STAFFORD, Texas -- The Greater Houston Retailers Cooperative Association Inc. (GHRA), which provides services to independent convenience-store members and supplier partners in the Houston area, has outsourced its truck fleet to Ryder System Inc. with a full-service lease (FSL) agreement for 25 box trucks, set to be delivered in November.
Under a FSL, Miami-based Ryder—a leader in commercial fleet management, dedicated transportation and supply-chain solutions—acquires vehicles according to the customer’s specifications, provides financing, maintenance and fleet support services, and then manages vehicle disposal to protect customers from residual risk.
This is the first time GHRA has outsourced its fleet.
“We wanted to understand the true cost of running our fleet, which is why we turned to Ryder,” said Nick Gibbons, general manager of GHRA. “We opted to outsource because managing fleet maintenance entails a great deal of time and resources. GHRA is confident that the maintenance experts at Ryder will help us keep our vehicles safe and on the road, which will give us the ability to focus more on what we do best—serving our customers.”
Members of GHRA include convenience stores and gas stations in the Greater Houston, Bryan, Beaumont, Huntsville and Galveston area, which, through their membership, gain access to benefits such as bulk buying power, product discounts and rebate programs, along with educational and training seminars.
In business for the past 15 years, GHRA has witnessed continued growth and is now currently building a new grocery warehouse and distribution center. This new warehouse and distribution center will be able to manage all of its members’ grocery needs.
“We are eager to begin our new partnership with GHRA and to provide them with access to some of the best technicians and vehicle technology in the industry,” said Dennis Cooke, President of global fleet management solutions for Ryder. “As they continue to grow, we are confident that Ryder will meet their needs every step of the way.”
Stafford, Texas-based GHRA helps its members achieve better rates and discounts on goods and services they purchase, through negotiations with various vendors. Almost one third of all convenience stores in the Greater Houston area are members of the GHRA. It has a membership of 1,800 convenience stores.
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