ExpressLINK Celebrates over Nine Years of Quality Services; Northern American Customers Receive Complete Service Handling of Shipments by U.S. and Canadian Transportation Alliance.

BREA, Calif. -- For over nine years customers of ExpressLINK have experienced progressively expanded services for their shipping needs from a four-company alliance with more terminals, regional distribution centers, faster transit times lanes, greater EDI capabilities and more.

The alliance of regional U.S. and Canadian carriers includes G.I. Trucking Company, with headquarters in Brea, California; Lakeville Motor Express, based in Roseville, Minnesota; Estes Express Lines, with headquarters in Richmond, Virginia; and TST Overland Express, based in Mississauga, Ontario.

The alliance has offered added shipping services into Western Canada through an association with Porter Trucking Company Ltd., based in Calgary.

ExpressLINK services include:

--Integrated administrative, marketing, and operations services

--Single PRO numbers from origin to destination

--Expedited sleeper team service to cut delivery time without rail

--Comprehensive shipment status reports

--Linked Web sites

--Full EDI services and Imaging capabilities

--Modern and fuel-efficient fleets

--State-of-the-art shipment tracking and tracing 

--Local claims administration

--Centralized dispatch to coordinate line haul operations

--Joint expedited shipment-handling services from single call center

To maintain the quality of these services, the four companies have continued joint committees for coordinated customer-focused activity for administration, sales, marketing, and operations. In addition, the companies maintain a Benchmark Committee to continuously monitor ways to improve customer services.

When it launched in early 1996, ExpressLINK generated approximately $20 million in alliance-related revenue. By 2003, alliance revenue had reached about $300 million.

In 1995, before the launch, the combined revenue for the four companies was in the range of $450 million. For 2003, the total revenue for the four companies topped $1.3 billion.

"Such revenue milestones signal that our companies have succeeded with a major service strategy that joint operations provide greater levels of national and international performance for our customers," noted Bill Reid, G.I. Trucking Company President.

The combined service history of the four-company alliance includes more than 300 years of successful motor freight experience. The alliance includes approximately 13,000 employees providing less-than-truckload, truckload, and logistics services through 223 terminal/service centers, and the use of over 18,000 tractors and trailers.

With such capabilities, ExpressLINK provides service to every U.S. state and all of Canada through its North American services network.