Carlinville, IL – February 15, 2024 – Karmak, Inc., a leader in business management solutions for the heavy-duty trucking industry, is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Diesel Laptops, a pioneering force in truck diagnostics and data solutions. This collaboration marks a significant leap forward in streamlining operations for Karmak Fusion users, integrating Diesel Laptops’ cutting-edge VIN Decoding service directly into the Fusion Business System at no additional cost.
Read the rest of this entry »Carlinville, IL, December 12, 2023 – On December 5th, Karmak partnered with Carlinville Area Hospital and Clinics to host the “Warm Up Our Kids” Clothing Drive to benefit local schoolchildren. The drive-through event was hosted at Karmak Headquarters in Carlinville, IL.
Carlinville, IL, October 16, 2023 – Karmak recently hosted its 52nd Conference & Expo at the historic Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, MO.
Karmak’s commitment to customer success was the focal point of the event; highlights included demonstrations of the newly launched Karmak Mobile Service application, insights on how Karmak implements customer feedback via its Customer Community, and roundtable discussions surrounding 3rd party and OEM interfaces as well as Karmak Fusion functionality and the state of the heavy-duty trucking industry.
“Heavy Duty… the truck people, the trailer people, the warehouse distributors, service shops, parts people… all that this industry does is so meaningful and important to what moves the world. Trucks move the world. Everything comes on a truck… Without all of those pieces together, I don’t know what the world would look like. We’re grateful and thrilled to be a part of this industry in our niche of software and how that has evolved with your help.”
Jim Allen – President & CEO of Karmak
Year over year growth in customer attendance and vendor and OEM participation made Karmak Conference & Expo 2023 one of the biggest in the company’s 40-year history. The event was a 3-day celebration of their customer’s achievements and partnership. Long-time Karmak customers, Becky Shealy from Shealy’s Truck Center, Dave Paulson from Sadler Power Train, and John Livingstone from Kenworth Truck Centers received attendance awards from Jim Allen for attending the conference for 25, 26, and 28 years respectively.
“Thank you for being a part of what we do… thank you for all the years of support for Karmak.”
Jim Allen – President & CEO of Karmak
Ample networking opportunities and instructional sessions led by Karmak’s product experts made it an exceptional experience for first-time goers as well, as noted by Hunter North from Martin’s Peterbilt:
“After attending the 2023 Karmak Conference, I can truly say that I really enjoyed the whole experience. If I had to go back tomorrow, I would go back 100%…The classes were all a great learning experience for me. I learned multiple new functions about Karmak that I never knew existed.”
Coast Counties Truck & Equipment out of San Diego received the Nucleus Research Matrix ROI Award from Karmak partner, DocStar, for their extraordinary financial return using the DocStar Accounts Payable Automation integration with Karmak Fusion.
“We were approached this year [by Nucleus Research] and asked to submit one of our customers. We have customers all over and in all different kinds of markets, but we chose Coast Counties Peterbilt…They achieved 193% results on ROI, and they achieved it and got their payback on their software in less than one year.”
Dean Hillery – ECM Territory Manager at DocStar
Karmak Conference & Expo 2024 will be October 1-3 in St. Louis, MO.
Carlinville, IL, June 28, 2023 – In partnership with Transwest, Boyer Trucks, and Daimler Trucks North America, Karmak held a Fusion user Summit at Transwest’s Denver headquarters June 19-21. Over 40 attendees from 9 different dealers across the US and Canada gathered for 2 days of discussion and interaction aimed at improving efficiencies and providing input around the future of Karmak’s Fusion business system.
In addition to the dealers, the team from Karmak, which included President and CEO, Jim Allen and VP of Business Solutions, John Cowan, were joined by Raj Botla and Marty Kubiak from DTNA, Allen Phibbs and Jeremy Smallwood from KEA Advisors, and representatives from Truckmore (a Karmak company), Avalara Tax Service, and DocStar.
“DTNA is excited to participate in these types of events. They provide a great opportunity to engage with our dealers and our industry partners. With multiple, ever-evolving applications in use across the US and Canada, communication is essential to our mutual success. We appreciate Transwest hosting and Karmak putting it all together.”
