Month: January 2025

Categories
Uncategorized

How to Build a Good Relationship with your Manager

I’m sure we’ve all had a job where we felt like a number, a nameless cog in the machine. Is that company still around? The most successful organizations are those who have employees who are highly engaged within their companies and have good relationships with their managers. It goes without saying that people who are happy in their jobs are generally more successful and, by extension, so are the companies they work for. In a 2017 survey by a human capital management firm, 93% of respondents stated that having trust in their supervisor/boss was essential to being happy in their jobs. Good employee/manager relationships have numerous benefits:

  • Improved productivity; employees who feel valued by their managers are more committed and invested in their roles and provide better performance.
  • Better customer service by leaving a positive impression on customers.
  • Increased retention and more new employees; happy employees are more likely to stay motivated and more talented and skilled employees will be attracted to the organization.

At Marvin Keller, we strive to train driver managers to be great coaches who are responsive and helpful. We value your input as it helps us to define and solve problems. While management works hard to solve problems, they don’t have all the answers. You are out there on the frontlines every day and have more valuable information than you may realize; you have a vantage point that we in the office do not. We appreciate and welcome all input to help other drivers in their everyday routines. This makes a big difference, especially for new drivers just learning the ropes. It also helps your manager learn more about what you have to deal with so they can be prepared to help.

Here are some ways you can improve your relationship with your managers:

  • Be effective with communication. Always err on the side of over-communication.
  • Prevent conflict before it starts by bringing up issues or concerns before it becomes a problem.
  • When dealing with conflicts, handle them rationally and gracefully, without jumping to conclusions or becoming angry or defensive. Approach each situation with an open mind; your manager will be expected to do the same.
  • Be open and honest while still being respectful. Transparency will put everyone on the same page and allow positive change to occur.
  • Avoid making excuses. If you don’t have all the tools you need to do the job, bring your concerns to your manager. Otherwise, the expectation is for you to do your job without being hounded.

Your input is invaluable and we encourage everyone to put forth their ideas or suggestions. That’s why we’re bringing back the MK Connect program where we explore what new and helpful information you’ve learned to share with the office and other drivers. Everyone in an organization is responsible for the success of said organization. Your contributions make the difference between success and failure and we encourage everyone to feel comfortable sharing their input so we can continue to grow and be the company of choice for drivers. If you believe your concerns are not properly being addressed, feel free to reach out to another manager for help.

Categories
Maintenance & Equipment

A Guide to Fuel Efficiency – Maintenance Campaign

MK is launching a new Maintenance Campaign focusing on tips and tricks for improving our fuel performance. 

Those who complete the campaign activities by March 31st, 2025 will receive 200 pro-points! When you complete the activities, please be thorough in your response. We would love to hear your feedback!

Campaign Materials

Fuel Efficiency.pdf

A Guide to Fuel Efficiency – Campaign Form

If you have any questions, please reach out!

Categories
Recognition

Driver Spotlights

Every week, each of our driver managers takes a moment to acknowledge one of their drivers for their outstanding performance. We want to give a special thank you to the following drivers for their exceptional work, which serves as a great example of what it means to be an MK Driver.

Ken Newby – Plowed the snow from our drop lot in Mattoon – we appreciate it!

Randy Murphy & Jason Grigsby  – Helped Silgan in Seymour IN get a trailer that was frozen in the ice unstuck. Thank you for helping us keep our customers happy! 

Dave Bruchman – Helped fellow driver who had a trailer that slid off the fifth wheel get it back up enough to safely take to a shop and then followed her to make sure she made it.  Thank you for being so willing to help out

Brent Boehm – Brought a truck to the terminal from Sullivan on his day off for us. Thanks for being someone we can count on!

Arneld Theodore & Anthony Collins – Arneld jump started his own truck which saved us lots of time and hundreds of dollars on a service call. Anthony ordered parts and fix his truck’s heat over the weekend.  This also saved us downtime and lots of money for a mechanic. We appreciate the extra work from both of them!

Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics

The Necessity of Providing Safe & Reliable Service

If you’re asked what you do for a living, I think most of you, if not all, would respond that you are a truck driver. But that’s only partly true. In reality, you are freight movers. Driving is just the means to accomplish that and the most time-consuming and demanding part of the job. As professional freight movers, you work in the service industry. Your job is to deliver products to customers safely, on time, and in good condition.

Working with customers directly is the lifeblood of trucking operations. No trucking company can survive working solely on the spot market. In order to attract and maintain customers, companies must bring value and good service to their operations. A major part of that is ensuring that accepted loads are picked and delivered on time. This is especially important when carriers are plentiful and shippers have a lot of options; they can afford to be picky. Marvin Keller must always strive to be an elite fleet, which is one that stands out and is a go-to company for customers to move their freight. While we in the office aim for timely updates and communication and proactive problem-solving, we have to count on the drivers to execute the plans.

