1


                                  EXHIBIT 99.1


                           ALLIED HOLDINGS ACQUISITION
                        OF RYDER AUTOMOTIVE CARRIER GROUP
                     CLEARED BY CANADA'S COMPETITION BUREAU

     DECATUR, GA., AUGUST 5, 1997 - ALLIED HOLDINGS, INC. (NASDAQ:HAUL)
announced today that the Competition Bureau of Industrie Canada has advised that
it has determined that there are no grounds for it to object to the proposed
acquisition of Ryder Automotive Carrier Services, Inc. and RC Management Corp.
by Allied prior to closing under the provisions of the Canadian Competition Act.
Accordingly, no further approval of Canadian authorities is required and the
acquisition, having previously cleared United States anti-trust review under the
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, may now proceed without further anti-trust clearance. The
acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter and is
contingent upon finalizing a definitive purchase agreement.

     On May 27, 1997, Allied announced an agreement to acquire Ryder Automotive
Carrier Services, Inc. and RC Management Corp. from Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R)
for approximately $114.5 million in cash. The Ryder Automotive Carrier Group,
headquartered in Troy, Michigan, has approximately 3,400 rigs at 91 locations in
34 states and Canada. Its employees number approximately 6,000, and its revenues
in 1996 were approximately $600 million. The combined revenue of Allied and
Ryder's automotive carrier group for 1996 would have been approximately $1
billion.

Allied Holdings, Inc. is the parent company of several subsidiaries engaged in
the automotive distribution business. The Allied Automotive Group is the second
largest motor carrier in North America specializing in the delivery of
automobiles and light trucks. The Automotive Group transports for all major
domestic and foreign manufacturers primarily from manufacturing plants, rail
ramps, ports and auctions to automobile dealers throughout the United States and
Canada. Allied Holdings' Axis Group provides logistics solutions to the finished
vehicle, service and aftermarket parts segments of the automotive market based
on an underlying business philosophy of Move, Improve, Inform. The Axis Group
identifies new and innovative methods of distribution as well as better use of
traditional and emerging technologies to help customers solve the most complex
transportation, inventory management and logistics problems.