Ryder System, Inc., a leader in commercial transportation and supply chain management solutions, has surpassed its goal to hire 1,000 military veterans by the end of 2013. The company beat its goal by the end of February, a full 10 months ahead of schedule. Ryder made its pledge in November 2011 as part of the company’s involvement in Hiring Our Heroes, a program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation focused on enhancing collaboration between the public and private sectors to help veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment.

The more than 1,000 former military service men and women are working for Ryder in a variety of roles including as truck drivers, diesel mechanics, warehouse employees, and other professional positions. Since joining Hiring Our Heroes in November 2011, Ryder has increased the percentage of veterans in its almost 23,000 employee U.S. workforce from 8 percent to 10 percent. The company has also doubled the amount of recently-separated veterans hired in that same time period.

“Ryder has been one of our great supporters since Hiring Our Heroes was just getting off the ground,” said Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel (Ret.), executive director of Hiring Our Heroes. “They are proven leaders in their commitment to hire returning servicemen and women and are great examples for the rest of the private sector to follow. This is a tremendous achievement for Ryder, and we applaud them for increasing the number of veterans in their workforce.”

Veterans have skills that make them uniquely qualified to work in transportation and logistics, and also bring other intangible qualities to the table, such as leadership, loyalty, and hard work.

“Attracting and developing the best talent in our industry is one of Ryder’s strategic priorities, and hiring talented military veterans is an important part of this effort,” said Robert Sanchez, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ryder. “As a leader in transportation and logistics, we recognize the unique abilities and character inherent in military personnel. The distinct logistical, mechanical, management, and teamwork skills learned through military service are a great asset to our organization.”

Ryder has long benefited from hiring military veterans throughout its history. Since stepping up its recruiting effort with the Hiring Our Heroes program, the company has implemented a number of new initiatives.

• Launching a new military recruiting website at www.ryder.com/military to help veterans easily match their military skills with open positions at Ryder.
• Attending more than 50 military career fairs hosted by the U.S. Chamber’s Hiring Our Heroes program.
• Establishing a 20-plus member veteran hiring task force.
• Focusing efforts on customizing on-boarding, training, and development practices to better meet the needs of veterans transitioning to civilian jobs.

Ryder is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Veterans Employment Advisory Council.