– Raj Botla, DTNA
The attendee–driven agenda focused on deep dives into Fusion features and Fusion Report Writer’s reporting capabilities, as well as peeks at Fusion’s future, including a live look at Fusion’s soon-to-be-released mobile application. The DTNA team took a look at their current and future integrations and assisted in module-specific breakout sessions for the parts, service, and accounting attendees. The breakout sessions included KEA Advisors focusing on best practices for parts inventory integrity and improving service department throughput.
The Summit kicked off with a casual welcome reception at a local micro-brewery for introductions and networking. The next morning started with an interactive tour through Transwest’s flagship location designed to highlight process efficiencies and spur discussion across all facets of their operations. The classroom sessions were headlined by George Eidsness, Transwest’s President and CEO, who highlighted the company’s unique growth history, noting: “Through all of the years and all the changes and all of the growth, Karmak has been there with us every step of the way.” The Karmak SMEs in attendance led most of the classroom and breakout sessions and facilitated discussions around process improvements, Fusion’s product evolution and real-world challenges facing today’s dealers. The agenda also included networking break sessions and a casual group dinner at the Green Valley Ranch Beer Garden.
Karmak’s next customer event is their annual Conference, which is slated for October 3-5 in St. Louis, MO. You can read more about Karmak Conference & Expo 2023 here.
About Karmak
For over 40 years, Karmak has been a leading provider of business management solutions for the commercial transportation industry. Karmak’s flagship Windows-based product, Fusion, is built for the heavy-duty sector and is designed to handle all the varied demands of operating a full-service business.
Truckmore Collaborates with Daimler to Streamline Service Maintenance for Fleets with Uptime Pro for Mobile
EXCEL Truck Group, Metro Truck Group, and Four Star Freightliner provide a superior service maintenance experience by enabling Uptime Pro via the fleet customer’s preferred mode of communication – any time, from any location, and on any device.
Carlinville, IL, August 23, 2023 – Truckmore, the leading provider of mobile dealer app solutions for truck dealerships, is pleased to announce its collaboration with Daimler to offer a DMS-integrated Uptime Pro mobile solution. The joint solution aims to streamline the service maintenance process for fleet customers, offering them ease of access to Uptime Pro through their preferred communication channels, including dealer websites, dealer apps, customer portals, smartphones, and tablets. The seamless integration ensures convenience, speedy estimate approvals, transparent communications, and improved repair speed for fleets of all sizes.
To learn more about the Uptime Pro mobile solution, click here.
Revolutionizing Fleet Management for Unparalleled Uptime
Integrated with the dealer’s DMS, Uptime Pro for Mobile revolutionizes fleet management by empowering fleet customers of all sizes to efficiently schedule and oversee the repair and maintenance of their entire fleet. Features and benefits include:
- Instant service maintenance scheduling from the dealer website, app, and customer portal
- DMS integration for easy loading of fleet data and streamlined service scheduling
- Real-time tracking of each vehicle’s service status
- Message service advisors for updates, with a trackable communications history
- Access to a comprehensive service history and detailed invoices for each vehicle
According to Marty Kubiak, the Manager of Central Service Systems at DTNA: “Our collaboration with Truckmore helps dealers to provide a seamless and transparent service maintenance experience by enabling fleet customer’s to utilize Uptime Pro through their preferred mode of communication – any time, from any location, and on any device. With Uptime Pro for Mobile, dealers elevate customer satisfaction by maximizing uptime to unprecedented levels.”
Greg Witt, Senior Vice President of EXCEL Truck Group: “Our fleet customers deserve nothing short of a seamless, transparent, and efficient service experience. Whether they prefer using their smartphone, tablet, or computer, our customers can easily schedule service appointments, approve estimates, message with our dealer service center for real-time repair updates, and indulge in a world-class ownership experience that sets new standards of excellence.”
Jeff Koppeser, Service Manager, Metro Truck Group: “Downtime for fleet customers translates to financial losses. By utilizing Truckmore and Uptime Pro for Mobile, service scheduling becomes easier, and real-time communications between customers and our service centers ensure that fleets are more efficient and promptly back on the road.”
Scott Dixon, Operations Director, Four Star Freightliner: “Our fleet clients can now benefit from Uptime Pro directly through a convenient mobile application that significantly improves visibility and communications across the entire service process. Our customers can now monitor every stage of the service, from the moment their truck enters our facility to the time it departs. This transparency eliminates uncertainty and empowers our customers to plan their operations with greater efficiency.”
