Careers at Ryder System
Mission
Ryder provides a range of solutions and services that seek to optimise the performance of its customers’s supply chain and transportation operations.
Business segments
Ryder organises its operations into three reportable business segments:
- Fleet Management Solutions, which provides full service leasing, commercial rental, contract maintenance, and contract-related maintenance of trucks, tractors and trailers to customers, primarily in the US and Canada, and the UK;
- Dedicated Transportation Solutions, which provides vehicles and drivers as part of a dedicated transportation solution to customers in the US; and
- Supply Chain Solutions, which provides comprehensive supply chain solutions including distribution and transportation services to customers in North America and Asia.
History
Ryder was founded in 1933 by Jim Ryder, who began using his Model A Ford truck to haul concrete. The business expanded quickly, with the Company adding a second truck in 1934 and a further twelve by 1937. By 1939 the Company operated a fleet of 50 trucks.
Ryder hauled supplies for the US Army during World War II, with revenue topping $100,000 in 1942. Post-war, the Company continued to expand, acquiring a UNIVAC computer in 1952 to expedite accounting and data processing and in 1971 launching operations in the UK. The Company today operates across the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, and Singapore, and employs an international workforce of 33,100 employees.
Ryder is ranked 395th on the Fortune 500 list. The Company has traded shares on the New York Stock Exchange since 1960. It currently has a market capitalisation of $3.45 billion.
Benefits at Ryder System
Business model of Ryder System
Customer Segments
Ryder provides supply chain management solutions and transportation services to a broad customer base, primarily comprising small to large commercial enterprises across multiple sectors. The Company’s customers principally operate in the following sectors:
- Food and Beverage, including consumer packaged goods providers, food and beverage producers, and foodservice companies;
- Transportation and Warehousing, including transportation companies and delivery service providers, as well as commercial vehicle rental businesses and fleet operators;
- Housing, comprising developers, contractors, and agents involved in the development and construction of housing;
- Business and Personal Services, including various service providers, including facility management, leasing, outsourcing, and logistics companies; and
- Industrial, including various businesses, such as industrial manufacturers, natural resource companies, energy companies, and metals companies.
Ryder also sells used vehicles to consumers and small businesses through its network of retail sales centres across North America.
Ryder’s principal market is North America, including Canada, Mexico, and the US, the latter of which is its largest single market. It also serves customers across Asia and Europe.
Value Propositions
Ryder provides value to its customers in the following ways:
- Its reputation and industry standing, with the Company established as a reliable provider of supply chain management solutions, and having a track record for providing efficient transportation services;
- Its innovative solutions and valued-added services, with the Company providing a portfolio of innovative solutions backed by up-to-date technologies, and supplemented by various ancillary services, such as maintenance and repair;
- Its operational efficiency, with the Company utilising extensive distribution infrastructure, and having a large fleet of vehicles that allow it to provide services quickly and efficiently; and
- Its technical expertise and experience, with the Company employing specialist personnel across its operating segments, as well as a team of experienced industry executives.
Channels
Ryder operates a website at www.ryder.com, through which it provides information on its various solutions and services. The Company does not appear to operate an online sales channel or customer portal for its core services. However, Ryder does operate an online channel for the sale of its used vehicles at www.usedtrucks.ryder.com. Additionally, Ryder sells its used vehicles through its own network of 59 retail sales centres across North America, as well as through a number of branch locations.
Ryder operates its own in-house sales force, organised by geographical regions and operating segment, through which it serves customers directly. The Company’s sales personnel operate out of the Company’s network of offices, including locations across the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Singapore. Ryder also operates logistics centres in Michigan and Texas, through which its dedicated carrier procurement, contract management, freight bill audit, payment services, and transportation optimisation and execution groups operate.
Customer Relationships
Ryder operates an online self-service channel for the sale of its used vehicles, through which customers are able to browse vehicles and submit an interest in purchasing them, without interacting directly with sales personnel. Sales, however, must be completed via a representative of the Company.
The majority of Ryder’s services and solutions are provided directly through its sales, support, and consulting teams. These representatives work closely with customers in order to ensure that the Company meets the individual needs of each customer. The Company seeks to build long-term relationships with customers, with a view to securing itself as the preferred source for commercial vehicle rentals, fleet repair and maintenance, and supply chain management solutions.
Ryder provides ongoing support to customers, who are able to contact support staff directly over the phone or via an online contact form, receiving a personalised response to queries and enquiries. Additionally, customers are able to interact directly with Ryder through its social media accounts, including with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Key Activities
Ryder is engaged in the provision of transportation and supply chain management solutions to various industries, including automotive, consumer packaged goods, transportation and warehousing, retail, consumer brands, housing, and paper and publishing.
It organises its activities into three reportable business segments: Fleet Management Solutions, which provides full service leasing, commercial rental, contract maintenance and contract-related maintenance of trucks, tractors and trailers to customers in the US, Canada and the United Kingdom; Dedicated Transportation Solutions, which provides a dedicated transportation solution, including vehicles and drivers, to customers in the US; and Supply Chain Solutions, which provides a range of supply chain solutions, including distribution and transportation services to customers in North America and Asia.
