Results TLDR
- Expanded door-to-door dry van and flatbed capacity in key border cities like El Paso, Tijuana, and Nogales without needing to hire a carrier sales team.
- Won new lanes and strengthened shipper relationships through faster, data-backed quotes using Cargado Market Rates.
- Increased productivity across sales and operations by reducing manual outreach and shortening the quote-to-book process.
- More time spent with CargoQuotes customers and less time haggling over rates on individual loads and lanes.
The challenge: Expanding existing flatbed capacity and building dry van capacity through traditional tactics like ‘smiling and dialing’
Before CargoQuotes, Kyle Gholston and Patty Hinojosa worked together at a sister company to a large asset-based flatbed carrier that had a significant presence in Mexico. Naturally, these early cross-border relationships were built around Mexican flatbed and specialized carriers, through word of mouth, networking, and “good ol’ dialing for carriers.” But the pool of reliable Mexican flatbed and specialized carriers was limited at the time.
When Kyle founded CargoQuotes in 2019 and recruited Patty as VP of Mexico sales and operations in 2020 to build the young company’s Mexico business, they leaned on that network of flatbed and specialized carrier partners, but by that time, the market was starting to shift.
Expanding B-1 driver programs and rising shipper sensitivity to theft and fraud pushed the industry toward door-to-door dry van moves over the more cost-effective but riskier method of transloading. CargoQuotes’ customers moving high-value machinery and specialized freight increasingly prioritized secure, through-trailer dry van service to minimize handoffs, reduce risk, and protect their cargo.
This shift made finding dependable, vetted door-to-door dry van carriers even more critical for the business. Operating with a lean team and no carrier sales resources, Patty and her team needed a scalable way to expand their carrier base, maintain service quality, and deliver for their customers. Or a competitor would do it instead.
The partner: Leaning on Cargado as a virtual carrier sales team
Cargado quickly became an extension of the CargoQuotes team, which began posting loads to attract vetted, door-to-door dry van carriers across Mexico and the southern U.S. border. To connect with more carriers faster, they proactively set up every carrier that bid on a load, even if the carrier didn’t win it.
“Our team has instructions to talk to every carrier that bids,” she says. “That way, next time they bid on Cargado, they’re already set up and ready to go.” Cargado’s recommended carrier feature suggests carriers that have run similar lanes before—Patty’s team connects with them, too, to accelerate network growth.
For Patty, knowing that every bid comes from a verified, trusted carrier has helped instill a level of confidence and peace of mind.
“Cargado gives me a sense of comfort,” she said. “When we get a bid, I know it’s a good carrier.”
The result: A stronger, more balanced Mexico network, faster quotes, and more efficient operations
Cargado is deeply integrated into CargoQuotes’ daily operations. “Cargado is always open on my screen,” Patty said. Cargado has significantly reduced manual outreach—the “smiling and dialing” Patty once did—to save an “immense” amount of time. Now, Patty can spend more time with CargoQuotes customers and less time haggling over rates on individual loads and lanes.
Kyle adds, “From a productivity standpoint, it’s improved our sales and ops teams exponentially.”
Over time, CargoQuotes integrated even more deeply with Cargado, using Cargado Market Rates to quote new lanes with data-backed confidence and the Excel Add-In to make rate data instantly accessible within their daily workflows.
Patty uses Cargado Market Rates daily. She says it’s helped her become significantly more responsive to customer needs. “It helps us quote fast, and that’s when you win it,” she said. “Customers ask for a rate at 11, and by 11:30 they have it. That speed puts a smile on their faces.” Cargado Market Rates also provides a low-to-high pricing range that helps the team set expectations and confirm pricing with carriers.
Today, the CargoQuotes team has built a trusted network of door-to-door dry van carriers. Cargado also made it faster and more efficient to identify new flatbed and specialized partners, and even enabled CargoQuotes to begin handling occasional temperature-controlled loads through Cargado’s marketplace.
“We’re still finding new carriers through Cargado that we didn’t know existed,” Kyle said.
Patty says the same. She’s connected with many new carriers through Cargado, like the young Monterrey-based team that has become one of CargoQuotes’ most reliable partners. They’ve even had dinner together.
“It’s been a great relationship, and we have many like that,” Patty said, adding that CargoQuotes also expanded beyond Laredo to carriers in border cities like El Paso, Tijuana, and Nogales—areas where the company previously had limited reach. “I can go through my WhatsApp and tell you about all the new ones we have used and the good service they provide. They’ve been good carriers.”
“Cargado is a relationship starter,” Kyle said. “In Mexico, it’s all about relationships, and Cargado helps us find the right ones.”
About CargoQuotes
When Kyle Gholston founded CargoQuotes in 2019, the company focused on domestic freight. Today, CargoQuotes is a full-service freight brokerage service provider specializing in moving freight between the U.S. and Mexico. They are committed to connecting customers with a network of reliable carriers that will deliver their cargo on-time and intact.