Ryder System Inc. says Northeast Foods, a Baltimore-based baking company and food distributor, has signed a full-service lease agreement for 25 compressed natural gas (CNG) delivery trucks.
Northeast Foods will use the trucks to support its distribution and delivery operations that exclusively service McDonald's Corp. It will begin to take delivery of the vehicles in 2015 and expects to have all 25 fully operational by midyear.
Ryder says this is its first natural gas lease customer in Maryland. The company will also provide maintenance for the 25 CNG vehicles from its Baltimore service facility, which is being upgraded for compliance with natural gas standards.
“In the fresh-food business, our top priority is to have a reliable fleet of well-maintained vehicles to ensure our customers get their deliveries when and where they need them,” says Chuck Paterakis, vice president of transportation and logistics for Northeast Foods. “With Ryder's natural gas vehicles, we have the confidence that we can get the service and performance we need from our fleet today, while operating more cost-efficiently and environmentally friendly.”
