Mack Trucks’ fuel economy is driving factor for Transmark

Petroleum transporter relies on fleet spec, mDRIVE™ transmission, for big savings

Since its inception, Mack® trucks have carried businesses to new levels of success. Proven reliability, safety features, fuel economy, and driver retention have all been deciding factors in a company establishing a Mack fleet, but sometimes the truck itself is not the only thing that inspires the purchase. For Elvin Knollman of Transmark, a range of factors came into play.

Knollman started a trucking company at the age of 21 in 1979. He identified the profitability of hauling fuel in 1987, and his company metamorphosized into Transmark after 1990. With a vision for the future—and the addition of Mack trucks to his fleet—he experienced substantial growth with his company. After Elvin retired, his son, Garrett Knollman, became the owner and CEO. The Greensburg, Indiana, company now employs 32 people and operates 22 company-owned Mack trucks, along with two additional trucks that are owner-operated.

When asked why he felt the company accomplished such success, Garrett Knollman simply says, “We never said no to an opportunity.”

Transmark’s 22 Mack truck fleet of 15 Anthems® and 7 Pinnacle™ CXUs certainly provides the tools needed to ensure that success rate. The company’s Macks provide the reliability to do this, and procured its first because of a relationship forged with its dealership.

Elvin Knollman recognized early in developing Transmark that if his company was going to remain viable for the long run, he needed to purchase trucks from a dealer that would not only provide an excellent product but also remain steady and dependable in providing customer service long after the sale was made. He found that with Lischkge Motors in Aurora, Indiana.

One of the things Transmark appreciates about Mack trucks is the ability to service the trucks in house; Lischkge supports that by providing the parts necessary as well as help with major mechanical work.

“We’ve been doing business with Transmark since the 1990s,” says Lori Lischkge of Lischkge Motors. “They have a really good maintenance program in-house, but we provide all other services they require like warranty work.”

Garrett Knollman says the Mack trucks offer excellent reliability and overall make transporting products safer for all involved. Transmark drivers say they especially like the user-friendly cab, improved visibility, and the reliability that Mack is known for.

"I've driven most brands of trucks, and I'll say, without a doubt, Mack trucks are the most reliable truck I've driven,” says Dustin Burris, Transmark driver. “It’s not even a competition."

The drivers also appreciate the ease of driving that comes with the Mack mDRIVE™ automatic transmission.

“We are 100 percent automatic transmission here at Transmark,” says Elvin Knollman. “We just love that 12-speed automatic transmission, and the drivers don’t know it, but we’re saving that left knee for them.”

According to Lischkge, Transmark’s fondness for the automatic transmission dates to the early years of their working relationship. She says, “Elvin was one of the first customers in my area to ever purchase the mDRIVE™ transmission. He just wasn’t afraid to try anything new, and Transmark still operates that way today with looking at new Mack technology.”

The mDRIVE transmission, along with a fleet spec that focuses on weight savings, is critical for Transmark. Not only does it allow for more fuel to be transported in every load, but it also provides significant improvements in fuel economy. Garret Knollman says the fleet currently averages 7.17 miles per gallon.

“I can tell you what I have seen in my career, and it was normal to get five and half miles to the gallon back in the day, and we were thrilled to death when we went to six and a half,” says Elvin Knollman. “Today we average around seven, and I noticed it got better with the Mack automatic transmission.”

Garrett Knollman says the company still plans to keep growing and saying ‘yes’ to every opportunity. To accommodate more contracts while servicing its existing customers, Transmark will need to acquire an additional 30 to 50 Mack trucks. Once again, they will continue to rely on the relationship they’ve built with Lischkge over the years.

“That relationship is the primary driver,” says Garrett Knollman.