Month: May 2021

Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics

A Yard Sale Stretching 100 Miles and How It May Affect You This Memorial Day

An announcement was shared from our customer, Nestle, reminding us of the 100 mile yard sale that stretches along highway 25 from Jackson, MO to Kennett, MO this weekend. The yard sale started on Tuesday, May 27th and will last through Monday, May 31st. This event is expected to bring in a large crowd and additional traffic to the area. Drivers who will be arriving to Nestle in Bloomfield, MO or Sikeston, MO should practice additional caution and be mindful of the increased foot traffic along this route. An increased following distance should also be implemented to prepare for more frequent sudden stops.

The Bloomfield and Sikeston plants will be running normal shipping hours during this holiday weekend. Bloomfield’s drop lot will be available to all drivers 24/7.

Expected Facility Closures

The following customers will be closed on Monday, May 31st for Memorial Day.

  • Rural King in Mattoon, IL
  • Sherwin Williams in Effingham, IL
  • Stratas in Decatur, IL
    • Drivers will be able to drop empties and hook preloads but no loading or reworks will be available at the Stratas plant
  • Graphic Packaging in Shelbyville, IL
    • Drivers will have access to pick up their preloads. A skeleton crew will be working to print paperwork.

We want to know

How did the tradition of wearing of a red poppy in remembrance of the fallen soldiers begin? Submit your answers through a Blue Tree message.

Categories
Safety Uncategorized

Marvin Keller CSA

Have you ever wondered why some carriers are pulled into the scales for inspections more frequently than others? The company’s CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) Score is often used to determine if a truck should receive an inspection.

Check Out Our Current CSA Scores

Click here to see our CSA trend over the last 12 months:

Click here to see our current fleet CSA violations:

What is a CSA Score?

CSA scores are based on a carrier’s DOT Inspections. Every violation (citation or warning) noted on a DOT Inspection results in points added to the carrier’s CSA score. These violations fall into one of 8 Categories (Unsafe Driving, Crash Indicator, Hours-of-Service Compliance, Vehicle Maintenance, Controlled Substances & Alcohol, Hazmat, Driver Fitness & Insurance/Other).

  • Every violation is assigned a point value from 1 – 10 with 10 being the most severe
  • CSA Scores are updated every 28 days
  • Points remain on a company’s CSA Score for 24 months
  • Low CSA Scores = Safer Operation = Fewer Inspections

What can you do?

Marvin Keller’s CSA Scores are top notch and a reflection of the safety minded Drivers on our team. Continue doing what you are doing!

  • Drive safely and follow the SMITH System Principles
  • Conduct thorough Pre / Post Trip Inspections
  • Report any defects or potential safety risks before you hit the road
Categories
Industry News

Fuel Planning Preparedness

On Monday, the Colonial Pipeline announced a cyberattack that affected their operations for a short period. The CEO of the pipeline reported that the company has full control over the pipeline and is working with its network to prevent shortages. The pipeline also announced they expect to resume full services by the weekend.

The Colonial Pipeline supplies many customers spanning between Houston, TX and Linden, NJ. Please plan to fuel before traveling to these areas.

Categories
Maintenance & Equipment

Verticle FleetNet Benchmarking

We would like to announce our great success in being rewarded the title of Best in Class within the Vertical FleetNet Benchmarking group.   This benchmarking program gathers breakdown data from several different companies and compiles it into a ranking system.  We joined this program in April of 2020 and have been ranked Best of Class for the entirety of our involvement.

We were rewarded this title due to our drivers’ dedication to completing thorough inspections.  The attention our drivers give their equipment allows us to catch repairs before they become a breakdown.  Alongside our drivers’ dedication, we have a strong network of vendors in surrounding areas that aid in the upkeep of our equipment.  This saves driver downtime and also ensures we are satisfying our customers’ expectations by making on-time deliveries.  Since our drivers take the time to inspect their vehicles we are ranked number 1 in the fewest tire repairs amongst the benchmarking group!

We want to thank all of our drivers for putting a priority on keeping their equipment safe and free of repairs.  This is a huge accomplishment that helps us run like a well-oiled machine. 

  • This is a visual of our rankings in comparison to the benchmarking average. We are definitely leading the pack!
  • Outstanding tire life!
Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics

Promoted Parking

Truck Driver Parking is not always easy to find but is a very important part of a Driver’s day. We have all struggled to find parking in one state or another. Some of us have even had to shut down early to avoid going over on hours just to find a good place to park. MK has a plan to help our drivers find all the best places to park!

On Tuesdays, we are going to post a region where parking may be limited. All you have to do is submit a post through DriveMK adding your favorite parking spot in that area. All drivers who contribute a parking spot for that area will be given an additional 200 pro points! Bonus points if you mention what lane you used this parking spot for.

Today’s areas are Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD.

Steps to add Parking to DriveMK

  • Search
  • Search the Name, Address, and State of parking location
  • Select Add Company