Recognizes Three Professional Truck Drivers with Combined 10 Million
Miles of Safe Driving Experience
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
For the 41st consecutive year, – Ryder
System, Inc. (NYSE:R), a leader in commercial transportation and
supply chain management solutions, recognized the tradition of driver
excellence by presenting its annual “Driver of the Year” awards to three
professionals who, combined, have 82 years and more than 10 million
miles of safe, professional driving experience.
Driver of the Year winners,
David Hopper
,
John Armstrong
, and Melton Atkinson. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Our Driver of the Year winners don’t just deliver excellent performance
in the year they are selected. These drivers have a long track record of
being hard working, safety-conscious, customer-focused, and
community-minded over the course of their entire careers,” said
Robert
Sanchez
, Ryder Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s
winners are excellent ambassadors of Ryder’s safety culture and have
distinguished themselves as leaders in one of the most challenging and
demanding occupations – professional truck driving.”
One of the company’s longest running and most prestigious recognition
programs, the “Driver of the Year” award honors drivers who have
demonstrated exemplary safety performance, customer service and
citizenship throughout their careers. Honorees are selected after a
rigorous review process by a committee that includes Ryder customers,
executives, safety experts, and professional drivers. The top awards
this year were presented to two drivers employed by Ryder’s Supply Chain
Solutions division and a driver employed by one of Ryder’s Fleet
Management Solutions customers. Recipients received a five-day Caribbean
cruise, cash award, specially designed ring and watch, and are inducted
into the Ryder “Driver Hall of Fame.”
David Hopper
is the Driver of the Year winner for Ryder’s Supply
Chain Solutions business. Drivers are an important part of Ryder’s
Supply Chain Solutions, ensuring that customers get their products to
stores or raw materials to manufacturing plants, safely and on time,
every time. Mr. Hopper drives for Ryder’s Xerox account based in Monroe,
Ohio. He has driven 1.3 million preventable, collision-free miles during
his nine years with Ryder and a total of 2.5 million preventable
collision-free miles over the course of his impressive 19-year
professional driving career. Mr. Hopper is a U.S. Army veteran who
proudly served in the Vietnam War.
John Armstrong
is the Driver of the Year winner for Ryder
Dedicated, part of the company’s Supply Chain Solutions business. Ryder
Dedicated drivers are responsible for operating specialized equipment,
unique product handling, running complex routes, and meeting rigorous
service level requirements. The drivers have a special responsibility
when they represent Ryder customers, as they often wear uniforms with
Ryder customer logos and drive vehicles emblazoned with customer brands.
Mr. Armstrong drives for the Do it Best Corp. account based out of their
Medina, Ohio hardware distribution center and is a frontline
representative for the co-op as he makes product deliveries to their
retail stores throughout the region. He has been with Ryder 30 years,
and during his tenure he has driven more than 3.3 million preventable,
collision-free miles without an injury. Mr. Armstrong’s multiple “Driver
of the Month” and safe driving awards are a testament to his commitment
to safety and professionalism.
Melton Atkinson is the Driver of the Year winner for Ryder’s
Fleet Management Solutions business. Mr. Atkinson works for Ryder lease
customer A&D Environmental Services out of Lexington, South Carolina and
relies on Ryder to provide the well maintained, safe vehicles that he
drives each and every day. He has been employed by A&D Environmental
Services for eight years and has driven 4.3 million collision-free miles
over his 33-year professional driving career. In addition to receiving a
number of safety accolades from Ryder, Mr. Atkinson has served as a
mentor and trainer to younger drivers.
The three drivers were honored at a recent awards ceremony held in
Orlando, Florida. Ryder Chairman and CEO
Robert Sanchez
, accompanied by
key Ryder executives and the drivers’ local managers, personally
congratulated the honorees.
Robert Sanchez
commented, “These drivers have a tremendous
responsibility to deliver for customers while ensuring the safety of
their coworkers and the communities where they operate. Achieving
millions of safe miles over the course of such established, long careers
is a testament to our winners’ dedication to getting the right results,
the right way, at work and on the road. The Driver of the Year award
exemplifies Ryder’s heritage of safety, not only for the 41 years of the
program, but during the company’s 81 years in business.”
To learn about how to become a professional driver for Ryder visit www.ryder.jobs
or www.drive4ryder.com.
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 green supply chain partner.
Ryder has also been ranked three years in a row as one of the top 250
U.S. companies in the Newsweek Green Rankings. 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.
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.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140311005245/en/
Source: Ryder System, Inc.