FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AKRON, Ohio, June 2, 2004—FedEx Custom Critical, North America’s largest time-specific, critical-shipment carrier, has opened an ExpressCenter in Laredo, Texas, providing faster pickup service for businesses in the area.

The ExpressCenter, a geographic area where trucks are available for dispatch, offers five sizes of vehicles to meet customers’ expedited shipping needs: minivans, cargo vans, 12-foot and 20-foot straight trucks and tractor-trailers. 

For customers within a 25-mile radius of Laredo, the new ExpressCenter offers pickup in less than 90 minutes, and for those within a 26- to 50-mile radius, it offers pickup within two hours. 

“Laredo is a major center for trade between the United States and Mexico, and shipments move from there by all modes—rail, truckload, expedited ground, air and air charter,” said Laney Roseberry, FedEx Custom Critical regional sales manager. “Because air transport for freight is less available on weekends, FedEx Custom Critical’s 24/7 availability is the perfect solution for critical shipments.”

According to Roseberry, shipments become critical due to many issues, such as production problems, border delays and plant shutdowns. “Now that FedEx Custom Critical has an ExpessCenter in Laredo, we can assist with these situations by responding faster—usually in 90 minutes or less—and get that critical shipment on the road,” he said.

The addition of the new ExpressCenter to those in Harlingen and El Paso enables FedEx Custom Critical to service the busiest border crossings in Laredo and nearby cities.

FedEx Custom Critical specializes in same-day or next-day delivery of critical shipments. Customers call 800.762.3787 to arrange a shipment, and FedEx Custom Critical immediately dispatches a truck to pick up and transport the freight nonstop, straight through to its destination.

Features of FedEx Custom Critical’s services include:

• Nonstop, door-to-door delivery;
• 24-hour, seven-day-a-week availability, including nights, weekends and holidays at no extra charge;
• Exclusive-use vehicles;
• Two-way satellite communication to track shipments from pickup through delivery;
• Immediate quotes, with transit times to the minute and price to the penny;
• Specialized equipment for care in handling, including air-ride suspension, temperature control and liftgates; and 
• On-time performance, with more than 96 percent of shipments delivered within 15 minutes of the company’s time-specific promise.

About FedEx Custom Critical
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 nonstop, door-to-door transport of critical shipments; White Glove Services®, for shipments that require special care in handling; and Air Expedite, which offers an array of air solutions to meet customers’ critical delivery times.

About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with the broadest portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and document-management services. With annual revenues of $25 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively but managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx and Kinko's brands. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 225,000 employees and contractors to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit www.fedex.com.