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FedEx Archives: 2001 Press Releases

( BW)(CA-VIKING-FREIGHT)(FDX) Viking Freight Betters Transit Times From California to Spokane; Carrier Also Improves Transit Times in Several Western Lanes

    Business Editors/Transportation Writers

    SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 13, 2001--To support its customers' needs to reach the Pacific Northwest faster, Viking Freight Inc., the leading LTL (less-than-truckload) carrier providing western regional transportation service and a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX), has improved its direct service transit times from five of its California service centers to Spokane, Wash. Service from Bakersfield, Oxnard, Salinas, San Diego and San Luis Obispo to Spokane has been reduced from three days to two days.
    "We're providing a direct two-day link between these markets in central and southern California and Spokane to give our shippers a competitive advantage in delivering products to this Inland Northwest hub," said Keith E. Lovetro, Viking's vice president of marketing. "Extending our second-day delivery area means businesses can lower their re-order levels and carry less inventory, a goal of most companies that are trying to shorten their supply chains."
    Commodities such as electrical machinery, transportation equipment, retail apparel and other textile products are commonly transported in these lanes to Spokane.
    As part of Viking's latest transit time improvements, service standards for the following lanes have also been reduced:


--	Everett, Wash., to La Grande, Ore., from two days to overnight
--	Denver to Eugene and Salem, Ore., and Salt Lake City to Eugene from three days to two
--	Pocatello, Idaho, to 19 Viking service centers in California from three days to two
--	Service to and from Pasco, Twin Falls and Pocatello, Idaho, from two days to next day
--	Service to and from Viking's service centers in Kingman, Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz., and Boise, Twin Falls and Pocatello, Idaho, from three days to two.

    These improvements bring the total number of Viking's service center to service center next-day offerings to 833 in the entire Western region. More than two-thirds of all the shipments that Viking transports are delivered overnight.
    Viking Freight Inc. and its sister operating company, American Freightways Inc., comprise FedEx Freight, a $1.9 billion leader in regional freight service and a member of the FedEx family of companies. Founded in 1966, Viking is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. and has approximately 5,000 employees. Viking provides services through a comprehensive network of 66 service centers in the eleven Western states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Known for its EZTDBW(R) (Easy-To-Do-Business-With) customer orientation, Viking is also consistently recognized for its industry-leading on-time delivery performance record. In 1999 the company's commitment to safety was honored with the American Trucking Associations' President's Trophy for its safety record. In addition to reliability and convenient e-commerce services, Viking offers shippers value-added services such as cross-border shipping to Canada and Mexico. More information about Viking can be found at www.vikingfreight.com.
    With annual revenues of $20 billion, FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) is the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply-chain management services. The company offers integrated business solutions through a network of subsidiaries operating independently, including FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground, North America's second largest provider of small-package ground delivery service; FedEx Freight, a leading provider of regional less-than-truckload freight services; FedEx Custom Critical, the world's largest provider of expedited, time-critical shipments; and FedEx Trade Networks, a provider of customs brokerage, consulting, information technology and trade facilitation solutions.
    Note: FedEx Corp. press releases are available on the World Wide Web at www.fedex.com.

    Note to Editors: EZTDBW(R) is a registered trademark of Viking Freight Inc.

    --30--lr/sf*

    CONTACT: FedEx Freight
             Kathy Keller, 408/323-4238
             kathy.keller@fedex.com
                or
             Just Marketing
             Jean E. McClymonds, 831/438-4800 ext. 2
             justmktng@aol.com

    KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA WASHINGTON OREGON UTAH IDAHO ARIZONA COLORADO
MEXICO INTERNATIONAL LATIN AMERICA CANADA
    INDUSTRY KEYWORD: APPAREL/TEXTILES COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS
TRANSPORTATION PRODUCT
    SOURCE: Viking Freight Inc.