Case Study: Southwest Freight Lines Achieves 17 Years of Fleet Reliability

Customer Profile

Mario A. Maul – IT Manager, Southwest Freight Lines
With over 200 trucks and 600 trailers, Southwest Freight Lines has been a Squarerigger customer for 17 years, relying on the software to manage fleet maintenance, parts inventory, and compliance. As an experienced database administrator, Mario values system stability, efficiency, and scalability in his fleet management tools.

Challenge: Outgrowing an Inefficient Maintenance System

As Southwest Freight Lines grew, its previous maintenance system struggled to keep up, leading to frequent database issues, lost maintenance records, and inefficiencies in tracking repairs and inventory. The company also needed seamless integration with McLeod’s transportation management system (TMS) to eliminate manual data entry between dispatch, maintenance, and accounting. Without this connection, data silos created extra administrative work, slowed operations, and made it harder to track fleet costs.

Solution: A Reliable, Integrated Fleet Maintenance System

In 2008, Southwest Freight Lines implemented Squarerigger’s Fleet Maintenance Software, replacing its outdated system with a centralized, automated solution that could scale with the company’s needs. With built-in work order tracking, preventive maintenance scheduling, and real-time inventory management, Squarerigger provided the tools to streamline fleet operations, reduce downtime, and ensure compliance with DOT regulations. The McLeod TMS integration further improved efficiency by automating maintenance cost tracking, vehicle availability planning, and dispatch coordination—eliminating redundant data entry and manual processes.

Results: Increased Reliability, Efficiency, and Compliance

Unmatched System Stability & Data Integrity

Squarerigger has supported decades-worth of data and maintenance records without performance issues, ensuring reliable access to critical fleet data.

“We’ve been using Squarerigger for 17 years, and it has always been reliable… Squarerigger is very robust, stable, and never fails.”

“We used other packages before, but as we grew, we started having problems with database corruption. We needed something more robust.”

Streamlined Fleet Maintenance & Compliance

Work orders are used daily to track repairs and preventive maintenance.
Inventory management ensures accurate parts tracking, helping the team stay stocked with necessary components for DOT-compliant maintenance and inspections.

“We need a system that is reliable for compliance and maintenance records.”

User-Friendly Interface for Mechanics & Staff

Mechanics appreciate the straightforward interface, which makes onboarding easy.

“At first, new employees think the software is simple... as they explore, they realize it has everything they need.”

Exceptional Customer Support

Long-term, knowledgeable support staff provide consistent and timely assistance.

“When I email support, I know Steve will respond. With other companies, you submit a ticket and wait a week for a reply.”

Leveraging Data for Smarter Fleet Management

One of Squarerigger’s biggest advantages for Southwest Freight Lines is the ability to quickly access and analyze fleet data.

Mario built custom data queries to streamline reporting and provide leadership with fast, actionable insights, significantly reducing manual reporting time and improving decision-making:

Instant Fleet Cost Analysis – Leadership can quickly assess daily billing, expenses, and part usage without manual exports.
Warranty & Repair Tracking – Teams can instantly check past part purchases and determine if repairs are under warranty.
Fleet Lifecycle Management – By tracking total spend per vehicle, the company makes informed replacement decisions based on real maintenance costs.

“With other systems, you have to run different reports, export them into Excel, and manually sort through pivot tables. With Squarerigger, we see what we need instantly.”

Seamless Integration with McLeod for End-to-End Fleet Management

For Southwest Freight Lines, integrating fleet maintenance with dispatch and accounting was a top priority. McLeod’s TMS needed to work seamlessly with Squarerigger’s Fleet Maintenance Software to ensure real-time visibility into maintenance costs, vehicle status, and operational efficiency.

Connected Maintenance & Operations – Fleet repair history and costs are accessible alongside dispatch and financial data.
Automated Data Flow – Maintenance costs are automatically tracked within McLeod, eliminating manual transfers.
Optimized Fleet Utilization – By combining maintenance records with dispatch data, Southwest Freight Lines minimizes downtime and improves vehicle availability.

“Having Squarerigger and McLeod work together gives us better visibility into costs and maintenance history. It ensures our fleet is running efficiently while keeping financial records in sync.”

Key Features Supporting Southwest Freight Lines

Work Orders & Preventive Maintenance Scheduling

Work orders track both scheduled maintenance and unexpected repairs.
Automated preventive maintenance scheduling helps the company stay DOT compliant and reduce breakdowns.

“We use work orders daily to track repairs and preventive maintenance... Squarerigger keeps everything in one place.”

Parts Inventory Management

Accurate tracking of parts usage ensures the right stock levels, avoiding unnecessary inventory buildup.
Historical data on part costs per vehicle supports better budgeting and lifecycle decisions.

“We have to keep track of all the maintenance we do on these vehicles to stay compliant with DOT.”

Mario’s Advice for Fleets Choosing a Maintenance System

Prioritize Reliability & Data Integrity – “Look for software that can handle growth without database corruption.”
Ensure Strong Customer Support – “A responsive support team makes all the difference.”
Focus on ROI & Value – “With Squarerigger, the investment makes sense. The software is robust, reliable, and delivers real value.”

A Long-Term, Trusted Solution for Southwest Freight Lines

After 17 years with Squarerigger, Mario remains confident in the software’s ability to support fleet maintenance operations efficiently. Looking ahead, he is eager to explore Squarerigger’s new cloud-based UI and Power BI integration for advanced reporting.

“Squarerigger has everything we need. It’s a complete solution that works, and that’s why we’ve stuck with it for so long.”

About Mario A. Maul

With over 23 years in IT and fleet management, Mario has played a key role in optimizing Southwest Freight Lines’ technology infrastructure. His expertise in database management and fleet software integration has helped the company scale its operations while maintaining efficiency.

Case Study: Southwest Freight Lines