Badger State Western

What Badger State Western does

Badger State Western, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned refrigerated trucking carrier founded in 1979 by Richard and Margo Seefluth and headquartered in Abbotsford, Wisconsin. The company operates a fleet of 60 refrigerated trucks and two refrigerated break-bulk facilities in Abbotsford, WI and Dell Rapids, SD, providing weekly less-than-truckload (LTL) and truckload (TL) refrigerated freight service from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Texas to 11 Western states. Its core product is temperature-controlled LTL linehaul for shippers of produce, frozen goods, and general temperature-sensitive commodities, supplemented by inbound LTL consolidation, cross-docking, short-term cold storage, palletizing, refrigerated trailer rental, and dedicated contract service. The company also runs a wholly-owned brokerage subsidiary, First City Transportation Inc., which extends refrigerated freight coverage to the West Coast and Texas using independent contractor capacity.

The business operates on a transactional, quote-based revenue model: customers request rates via phone or email through the order entry department, with no publicly disclosed pricing. The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, supported by a small website (bswinc.com), a Facebook page, and toll-free phone contact — no digital self-serve channel exists. Operational technology is delivered through third-party platforms: Motive Trucking for ELD compliance, McLeod Software for dispatch and transportation management, and Tenstreet for driver recruitment. Distribution is handled directly through company drivers and owner operators, with additional capacity supplied via the First City Transportation brokerage channel. The company employs 51–100 people across sales, safety/recruiting, finance, general management, and operations functions, all based out of Wisconsin.

Name

Badger State Western

Legal name

Badger State Western, Inc.

Website

https://bswinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Badger State Western is a family-owned refrigerated trucking carrier founded in 1979, operating 60 trucks and two break-bulk facilities to provide LTL and truckload temperature-controlled freight service from the Midwest to 11 Western states and Texas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refrigerated Freight Transportation

NAICS

Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Interregional/Long-Haul LTL Network Carriers (TLADAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) / Groupage Forwarding (TLACACAB)

Keywords

• Refrigerated trucking
• LTL freight
• Cold chain logistics
• Freight brokerage
• Cross-docking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Abbotsford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Refrigerated Transportation Services: Badger State Western generates revenue through Less Than Truckload (LTL) and Truckload (TL) refrigerated freight transportation services operating primarily from the Midwest to 11 Western states and Texas. Services include weekly refrigerated LTL, inbound LTL consolidation, cross-docking, cold storage, and specialty services such as dedicated contract service and refrigerated trailer rental.
2. Freight Brokerage Services: Through First City Transportation Inc., the company provides brokerage services moving refrigerated LTL and TL freight from Wisconsin and neighboring states to destinations across the West Coast and Texas. Services include truckload (refrigerated and frozen) and short-term cold storage/crossdocking.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Badger State Western provides refrigerated less-than-truckload (LTL) and truckload (TL) freight transportation, with weekly scheduled service from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Texas to 11 western states. The company operates a fleet of 60 refrigerated trucks and two refrigerated break-bulk facilities, offering core linehaul service alongside cross-docking, cold storage, inbound LTL consolidation, palletizing, specialty/contract service, and refrigerated trailer rental. A brokerage subsidiary, First City Transportation Inc., extends capacity using independent contractors.

Product overview

Badger State Western is a family-owned trucking company founded in 1979, offering refrigerated less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation services primarily from the Midwest to 11 western states and Texas. The core service is the weekly refrigerated LTL service, supported by two refrigerated break bulk facilities. The company operates a subsidiary brokerage brand called First City Transportation for expanded freight services. Additional offerings include truckload service, cold storage, cross-docking, LTL consolidation, palletizing, and specialty/contract services. The company maintains a fleet of 60 refrigerated trucks operated by company drivers and owner operators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refrigerated LTL Service Weekly refrigerated less-than-truckload freight service operating from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Texas to 11 western states, handling general freight and temperature-sensitive commodities including produce and frozen products.
• First City Transportation Brokerage Refrigerated LTL and truckload freight brokerage from Wisconsin and neighboring states to West Coast and Texas destinations, using independent contractors with a long-standing safe track record.
• Inbound LTL Consolidation Pickup and consolidation of customer shipments in Wisconsin to enable efficient inbound freight management to multiple destinations.
• Cross Docking Cross-dock service enabling orders from single loads to be distributed to multiple destinations efficiently at the Abbotsford and Dell Rapids facilities.
• Cold Storage Short-term refrigerated storage at break-bulk locations in Abbotsford, Wisconsin and Dell Rapids, South Dakota, for shippers needing temperature-controlled warehousing between transport legs.
• Truckload Service Full truckload freight services for refrigerated and frozen cargo across all states, operated via the company fleet and the First City Transportation brokerage.
• Palletize Service Load stabilization services including load shifting, damaged product handling, and pallet restacking and rewrapping before delivery.
• Specialty Service Dedicated contract services, refrigerated trailer rental, and site deliveries for shippers needing tailored or recurring refrigerated capacity.

