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The federal government may have been slow to react, but logistics industry players were quick to step in to help victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. What follows is a partial list of companies that have contributed generously to the relief efforts. Dollar amounts represent company and employee donations.

APL Logistics
$50,000
APL provided six 40-foot containers for a food/clothing drive and arranged for their transport to the Gulf Coast via three 40-foot vans. The company also gave employees paid time off to volunteer for relief efforts and registered with FEMA to make equipment available for relief efforts.


FedEx
$2 million plus
FedEx Freight shipped more than 150,000 pounds of supplies. FedEx Freight is also limiting its fuel surcharge to pre-Katrina levels in order to ease the impact of fuel price volatility.

HK Systems/Irista
$30,000
HK mobilized a team of engineers and technicians to provide repair and renovation services for automated material handling systems and related equipment.

Ryder System Inc.
$1 million
More than 500 Ryder trucks and trailers have been deployed to the Gulf Coast to deliver some 3,000 tons of food, medical supplies and other provisions.

Saddle Creek Corp.
$50,000
Saddle Creek's management solicited donations from customers like Quaker Oats, North Pacific Seafood, and The Old Products Co. Saddle Creek then transported the donated goods to the Gulf Coast for free. A team of Saddle Creek drivers covered more than 14,000 miles to deliver the 16 loads.

Schneider National
Up to $100,000
The Schneider National Foundation, the charitable arm of Schneider National, made an initial donation of $25,000. At the U.S. government's request, Schneider also created a diesel supply chain to deliver fuel to power emergency vehicles and generators.

Toyota Motor Sales USA
$5 million
A total of $2 million was pledged by Toyota Motor Corp. of Japan, California-based Toyota Motor Sales USA and Toyota Financial Services; New York-based Toyota Motor North America; and Kentucky-based Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America. Texas-based Friedkin Companies, the owner of Gulf States Toyota, a privately owned Toyota distributorship, contributed another $2 million to establish the Friedkin Disaster Relief Fund. Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A. Inc. also set up a relief fund to aid its dealers and dealership employees affected by the hurricane.

UPS
Two warehousing experts from UPS Supply Chain Solutions were dispatched from Atlanta to staff a 400,000-square-foot Salvation Army warehouse to help get relief supplies to the affected areas faster. UPS processes were put into place for the more than 200 volunteers who sorted donated goods.

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