About Truckmore – A Karmak Company
Truckmore is the leading provider of dealer mobile app solutions, helping truck dealer groups to sell more inventory, leasing and rentals; increase service appointments, and sell more parts. Truckmore is the partner of choice for truck dealer groups including International, Freightliner, Volvo, Mack, Hino, Isuzu, Peterbilt, and Kenworth. https://truckmore.com
Contact:
John Cowan
VP of Business Solutions
Karmak, Inc.
cowanj@karmak.com
Tony della Busa
Director, Digital Solutions
Truckmore (Karmak, Inc.)
tony@truckmore.com
Truckmore and the Truckmore logo are registered trademarks of Mobileinstein Software Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Karmak’s visionary executive team is complete after two new VP hires
December 6, 2022 – Carlinville, Il. Karmak Inc. has announced that as of November 1st, Neil Osborn has assumed the role as the VP of Development and Todd Robertson has assumed the role of VP of Sales.
Since Richard Schien sold Karmak to its employees in the beginning of 2022, a major shift in direction has taken place to “defend the core, extend the core, and transcend the core”. This initiative has been the focus of Jim Allen and Karmak’s executive team allowing strategic vision towards the future with investments in technology, product enhancements, acquisitions, and expansion. With Karmak’s new plan in place, an aligned executive team and board of directors was secured to drive new vision and innovation. With the announcement of Karmak’s new acquisition of Truckmore and Karmak’s new mobile platform at its recent 2022 conference, it is clear to see that Karmak is ramping up the company for new focus and dedication to the heavy-duty transportation industry.
“I am excited to present the very best in talented leadership to our company and our industry,” said Jim Allen, CEO, Karmak. “Our leadership team is hyper-focused on the customer experience and bringing tremendous value to an already value rich product offering and ecosystem of technology in the heavy-duty market. I am certain this team will be impactful and meaningful to our future and strategic objectives.”
Neil Osborn joined the leadership team in October of 2022 as VP of Software Development. Before joining Karmak in 2019, Neil worked for software development companies in the healthcare space ranging in size from start-ups to large public companies. Neil’s passion is empowering teams to deliver best-in-class software solutions. “Karmak has an amazing culture and I’m honored to have the opportunity to be a part of it by leading the Development organization,” said Neil Osborn, VP of Development, Karmak. “I’m excited about working with a talented development staff to solve complex issues that will help Karmak deliver on our core mission. I look forward to working with a team that does its best every day to do great work in the service of our customers and partners.”
Todd Robertson joined Karmak in 2007 as National Sales Manager, then moved into the role of Director of Sales before joining the Karmak leadership team in 2022. With over 33 years of progressive sales, marketing, client relationship building, and strategic operations management experience, Todd’s “can do” attitude and experience is a difference maker at Karmak. Prior to Karmak, Todd had related experience and worked for companies such as Systems Atlanta and DP Solutions. “I’m excited and honored to accept the position of Vice President of Sales at Karmak,” said Todd Robertson, VP of Sales, Karmak. “I’m very happy to bring 33 years of sales experience and the many relationships I’ve made throughout the heavy-duty transportation market in North America.”
About Karmak
For 40 years, Karmak, Inc. has been a leading provider of business management solutions for the commercial transportation industry. Karmak, Inc. offers a unique approach combining innovative technology, strategic advice, and best practices. Learn more at Karmak.com.
Karmak Announces Acquisition of Truckmore
Karmak and Truckmore synergy will usher in a new era of innovation, customer growth and retention for heavy-duty truck dealerships, parts and service providers, rental, leasing, and logistic providers.
St. Louis, MO – November 16, 2022 – Karmak, Inc. announced today that they have acquired Truckmore, the nation’s leading dealer mobile app and digital solution provider for heavy-duty truck dealerships, parts and service providers, rental, leasing, and logistic providers. The combination of Karmak and Truckmore will usher in a new era of digital innovation and productivity for heavy-duty truck dealerships across every department in sales, service, parts, operations, and F&I, with the following digital product portfolio — Dealer Mobile App, Customer Portal, Loyalty Rewards, Monetized Coupons, Strategic Geofencing, Analytics, and Mobile Payments.
