FAQ’s

Are you seeing any service interruptions? Do you expect to?

At the current time, our daily operations have not been impacted.

Over the past 90 years, Estes has worked hard to build a nationwide network of drivers, facilities, and equipment for this very reason: to ensure that no matter the situation, we’d be able to meet our commitments to our customers without interruption. We are monitoring this situation closely, but are confident that our network and resources will continue to provide us with the flexibility we need to remain responsive to the needs of our customers during this uncertain time.

What is Estes doing to protect its employees, drivers, and customers?

At Estes, our top priority is the safety of our people and the people we serve.

We continue to share CDC guidance and best practices with our employees to prevent the spread of the virus, including thorough handwashing, the using of antibacterial products, and “social distancing.” To mitigate risks, Estes has:

• Enforced strict terminal visitor protocol, limiting access only to essential personnel and screening all visitors for COVID-19 symptoms or exposure within the last 14 days
• Instructed our delivery drivers to comply with all customer requests for temperature scans, provided the scans are administered in a hygienic manner that follows social distancing protocols
• Required that face coverings be worn by all our drivers when onsite at customers’ facilities, as well as by all employees and visitors at any Estes location currently operating under a statewide face mask mandate
• Amended our residential delivery procedures to limit driver-recipient interactions as much as possible. See Final Mile (home) delivery below for details
• Enhanced the cleaning and sanitization protocols at all our facilities, ensuring all commonly touched surfaces like door handles and keyboards are immediately disinfected
• Provided all terminals with extra soap, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant solutions to be used throughout the terminal and for each tractor and trailer
• Taken additional social distancing precautions such as removing breakroom seating and discontinuing the use of communal coffee pots

Additionally, all employees have been instructed to stay home should they develop COVID-19 symptoms, and not return to work until they have been advised by a health care professional that it is safe to do so. Our corporate staff is telecommuting when possible, and we have a detailed, step-by-step protocol in place for every Estes location (including terminals, as well as our corporate headquarters) should any employee display or report symptoms, or test positive for COVID-19. We are also doing our part to support emergency responses in several states.

We continue to explore and implement additional safety measures as this situation develops to best protect our employees and customers.

Will the border restrictions for Canada and Mexico impact Estes’ operations? 

No, both border restrictions exempt essential workers, which includes truck drivers who are critical to maintaining the global supply chain.

Is Final Mile residential (home) delivery impacted?

All Residential shipments should be delivered as scheduled, however, we are making a few changes to our service to reduce the risk of potential exposure to both our consignees and employees.

In order to comply with Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) policy guidelines regarding “Social Distancing” and to protect Shippers, Consignees, Employees, and others from potential exposure to the coronavirus during the COVID-19 emergency, Estes will not require signed delivery receipts. Instead, drivers will be logging the date and time of the delivery, the place of delivery, the name of the individual who received the shipment, and will be taking a photograph of the delivered shipment, which includes a date and time stamp as proof of delivery.

We are also suspending Inside Delivery at a residence. We will continue delivering to the Front Door, First Dry Area or Inside the Garage of the Residence, when possible for the consignee, but are restricted from entering the home. This means all Threshold, Room of Choice and White Glove Services will be suspended until further notice.

Note: We are still providing commercial inside delivery at this time.

We thank our residential customers for their flexibility as we work hard to mitigate risks while sustaining uninterrupted services.

What if I am supposed to receive a shipment from Estes, but do not feel comfortable signing the delivery receipt?

To mitigate the risk of exposure, Estes is not requiring receivers to sign delivery receipts at this time. If you are not comfortable signing your delivery receipt, your driver will write your name on the receipt with a note indicating that the “customer received delivery but would not sign the delivery receipt.” The driver will then take two photographs of the freight and send those, along with the shipment PRO number, to their terminal manager for proof of delivery.

What if the consignee is closed, unable to receive freight, or the destination is in an embargo area?

• First, be sure to contact your consignee and confirm they will be open to receive your freight prior to scheduling your Pick Up. This will help ensure minimal disruption to your business, and could help you avoid additional expenses, should the consignee be closed or unable to accept deliveries
• If your consignee becomes unavailable to receive your freight once it is already in transit, our partners at Warehowz can provide on-demand warehousing for shipments that have been turned away at closed or embargoed locations. Ask your account manager if this might be a good solution for you
• Should you decide not to warehouse your freight, it will be re-routed back to our terminal and will follow our standard refusal/on-hand process: Estes will retain possession of your freight until it is deliverable. After 48 hours, storage fees (as outlined in the Estes Rules Tariff) will apply

Will there be storage fees if the consignee is closed?

Yes. We will apply normal storage charges to your shipment as outlined in the Estes Rules Tariff. It will be the shipper’s responsibility to advise us how they’d like us to handle each one.

Who will incur the storage fee?

The Payor will be responsible for the storage fee.

Is there a fee for a call ahead?

Yes. To schedule a call ahead, the paying party will incur an appointment fee, as outlined in the Accessorial section of the Estes Rules Tariff. Fees may be subject to the Payor’s pricing program.

Can I pick up my shipment at the terminal?

Terminal personnel will coordinate appointments for freight pickups and drop-offs with will-call customers. We’re asking all visitors to sign a document attesting they have had no COVID-19 symptoms or known exposure. Unauthorized persons are not permitted on Estes property at any time.

Are you still able to provide service in Quarantine or Shelter in Place areas?

Yes. A “Shelter in Place” order applies only to non-essential business. Because trucking is critical to maintaining the supply chain, we are considered essential business, and are exempt from these restrictions.

If you are shipping to quarantine or shelter in place areas, we ask that you make sure the consignee is an essential business and remains open during the government orders.