Quantifiable outcome

• On-time pick up and delivery with priority scheduling
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• First City Transportation Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirst City Transportation Inc. is Badger State Western's trusted brokerage partner specializing in moving refrigerated LTL and TL freight from Wisconsin and neighboring states to destinations across the West Coast and Texas. They work with a reliable group of independent contractors who have a long-standing, safe track record with the company. Contact: 715-316-6101 or 800-440-3908 (Toll Free).
• Kriete Truck CenterminorOthersLocal Mack dealership partner offering full maintenance lease opportunities for owner operators with approved credit applications. Located in the Abbotsford, WI area.
• Motive TruckingcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing Motive ELD (Electronic Logging Device) system for fleet management and compliance tracking.
• McLeod SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing McLeod Software dispatch and transportation management system for operational efficiency.
• TenstreetcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing Tenstreet driver recruitment platform for managing driver applications and onboarding.
• Security Health PlanminorOthersHealth insurance provider offering plans through Badger State Western's employee benefits program. Company covers 80% of employee health insurance after probation period.
• Principal Financial GroupminorOthersInsurance provider offering $25,000 life insurance policy included at no cost to employees after probation period.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Werner Enterprises: Werner operates a large dedicated, refrigerated, and logistics network across North America. Comparable to Badger State Western in refrigerated service mix and dedicated contract capabilities, but at a substantially larger scale.
• Saia Inc. Saia is a publicly traded LTL general freight carrier with growing refrigerated capability. Comparable to Badger State Western as an LTL operator, though primarily dry and at much larger scale.
• Schneider National: Schneider operates a large refrigerated, intermodal, and logistics network. Comparable to Badger State Western on refrigerated truckload, but with vastly greater scale, asset breadth, and digital freight capabilities.
• C.R. England: C.R. England is one of the largest refrigerated and dedicated transportation carriers in North America. It overlaps Badger State Western on refrigerated lanes but operates at a substantially larger scale and broader national network.
• Prime Inc. Prime operates refrigerated, flatbed, and tank truckload services across the U.S. Comparable to Badger State Western in refrigerated service offerings, though its scale and multi-mode portfolio make it a broader incumbent.

Direct peers

• Stevens Transport: Stevens is a large asset-based refrigerated truckload and logistics carrier. Comparable to Badger State Western in refrigerated focus and dedicated contract capabilities, though with a much broader national footprint.
• Marten Transport: Marten operates a large refrigerated and intermodal truckload network across the U.S. Comparable to Badger State Western in refrigerated service focus and lane orientation, though much larger and publicly traded.
• KLLM Transport Services: KLLM is a major refrigerated truckload carrier with broad U.S. coverage including Midwest-to-West lanes. It is directly comparable to Badger State Western's refrigerated asset-based operations, though at significantly greater fleet scale.
• Hirschbach Motor Lines: Hirschbach is a refrigerated truckload carrier with national refrigerated and dedicated services, directly comparable to Badger State Western's refrigerated asset-based model and customer base of temperature-sensitive shippers.

Regional players

• Bay & Bay Transportation: Bay & Bay is a regional refrigerated and dedicated carrier with Midwest origins, comparable to Badger State Western in service mix and customer profile but with a different regional footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/badgerstatewestern
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/badger-state-western-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Badger State Western