Unlock the Value of Karmak Fusion DMS
From research, to buying, to retention, digitization is revolutionizing the dealership retail customer journey. Truckmore compliments the customer’s journey through the Fusion DMS by identifying lost sales opportunities, customer churn, and poor customer experiences.
Together, Karmak and Truckmore will help businesses unlock the true value of their DMS, empowering customers to effectively manage their fleets, service and parts assets, schedule service appointments, access detailed service history, view warranties, F&I purchases, redeem loyalty rewards, personalized coupons, order parts & accessories, and make mobile payments all through the convenience of their smartphones.
“We are excited to welcome the Truckmore team and their clients to the Karmak family,” said Jim Allen, CEO, Karmak. “Unlocking customer data in the DMS and making it available for both the dealerships and their customers is key to increasing customer retention and driving storewide profitability. The more skillful a dealer becomes in applying data to grow customer intimacy and personalization, the greater the loyalty.”
“We’re honored to join the Karmak family! The synergy between our two companies is astounding,” said Tony della Busa, President & CEO, Truckmore. “In today’s ultra-connected world, where just about everyone has a smartphone, the joint DMS-digital solution will help dealerships to better connect with prospects, convert them to customers, and effectively retain loyalty throughout their ownership lifecycle.”
“The Truckmore acquisition complements Karmak’s growth strategy to transcend beyond traditional DMS,” said John Cowan, Vice President of Business Solutions, Karmak. “We are working to surround customers with an ecosystem of solutions that work together to provide a superior experience to our customers’ customer.”
Vendor Agnostic, Multi-Brand Mobile Solution
As a vendor agnostic solution, dealerships, parts and service providers, rental, leasing, and logistic providers benefit from Truckmore’s multi-brand interoperability across dealer management systems (DMS), customer relationship management (CRM), inventory systems, as well as OEM proprietary systems such as Navistar’s International 360 service management solution.
Truckmore Features & Benefits
- Service Management. Enables customers to load their fleet on their smartphone, easily schedule service appointments, track service history, invoices, and F&I.
- Digital Showroom. Bring the showroom to your customer’s smartphone with live inventory feeds with the ability to trade-in, pre-order, schedule test drives, and apply for financing.
- Mobile Payments. Give your customers the convenience to pay from their mobile phones, desktop computer or dealer mobile app.
- Loyalty Rewards. Track and reward customers for frequent purchases in sales, service, parts, and F&I.
- Geofencing. Launch targeted notifications that alert active buyers when they drive into sales, service, and parts competitors’ lots, truck stops, and high traffic areas
- Mobile Coupons. Increase customer spend on services, parts, inventory, and merchandise with compelling mobile offers.
- F&I Menu Selling. Incentivize customers to buy F&I packages by rewarding them for purchasing add-ons such as rust proofing, insurance, aftermarket warranties, etc.
- Lead Generation. When integrated with your CRM, dealers can grow their business with a lead generation program that delivers thousands of leads.
- Parts Request. Deliver a superior purchasing experience by enabling customers to easily order and pay for parts from the convenience of their smartphone.
About Karmak
For 40 years, Karmak, Inc. has been a leading provider of business management solutions for the commercial transportation industry. Karmak, Inc. offers a unique approach combining innovative technology, strategic advice, and best practices. Learn more at Karmak.com.
About Truckmore – A Karmak Company
Truckmore, a Karmak Company, is the Nation’s leading dealer mobile app developer and digital solution provider for heavy-duty truck dealerships. Truckmore helps dealerships increase sales, service retention, trade-ins, F&I sales with its digital product portfolio including Mobile Dealer App, Customer Portal, Loyalty Rewards, Monetized Coupons, Strategic Geofencing, Analytics, and Mobile Payments solution. truckmore.com
Contact:
John Cowan
VP of Business Solutions
Karmak, Inc.
jcowan@karmak.com
Tony della Busa
Director, Digital Solutions
Truckmore (Karmak, Inc.)
tony@truckmore.com
KARMAK and the KARMAK logo are registered trademarks of KARMAK Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
What’s Your Baseline?
With so many reporting tools and features available in Fusion it can be overwhelming to determine how to find baseline reporting. We know where good reporting can take your business. We’re going to help get you there. We’re breaking down some of the essential tools to assist you in optimizing your business.
