Miami—Sept. 4, 2014—Ryder System, Inc., a provider of commercial transportation and supply chain management solutions, announced that it was awarded a managed maintenance contract by Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., a wine and spirits distributor.
Under the contract, Ryder will provide a combination of comprehensive maintenance and preventive maintenance services for Southern’s heavy-duty fleet of 2,200 tractors, trucks and trailers, which supports the company’s various locations across the U.S. Ryder’s comprehensive maintenance solution gives customers access to its nation-wide network of service locations and trained technicians for better fleet reliability and predictable costs. The solution will provide Southern with regular inspections, rapid follow-up repairs, proactive parts replacement, emergency roadside assistance, and online reports to track maintenance activity and history. The solution offers 24/7 access to Ryder’s maintenance network, professional services of more than 5,000 skilled certified technicians and more than 700 service facilities across the U.S.
Ryder’s preventive maintenance solution provides regularly scheduled maintenance when and where Southern may need it.
According to Larry Sullivan, vice president of fleet, safety and compliance for Southern Wine & Spirits, “Ryder is helping us understand our maintenance costs, what assets we should keep, and whether or not we are selecting the optimal equipment for our needs. The data and reporting Ryder provides is helping us make better decisions about our business. We don’t need a provider to just fix our trucks. We need a partner to help us better manage our fleet.”
“We are in the distribution business, so our customers count on us to make their deliveries on-time,” said Bobby Burg, senior vice president and chief supply chain officer of Southern Wine & Spirits. “A reliable fleet isn’t just nice to have; it is a point of differentiation that enables us to maintain our reputation for customer service.”
Southern represents a vast array of wine, spirits and beer products from its suppliers located around the world, and distributes more than 110 million cases of product to its customers. Southern operates in 35 states, including Florida, where its Miami-based corporate headquarters is located.
“By delivering on our promise of keeping Southern Wine & Spirits’ vehicles on the road, we are helping the company better serve its customers and get more out of its fleet,” said Dennis Cooke, Ryder’s president of global fleet management solutions.
