TORONTO, Ont. – Ryder System is shutting down six of its 44 Canadian maintenance and service locations in the new year.

“The closures are scheduled for next year, however we are announcing the plans now so that we can provide the best possible service for our customers,” Ryder confirmed in a statement to Trucknews.com. “Ryder will continue to manage the service process through Ryder FleetCare, a network of more than 1,000 qualified maintenance providers, to ensure our customers’ vehicles are well-maintained no matter where they are.”

The following locations are being closed by the end of February: Port Kells, B.C.; Edmonton, Alta.; Calgary North, Alta.; Saskatoon, Sask.; Sudbury, Ont.; and Surrey, B.C.

“Like all businesses in a competitive market, we must always look at new ways to manage our costs and efficiently deploy our capital,” Ryder said. “As a normal course of business Ryder continually reviews all aspects of its operations, properties, facilities, and processes to identify underperforming pieces of our business. As such, Ryder has decided to close six underperforming locations out of its 44 fleet maintenance and service locations across Canada. While making decisions that impact our employees, their families, and our customers is never easy, it is a necessary step to continue to remain competitive in the markets we serve.”

Sixty-seven jobs will be eliminated, but Ryder said it is working with impacted employees to help them find other employment opportunities within Ryder. Ryder has nearly 2,000 employees in Canada. Positions being eliminated include technicians, clerks, sales reps, supervisors and managers.

“These actions will have little to minimal customer impact,” Ryder said.