Estes Express Lines is the largest privately held freight carrier in North America. Founded nearly a century ago by W.W. Estes, the firm now enjoys its fourth generation of family leadership. More than 24,000 employees nationwide are part of Estes’ network of freight carriers, but the heart of the company remains here in Richmond where it began. Estes is recognized a sixth time as one of Greater Richmond’s Top Workplaces thanks to its employee-focused culture.
Greg Richardson, Vice President of Human Resources
What does career growth look like at your organization, and how do employees see a long-term future there?
As we expand our footprint across the nation and in the Richmond market, that presents opportunities for employees. We also are heavily invested in leadership training and opportunities and not just for our current leaders. We are trying to find our future leaders. Our culture is one that inspires growth.
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With AI and automation reshaping many industries, how are you helping employees feel prepared and be assured they will not be replaced by emerging technology?
We are just on the cusp of evaluating how AI can help us in our business. We are in the transportation industry, so it’s unique. We’re focusing on those routines in a job that are difficult, tedious or monotonous, the jobs that lend themselves to burnout. That’s where we would look to deploy AI to help. I don’t see a scenario where AI replaces jobs in transportation, but it can enhance our roles.
How does being based in the Richmond region influence your workplace culture?
We have a rich, 95-year history of being in Richmond. I came from the West Coast, and one of the first things I noticed is the culture of Virginia and the city. The senior leadership and ownership are all from the Richmond area; they grew up here and know the ins and outs. We’ve embraced the culture. We’re proud to have been here for 95 years, and we’re fortunate to be good at what we do.
How do you encourage philanthropy and a connection to the Greater Richmond community among your employees?
We have a program called Open Heart, Open Road. The company has set aside philanthropic dollars to assign to charities and nonprofits around us. These charities are chosen by our employees, who get to vote, then a portion of those dollars go to the charities. There have been some really good charities getting the donations and support they need. We also launched a program to wrap our trailers with different charities’ logos, which gives them some visibility and gets the word out that there’s help for whatever you need.
