Spreadsheets and paperwork ruled the workday at Western States Oil, creating inefficiencies and business risks. The company risked losing orders and missing deliveries whenever dispatchers handed drivers printed order sheets to make deliveries.

Problems surfaced when orders changed or needed rescheduling. Dispatchers and accounting team members would scramble to reroute drivers and paperwork. Lacking a centralized system to automate data flow and maintain control and visibility compounded this and other issues.

The company brought in Transportation Manager Scott Swain, who has been in the petroleum and fuel-hauling business for 30 years, to start a new chapter.

How a New Digital Platform Helped Western States Oil

In the first half of 2024, Swain directed the implementation of TrueLiquid, an extension of TrueTMS, a web-based transportation management system (TMS), developed for distributors and for-hire tanker operations.

 Key features of the digital platform include:

• A driver mobile app for paperless dispatching and real-time updates.

• Integration with the fleet’s Geotab electronic logging device system and suppliers' petroleum pricing and allocation data.

• Accurate demand forecasting to proactively schedule customer deliveries.

• Equipment maintenance and compliance tracking.

• Customizable user views for different divisions and equipment types.

Western States Oil Sees Increased Dispatcher Productivity

In Swain’s eyes, the change is yielding impressive results. The technology has increased dispatcher productivity, allowing for growth without adding office staff.

Meanwhile, TrueTMS provides real-time delivery tracking and accurate ETAs to improve customer service.

"I could double the dispatch workload of each dispatcher with this technology," he says. “We're not hiring more bodies.”

Improved data flow and user efficiency ensure dispatchers notice load schedule changes and immediately make needed adjustments. 

The system streamlines billing by automating the flow of orders through delivery planning and dispatch, with drivers using the mobile app to capture documents.

“Our billing can go out by the next day after we deliver,” Swain says.

Scaling for Future Growth

Implementing the cloud-based platform has positioned Western States Oil for expansion, with better efficiency, better customer service, and centralized dispatching and management that allows greater flexibility and control.

“If our dispatchers in San Jose need to dispatch drivers in southern California, they can do it easily. The information goes right to the driver's smart device,” Swain says. 

“The technology streamlines the delivery process like you wouldn't believe.”

Going from a manual, paper-based dispatch process to a fully digital system has set Western States Oil up for scalable growth and sharpened its competitive edge in the petroleum distribution industry.