10/31/06 U.S. Postal Service and GE agree to new six-year contract
U.S. Postal Service and GE agree to new six-year contract for trailers,
includes high-tech tracking system to improve productivity and security
WAYNE, PA., OCTOBER 30, 2006 — The U.S. Postal Service
(USPS) and Trailer Fleet Services, a division of GE Equipment Services, have
agreed to a new, six-year contract for domestic, over-the-road semi-trailers,
used to transport mail between postal distribution centers and local post
offices. The agreement includes installation of GE’s VeriWise™ Asset
Intelligence system, which tracks and monitors trailer location and condition
while in transit, or when parked.
Trucking companies use GE’s trailer tracking technology to avoid losing
trailers, locate stolen trailers and the cargo they contain, or to monitor
unattended trailers to prevent unauthorized transport in between loads—all
situations that drive up operating costs for shippers and ultimately consumers. GE’s
VeriWise system is also used to quickly locate trailers due for preventative
maintenance, avoiding safety issues on the highway, and saving money by correcting
small repairs before they become large and expensive.
“Our GE team looks forward to sharing the latest trailer tracking technology with the U.S. Postal Service,“ said Joe Artuso, CEO of Trailer Fleet Services. “We appreciate their confidence, and we will be working with the regional USPS leadership in executing the contract in a reliable and cost-effective manner.”
GE, which operates a national branch network to lease and maintain trailers, signed its first national trailer agreement with USPS in 2000. The new agreement is worth approximately $100 million through July 2012. It provides the USPS with 4,752 dry van trailers, each equipped with a high-tech VeriWise transceiver manufactured by Delphi, satellite services from ORBCOMM, and a solar charging panel from GE Energy. The USPS fleet includes 45-, 48- and 53-foot dry vans, outfitted with roll doors, translucent roofs and spring-ride suspensions. The contract includes preventative and emergency maintenance services to keep the mail moving, and a new simplified process for handling trailer damage claims.
About the U.S. Postal Service
Since 1775, the United States Postal Service and its predecessor,
the Post Office Department, have connected friends, families, neighbors and
businesses by mail. An independent federal agency that visits more than 144
million homes and businesses every day, the Postal Service is the only service
provider delivering to every address in the nation. It receives no taxpayer
dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from
the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of $70 billion,
it is the world’s leading provider of mailing and delivery services,
offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The U.S. Postal
Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world’s mail volume—some
212 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year—and
serves ten million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide.
About GE’s Trailer Fleet Services
GE’s Trailer Fleet Services business (formerly known as
Transport International Pool, or TIP), is based in Wayne, Pa., and is a
single-source provider for all aspects of trailer fleet management. For
nearly 50 years it has been a recognized leader in over-the-road trailer
solutions, which today includes everything from leasing, renting, financial
services, insurance, maintenance, remarketing and asset tracking. GE’s
Trailer Fleet Services business has 135,000 over-the-road trailer assets,
and operates a North American network of 100 branch locations, staffed
by a sales and operations team of 900 employees. Its website is www.trailerservices.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS FOR MORE INFORMATION:
GE: Patrick Brennan, Media Relations Manager, 484-254-0127 or patrick.brennan@ge.com
U.S. Postal Service: Media Relations Department, 202-268-2155