the company’s busiest shipping periods of the year – with 17 million
cases of beer shipped by the Houston fleet during third quarter. Through
the advanced engine technology, the fleet is expected to reduce
2,000-tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year when adjusting
emissions reduction for consumption rates.
"The city of Houston was an early leader in the pursuit of cleaner,
greener energy options,” said Mayor Parker. “It is encouraging to see
one of our major companies taking a major step forward in this area.
Cleaner technologies benefit all Houstonians because they help improve
the air we breathe."
Anheuser-Busch is one of only a few large, heavy-haul shippers to
complete a full fleet conversion to alternative fuel power vehicles. In
June, the company added an environmental goal to reduce carbon emissions
in its logistics operations from network planning, transportation, and
warehousing by 15 percent by the end of 2017.
The CNG conversion represents significant business and environmental
benefits for Anheuser-Busch. Working with transportation partner, Ryder,
the 12-liter lighter-weight engines are expected to emit 23 percent less
greenhouse gases (compared to diesel), which is the equivalent of taking
approximately 420 passenger vehicles off the road.
“We commend the Anheuser-Busch team for their leadership and decision to
convert their entire Houston brewery fleet to cleaner, more efficient
natural gas,” said Dennis Cooke, President, Global Fleet Management
Solutions for Ryder. “We are honored that Anheuser-Busch has trusted
Ryder as its leasing and maintenance partner to help take this important
step toward reducing the environmental impact of their fleet.”
Once fully installed, the company estimates it will secure significant
savings.
The natural gas vehicles are being made available through Ryder’s
participation in the Texas Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program (TNGVGP),
funded by the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) initiatives and
administered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). As
part of the lease agreement, Ryder will maintain the vehicles out of its
Houston service facility. This is Ryder’s first project with
Anheuser-Busch and Ryder’s largest natural gas vehicle deployment to
date.
About Ryder
Ryder is a FORTUNE 500® commercial fleet management and supply chain
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 green supply chain partner. In addition, Security
Magazine has named Ryder one of the top companies for security practices
in the transportation, logistics, supply chain, and warehousing sector.
Ryder is a proud member of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving
Program, supporting national and local disaster preparedness and
response efforts. For more information, visit www.ryder.com
and follow us on Facebook,
YouTube,
and Twitter.
About Anheuser-Busch
For more than 160 years, Anheuser-Busch and its world-class brewmasters
have carried on a legacy of brewing America’s most-popular beers.
Starting with the finest, all-natural ingredients sourced from
Anheuser-Busch’s family of growers, every batch is crafted using the
same exacting standards and time-honored traditions passed down through
generations of proud Anheuser-Busch brewmasters and employees. Best
known for its fine American-style lagers, Budweiser and Bud Light, the
company’s beers lead numerous beer segments and combined hold 47.2
percent share of the U.S. beer market. Anheuser-Busch is the U.S. arm of
Anheuser-Busch InBev and operates 14 local breweries, 17
distributorships and 23 agricultural and packaging facilities across the
United States, representing a capital investment of more than $15.5
billion. Its flagship brewery remains in St. Louis, Mo., and is among
the global company’s largest and most technologically capable breweries.
Visitor and special beermaster tours are available at its St. Louis and
four other Anheuser-Busch breweries. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.
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.