Ryder Ever Better CONNECT WITH US History With nothing more than a vision and a $35 down payment on a Model A Ford truck, Jim Ryder started a business hauling concrete in 1933. Five years later, a beverage distributor in Miami leased five trucks from him, and Ryder’s full-service leasing business took off. Since then, our company has grown into something we’re extremely proud of: a Fortune 500 industry-leader with annual revenues of more than $8.4 billion. It’s been quite a journey, and we’re excited about the future, but we’ll always stay true to our humble, entrepreneurial origins. 1930s: The Beginning 1933 Jim wears two wristwatches to remind customers of his commitment to on-time deliveries. 1934 A second truck, a 1934 Ford V-8, doubles the size of the fleet. 1937 The fleet expands to 15 trucks. 1938 Ryder signs a five-truck lease deal with Champagne Velvet Beer, increasing Ryder’s fleet to 20 trucks. By the following year, the fleet grows to more than 50 trucks. 1940s: Expansion 1941 During World War II, Ryder hauls supplies for the U.S. government. 1942 Revenue tops $100,000 for the year. 1945 Ryder provides a dedicated fleet and drivers for daily distribution of The Miami Herald, Ryder’s longest-standing customer. 1949 Ryder’s fleet grows to nearly 500 vehicles. To keep fleets moving beyond Florida, Ryder creates on-site shops at customer locations and opens a network of service locations that pioneer the practice of preventive maintenance. 1950s: The Big R 1952 Ryder acquires its much larger customer, Great Southern Trucking Company, and rebrands its entire fleet with the “Big R” for national reach. 1952 Ryder becomes one of the first transportation companies to join the computer age with the purchase of a 29,000-pound, water-cooled UNIVAC computer to expedite accounting and data processing. 1952 Ryder loads trailers of cargo onto railroad flatcars for the first “piggyback” operation in the southeastern U.S. 1955 Ryder System, Inc. incorporates as a public company and issues 160,000 shares of common stock at $10 per share. 1957 Ryder expands truck leasing and rental operations into Canada. 1959 Ryder is recognized as a leader in the transportation industry by BusinessWeek. 1960s: Establishing Our Brand 1960 Ryder is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. 1967 Ryder Preventive Maintenance customers are supported by a new written and hands-on Mechanic Certification Program. 1968 Ryder launches its “one-way” consumer truck rental business to target self-move customers. 1968 Ryder’s commitment to safety and fuel conservation begins long before these concepts became “buzz words.” 1969 Beverly Nannenga becomes Ryder’s first woman driver. 1970s: Fueling Growth 1971 Ryder expands operations to the United Kingdom. 1971 An innovative approach to maintenance secures Ryder's position as an industry leader. 1973 New headquarters location opens. 1978 Revenue exceeds $1 billion. 1979 More than 13,000 “one-way” rental trucks keep America moving. 1980s: New Horizons 1980 Motor Carrier Act passes, recasting the structure of the U.S. transportation industry. 1983 Tony Burns is named President and Chief Executive Officer, and adds the role of Chairman when Les Barnes retires two years later. 1983 Ryder celebrates 50 years in business. 1983 Truck leasing expands to Germany. 1986 Ryder names full-time executive to lead its environmental program. 1987 Ryder Distribution Services (RDS) implements North America’s first large-scale Just-In-Time supply delivery system supporting a new state-of-the-art auto plant in Kentucky. RDS ends the decade topping $250 million in annual revenue. 1989 Full Service Lease (FSL) revenue rises to more than $1.5 billion. 1990s: Sharpening Our Focus 1992 Ryder establishes a distinct International Operations business unit. 1992 Ryder links its network of hundreds of maintenance facilities with computers and automated diagnostic tools. 1994 Ryder de Mexico launches with a ceremony at the summer home of Mexico’s president. Operations in Argentina and Brazil open the following year. 1995 Ryder is first named to FORTUNE® magazine’s listing of the 500 largest public companies in the U.S. 1996 Ryder sells familiar yellow “one-way” consumer rental business, and re-brands its fleet with a new logo and colors to focus on commercial customers. 1997 A survey in FORTUNE® magazine names Ryder the most admired company in the trucking industry. 1999 Chairman and CEO, Tony Burns, hires former Burlington Northern Santa Fe executive, Greg Swienton, to serve as President and Chief Operating Officer. 2000s: The New Millenium 2000 Operations are reorganized and Greg Swienton’s role expands to President and Chief Executive Officer. 2000 Ryder opens web-enabled transportation management center in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas to manage customers’ freight shipments through a network of more than 1,500 providers of ground, air, rail and ocean freight shipping. 2001 Ryder launches its Asia-Pacific headquarters, following the acquisition of Singapore-based Ascent Logistics. 2001 Company launches online tracking tools, and web sites including RyderFleetProducts.com and UsedTrucks.Ryder.com. 2002 Ryder is the first transportation industry to receive the National Safety Council’s highest honor, the Green Cross for Safety medal. 2002 Tony Burns retires from the Board and Greg Swienton is named Chairman. 2003 Ryder acquires U.S.-based General Truck Leasing and RUAN Leasing Company, and expands international operations into Chile. 2005 Ryder opens smaller, more efficient global headquarters in Miami. 2006 Ryder celebrates 35 Years in the U.K. 2007 Ryder marks its golden anniversary in Canada with the acquisition of Ontario-based Pollock Nationa Lease. 2007 Affordable integrated wireless, GPS, and computer technology increases the safety, security, and efficiency of customers’ fleets 2008 Ryder celebrates its 75th anniversary. 2009 The company publishes its first Corporate Responsibility Report, highlighting Ryder’s progress in environmental innovation, governance, safety and security, and charitable giving. 2009 Ryder announces its national charitable partnership with a $1 million donation to the American Red Cross. 2009 Ryder becomes certified as a Third Party Logistics Provider (3PL) in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) for logistics operations in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. 2010s: Innovating for the Future 2010 Ryder selected as fleet partner in groundbreaking heavy-duty natural gas truck project in Southern California - the first time natural gas vehicles will be deployed into a large commercial truck rental and leasing operation. 2011 Ryder opens its first natural gas vehicle maintenance facility in Rancho Dominguez, Calif. and begins taking delivery of heavy-duty natural gas vehicles. 2011 Ryder acquires three truck fleet management businesses in California (Carmenita Leasing, Inc., The Scully Companies, Inc., and B.I.T. Leasing Inc.), increasing the company’s presence in the western U.S. 2011 Ryder joins the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes program and becomes a member of the Veteran Employment Advisory Council. 2012 Company launches RydeSmart® 3.0, the next generation of its innovative onboard telematics system to provide greater usability and vehicle intelligence to fleet management end users. 2013 Chairman and CEO Gregory T. Swienton retires and Robert E. Sanchez, Ryder’s Chair of the Board and President is named Chief Executive Officer. 2014 Ryder unveils its first advertising campaign in nearly 20 years, using a new tagline “Ever better” to highlight its expansive array of services for business. 2015 The Company introduces the industry’s first ever female-friendly vehicle package for lease, including 15 unique specifications to better meet the needs of female drivers. Customer Tools Content Hub Investors Suppliers Carriers Careers Locations Follow Us: Facebook Icon Linked In Icon Twitter Icon Instagram Icon YouTube Icon Ryder and Ryder Logo are registered trademarks of Ryder System, Inc. Ever better is a trademark of Ryder System, Inc. © Copyright 1996 - 2021 Ryder System, Inc. Privacy Policy Sitemap Terms of Use