Ryder System Inc, a leader in commercial fleet management and supply chain solutions, announced its partnership with Hiring Our Heroes and FASTPORT to assist veterans, transitioning service members, and their spouses in finding great careers in the trucking industry through the Trucking Track Mentoring Program.
The mentoring program serves as a useful tool to provide information about the trucking industry, available positions, and mentors who are ready to assist with recruiting and onboarding efforts. Ryder employees serve as mentors by educating military men and women on the available opportunities to them and providing ongoing career coaching in trucking.
“Veterans possess many of the invaluable skills and qualities we look for at Ryder,” said Patrick Pendergast, senior director of talent acquisition, Ryder. “It is extremely important to us that transitioning service men and women are made aware of all the opportunities available to them as they ease back into civilian life, and the many ways a career in transportation may be the perfect fit. Our partnership with Hiring Our Heroes and FASTPORT is one more way we are connecting with veterans to show them what Ryder has to offer.”
Ryder has committed to hiring 2,000 veterans over the next three years (2015–2017). Since the start of its veteran hiring initiative in November 2011 through August 2014, the company has hired 2,100 veterans, including many drivers. Ryder has increased the percentage of veterans in its US workforce from 8% to 10%, and has more than doubled the amount of recently-separated veterans hired, since joining the US Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes program. Ryder also established a military career landing page, www.ryder.com/military, which helps match military personnel skills with open positions at Ryder.
The Trucking Track Mentoring Program was established to address the industry’s need for skills developed from all military backgrounds to fill over 300,000 open positions. In the past few years, the number of military men and women selecting trucking as the industry to start their career has increased. Initial positions often include significant home time with starting salaries ranging from $35,000 to $65,000.