Author: T. Ellis

Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics Performance Safety

Did you know?

Did you know that large trucks were involved in nearly 500,000 crashes, according to the most recent year’s FMCSA data?

So, how can you avoid becoming another statistic on the road? By practicing safe, defensive driving.

Here’s what you need to know about defensive driving:

  • It’s based on two core principles: Anticipating and Increasing Driver Awareness
  • This means encourages drivers to stay alert for possible hazards and changes in driving or road conditions, enabling them to make good driving decisions and avoid dangerous situations
  • It’s important to be aware of your surroundings, maintain a safe following distance, avoid distractions, and remain calm to avoid trouble while behind the wheel
  • Defensive driving should be practiced by all drivers, regardless of experience level

By implementing these techniques, drivers are less likely to be involved in accidents, keeping you and the motoring public safe. We care about your safety more than anything else, so take control of your safety and practice defensive driving today and every day!

Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics

New Navigation

CoPilot Navagation:

If you already have Samsara ELD’s we will be emailing you a link and login info to install the new navigation. It’s called CoPilot Truck with Active Traffic.

We have licenses with CoPilot Navigation which is the same Navigation that you had on your Orbcomm Tablets. There is a way to make it the default Maps so that when you click on the address in Drive MK workflow, it will open up CoPilot instead of Google Maps. 

If you have any questions about the installation, please reach out to your driver manager. We’re all working and learning together as we make this transition!

Categories
Maintenance & Equipment

Don’t Forget about our Maintenance Campaign

You have just 18 days left to finish the maintenance campaign materials! 

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enhance your knowledge and earn Pro-Points by participating in our latest maintenance campaign! This campaign focuses on the importance of tire inspections from a maintenance and safety standpoint.

Those who complete the campaign activities by October 20th, 2023, will receive 200 Pro-Points!

Campaign Materials:
Tire Maintenance.pdf
Tire Maintenance – Campaign Form

Thank you to everyone who has participated. You’re feedback is appreciated!

  • Dustin Carey
  • Jessica Branham
  • John Therieau
  • Judy Collins
  • Orville Merrill
  • Myles Rogers
  • Dave Bruchman
  • Brian Doughty
  • Robert Benton
  • Deb Coleman
  • Richard Merrill
  • Kim Bruchman
  • Sara Smith
  • James Watson
  • Randy Bayles
  • Ken Newby
  • Darius Kerr
  • Kim Kuffel
  • Todd Sargent
  • Terry Hodge
  • Mark McKinley
  • Colton Kramer
  • Ronald Langley
  • Jerry Frost
  • Molly Gribler
  • Douglas McClendon
  • Kaleb Green
Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics

Reminder – I Spy Campaign

Have you come across our “I Spy” Stickers yet? These stickers have been placed in different spots on some of our trailers. The goal is when you complete a thorough pre-trip inspection and find a sticker, you will be rewarded with MK Pro-Points.

Only 33 drivers have found these stickers!

Reminder – What is the “I Spy” Campaign?

To reward you for thorough pre and post-trip inspections, we have created stickers that display a QR code linked to our Drive MK App. We are placing these stickers on multiple trailers so when you are out doing an inspection and find one, you scan it in and receive MK Pro-Points.

After scanning, you will receive the “I Spy” Badge and the opportunity to level up with the more stickers you find on different trailers. More stickers you find = more Pro-Points!

How do you scan the QR Code?

Here’s how you scan it in.

  • First, you will open your phone and the Drive MK App
  • Go to “^” which is the Settings, and click “Scan.”
  • Using the camera, you will hover over the QR Code to “scan it in”
  • Type in the trailer number assigned to you
  • Then you will be awarded the badge along with MK Pro-Points

**You are only able to scan the sticker that corresponds to the trailer assigned to you.

Why?

We want to ensure that everyone completes thorough inspections to guarantee a safe trip and help avoid OTR breakdowns. So make sure when inspecting your equipment everything is in working order, AND you’re looking for the “I Spy” stickers. Will it catch your eye?

Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics

Samsara Announcement

Great News Drivers!  Marvin Keller has switched to a much better ELD system called Samsara.  It uses a very simple App to track your Hours of Service and Safety Scorecards.  We have a few drivers testing it now who have had a lot of positive feedback.  We are looking forward to switching everyone very quickly.  Your Driver Manager will schedule you through the shop to have it installed in your truck soon! 

Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics Referral

Did you know?

Balancing Recruitment and Retention

It’s no secret that the demand for skilled truck drivers is on the rise. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult to recruit new talent and retain existing drivers.