Everyone has heard at some point that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This metaphor applies in business as a team is only as successful as its lowest-performing member. How you perform directly affects your team and the entire company. MK is fortunate to have a great team of professional drivers and we frequently get compliments from shippers, receivers, customers and brokers. This is one of the reasons we have been in business for 60 years. In order to maintain that level of service, we hold all employees to high standards of performance. Here are a few examples of the standards we expect from drivers.

  • On-time pickup and delivery: This requires proper trip planning to know what you have time for and ensure you leave with enough time to make it. Of course, there are always unplanned issues; trucking isn’t perfect and we understand that things happen in transit. Just keep in mind that pickup and delivery times are not suggestions; these times are when the customers expect loads to pick and deliver. We must do our best to provide this service.
  • Safe Transport: Most loads are required to be secured, sealed, and weighed by the driver. There are some shippers that may do all this themselves, but for the most part, it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that each load is properly secured for transport and isn’t going to shift. It also must be weight by the driver picking up to ensure it is legal. Most trailers are required to be sealed, either by shipper or driver. These three things are very important as any violations or issues that arise from a lack of diligence can be inordinately expensive. There have been innumerable instances of load shifts due to harsh brakes or quick turns that have resulted in rework charges in the thousands, often wiping all revenue from the load and even putting us at a negative on the loads. Overweight tickets and claims due to missing product on broken-sealed loads can also cause us to lose more money on a load than we’re making.
  • Adherence to DOT regulations: Now that E-logs are the norm and drivers can no longer fudge their paper logs without notice, it’s important that HOS regulations are followed. If you are unsure how you should be logging your activity, or have questions about more complicated regulations like split breaks and personal conveyance, reach out to your driver manager. If we get violations, you could be put out of service, get hefty fines, and our CSA scores take a hit. Customers look at these things when considering which companies to work for.
  • Communication: This is very important. If you’re running behind, let your driver manager know so we can alert the customer/broker. If your load doesn’t match your dispatch, communicate that. If you’re overweight, broken down, having trouble with the truck, can’t get out at the expected time, or any other issue that will result in a customer failure, communicate. Customers are understanding; they all know that things happen on the road and they are forgiving as long as we let them know what’s going on and keep them in the loop.

Marvin Keller is looking forward to a prosperous 2025 with a focus on growth, performance improvement, and the employee accountability that is necessary to succeed. Always reach out to your driver manager if you want help with improving performance and providing great service to our customers. We are committed to being the fleet of choice for all our customers.

Categories
Referral

Winter Referral Campaign Winner!

The excitement of our Winter Referral Campaign has wrapped up, and we’ve got some thrilling results! Our first-place winner is Jordan Kale!

But that’s not all – there was a two-way tie for second place. Cody Huffman & Brian Doughty!

Congratulations to our winners! Thank you all for participating. Stay tuned for the next referral – you won’t want to miss it!

Categories
Performance Recognition

MK Elites – Q4 2024

We would like to present the MK Elites for October to December 2024! Congratulations to the following drivers! Your dedication to prioritizing safety and upholding these high standards is deeply valued.

  • Terry Branham
  • Jessica Branham
  • Dave Bruchman
  • Junrey Montejo

The Pro-Formance Scorecard is designed to evaluate your driving skills based on 12 different risk factors. Breaking down your performance into specific categories helps you identify the areas you need to improve. These factors are divided into these sub-categories: Safety, Compliance, and Performance, each rated out of 100. The goal is to score green in all three categories to achieve MK Elite Status!

A driver can earn 1,000 Pro-Points for each green score in Safety, Compliance, Performance, and MK Elite (green in all three categories). This means you can get up to 4,000 Pro-Points!

You can find the Safety Scorecard in the Resource Library.

Keep up the great work and strive to improve your driving performance! We’re here to help in any way we can!

Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics Industry News

Freight in 2025: Light at the End of the Freight Recession Tunnel

While experts don’t believe the freight market will jump dramatically early this year, all signs indicate that we’ve reached the bottom of the recession and that the market will see a gradual upturn this year.

In the beginning of January, the Outbound Tender Reject Index (OTRI) hit the highest levels since 2022. The OTRI, a statistic that simply measures the number of offered loads that carriers are declining, is considered one of the most accurate indicators of the freight market. For example, in January of 2024, the reject index hit around 1.5%. Carriers were only rejecting that much of what they were offered. This month, it reached over 10%, a dramatic increase. In addition to this, spot rates have increased an additional 10% since 2023. There are a number of factors contributing to this recovery.

