California’s G.I. Trucking Co. and Virginia-based Estes Express Lines have sealed a partnership to provide more long-haul and regional services in each other’s respective territories.

Estes and senior management of G.I. Trucking also recently completed a joint purchase of G.I.’s stock, with the two companies planning to move all communication, administrative, and computer functions to a single system in order to create a completely seamless operating unit. The organizations will continue to be managed separately, however, they will collaborate and maintain similar operating and marketing strategies.

Over the next 60 days, Estes’ Southwest Division will open seven terminals by utilizing G.I. Trucking’s existing terminal network in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas. This strategy will also let G.I. focus on its western regional market and, at the same time, continue to enhance its service into the southwest. G.I. customer pricing currently in effect to and from these states will be protected through December 31, 2001, unless it has a prior expiration date or is negotiated to change on an earlier date.

Bill Reid, president of G.I., said “this is the next step in a journey that began six years ago with the formation of ExpressLINK, a transportation network of four regional LTL carriers offering seamless service throughout the entire United States and Canada.”

G.I. Trucking runs a fleet of 3,000 and has 1,300 employees and Estes fields a fleet of 15,000 and has 1,800 employees.