Estes Express Lines 401(k) Review & Grade
Estes Express Lines 401(k) Retirement Plan
Richmond, VATransportation & Warehousing19,828 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,456Employer $ per active participant
$3,895Employee $ saved per active participant
0.15%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$866.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$71,927Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity26.7 / 5053th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.6 / 2527th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.7 / 1551th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score31 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 10,000+ active participants (46 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 53th |
| Lower admin cost | 27th |
| Employee saving | 51th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 30% |
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Red flags from the filing
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $450,883 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Estes Express Lines put in about $1,456 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,415). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Direct plan expenses (0.15% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.09%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $28,865,968 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $77,225,866 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $10,600,004 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,243,933 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $636,043 |
| Benefits paid out | $87,593,914 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $742.9M / $866.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 19,247 / 20,409 |
| Participants with account balances | 12,042 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Joyner Kirkham Keel & Robertson PC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $636,043 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $607,890 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010110948NAL0012930624001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 54-0492941, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.