Baseline Reporting
The Karmak team taken the guesswork out of reporting with a list of recommended reports that can be useful to your business which can be viewed daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly. It provides you with tips on the importance of running these reports to help grow your business. These reports can be scheduled to print, email, and/or archived to KOLD (Karmak Online Documents) to help get information to the right team member(s).
Out-of-the-Box Fusion Reports
Fusion has hundreds of reports available right out of the box. If you are unsure what reports are currently available or where to find them, no worries we’ve put a document together to easily identify those reports by department. This documentation can be easily found on the HOME page of the Fusion help file. In addition, the help file has a wealth of information to assist you with Fusion in general.
Fusion Report Writer Help File
Looking for a self-service tool to assist with specific reporting requirements – we have the right tool for you. Fusion Report Writer was designed so the everyday user can create simple analyses and dashboards. This tool will allow users to select data, apply filters, build charts and publish the information to a dashboard that can be easily shared with other users. We’ve put together a document/video to help take your reporting to the next level.
We know that reporting can be overwhelming, which is why Karmak is here to help.
New Year’s Eve, 1981. In a small closet in the Schien Body and Equipment building, a legacy was born. Computer systems were becoming more commonplace and necessary in businesses, providing a more efficient approach to nearly every aspect of an operation. Technology was moving faster than a lot of businesses and Founders, Richard and Linda Schien saw the opportunity to help heavy duty truck dealerships and warehouse distribution companies enter a new era in business. Forty years later, Karmak is the second largest dealer management system in the country, providing crucial support to help keep trucks moving across North America. And while we’ve outgrown that closet, we’ve remained in Carlinville. Throughout our existence, a top priority for the Schien family has been to keep the business in Carlinville and provide stable employment and growth for the local community. After 40 years, the Schiens are stepping away to enjoy retirement, secure in the knowledge that the Karmak legacy will continue.
Passing the torch.
The retirement of our founders is bittersweet, as we say goodbye to the driving force behind a strong legacy. But with their well-earned retirement arises new, exciting opportunities to grow and elevate our business and services, while maintaining the sense of family and dedication for which we’re known.
In 2003, when Richard and Linda began to plan for their retirement and the company’s long-term future, an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) was put into place. The Schiens believed that there was no better owner to entrust the company to than the employees that helped build it. That’s why, with their departure, the ESOP has now purchased the company, and under CEO Jim Allen, Karmak is 100% employee owned.
A heartfelt thanks.
A celebration was held to express our gratitude to the Schiens for their leadership, vision and the example they set, day in and day out. We shared food and drink as well as many stories, taking the opportunity to reminisce, laugh and share memories through videos and photographs.
As we usher in a new era for Karmak, we want to give our heartfelt thanks to Richard and Linda. A true hallmark of Karmak’s culture started with Richard’s collaborative style, care for his employees and their families, and the high bar for trust and integrity that has helped shape our culture. Here’s to the next 40 years.
Connect with the Karmak team.
Get to know the new leadership team and learn more about how we can help drive your business further.
ADAM Systems, a division of Karmak, Inc. acquired by PBS Systems
October 4, 2021 – Carlinville, IL. Karmak, Inc. announced that effective October 1, 2021, PBS Systems acquired its division of ADAM Systems. Founded in 1979, ADAM Systems provides fully integrated dealer management software to auto and powersports retailers across North America and Puerto Rico.
“We believe PBS will invest in and grow the ADAM systems business and team. ADAM and PBS both have terrific people with vast industry knowledge, so this is a very positive move for all parties. This allows Karmak to fully focus on being the premier DMS provider in the heavy-duty space.” – Jim Allen, CEO, Karmak, Inc.
About PBS
PBS Systems is a Dealership Management Software company based out of Calgary, Alberta. For over 30 years, they have been providing accurate, reliable dealership software, services and support to dealership customers. This has propelled them to become the largest Canadian dealership vendor as well as one of the top three in Northern America. https://www.pbssystems.com/
About Karmak
For nearly 40 years, Karmak, Inc. has been a leading provider of business management solutions for the commercial transportation industry. Karmak, Inc. offers a unique approach combining innovative technology, strategic advice, and best practices. Learn more at Karmak.com.
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