  • Warehouse inventories are finally decreasing from the pandemic-era glut.
  • Capacity is leaving the market. Carriers popped up all over the place in 2020-2021 to cover the increase in freight during the pandemic. But due to the unusually long freight recession, many carriers without financial resiliency having exited the market. The fewer carriers competing for freight, the more freight there is for those still in the market.
  • Economic optimism. The expected policies of the incoming administration have created optimism in the markets and increased consumer confidence and spending.
  • Due to a number of economic and geopolitical concerns, ocean container rates have been steadily increasing. These issues involve uncertainty about potential new tariffs, rerouting vessels to stay out of the Red Sea where many ships have been attacked by terrorists, and concerns of potential port worker strikes. All this volatility has driven rates upward. Long-term ocean container rates are generally negotiated at the beginning of the year, so rates will stabilize, but only time will tell in which direction they will go.

It’s still very early in the year to have a good idea how much improvement will happen in 2025, but analysts expect slow gains of possibly 3% in contract freight in 2025 with gains picking up speed after this year. While they are not as optimistic as before about a robust recovery, they are confident of these smaller increases. Marvin Keller has been through worse, like during the Great Recession of 2008, and is much more resilient now. Rates are already going up this year and we’re gaining new customers. Things are looking up for the freight market and Marvin Keller in 2025.

Transport Topics, https://www.ttnews.com/

Freight Waves, https://www.freightwaves.com/

Categories
Performance

Top Producers of 2024 – Q4

Each quarter, the Producer Badge is awarded to drivers who are in the Top 10% of the fleet in which they exceed the quarterly productivity goals. This badge symbolizes the driver’s hard work and success within Marvin Keller.

Congratulations to the following drivers who earned the Producer Badge for 2024 – Quarter 4!!

Owner Operators – Top 10% Total Revenue for the Quarter

  • Miller Team
  • George Robinson
  • Terry Hodge
  • Kyle Luesmann

Company Drivers, OTR – Top 10% Fleet in Total Miles

  • Branham Team – 48,623
  • Richard Merrill – 38,287
  • Bruchman Team – 36,516
  • John Kledzinksi – 33,855
  • Anthony Collins – 33,758

Company Drivers, 4 On/4 Off – Top 10% Fleet in Total Miles

  • Deb Coleman – 23,261
  • Christopher Le – 22,905
  • Judy Collins – 21,749
  • Daniel Schmitt – 21,542
  • Bobby Palmer – 20,956
Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics

Health on the Road: Essential Tips for Professional Drivers

Truck driver eating habits can be linked to mental health - Truck News

As we enter 2025, have you considered making your health a priority? Truck driving is a rewarding career, but the long periods away from home, living in a cramped space, and sitting for extended periods can present unique challenges to staying healthy. While it may seem difficult to stay in shape, simple changes to your daily routine can help both your physical and mental well-being while on the road.

What can you do to stay healthy?

  1. Eat Healthy: One of the biggest challenges for truck drivers is managing their diet, especially when fast food and truck stop meals are often the most convenient options. While eating healthy may feel like a challenge, it’s entirely possible with a bit of planning. Keep these tips in mind:
  • Choose grilled, baked, or steamed options instead of fried foods.
  • Pack your own healthy snacks such as fruits, nuts, and protein bars.
  • Opt for water or unsweetened beverages over sugary drinks.
  • Look for salads, wraps, or other lighter options available at truck stops.
  1. Stay Physically Active: Incorporating physical activity into your daily routine is crucial, even with a busy schedule. Walking around the truck or a truck stop a few times can help get your body moving. Start small and work your way up to 20-30 minutes most days of the week. Find a routine and you’ll start noticing the benefits of staying active, both physically and mentally. 
  1. Sleep & Rest: Fatigue is one of the most significant risks for professional drivers. It can impair your work performance, attention, reaction times, and judgment. Listen to your body, recognize the warning signs, and avoid driving when fatigued. 
  • Plan your trips to include designated sleep times.
  • Listen to your body: if you experience symptoms like blurred vision, difficulty concentrating, or trouble staying awake, pull over and rest.
  • Take power naps (10-45 minutes) when needed; a short break can rejuvenate you and reduce the risk of accidents caused by fatigue.
  1. Stress Management: Just like any career, truck driving can be stressful at times. There are many ways you can help reduce stress: 
  • Getting outside and exercising
  • Communicating with friends & family
  • Making time for activities you enjoy
  • Asking for help

Adopting a healthier lifestyle as a professional driver is not only achievable but essential for a long-term, successful career. By making small but impactful adjustments to your routine—such as eating clean meals, staying active, getting enough sleep, and managing stress—you’ll improve both your physical and mental well-being. Your health is invaluable – make 2025 the year you commit to a healthier lifestyle on the road.