Ryder System Inc. has been selected to manage shipments of restaurant equipment for Unified Foodservice Purchasing Co-op (UFPC). UFPC is the negotiator and purchasing agent for volume food, packaging, and restaurant equipment on behalf of more than 14,000 KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut corporate- and franchise-owned restaurants throughout the U.S. Ryder will manage the routing of restaurant equipment shipments to UFPC’s members, customers, warehousemen, and distributors throughout the 48 contiguous states through Ryder’s Transportation Management Center (TMC) located in Ft. Worth, TX. The center manages the planning, routing, and execution of customers’ shipments via truck, air, ocean, and rail, as well as leverages the matching of shipments with Ryder’s dedicated contract carriage and lease fleets. UFPC negotiates volume purchases of equipment, food, packaging, and other consumable or disposable supplies from manufacturers and suppliers for its restaurant operators, as well as distributors who supply the operators. UFPC’s goal is to obtain the best pricing possible by making volume purchase commitments and by assuming other procurement functions and risks that reduce suppliers’ costs.