First, who we are
Strong Tower Consulting is an independent consulting firm. We are not Trimble, we do not sell Truckmate licenses, and we do not have access to Trimble's source code. For licensing, product defects, patches and anything covered by your support agreement, contact Trimble directly. This guide is written to help carriers use every support route well, including the vendor's.
Why one support route is rarely enough
A TMS like Truckmate touches nearly every desk in a carrier: customer service, dispatch, billing, payroll, safety, maintenance and accounting. The questions that come up are just as varied. Some are product questions ("is this a bug?"). Some are configuration questions ("why does this accessorial not default on this customer?"). Some are business questions ("how should we set up pay for the new dedicated account?"). And some are data questions ("can we get revenue per mile by terminal, excluding FSC?").
No single support route is built to answer all four kinds well. That is why most carriers that run Truckmate for years end up with a combination of the vendor, an internal owner and outside help.
Route 1: The vendor support contract
Your support agreement with Trimble is the foundation. It is the only route that can fix product defects, issue patches, provide new releases and speak with authority about how the software is designed to work.
Best for:
- Suspected bugs and error messages that point to the product itself
- Licensing, user counts and contract questions
- New versions, patches and release documentation
- Questions about intended product behavior and supported configurations
- Vendor-provided modules and integrations
Getting the most from it:
- Write tickets with exact steps to reproduce, screenshots, order or trip numbers, user and time. Good tickets resolve faster.
- Keep a log of open tickets, their numbers and status, so knowledge does not walk out the door with one employee.
- Stay current enough on versions that you remain within the supported range.
- Know what your agreement covers. Many support agreements are scoped to product issues; report writing, training and process design may be separate services.
Route 2: An in-house administrator
Most carriers benefit from having at least one person inside the company who owns Truckmate. In smaller fleets, this is often a power user in billing or dispatch who grew into the role. In larger ones, it may be a dedicated systems analyst or part of the IT team.
Best for:
- User setup, security roles and password resets
- Day-to-day "how do I" questions from staff
- Maintaining customer, vendor, driver and equipment master data
- Rate and accessorial table updates
- First-level triage: deciding whether an issue is a user question, a configuration issue or something for the vendor
Watch out for:
- Single point of failure. If one person holds all the knowledge, a resignation or long absence becomes an operational risk. Document configuration decisions and key procedures.
- No time for improvement. An admin buried in tickets rarely gets to the reports, upgrades and workflow fixes that would reduce those tickets.
- Limited outside view. An internal admin knows how your company uses the system, but may not know how other carriers solve the same problem.
Route 3: An independent Truckmate consultant
An independent consultant fills the space between the vendor's product support and your internal admin's daily work. A good one has worked inside carrier operations, knows the system from a user and data perspective, and can take on project work your team does not have time or depth for.
Best for:
- Work that is not a product defect but is more than a quick question
- Projects with a beginning and an end: reports, upgrades, training, reviews
- An outside view on how your workflows compare to how other carriers run
- Extra hands and experience during busy periods or staff transitions
What independent consultants typically help with
Crystal Reports and SQL reporting. Many carriers rely on Crystal Reports for invoices, settlement statements, manifests and management reports, often built years ago by someone who has since left. A consultant can fix broken reports, build new ones, and write SQL for analysis such as lane profitability, deadhead, unbilled loads and settlement audits. See our Reporting & Business Documents practice.
Upgrade planning. Upgrades touch custom reports, EDI maps, integrations and user habits. A consultant can inventory what you have customized, build a test plan, run testing in a test environment with your staff, and plan the cutover around billing and settlement cycles. The vendor performs or supports the product upgrade itself; the consultant helps your company be ready for it.
User training. Role-based training for CSRs, dispatchers, billing clerks, payroll and managers, especially for new hires and for features you pay for but do not use. See Training & Enablement.
Workflow and configuration review. Watching how people actually use the system often reveals manual steps, duplicate entry and workarounds that configuration changes or a small process change can remove.
