Ryder Presented with Hiring Our Heroes Lee Anderson Veteran and Military Spouse Employment Award

Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a leader in commercial fleet management, dedicated transportation, and supply chain solutions, announced it has been selected for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes Lee Anderson Veteran and Military Spouse Employment Award for overall excellence in hiring and retaining veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses. Ryder was recently honored with the award at the 7th Annual Lee Anderson Hiring Our Heroes Awards Gala, presented by USAA, in Washington, D.C.

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Hiring Our Heroes Lee Anderson Veteran and Military Spouse Employment Award Winner (Photo: Business  ...

Hiring Our Heroes Lee Anderson Veteran and Military Spouse Employment Award Winner (Photo: Business Wire)

“Some of our most driven, focused, and committed employees are military veterans,” said Ryder Chairman and CEO Robert Sanchez. “At Ryder, we are proud to employ members of the veteran community, which is rich with disciplined, stand-up individuals whose skill sets match well with positions in our Company, from diesel technicians to logistics managers. It is an honor to be recognized with the Lee Anderson Veteran and Military Spouse Employment Award, but more than anything, we are both humbled by and proud of the veterans we hire—not only because of their service to our country, but also because they provide tremendous value to Ryder and our customers.”

Ryder’s military recruiting program, which was launched six years ago, continues to have a positive impact on both the veteran population and the transportation and logistics industry. Ryder has hired more than 5,850 veterans and increased the percentage of veterans among its U.S. workforce to more than 11 percent, since joining the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes program in November 2011. This year, Ryder has attended nearly 20 Hiring Our Heroes Summits and career fairs, as well as nearly 10 military base events, held at bases including Fort Still, Fort Riley, Fort Hood, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

To actively recruit and fill open positions at Ryder with highly skilled military veterans, Ryder partners with, supports, and serves as a mentor within various organizations that serve to aid veterans with the overall transition back to civilian life and securing employment. Such organizations include:

  • Hiring Our Heroes’ Veterans Employment Advisory Council,
  • Department of Defense Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve,
  • United Way Mission United,
  • Hiring Our Heroes’ Fellowship program,
  • TechForce Foundation’s Veterans at Work: Military Transition Foundation, and
  • FASTPORT.

As part of its recruiting efforts, the Company provides hands-on diesel technician training to military veterans exiting service through its “Pathway Home” program, begun in 2016 in partnership with Soldier for Life – Transition Assistance Program. To date, 43 students have graduated from the training program, which takes place over a 12-week period, and another 10 students are scheduled to graduate in early December. Graduates are placed in eligible open Level II technician positions at Ryder locations across the country. The program, which initially started at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, has since also expanded to Fort Riley in Kansas.

Ryder is also committed to recruiting more female veterans to the industry, as well as engaging female leadership regarding this segment of the population. Its Women Veterans Task Force, a panel consisting of female military veterans in managerial or supervisorial roles at Ryder, accomplishes just that. These women are veterans themselves, serving as brand ambassadors and positive voices in the veteran community.

Ryder recognizes the importance of ensuring that its new veteran hires feel welcome and comfortable on the job. To make this possible, the Company implemented the Ryder Veteran Buddy Program and the Ryder Veteran Help Line—both of which serve as tools to help ease a veteran new hire’s transition from military to civilian life, which can be a major challenge for recently separated veterans returning to the workforce. The Veteran Buddy Program, which has been well accepted across the organization since its inception in 2015, pairs current Ryder employees who are military veterans with new veteran employees. The Veteran Help Line is promoted in a welcome email to incoming veteran new hires and is simply designed to serve as a resource for them should they have any general questions.

For the past five years, the Company has been named one of Recruit Military’s Most Valuable Employers for Military, formerly presented by CivilianJobs.com. The award is given to select employers for their recruiting, training, and retention plans that best serve military service members and veterans.

Veterans interested in a career in transportation can visit Ryder’s military hiring landing page, www.ryder.com/military, where they can match their skills with open positions at Ryder.

About Ryder

Ryder is a FORTUNE 500® commercial fleet management, dedicated transportation, and supply chain solutions company. Ryder’s stock (NYSE:R) is a component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average and the S&P MidCap 400® index. Ryder has been named among FORTUNE’s World’s Most Admired Companies, and has been recognized for its industry-leading practices in third-party logistics, environmentally-friendly fleet and supply chain solutions, and world-class safety and security programs. The Company is a proud member of the American Red Cross Disaster Responder Program, supporting national and local disaster preparedness and response efforts. For more information, visit www.ryder.com, and follow us on our Online Newsroom and social media pages: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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.