To stay competitive with other trucking companies in recruiting, Marvin Keller spends around $7,000 per month on job advertising sites to attract top talent. However, finding new candidates isn’t the only goal – we also prioritize retaining them. Our goal is to ensure that all new drivers joining the team have the tools and resources needed to succeed and grow within the company.

Importance of Referrals

Beyond job sites, there are many other ways to attract quality candidates, improve retention, and manage recruitment costs. Referral programs are often the most effective recruiting channel in this regard. Here’s why:

  • Improved retention rates: Employee referrals lead to higher job satisfaction and retention rates, saving the company time and money on recruitment.
  • Better cultural fit: Current employees are more likely to refer candidates who will fit in well with the company culture.
  • Cost-effective: Instead of spending money on job postings, we would rather rely on current employees to refer qualified candidates and reward them for it.

Tips on Referring

To find new driving talent, word-of-mouth is the most effective. To refer someone to Marvin Keller, we suggest getting to know them personally, explaining your work experiences, and directing them to the company website and social media to get a sense of our culture. Once you’ve done this, encourage them to apply using your name as a reference.

Please inform us if you want any materials to be handed out to potential candidates, such as business cards, flyers, and so on. We will be happy to provide them to you.

For your referrals, Marvin Keller has a referral campaign to recognize and reward you for referring potential candidates. Here is MK’s current referral campaign.

Categories
Maintenance & Equipment

New Maintenance Campaign – Trailer Tires

Take advantage of our new maintenance campaign to expand your knowledge and earn Pro-Points! This campaign focuses on the importance of tire inspections from a maintenance and safety standpoint.

Those who complete the campaign activities by October 20th, 2023, will receive 200 Pro-Points!

Campaign Materials:

Tire Maintenance.pdf

Tire Maintenance – Campaign Form

Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics Safety

ORBCOMM Malfunction Extension – Use of Paper RODS

Please make sure you scan in all your paper logs! We need this information not only for compliance, but also in order to figure out our IFTA taxes.

From ORBCOMM, attached is a Malfunction Extension given by the FMCSA.

This extension allows drivers using ORBCOMM’s BT 504 platform to continue utilizing a Paper Record of Duty Status beyond the normal 8-day malfunction period specified in 49 CFR 395.8. This extension allows drivers to legally maintain a Paper Record of Duty Status through September 29, 2023, which is when we are aiming to have drivers switched back on to their ELD.

To utilize the extension and remain compliant, please ensure your drivers adhere to the following conditions:

  • Keep a copy of the Extension Letter in each vehicle.
  • If a driver is stopped for a roadside inspection, they must present the Extension Letter to the Enforcement Officer.  

ORBCOMM Malfunction Extension Letter.pdf

Categories
Referral

Fill a Seat, Get a Seat!

As a reminder, the baseball referral campaign ends in a few weeks, so if you haven’t already, be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to earn the bonus and get a chance to win a new truck seat! Make sure when they fill out the application, they fill in your name in the referred section.

Thank you again for your support! Here is the current leaderboard:

  • Dan Emel
  • Kaleb Green
  • Keith Thrasher
  • Orville Merrill
  • George Robinson
  • Nicole Young
  • Dalton Medley
  • Erika Gregory
  • Myles Rogers
  • Travis Palmer
  • Jessica Branham
FILL A SEAT, GET A SEAT!

Refer a driver to earn bases. The driver with the most bases by the end of the contest wins the Grand Prize! The more bases the better!

POINT SYSTEM:

Get a base for an application, applicant interview, applicant hired, and applicated seated.

REFERRAL PROGRAM INCLUDES:
  • $100 for EACH driver lead or application. PLUS 500 MK Pro-Points
  • $1,000 paid to MK Driver once the applicant is hired: $500 paid out once seated, $250 at 3 months, & $250 at 6 months
  • GRAND PRIZE: the driver with the most bases will receive a brand new truck seat
Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics

ORBCOMM / Bluetree Service Interruption update

As you may have noticed, our Orbcomm/Bluetree systems have been down for a while now, and we are unsure when they will be restored. We have received an update from Orbcomm, and right now, if you are to log out of your Orbcomm device, you will be unable to log back in. Please document your last 7 days of logs somewhere safe in order to remain in compliance.

Stay logged in when possible, and if you do not have access to your E-Log, please switch to paper logs. If you need any assistance, please get in touch with someone here in the office.

If you’re in an event where you get stopped, please show them these letters.

ORBCOMM Malfunction Extension.pdf

ORBCOMM Roadside Outage Communication.pdf