Quickbase Case Study: Transportation Operations & Logistics Management System

You’ll find this valuable if you:

You manage a growing fleet of contractors or logistics operations across multiple locations
Your current systems don’t provide real-time visibility into loads, payroll, or operational performance
You’re tired of being bogged down by hours of manual spreadsheet reconcilation every week
You want to spend more time on strategic growth instead of chasing and manging operational data

What you’ll learn:
How Coast2Coast grew from 3 trucks to 200, slashed payroll processing time by 70%, and gained full operational visibility using a custom Quickbase solution built to streamline logistics, payroll, and reporting.

Transformation results:

Grew from 3 trucks to 200 and from a small startup to $45M in revenue
Payroll processing reduced from 30–35 hours to 10 hours weekly
Customer invoicing cut by 15+ hours weekly
Tripled operational coverage with minimal impact on back-office resources

By 2019, Coast2Coast had grown quickly but was running headfirst into a ceiling. Manual payroll, invoicing, and fleet management processes consumed valuable time and left leadership chasing paperwork instead of focusing on business growth.

Every load, payment, and invoice came with hours of manual effort. Payroll alone consumed nearly a full week of staff hours. Scaling operations without better systems would have been financially impossible.

The Hidden Costs of Manual Operations

Missed Opportunities: Expansion and business acquisition slowed because administrative tasks consumed critical staff time.
Operational Risk: Scattered spreadsheets created errors in driver settlements, load tracking, and compliance reporting.
Leadership Frustration: Management struggled to gain real-time visibility into fleet performance, basins, and staffing needs.

Why Quickbase & Sympo

After evaluating more than 20 software options, Coast2Coast selected Quickbase for its flexibility — and Sympo for their deep expertise and hands-on support. Coast2Coast had the vision to overhaul their operations - they just needed a partner to bring it to life. Sympo built a tailored Quickbase solution, integrating payroll, invoicing, dispatch, and work orders while automating reconciliation with financial systems.

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1. Time-Consuming Spreadsheets

Coast to Coast relied heavily on spreadsheets to manage operations, creating delays and resource strain.

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2. System Visibility & Secure Access

Shared spreadsheets lacked centralized, secure access for operations management.

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3. Task Management & Workflow Automation

Streamlined load processing and settlement statement generation.

Data Integration & Storage

Indirect integration: external system → spreadsheets → Dropbox → Quickbase pipeline.

"These weren’t just operational questions—they were strategic imperatives that determined whether we could scale our fleet or remain stuck in manual chaos."

Operational Visibility & Control
"How many loads are actually running across all basins right now?"
"Are we processing payroll efficiently or wasting staff hours?"
"Can we trust our driver settlements and load data without constant checks?"
— Operations Manager

Process Efficiency
"Why does payroll take 30–35 hours every week?"
"How can we reduce errors and eliminate manual reconciliation?"
— Operations Manager

Strategic Growth
"What operational improvements would allow us to expand to new basins with minimal staff?"
"How much time could we redirect from admin tasks to strategic initiatives?"
- CEO

Real-Time Operational Dashboards

Before: ???

After: ???
Centralized Data Access:
Provides secure, real-time visibility into loads, drivers, and contractors.

Customizable Filters:
Allows users to view data by period, driver, or job for detailed operational insights.

KPI Widgets:
Displays key performance indicators to monitor and evaluate operational efficiency.

View Demo
Automated
Data Pipeline

Before: Manual spreadsheet exports and imports across systems

After: Seamless automated data flow from external systems through Dropbox to Quickbase

External System Integration:
Indirect integration via automated spreadsheet processing

Dropbox Pipeline:
Automated file pickup and data import

Real-time Processing:
Elimination of manual data entry steps
Error Reduction:
Automated validation and processing

View Demo
Centralized Operations Management

Before: Shared spreadsheets with no security or role-based access

After: Secure, centralized system with proper user management

Role-based Access:
Secure login system for different operational roles

Unified Data Source:
Single source of truth for all operational data

Real-time Collaboration:
Multiple users accessing current data simultaneously

Audit Trail:
Complete visibility into system changes and access

View Demo
Intelligent Load Management

Before: Manual processing of driver log sheets and settlement statements

After: One-click automation for load processing and driver payments
Automated Hold/Release:
One-click system for managing driver log sheet compliance

Settlement Automation:
Direct integration with payroll system for statement generation

Compliance Tracking:
Automatic monitoring of driver documentation requirements

Payment Processing:
Streamlined workflow from load completion to driver payment

View Demo
Integrated Financial Management

Before: ???

