Estes Express Lines is a family-run company and the largest privately owned freight carrier in the country. Estes tractor trailers are a common sight across American highways, and the heart of that vast network pulses right here in Richmond, where 1,100 of the firmâs 24,000 employees work. For the fifth year in a row, Estes has earned recognition as one of the regionâs Top Workplaces â an award that company leaders attribute to their family-inspired culture.
Estes Express has a spirit week for its employees during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.
Sara Graf, Vice President, Sustainability, Culture, and Communications
How do you ensure employees feel heard, valued and supported in their roles while fostering open communication at all levels of the organization?
We have in place a strong employee engagement program with a high level of participation. We have worked hard to share with employees the types of improvements weâve made because of feedback weâve received. We equally have a very robust open-door policy. Anyone can pick up a phone and speak with anyone they want to.
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What initiatives or policies do you have in place to promote work-life balance for employees?
A lot of work-life balance comes from our organizational culture of listening to employees. That open-door policy and creating a collaborative spirit helps us keep work-life balance in check. Transportation is difficult when you consider work-life balance. We are not a traditional Monday-to-Friday, nine-to-five business. There is a negative sense of what drivers do â on the road, away from family. Here at Estes we have worked hard to make sure that doesnât exist. More than 90 percent of our drivers are home with their family every night.
How is your company leveraging emerging technologies, such as AI, to drive efficiency and innovation while maintaining a strong human-centered workplace culture?
We look at optimization and wonder where there are opportunities to go beyond current day-to-day operations to get better. We are leveraging that technology and becoming more successful. With transportation, there are things that humans do that are always going to be there. Technology such as AI will be directed to support and enhance our human-centered workforce.
Estes Express
How do you create an environment where all employees feel a sense of belonging and have opportunities for growth?
At its core, our employee engagement strategy focuses on creating trust within our organization, making recognition a central part and offering opportunities for growth. We have a leadership development program, which really provides ways to engage and communicate and teaches how to grow and develop. We hope to inspire leaders to really focus on their teams. That has allowed us to create a true understanding of place, belonging and opportunities for growth.
