AKRON, Ohio, (August 5, 2002) – FedEx Custom Critical, Inc., North America’s largest time-specific, critical-shipment carrier and a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), recently honored its 2002 Four Star Award winners. The award recognizes independent contractors that exemplify the company’s dedication to superior customer service and safe driving. These contractors lease their vehicles to the company as owner operators.

This is the third year for the Four Star Award. Owner operators who qualify for the distinction must meet the Four Star criteria for the fiscal year, including accident-free driving, service, availability and load acceptance. FedEx Custom Critical actually had more than 400 owner operators that qualified as finalists for the award. The final 50 winners were then determined by the greatest number of runs completed during the year.

The final 50 award winners were treated to three nights at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton® Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio, for a weekend in their honor. The weekend’s celebration included lunch with the FedEx Custom Critical executive team aboard a cruise on Lake Erie, followed by loge seating at a Cleveland Indians baseball game. The festivities were highlighted by a gala event, featuring dinner and the formal presentation of the awards.

“We want the contractors in our fleet to know how much we appreciate the service they provide for our customers,” said Scott McCahan, senior manager of contractor relations and safety. “All of our owner operators provide world-class service. The Four Star winners just take that service to the next level. This is just one small way our organization thanks them for those efforts.”

FedEx Custom Critical provides exclusive-use, time-specific shipment services throughout the U.S. and Canada and within Europe. Among its divisions are Surface Expedite, for non-stop, door-to-door transport of critical shipments; White Glove Services®, for shipments that require special care in handling; and CharterAir®, which offers an array of expedited air solutions to meet customers’ critical delivery times.

With annual revenues of $21 billion, FedEx Corp. 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, North America’s largest provider of expedited time-critical shipments; and FedEx Trade Networks, a provider of customs brokerage, consulting, information technology and trade facilitation solutions.

Contact: Ryan Henary, Communications Coordinator 
FedEx Custom Critical
330-785-4887
ryan.henary@fedex.com