Transportation 2023: WEBB ESTES

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, ESTES EXPRESS LINES, RICHMOND

Published August 30, 2023 by Virginia Business

As the great-grandson of the company’s founder, Estes is the fourth generation of his family to lead Estes Express Lines, one of the nation’s largest privately owned freight carriers. Before being named president and COO in January, he was vice president of process improvement. His father, Rob Estes, continues to serve as chairman and CEO.

Estes began working at the family company as a teenager, gaining experience through part-time summer jobs in the claims, salvage and finance departments and as a dockworker. A William & Mary alum, he joined the company full time in 2007 and gained hands-on expertise with company operations through various positions. In the past year, the company added 12 electric trucks and partnered with Amazon.com and startup Remora to produce a carbon-capture system for freight vehicles.

Outside work, Estes loves coaching and playing soccer, as well as board and card games.

NEW LIFE EXPERIENCE: We welcomed our third daughter in January. We are overwhelmed and feeling blessed and elated all at the same time.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED: We all should do counseling. Everyone truly needs a healthy lifestyle and supportive people around us to travel this life.

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