After: ???

Shop Integration:
Vehicle maintenance and parts usage automatically tracked

Payroll Connection:
Service charges automatically deducted from driver settlements

Inventory Management:
Tracks inventory, parts usage, and vehicle maintenance within the system.

Financial Reconciliation:
Automatic matching of services to driver records

View Demo
Smart File Management

Before: ???

After: ???

Innovation Highlight:
Dynamic file storage optimization

Dropbox Offloading:
Non-essential files moved to optimize Quickbase performance

On-demand Retrieval:
Files restored to Quickbase when needed

Automatic Purging:
Temporary files removed at midnight to conserve space and maintain optimial system performance

Performance Optimization:
System maintains speed while preserving data accessibility

View Demo

Phase 1

1. System Assessment

Understand where you are today.
We evaluate your current tools, data, and workflows to identify gaps, redundancies, and opportunities.

2. Process Mapping

Visualize how work really gets done.
We map your existing processes end-to-end to reveal inefficiencies and define what good should look like.

3. Integration Planning

Connect the dots for seamless operations.
We design a roadmap for how your systems and data will work together—so everything speaks the same language.

process

Phase 2

1. Core Development

Build the foundation for long-term success.
We develop the core functionality based on your mapped processes and prioritized requirements.

2. Migration

Move your data with confidence.
We plan and execute a structured migration to ensure data integrity, minimal disruption, and full traceability.

3. Testing

Validate before you launch.
We rigorously test the system across real-world scenarios to catch issues early and ensure everything works as expected.

migrate

Phase 3

1. Deployment

Go live with confidence.
We roll out the solution in a controlled, structured way—ensuring a smooth transition from old to new.

2. Training & Documentation

Equip your team to hit the ground running.
We provide clear, role-specific training and documentation so users know exactly how to get the most from the system.

3. Support Setup

Ensure long-term success and stability.
We establish the right support channels, SLAs, and escalation paths to keep everything running smoothly post-launch.

deploy

Results that
Transformed the Business

Immediate Impact (First 90 Days)

Growth Made Simple

Coast2Coast scaled from a 3-truck operation to 200 trucks generating $45M annually, thanks to Quickbase apps that make managing growth seamless and efficient.

Do More with Less

Expanding capacity and output while keeping teams lean, made possible with Quickbase and Sympo.

Save 50+ Hours a Week

Quickbase + Sympo cut payroll and invoicing time from 45 hours to just 10 weekly—freeing your team to focus on growth.

System Optimization:
Continuous improvement based on usage patterns

Feature Enhancement:
Regular updates to meet evolving needs

Technical Support:
Laura Thomas delivers expert guidance, support and development

Scalable Design:
System grows with business needs

Integration Flexibility:
Can accommodate additional systems and processes

Performance Optimization:
Maintains speed as data volume increases

Manual Processing Time:

Data Entry Errors:
Eliminated through automated pipelines

System Centralization:
100% migration from shared spreadsheets

User Adoption:

Real-time Dashboards:
Live KPI widgets and performance graphs

Load Tracking:
Instant visibility into loads run by period, driver, or job type

Filterable Reporting:
Drill-down capability for detailed analysis

Performance Monitoring:
Comprehensive operational oversight

Business Acquisition:
Client successfully acquired another company post-implementation

Scalability Achieved:
Operations can handle increased volume without proportional administrative burden

Resource Reallocation:
Staff freed from manual processes to focus on strategic growth

Expansion Confidence:
Systematic approach enables sustainable growth planning

Operational Efficiency:
Streamlined processes provide cost advantages

Response Speed:
Faster processing enables better customer service

Data-Driven Decisions:
Real-time insights support strategic planning

Scalable Infrastructure:
Technology foundation supports continued expansion