To understand the impact, Wynne Systems spoke with John Young, Central Dispatch Manager at Holt of California. John joined the company in 1998 and worked his way from driver to dispatch leadership, giving him firsthand knowledge of the operational bottlenecks that can slow down a hauling team.

One of the Before TMS, dispatching was harder to manage efficiently.

Before TMS, dispatching was harder to manage efficiently.

Holt relied too heavily on external haulers, with outsourced loads reaching 21% annually. That created margin pressure, especially on short hauls where outside carriers billed hourly and internal cost structures were more predictable. Dispatchers also had a harder time seeing and planning multi-piece loads, which led to unnecessary yard visits, wasted time, and higher operating costs. Managing workload across shifts added another layer of difficulty and could contribute to burnout and uneven performance

Holt needed a better way to plan loads, manage dispatch activity, and understand performance in real time.

By moving to Wynne Systems’ TMS, the team gained stronger scheduling and load-planning capabilities, including clearer visibility into multi-piece loads. That made it easier to consolidate trips, reduce unnecessary movement, and run a tighter dispatch operation overall. TMS also gave John and his team better insight into haul activity, helping them actively track and reduce outside hauling over time. teams do not just need visibility in the field. They also need trustworthy data behind the scenes.

1. Outside hauling dropped dramatically

The most striking result was Holt’s reduction in external hauling usage — from 21% down to 3%. That shift allowed the company to manage up to 97% of hauls internally, creating a significant cost advantage.

“When I first came in, our outside haul rate was 21%. With TMS, we’re down to 3%.”

2. Dispatchers became more productive

With better visibility and planning tools, Holt improved dispatch efficiency to the point where a single dispatcher could manage around 150 loads per day.

The team also improved how it handled multi-piece loads. By grouping loads more effectively, dispatchers reduced extra yard visits — each of which could take 30 to 40 minutes.

3. Savings scaled quickly

Reducing dependence on outside carriers translated into major financial gains. According to the case study, Holt saved hundreds of thousands of dollars annually through improved dispatch efficiency and lower sub-haul usage.

“For us, keeping the sub-haul numbers low is crucial. With TMS, we’re saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

4. Reporting became a real operational advantage

TMS also gave Holt better access to performance metrics, including on-time delivery, pick-up-to-ready-to-rent timing, and multi-piece load efficiency. Those insights helped the team align with CAT requirements while making smarter, data-backed decisions around utilization and dispatch operations.

John also highlighted the speed of getting answers from the system, with key performance information visible in seconds from a single screen.

Holt of California used Wynne Systems’ TMS to modernize dispatch, reduce unnecessary hauling costs, and improve operational control. By bringing more loads in-house, improving load visibility, and using reporting more strategically, the team strengthened both service performance and profitability.