Richmond, VA—Estes – the largest, privately owned freight carrier in North America – recently became a member of Smart Freight Centre (SFC), a globally recognized nonprofit dedicated to reducing emissions and making freight transportation more sustainable.
SFC employs the GLEC (Global Logistics Emissions Council) Framework for companies and suppliers to calculate and report logistics emissions. Estes benefits from SFC’s established program and using the GLEC framework to establish its allocated emissions reporting program.
“We’re thrilled to leverage SFC’s leadership, global network, and longstanding commitment to sustainability as we carry out our mission to improve Estes for today and the future,” said Sara Graf, vice president of sustainability, culture, and communications. “This partnership will help us, and our customers, take a closer look at carbon impact and identify efficient solutions.” In 2023, Estes began a partnership with Watershed to report its first-ever carbon footprint as a benchmark, which will be used in subsequent years to measure our emissions reduction progress. Other sustainability initiatives include expanding its electric vehicle fleet to 12 electric Class 8 tractors and over 300 zero-emission forklifts. The company is also retrofitting select terminals with solar panels, which are expected to generate approximately 1,930,000 kilowatt hours annually, offsetting approximately 1,200 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Estes was among the recipients of Transport Topics’ inaugural Sustainability Pathfinder Award in 2024. Learn more about Estes’ environmental stewardship efforts.
About Estes
Estes is North America’s largest privately owned freight carrier. As an asset-based transportation provider with a global footprint, Estes combines nearly a century of regional freight shipping expertise with the resources, reach, and reliability of a national carrier. Backed by its 295+ North American terminals, nearly 7,000 next-day lanes, and fleet of more than 10,000 tractors, Estes is committed to getting America's freight where it needs to go, when it needs to get there. And with its continued investment in leading-edge technology, as well as the support of its more than 24,000 employees, Estes always goes the extra mile to deliver exceptional experiences that keep its customers coming back. The carrier’s comprehensive freight shipping solutions include Less Than Truckload (LTL), Volume LTL and Truckload, Time Critical Guaranteed, Custom Shipping and Logistics, and Final Mile. From short-haul to global freight forwarding—Estes does it all.
About Smart Freight Centre
Smart Freight Centre (SFC) is a globally active nonprofit organization for climate action in the freight sector. Its goal is to mobilize the global logistics ecosystem, in particular members and partners, in tracking and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. SFC is accelerating the reduction of logistics emissions to achieve a zero-emission global logistics sector by 2050 or earlier, consistent with 1.5° pathways.
