Estes Express Lines Recorded Record Tonnage Increases
The national carrier achieved a 15% year-over-year tonnage increase alongside back-to-back record shipping weeks.
Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Transportation
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Estes Express Lines reported a 15% year-over-year tonnage increase last week, bolstered by back-to-back record tonnage weeks for the network. The growth was driven by a rise in demand across the manufacturing, grocery, and retail sectors.
Why it matters
Shippers moved to expedite deliveries to meet quarterly objectives while shrinking truckload capacity forced more freight toward LTL services. These factors combined to create significant network volume growth for the national carrier.
Estes Express Lines achieved a 13% year-over-year increase in next-day regional shipments during Q3 2026. The carrier maintains a driver turnover rate of 7.5% and a dock worker turnover rate of 11.5% for staff with over one year of tenure.
The players
Estes Express Lines
This organization is a major national less-than-truckload (LTL) freight carrier providing shipping and logistics services across the United States.
Mastio
This research firm specializes in analyzing the transportation industry and provides benchmarking data for carriers.
The details
Estes Express Lines successfully leveraged low employee turnover to build stronger customer relationships, while market shifts redirected freight from full truckload services. Mastio also recognized the carrier as the best-value national LTL provider for the fifth year in a row.
Timeline
Q3 2026 saw a 13% year-over-year increase in next-day regional shipments.
Estes Express Lines recorded a 15% year-over-year tonnage increase last week.
Pay raises and new benefits are planned for announcement within the next month.
Market Landscape
This performance reflects a broader shift where shippers favor LTL networks as truckload capacity contracts across the United States. Estes maintains its competitive edge by prioritizing retention to stabilize service quality against industry-wide labor fluctuations.
Customers can expect upcoming service enhancements, including the implementation of live map tracking for freight shipments. While direct consumer pricing changes were not detailed, the company intends to announce new pay and benefits structures for staff in the coming month.
The takeaway
Maintaining low employee turnover remains a critical competitive advantage that allows carriers to sustain service levels during periods of high demand. Shippers should monitor upcoming tracking updates as the industry increasingly digitizes freight visibility for end users.
Further reading
Explore industry trends in the United States Transportation section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by FreightWaves.
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