ESTES EXPRESS LINES
DBA ESTES · Richmond, VA · MC 97275
From CarrierTrail’s copy of the FMCSA census, published Sep 30, 2026. Record present in this snapshot. Official record: SAFER · Motus
1 to review · 1 note
- 9 fatal crashes in the 24-month window
- Safety rating is more than 5 years old
Observations from public fields, not findings about the company. Check the official record and the context before deciding.
Company identity and reported operations
| USDOT number | 121018 |
|---|---|
| Legal name | ESTES EXPRESS LINES |
| Doing business as / DBA | ESTES |
| MC docket identifiers | MC 97275 |
| Reported physical address | 3901 W BROAD ST, RICHMOND, VA, 23230, US |
| Reported business phone | (804) 353-1900 |
| Reported power units | 9805 |
| Reported drivers | 8821 |
| Reported MCS-150 date | Jul 29, 2025 |
| Company officers (as filed) | Kelly Samuel, Robey W Estes |
| Carrier operation | Interstate |
| Census status code | A |
| Safety rating | Satisfactory |
| Safety rating date | Jan 29, 2001 |
Public inspection, violation and crash summary
FMCSA public SMS input records from 2024-08-28 through 2026-08-27.
| Inspections | 4566 |
|---|---|
| Driver out-of-service rate | 0.8% (37 of 4537) |
| Vehicle out-of-service rate | 16.7% (448 of 2689) |
| Violations | 2722 across 1606 inspections |
| Out-of-service violations | 546 |
| Crashes | 588 |
| Fatal / injury / tow-away crashes | 9 / 208 / 561 |
| Fatalities / injuries reported | 9 / 273 |
Most frequent published violation codes
39345B2BAIRAir Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured793922SLLLRState/Local Laws - Lane restriction violation783922SLLTCDState/Local Laws - Failed to obey a traffic control device - Permanent or Temporary - e.g. safety official signal sign light lane marking other7439216DDriver - Failed to use seat belt while operating a CMV703922SLLS2State/Local Laws - Speeding 6-10 miles per hour over the speed limit69
Crash involvement does not establish fault. Inspection summaries, safety ratings and restricted BASIC measures are different concepts.
Compare the reported Richmond record
ESTES EXPRESS LINES reports 9805 power units. The Richmond, Virginia directory contains 3,520 census records, of which 2,933 report at least one power unit.
Reported cargo and business classification
ESTES EXPRESS LINES reports AUTHORIZED FOR HIRE in the census and lists 12 cargo categories.
- General freight
- Metal sheets, coils and rolls
- Building materials
- Machinery and large objects
- Liquids and gases
- Intermodal containers
- Grain, feed and hay
- Chemicals
- Beverages
- Paper products
- Farm supplies
- Construction
Fleet size in local context
| Power units | Records | Share of all city records |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 587 | 16.7% |
| 1 | 1,932 | 54.9% |
| 2–5 | 679 | 19.3% |
| 6–20 | 210 | 6.0% |
| 21–100 | 83 | 2.4% |
| Over 100: this carrier’s band | 29 | 0.8% |
| Unknown / other | 0 | 0.0% |
Record dates and observed changes
- Added to the census (not company founding date)
- Jun 01, 1974
- Carrier-reported MCS-150 filing date
- Jul 29, 2025
- Census source publication
- Sep 30, 2026 10:52 UTC
- First observed by CarrierTrail
- Sep 12, 2026 19:56 UTC
Source publication, carrier filing and our observation dates describe different events. An older filing date alone does not establish noncompliance.
Public-field differences from up to ten recent census change events are shown below.
No public-field changes are recorded in our observation window for this carrier. This does not mean the carrier never changed its details; tracking begins at the first observation shown above.
Authority and insurance
Authority filings
| Docket | Reported authority type | Reported status | BIPD required | BIPD on file |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MC97275 | Broker of Property (Except Household Goods) | Active | $0 | $75,000 |
| MC97275 | Motor Carrier of Property (Except Household Goods) | Active | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Insurance filings
| Docket | Insurer | Coverage | Effective date | Form | Policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MC97275 | LM Insurance Corporation | $1,000,000 | May 01, 2025 | BMC-82 | 019097460 |
| MC97275 | LM Insurance Corporation | $75,000 | May 01, 2025 | BMC-82 | 019097460 |
| MC97275 | Fidelity & Deposit Co. of Maryland | $75,000 | Oct 01, 2013 | BMC-84 | LPM8685332 |
Sources and check dates
Checked Oct 01, 2026 16:21 UTC.
- Authority filings source · Published Oct 01, 2026 10:54 UTC.
- Insurance filings source · Published Oct 01, 2026 10:53 UTC.
Missing matches do not establish missing authority or insurance. Filing records are shown as published; check current status before booking.
Operating authority timeline
Status changes and notices recorded against ESTES EXPRESS LINES’s operating authority dockets, newest first, from the FMCSA authority history and notices datasets.
- GrantedMC97275 · Broker of Property (Except Household Goods)
- GrantedMC97275 · Motor Carrier of Property (Except Household Goods)
A notice or status line describes the docket, not the reason behind it. Check Motus for the current status before booking.
Shared contact details
How many other records in the current FMCSA census report the same phone number or the same physical address as USDOT 121018. Companies share offices, agents and phone lines for ordinary reasons; a match is context to check, not a finding.
Explore these reported cargo categories
General freightBuilding materialsMachinery and large objectsMetal sheets, coils and rollsIntermodal containers
Compare declared categories across states.
Check the official record
Monitor this carrier after your review
Use a private workspace to save USDOT 121018, review contact connections and filing observations, and document your team’s decisions. This public page does not include customer notes or approval decisions.