Case Study: A New Breed of Transportation Excellence

Pets are family. And, most every pet owner will do anything for their dogs or cats. That begins with what they are feeding them. For Hill’s Pet Nutrition (Hill’s), its mission is to enrich and lengthen the relationships between people and their pets through proper nutrition.

While Hill’s produces science-led premium pet nutrition, in 2021 the company turned to Ryder for a flexible transportation solution to get the food to its customers.

Prior to outsourcing to Ryder, Hill’s transported its products on its own. While they had a great delivery network and relationship with customers, they wanted to partner with a company that could help them continue to grow and invest in their transportation network to meet the demand of more than 45,000 deliveries per month across North America. As a result, Hill’s entrusted its transportation to Ryder.

“At Hill’s, we’re an outstanding pet food company, but not a transportation company,” says Dale Finnestad, Vice President of Customer Service & Logistics at Hill’s. “We believe in partnerships and in finding solutions that benefit both parties. We look for a partner to solve issues, and one who we can expand with. Ryder is one of those partners.”

Ryder provides Hill’s a dedicated transportation solution that includes more than 100 vehicles and more than 200 professional drivers, plus network design, routing, scheduling, and proprietary technology. Through the flexible transportation solution, Ryder also manages shuttle runs, and drayage for Hill’s. Mirroring the premium product that Hill’s offers, Ryder drivers provide a white glove service, making more than 45,000 deliveries per month and moving about 132 million pounds of pet food per year. The partnership grew in 2024, when Ryder began managing a Hill’s warehouse facility in Nashville, Tenn.

“Getting that vertical integration we are hoping can lead to uncovering more opportunities and creating a seamless journey from our facilities to our customers,” Finnestad says. “The key is, Ryder is dedicated to what we are trying to do.”

Delivering Excellence

The majority of the 200+ drivers Ryder manages for Hill’s were originally employed by Hill’s before the company outsourced its transportation. This allowed for a seamless transition and ensured the drivers making the deliveries for Hill’s have the same passion for the brand as its own employees do.

The drivers make deliveries direct to veterinarian offices around the country and are the face of the company. The continuity helps Hill’s elevate its relationship with veterinarians as they recommend the brand to others in the industry. The relationship with the drivers continues to help the company grow.

“Getting that relationship and continuity is key,” says Finnestad. “The drivers are an extension of our customer service team and they’ve added additional levels of service for us. This speaks volumes for both Hill’s and Ryder.”

The collaboration goes beyond the drivers moving more than 12 million units per year. The Ryder and Hill’s teams work together to find improvements in routing, delivery, and efficiency. Constant communication helps ensure everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.

Finnestad is also on the Ryder Customer Advisory Board, helping inform Ryder what they see in the marketplace, and providing feedback to Ryder so it can continuously improve its solutions.

For Finnestad, he feels this connection is invaluable. “Seeing how Ryder values and cares about our business makes a tremendous difference in the relationship,” he says. “Ryder is bought into the success of our business, and it shows.”

Innovation Through Technology

Hill’s is a company steeped in innovation. And, it expects that from Ryder. An example of this is RyderShare™, the company’s proprietary digital platform that provides real-time visibility of products moving across the supply chain. Specifically, for Hill’s, RyderShare™ provides direct visibility and proof of orders, allowing the company to have a quick response and understanding of what is happening to orders and how to improve delivery.

RyderShare™ gives everyone involved the same view of the network. This helps Hill’s employees have information at their fingertips when someone calls asking for their order. They can answer questions in minutes, instead of days or hours.

“We have access to more information, and we are getting it faster than ever before,” says Kyle Bryant, Senior Manager Customer Service & Logistics at Hill’s. “RyderShare™ eliminated multiple phone calls and manual discussions. We can use this data to improve processes. We can see when deliveries are being made in real time and make adjustments if needed. It helps us find new solutions we didn’t see in the past.”

The speed of seeing issues through RyderShare™ helps the team adjust processes and optimize the transportation network daily, which translates to maintaining a high level of customer service.

Commitment to the Future

Being able to enrich and enhance the lives of pets begins with enhancing and optimizing the supply chain. For Hill’s and Ryder, that means finding opportunities to improve service and evolving the partnership.

“I think there is a big runway to evolve the partnership,” Finnestad says. “Continuing to find and understand the opportunities to enhance are key. Few companies have that vertical integration we are looking for with transportation and warehousing. Ryder is one that does everything we need.”