About Western Cargo
Western Cargo Services was founded in 2004 and has grown into a leading regional carrier serving Utah and Idaho. With offices in Salt Lake City, Boise, and Pocatello, the company brings over 50 years of combined industry experience and a strong track record in air freight, LTL, FTL, final mile delivery, and expedited overnight service between Salt Lake City and Idaho.
Western Cargo also offers white glove, medical equipment and residential delivery, ecommerce fulfillment, TSA-compliant air freight support, storage, pick and pack, inventory control, ocean container loading and unloading, and crossdocking.
Business challenges before PCS
Western Cargo grew quickly, and they outgrew their old systems even faster. In the early days, Co-founder and GM Maria Ballard tracked everything herself using QuickBooks, handwritten checkbooks, and operations stored in her head.
When the team expanded to multiple warehouses and more than 40 trucks, managing paperwork, compliance, and financial risk manually wasn’t an option. They needed a system to:
- Run payroll and track billing across locations
- Manage DOT audits, maintenance, and TSA compliance
- Handle 4,000+ LTL shipments per month
- Support multiple teams and shifts without adding unnecessary overhead
Enter PCS.
Results
PCS helped Western Cargo scale with confidence. From full-fleet compliance tracking to mobile app visibility on the dock, the system supports every function of the business.
Results in numbers
- 4,000+ loads per month managed with PCS
- 10 outbound LTL trucks loaded nightly across 4 docks
- 100% asset-based operation
1. One system across every department
“I rely on PCS. Whether it’s payroll, fuel, or checking which trucks aren’t profitable, I can look at all of it with one click.”
Western Cargo uses PCS to track compliance, run payroll, issue billing, assign loads, and monitor profitability across all four of its offices.
PCS helps Maria forecast volume dips, compare warehouse performance, and keep the business in sync across locations. When freight out of China slows, she knows Boise will spike. When the St. George location drops, she checks PCS and the news.
“I use PCS to manage risk, operations, and growth all in one.”
2. Fully integrated LTL and air freight operations
PCS supports Western’s unique LTL business, which consolidates shipments across four warehouses before sending freight to the airport nightly.
PCS helps them:
- Track incoming and outbound freight from local and regional drivers
- Capture damage photos through the PCS mobile app
- Identify and recover misplaced pallets
- Search shipment status from warehouse terminals
- Create load alerts and update delivery timelines in real time
“Our drivers use the mobile app. Our dockhands can pull up the system to track freight. Our dispatchers can see it all. And if a load has to catch a flight, we know exactly where it is.”
3. Compliance and fleet maintenance at scale
Western Cargo uses PCS to manage safety and compliance—from accident logs to part tracking to PO-based service logs.
PCS also helps during DOT audits, with everything centralized in one system. The team keeps equipment for only three years to reduce liability and avoid costly breakdowns.
4. Strategic financial growth and vendor confidence
Western Cargo uses PCS data to reduce financial risk, plan future investments, and improve their creditworthiness.
After learning how banks evaluate trucking businesses, she began putting 50% down on trucks—and used PCS to forecast fleet ROI. When COVID hit, Western Cargo had no issue with financing.
Conclusion
Western Cargo is a high-volume, compliance-heavy LTL operation running on speed, precision, and strategy. They need the software to match.
With PCS, they’ve built a centralized system that supports asset-based growth, keeps operations lean, and gives Maria the insights she needs to lead the business with confidence.
From four trucks to 40, six employees to 62—PCS is innovating and growing alongside Western Cargo.
“I’ve reviewed a lot of TMS systems. There’s nothing that compares to PCS.”
Fast facts about Western Cargo
- Specialization: High-end retail, food, dry van
- Industry: Asset-based LTL and air freight
- Fleet size: 40+ trucks and a mix of vans, box trucks, reefers, and tractor-trailers
- PCS customer since: 2017
- Employees: 62 and growing
- Uses PCS for: Dispatch, fleet tracking, accounting, maintenance, LTL, TSA compliance, safety, ELD, and mobile app
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