The Company also operates a retail network for its used vehicles, including trucks, tractors and trailers.
Key Partners
Ryder works alongside a number of third-party companies and organisations in order to provide its customers with an efficient and reliable service. These partners include:
- Supplier and Vendor Partners, comprising suppliers of tools, equipment – including vehicles, and services that support and supplement the Company’s offerings, as well as company to which certain functions can be outsourced;
- Transportation and Distribution Partners, comprising a range of transportation companies and distributors that extend the Company’s own distribution reach and supplement its fleet of vehicles;
- Technology and Software Partners, comprising various software developers and technology companies that integrated and design functionality for the Company’s technology solutions; and
- Strategic and Alliance Partners, comprising a range of companies with which the Company shares resources and collaborates on joint projects.
Ryder has recently launched a number of partnerships, including a partnership with Decisiv to create industry-leading maintenance solutions, and a deal with Lincoln Tech to provide training and educational programs. The Company also has a number of social and community partnerships, including with non-profit Soldier for Life – Transition.
Key Resources
Ryder’s key resources are its equipment and fleet of vehicles, its physical infrastructure – including offices and logistics centres, its supply chain and distribution channels, its partnerships, and its personnel.
Ryder owns and leases numerous properties, comprising vehicle maintenance and repair facilities, warehouses, logistics centres, and offices. This principally comprises properties across North America, as well as locations in the UK, Germany, Mexico, China, and Singapore. The majority of these locations are leased and may be a repair shop, warehouse or administrative office.
Cost Structure
Ryder incurs costs in relation to the acquisition and maintenance of its vehicles and equipment – including fuel purchases, the operation and maintenance of its physical logistics and administrative infrastructure, the management of its supply chain and distribution channels, the management of its partnerships, and the retention of its personnel.
In 2015 Ryder’s cost of lease and rental totaled $2.15 billion, relating largely to its fleet of vehicles, with cost of fuel services amounting to $519.84 million. The Company accrued cost of services in the amount of $2.41 billion, and selling, general, and administrative costs – including professional fees, and the payment of salaries and benefits to its workforce of 33,100 employees – totalling 844.50 million.
Revenue Streams
Ryder generates revenue through the provision of various transportation and supply chain management solutions. This includes a number of business lines across its three operating segments, including but not limited to:
- Dedicated transportation solutions, comprising revenue derived from the provision of custom transportation and supply chain solutions;
- Commercial rental, comprising revenue derived from the rental of vehicles to third-party businesses;
- Contract maintenance, including revenue derived from the provision of maintenance and repair services;
- Fuel services, including revenue derived from the sale of fuel to customers;
- Distribution management, comprising revenue derived from designing distribution networks and managing distribution facilities.
In 2015 Ryder generated $6.57 billion in annual revenue, down on the $6.64 billion recorded by the Company in 2014. The majority of the Company’s revenue was generated by its Fleet Management Solutions segment, which generated $4.55 billion in revenue for the year. The bulk of the Company’s remaining revenue was derived from its Supply Chain Solutions segment, which recorded revenue for the year of $1.55 billion.
Our team
info: Robert (“Sanchez”) has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Ryder since 2013. Sanchez is a long-serving Ryder employee, having first joined the Company in 1993 as a senior business system designer at Ryder Truck Rental. He moved up the ranks of Ryder Truck Rental, serving in positions such as manager of vehicle accounting and analysis, Director of Vehicle Administration, and Director of Pricing. In 2000 he was appointed Ryder’s Vice President of Asset Planning and Real Estate, his first senior leadership role at the Company. He went on to serve in numerous executive functions – including spells as Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Operating Officer – before assuming his current position.
info: Art (“Garcia”) has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Ryder since 2010. Garcia fist joined Ryder in 1997 as senior manager of corporate accounting. He has since held a number of positions of increasing responsibility, principally within the Company’s financial management and accounting units. This includes spells as Director of Corporate Accounting, Group Director of Accounting Services, and Senior Vice President and Controller. Prior to joining Ryder, Garcia spent 14 years working at the Miami office of accounting firm of Coopers and Lybrand, serving in the firm’s audit services practice and ultimately as Senior Manager of Business Assurance.
info: Melvin Kirk (“Kirk”) has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Ryder since 2015. He first joined the Company in 2012 as Vice President of Quality Assurance, going on to be appointed Vice President of Maintenance Operations, Engineering, and Quality. Kirk began his career in 1987 as a senior industrial engineer at Merck. He joined General Mills in an operations management role in 1993, a role he held for three years before moving to General Electric in 1996. He held a number of roles within the General Electric group over 14 years, including spells as acquisition integration manager at GE Energy Rentals, Lean Quality Leader at GE Energy, and Vice President of Global Services Operations at GE Homeland Protection. Prior to joining Ryder, Kirk served as Vice President and General Manager of Global Services at Morpho Detection.