Health checks. A structured review of master data quality, unused or conflicting setup, report inventory, integration status, backups and user security. The output is a ranked list of fixes.
Migration planning. If your company is weighing a move, a consultant can help you make that decision with data, and if you decide to move, plan data extraction, cleanup and cutover. Our legacy TMS decision guide walks through stay, fix or move.
How the three routes compare
| Need | Vendor support | In-house admin | Independent consultant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product defect or error in the software | Primary | Triage and report | Can help document |
| Licensing and contract | Primary | Coordinate | No |
| User setup and daily questions | As covered | Primary | Backup |
| Custom reports and SQL analysis | Varies by agreement | If skilled | Primary |
| Upgrade readiness and testing | Performs or supports the upgrade | Participates | Plans and coordinates |
| Role-based training | Varies by agreement | Informal | Primary |
| Workflow review and outside perspective | Limited | Limited | Primary |
| Migration decision and planning | Not neutral on leaving | Participates | Primary |
How carriers combine them
A pattern that works for many carriers:
- The in-house admin is the front door. Every question goes to them first. They solve what they can and route the rest.
- Product issues go to the vendor. The admin opens and tracks tickets with Trimble for defects, patches and licensing.
- Projects and depth go to the consultant. Reports, upgrade readiness, training, health checks and planning go to an independent consultant, scoped and scheduled.
- Knowledge stays in the company. Every report, configuration change and procedure the consultant touches is documented and handed to the admin.
The goal is not to rely on any one route. It is to make sure every type of question has an owner, and that your system knowledge grows each year instead of leaking away.
Choosing an independent Truckmate consultant
- Have they worked inside carrier operations, not just IT?
- Can they write Crystal Reports and SQL themselves?
- Do they respect the vendor relationship and know when to send you back to Trimble?
- Will they document their work and train your people?
- Are they independent, or are they trying to sell you a different system?
- Can you talk to carriers they have worked with?
How Strong Tower Consulting helps
Strong Tower has supported carriers running Truckmate since 2008, including upgrades, reporting, training and go-live work. Our Legacy TMS practice follows a simple approach: stabilize what you have, optimize it, and plan an exit only if your data says it is time.
- Legacy TMS Advisory & Migration: stabilize, optimize or exit.
- Reporting & Business Documents: Crystal Reports, SQL and BI.
- On-Site & Remote Support: help when you need it, including monthly on-site agreements.
Independent by design
We are not Trimble, and we will tell you when an issue belongs with the vendor. Strong Tower Consulting never requires you to buy software. See how we work.
Frequently asked questions
Is Strong Tower Consulting part of Trimble?
No. Strong Tower Consulting is an independent consulting firm and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Trimble or TMW Systems. For licensing, product defects and anything covered by your support agreement, contact Trimble.
Does an independent Truckmate consultant replace the vendor support contract?
No. The vendor contract covers licensing, product defects, patches and the vendor's knowledge of its own code. An independent consultant works alongside it on reporting, configuration, training, process and planning work that falls outside a typical support ticket.
What does a Truckmate consultant typically help with?
Common work includes Crystal Reports and SQL reporting, upgrade planning and testing, user training by role, workflow and configuration reviews, system health checks, and planning for a future migration if the company decides to move.
Do we need an in-house Truckmate administrator?
Most carriers benefit from at least one internal owner who knows the configuration, manages users and security, and is the first stop for questions. That person does not need to know everything; they need to know who to call for what.
Will Strong Tower push us to leave Truckmate?
No. Our Legacy TMS practice follows a stabilize, optimize or exit approach, and for many carriers the right answer is to stay and get more out of the system they have. If moving makes sense, we will show you why with your own data.
Truckmate is a trademark of its respective owner (Trimble Inc.). Strong Tower Consulting is an independent consulting firm and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Trimble or TMW Systems.