Coffman Truck Sales: A Legacy of Family and Growth Powered by CDK

Founded in 1946 by three brothers in Plano, Illinois, Coffman Truck Sales began as a small repair shop. By 1949, the dealership became a GMC dealer, eventually evolving into Volvo White GMC while maintaining both GMC and Volvo franchises. Today, Coffman remains a family-run business with a unique culture and a clear mission.

“Our motto is: Don’t just call us; call us family,” says Diane Zimmerman, general manager, Coffman Truck Sales. “That’s our goal, to treat every customer like family that they trust us and know we’ll be there for them, whatever their transportation need is.”

Growth Fueled by Partnership

When Coffman partnered with CDK in 2018, they were already a successful dealership with 98 employees. Since then, they’ve been able to grow to almost 130 employees, selling more trucks than they’ve ever sold. And CDK’s solutions have been instrumental in managing inventory, streamlining operations and supporting profitability.

“CDK has been integral in keeping us on track and helping us manage an extensive parts inventory that involves over 120 vendors, price codes, labor ops. All of those things feed into our ability to do our business and meet the needs of our customers while tracking it and making sure we’re being profitable,” explains Zimmerman. 

Technology That Transforms Operations

One standout improvement has been CDK’s F&I solutions. “The F&I tool brought by CDK has done the most to impact our business. It gives us the ability to get payments easier and streamline the whole process,” notes Jason Dulaney, sales and finance manager with Coffman.

CDK’s integration with Central Vehicle Registration has also accelerated deal processing at Coffman. They’ve seen a measurable difference in both deal turnaround and funding. The process used to take anywhere from five to 10 days to now within 72 hours.

Results That Speak Volumes

The numbers tell the story. Parts sales have surged by 50%, and gross profits have climbed dramatically. “When we first started, we were selling maybe 100 trucks a year. Now, since going on CDK, we've grown to the 400 truck mark annually,” Zimmerman reports. 

More Than a Vendor — A True Partner

For Debbie Pimpo, IT manager at Coffman, CDK is more than a technology provider. “I see the relationship with CDK as more of a partnership than just a vendor relation. They always answer the phone when we call. They’re responsive to our needs. We definitely get the feeling that we’re in it together.”