Ryder Honors 2013 Top Technicians in North America

JOC Staff |

MIAMI, August 7, 2013 -- Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R), a leader in transportation and supply chain management solutions, today announced the winners of its 2013 Top Technician Recognition Program. This annual program is designed to identify, recognize, and reward Ryder’s top performing technicians. Eligible participants for the national award are selected from Ryder’s team of nearly 4,800 U.S. and Canadian-based technicians and are measured on technical training qualifications, outstanding customer service performance, and quality workmanship. After advancing through three increasingly demanding rounds of challenging written and hands-on tests, seven finalists—including Ryder’s first ever finalist from Canada—competed for the top honors at Ryder’s National Top Tech competition in Dallas, TX.

The title of “2013 National Top Technician,” along with keys to a new, GMC Denali pick-up truck and a cash prize, was awarded to Jonathan Timmons. Robert Gonzalez was the second place winner, and Rick Morra finished in third place. The National competition consisted of 10 rigorous, hands-on skill tests including vehicle electronics, preventive maintenance and air conditioning. All seven finalists received cash prizes for their exemplary performance.

“One of the keys to Ryder’s success continues to be our team of outstanding technicians who help provide customers with the safe and reliable transportation solutions they have come to both expect and rely on,” said Ryder President of Global Fleet Management Solutions Dennis Cooke. “The Top Tech Recognition Program gives us the opportunity to recognize the tremendous talents and abilities of our technicians who put forth such hard work and dedication on a regular basis.”

As a result of their success in the company’s internal recognition program, this year’s top seven finalists, including Top Tech winner Jonathan Timmons, will represent Team Ryder at the 2013 TMC SuperTech National Technician Skills Competition. They will also be joined by Top Tech 2012 winner David Berdovich, SuperTech 2012 champion Chris Barnett, and Top Tech multi-award winners Michael Bogard and Michael Caylor. Team Ryder will compete against the industry’s best technicians, beginning September 9 in Pittsburgh, PA.

The following Team Ryder members will participate in this year’s TMC SuperTech:

Christopher Barnett (Crittenden, KY)
David Berdovich (Valparaiso, IN)
Kenneth Bilyea (London, Ontario)
Michael Bogard (Appleton, WI)
Michael Caylor (Bel Air, MA)
Robert Gonazalez (Plant City, FL)
Frederick Morra (Hanford, CA)
Stephen Radford (Charlotte, NC)
Jimmie Slusher (Elizabethton, TN)
Jonathan Timmons (Sumter, SC)
Matthew Weiman (Payson, IL)

“Ryder’s technicians provide our customers with an unrivaled combination of highly technical skills, experience in real-world conditions, and quality workmanship,” said Ryder Chairman and CEO Robert Sanchez. “By working to continually surpass our company’s own rigorous operational and safety standards, Ryder’s top-performing technicians continue to prove themselves to be among the nation’s most qualified technicians. I am extremely honored to have this team go on to represent Ryder at the industry-wide TMC SuperTech competition later this year. Congratulations, Ryder Top Techs!”

Ryder’s Top Technician Recognition Program highlights the value Ryder places on its technicians, the importance of technical training for ensuring quality maintenance of the company’s fleet of nearly 200,000 vehicles, and a commitment to quality customer service for Ryder’s 13,500 lease and maintenance customers.

Highlights of the four-day event can be found on Ryder’s social media pages. Simply visitfacebook.com/RyderSystemInc, twitter.com/#!/RyderPR, or linkedin.com/company/ryder-system-inc. For event photos, contact Corporate Communications Specialist Jennifer Hanlon at Jennifer_A_Hanlon@Ryder.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 two 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 onFacebook, YouTube, and Twitter.