Epes Transport is one of the oldest trucking companies in North Carolina, and offers shorthaul / regional services within 250 miles of their terminals. The company has terminals strategically placed in Rockwall, TX; Charlotte, NC; and Greensboro, NC.
The carrier hires both company drivers and owner operators.
Epes Trucking Company History
Originally known as The Transport Company, Epes Transport was founded in 1931 in Blackstone, Virginia. The original company was acquired by Epes Transport System in 1987.
In 1988, the company relocated to Greensboro, North Carolina. One year later, they acquired Thomas Transport Systems.
In 1990, the company launched Epes Logistics, a transportation marketing and logistics firm. The next year, Texas Star Express joined the Epes family.
In 1995, Epes acquired Yeary Transfer Company and Burton Lines. They also installed Qualcomm Satellite tracking systems in their vehicles.
Over the next few decades, the company would acquire more local transportation carriers and expand their technology to offer more advanced, modern fleets.
Most recently (in 2013), the company merged with Texas Star Express of Rockwall, Texas.
Service Area
Epes has three terminals:
- Charlotte, NC
- Greensboro, NC
- Rockwall, TX
The company offers shorthaul, or regional, services within 250 miles of these three terminals. This allows the carrier to offer quick shipping times. It also means that drivers get more home time.
Drivers also have the benefit of driving late-model tractors. Tractors are assigned, so drivers don’t have to deal with slip seating.
Rigs are equipped with satellite communication systems, air-ride seats, air-ride suspensions, radios, air conditioning, power steering, heated power mirrors, steering wheel cruise, aux. bunk heaters, traction control, steering wheel brake controls and roll over stability. New rigs also have collision mitigation systems.
EPES Driving Jobs and Pay Scale
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Epes offers regional driver jobs and also hires owner-operators looking to take control of their careers.
Company drivers enjoy many perks, including:
- Guaranteed pay
- Consistent miles
- Top achiever program
- Weekly home time
- Pre-pass
- Medical, dental and vision insurance
- Truck stop scanning
- Credit union
- Vacation and holiday pay
- Rider program
- Award programs
- Matching 401(k)
- Life insurance and optional disability insurance
- Direct deposit
- Spousal support program
- Scholarship fund
All drivers must meet certain qualifications in order to be considered for hiring:
- At least 21 years of age
- Rookies must be graduates of a certified truck driving school, or have at least three years of OTR experience
- At least one year of verifiable experience within the last three years
- No more than two preventable accidents in the last three years
- No more than three moving violations in the last three years
- Consistent work history
- No DOT-preventable accidents in the last three years
- Meet the minimum requirements of FMCSR
- Must be able to pass the DOT drug test, physical and other evaluations
No information is provided on Epes owner operator pay or company driver salary, but information from Indeed.com provides insight into the pay scale.
- Truck Driver: $81,108
- Driver (Independent Contractor): $122,573
- Owner Operator: $178,466
- Regional Driver: $56,627
- Company Driver: $48,205
Indeed has a wide range of salaries listed, so it’s difficult to know which ones are accurate and relate to an actual company driver position.
The update $74,557 figure is based on 1,300 salary surveys, and the $56,627 figure is based on 986 salary reports. We speculate that the $56,627 salary is for newer drivers, while the $74,557 figure is for more experienced drivers.
The salary for owner operators is about on par with what other companies offer.
Our national average salary for truckers in the United States is $59,158.
Epes appears to pay drivers almost 40% higher salary than the national average.
Drivers who work for the company rate them favorably overall. Some complain about poor communication, but most other drivers say the company offers a good work experience. Complaints about management and communication are common in this industry.
Company drivers like the benefits offered by Epes and the family work environment.
Work/life balance can be an issue for some drivers, but that is, unfortunately, the way of this business. Most drivers spend their days picking up loads and making nearby deliveries. While communication can be intermittent at times, management appears to work hard to accommodate driver needs. And most company drivers say they really enjoy working with their co-workers.