Ryder System, Inc. Joins the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program

$1 million donation will support disaster preparedness and response at
national and local level

WASHINGTON, June 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ryder today announced it is
committing $1 million over the next three years through the Ryder Charitable
Foundation to support national and local disaster preparedness and response
efforts, making it the newest member of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster
Giving Program.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090108/RedCrossLOGO )

This is Ryder's largest national donation to the Red Cross, although the
Miami-based company has been a longtime supporter of the American Red Cross.
The majority of the $1 million gift, $850,000, will be designated to the
American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, and the remaining $150,000 will be
directed to the Greater Miami & the Keys chapter.

"In these difficult economic times when the need is so great, the generosity
of partners such as Ryder allows the American Red Cross to be the helping hand
to people in crisis," said Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the American
Red Cross. "We are so pleased that Ryder is expanding its philanthropic
partnership to both the national and local levels of the Red Cross, and
Ryder's multi-year commitment to the Annual Disaster Giving Program enables us
to have the resources to provide people with disaster relief for large-scale
disasters such as a tornado, hurricane or wildfire, or a smaller disaster like
an apartment or house fire in Florida."

Since 1991, Ryder has been a significant philanthropic partner of the Red
Cross, providing financial support to national headquarters and the Greater
Miami & the Keys chapter, as well as supplying in-kind donations of trucks,
sponsoring local Red Cross events and supporting local disaster relief
efforts.

The Red Cross has also had a strong national business relationship with Ryder
for many years, having been a Ryder National Rental customer since 1989. In
addition to the $1 million financial commitment, under the umbrella of its
National Rental program, Ryder is extending preferred pricing for rental
vehicles to all local Red Cross chapters in the U.S. Ryder will also tap into
its base of more than 20,000 U.S. employees as part of a grassroots volunteer
effort to support disaster preparedness and response activities in communities
where the company operates.

"The American Red Cross is one of the most well respected charitable
organizations in the world and we greatly value the contributions it makes to
communities where we live and work," said Greg Swienton, Ryder's Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer. "As a transportation and logistics provider, we also
understand the complexity and depth of timely resources needed to respond to
disasters. It is this strong linkage between Ryder's business and the Red
Cross' operational needs that drove us to select the Red Cross as Ryder's
primary, national charitable partner. Whether it's through financial support,
vehicle donations, or volunteer time from our employees, we want to do all we
can to help increase the efficiency, capacity, and cost effectiveness of
American Red Cross operations so the organization can continue to prepare and
respond quickly and effectively in times of disaster."

Ryder joins 18 other members of the Annual Disaster Giving Program. ADGP
members help secure a reliable funding base for disaster relief services that
enables the Red Cross to respond immediately to the needs of individuals and
families impacted by disaster anywhere in the United States, regardless of
cost.

People can join the Annual Disaster Giving Program members in supporting the
Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and help provide food, shelter, counseling and
other assistance to the victims of thousands of disasters across the country
each year, disasters like the current floods. Visit RedCross.org or call
1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make a donation.

Members of the Annual Disaster Giving Program:
American Express
AT&T
AXA Foundation
ConAgra Foods
GE Foundation
FedEx Corporation
JCPenney Company Fund
John Deere Foundation
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Merck & Co, Inc.
Morgan Stanley
Nationwide Foundation
Raytheon Company
Ryder Charitable Foundation
State Farm
State Street Foundation
Target
The TJX Companies, Inc.
UnitedHealth Group

Help people affected by disasters,like the current floods, by donating to the
American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. On those rare occasions when
donations exceed Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are
used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters. Your gift enables
the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to
victims of all disasters. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or
1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be
sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.
O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C., 20013. Internet users can make a secure online
contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.

About the American Red Cross:The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and
counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood
supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their
families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization -- not a government
agency -- and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public
to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit
www.redcross.org or join our blog at www.redcrosschat.org.

About Ryder:
Ryder provides leading-edge transportation, logistics and supply chain
management solutions. Ryder's stock (NYSE: R) is a component of the Dow Jones
Transportation Average and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. Ryder ranks 399th
on the FORTUNE 500(R). For more information on Ryder System, Inc., visit
www.ryder.com.

SOURCE American Red Cross

American Red Cross Public Affairs Desk, +1-202-303-5551