Estes expands impact of charitable giving through Open Heart, Open Road in 2024

In 2024, Estes Express Lines, North America’s largest privately owned freight carrier, reached new heights with its charitable giving program: Open Heart, Open Road. Among the news that set 2024 apart from previous years was the expansion of its employee-directed giving campaign to include Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Operation Homefront, and Active Minds to the list of beneficiaries.

Another major Open Heart, Open Road highlight included launching a trailer wrap campaign to raise awareness about the network of nonprofits Estes contributes to as part of Open Heart, Open Road. Additionally, Estes donated its skills in logistics to support various organizations that needed to move goods.

“Estes’ Open Heart, Open Road program continues to grow to meet the needs of our employees and our communities, just as it was envisioned,” said Webb Estes, president and COO. “Adding these new charities was welcomed by everyone and generated tremendous support from our employees. Each year’s results are exciting and insightful as they reveal what’s on the team’s hearts and minds.”

Employee-directed giving

Estes' annual Open Heart, Open Road employee-directed giving campaign allocates a donation of $500,000 across several nonprofits, each selected by Estes employees through a company-wide nomination and voting process. For the 2025 campaign, the two organizations to receive the most employee votes are Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and the American Cancer Society. The full list of nonprofits to receive financial support from Estes through the 2025 Open Heart, Open Road employee-directed giving campaign includes:

• Active Minds
• Alzheimer’s Association
• American Cancer Society
• American Diabetes Association
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• ASPCA
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals
• National Forest Foundation
• Operation Homefront
• Special Olympics
• Team Estes Employee Relief Fund

Trailer Wrap Program

Industry research indicates that a tractor-trailer on the road can generate 30,000 – 70,000 impressions daily. To leverage this opportunity, Estes is wrapping select trailers to raise awareness about these nonprofits its employees deeply care about. In November, the first wrapped trailers hit the road with messaging supporting the American Diabetes Association. Estes covers all costs associated with the wraps and is working with each organization to ensure branding elements and messaging align with the nonprofit’s mission. Over the next year, Estes will roll out additional trailer wraps, highlighting the Open Heart, Open Road organizations.

In-kind donations: Delivering the fun

Another meaningful way Estes gives back is by delivering goods to, or on behalf of, nonprofits that need that type of support. For example:

• In November, for the fourth consecutive year, Estes delivered nearly 450 bicycles to Richmond Area Bicycling Association (RABA). Once assembled, the bikes were gifted to Richmond-area children through nonprofit partners in time for holiday gifting.
• In September, Estes and its employees delivered a trailer of books to Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. By stocking the bookshelves throughout the hospital, Estes was proud to help entertain, uplift, and deliver joy to patients and siblings.
• In August, Estes teamed up with the VCU Ultimate Backpack Supply Drive to deliver thousands of backpacks filled with school supplies to students attending Title 1 schools in the Richmond area.

“Giving back and being in touch with the needs of the community is who Estes is,” said Sara Graf, vice president of sustainability, culture, and communications at Estes. “Our business allows us to help others in several ways, and we enjoy finding solutions to meet those needs and make a difference. We’re already looking ahead to 2025 and all the ways Estes can help make a positive impact on the communities where we live, work, and serve."