Essen Transport Ltd. was founded in 1987 by Ed Elias of Winkler, Manitoba. Essen's first truck was a 1978 S Series International which supplied Coulee Agro, a local fertilizer company with bulk fertilizers, chemicals and anhydrous ammonia. A 1987 Freightliner complete with a sleeper and a pinstriped Peterbilt formed the original fleet of three.

The newly formed company quickly achieved its goals through long hours and hard work. Early on, drivers were responsible for servicing and cleaning their trucks and on occasion could be seen sweeping out a 53 foot trailer as well. This type of determination and their commitment to customer service quickly captured the attention of other businesses as well. Essen Transport expanded from three to eleven trucks in just over a year as their reputation continued to grow.

In 1995 a successful land deal allowed the company to establish operations at its current location in Winkler. In 1998 a 7500 square foot state-of-the-art warehouse facility was added to the existing site and within two years another 3200 square foot expansion completed the current warehouse as a distribution. Essen Transport provides services in cross docking, temperature controlled AWSA certified storage and distribution of chemicals.