Press Releases
September 20, 2012Estes Express Lines Teams with Virginia DMV to Put Veterans to Work
RICHMOND, VA—Estes Express Lines has teamed with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to support the state’s new Troops to Trucks program.
The initiative helps veterans and the transportation industry by making it easier for qualified service members to get commercial driver’s licenses, which are required to operate large trucks and buses in Virginia. There is a high demand for CDL drivers in the Commonwealth and this initiative provides opportunities for returning veterans to put their transportation skills and experience to work.
“We have more than 500 openings for truck drivers across the company,” said Rob Estes, president and CEO of Richmond-based Estes Express Lines. “I cannot think of a better group to draw from than members of the U.S. military.”
Troops to Trucks is the first program of its kind and supports Governor Bob McDonnell’s goal of making Virginia the most military and veteran-friendly state in the nation. With certification from their commanding officer, applicants who have experience driving commercial motor vehicles (CMV) and a safe driving record are waived from taking the road test portion of the CDL exam and only have to pass the written part. Service members without experience can also enroll in training programs to complete their certification. Marine Corps Base Quantico and Fort Lee are the current certified third-party testing sites.
In addition to providing employment opportunities for veterans, Estes is strongly committed to supporting military personnel in other ways. Through the company’s Encourage the Living, Honor the Fallen military outreach program last year, employees donated more than 13,000 pounds of much-needed personal supplies to troops overseas through Give2TheTroops and honored our fallen veterans by providing financial and transportation support to Wreaths Across America which placed wreaths on the gravesites of servicemen and women across the U.S.
About Estes Express Lines
Richmond, VA-based Estes is a full-service freight transportation provider offering an entire range of shipping solutions including LTL, Time Critical, Volume & Truckload, Global and Custom Solutions. Founded in 1931 by W.W. Estes and still owned by the Estes family, the company has grown from a small, local carrier into one of the most respected total-solutions providers in the industry. More information about Estes and its shipping options is conveniently available on www.estes-express.com.