Estes opens 133

Mar 23, 2023

The facility will be one of the carrier's first sites to exclusively use electric forklifts.

Estes Express Lines has opened one of its largest LTL terminals — and one of its first to exclusively use electric forklifts — in Banning, California, the company announced last week.

The terminal, near Interstate 10 and Banning Municipal Airport, has 133 doors and a three-bay maintenance shop. The 39-acre property will play a pivotal role in supporting the privately-owned LTL carrier's West Coast operations, the company said in a May 31 release.

"Our new Banning facility is vital to both our ongoing sustainability efforts and Estes’ operations throughout Southern California," President and COO Webb Estes said in a statement. "We’re thrilled to support the Banning community through the jobs the facility will offer, as well as how it deepens Estes’ capacity and agility in one of the country's busiest supply chain hubs."

In addition to being the first of Estes’ 266 terminals to exclusively use electric forklifts, the terminal will serve as home base for eight EV tractors.

"Energy-efficient interior/exterior lighting throughout the terminal uses 85% less electricity than conventional lighting, further aligning with Estes' sustainability efforts," the company said in its release.

The facility opened as the trucking industry faces a persistently challenging freight environment. Some publicly-traded LTL competitors are revising their 2023 network expansions and capital expenditure plans.

Privately-owned and debt-free, Estes has more than 10,000 doors and over 20,000 employees across its network. The carrier opened another of its largest terminals, in Fort Worth, Texas, earlier this year. That 200,000-square-foot facility was one of seven acquired by Estes when Central Freight Lines folded in 2021.

With the addition of the Banning site, Estes now has 20 terminals in California. The closest to the new one are in San Bernardino, Riverside and Mecca.