Category: Announcement & Hot Topics

Please join us in welcoming Kanen Byard – the newest member of our team!

“Hi, my name is Kanen Byard. I am excited to join the Marvin Keller operations team as a Driver Manager. My logistics experience consists of wearing a few different hats. I started in the industry 8 years ago as an Operations Analyst for Celadon Trucking’s flatbed division in Indianapolis. They were bought by Blair Logistics, which gave me the opportunity to be a Driver Manager for one of Blair’s flatbed fleets working out of their Memphis, TN terminal. I then continued my career by moving back home to Central Illinois to be the Logistics Clerk for CHI Overhead Door’s fleet. At CHI I was the accounts payable for their drivers and helped the other transportation employees with load planning, dispatch, safety, and LTL when needed. CHI then gave me the opportunity to acquire my CDL and drive for them which I did for 6 months. I tried out trucking over the road, but ultimately decided operations is where I am best suited, however, I will always remember that experience as a driver.

So after coming off the road, I found an opportunity as the Traffic Coordinator for Lester Building Systems for a short stint and now have found a home at Marvin Keller. A little about my personal life… I have been married for 4 years now. My interests include camping, amateur hunter and fisherman, and hanging out in the woods. I also consider myself a researcher at heart. I love learning about history, biblical history, and reading the Bible. I also enjoy learning about homesteading and food preservation, off-grid living, and bushcraft skills and trying to practice them little by little. Fun fact about my family history… My great grandfather’s first cousin was LT Cdr Ralph Duncan Byard who was a survivor of the sinking of the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Don’t be a stranger if you see me around! I look forward to getting to know everyone here at Marvin Keller.”

A strong work ethic breeds success. The level of company and individual success is a direct result of the quality of work performed. Successful businesses are those in which individual and company values and goals are aligned. When this is the case, everyone wins. Marvin Keller expects all employees to perform to the best of their abilities. The highest-performing drivers are reliable, flexible, dedicated, disciplined, and productive. Here are a few of the ways that you can demonstrate a strong work ethic:

• Work your assigned schedule: Unplanned absences are detrimental to the company and to you as a result. If you share a truck, your partner is also affected by your absences as this may result in your schedules being disrupted.
• Be on time: Be where you are supposed to be every step of your day. This involves discipline and trip planning. Not everything runs perfectly, but trip planning and giving yourself extra time helps to avoid long delays if you miss appointments due to traffic congestion or other unforeseen delays.
• Be efficient with your time. When your time is regulated and you only have so many hours to work, you have to make them count.

A good work ethic results in enhanced job performance, career advancement, and better pay. Marvin Keller is focused on service and driver performance; we are monitoring on-duty/not-driving times to ensure we are being efficient and productive. We are here to support you and if you feel there is anything standing in the way of your success, please reach out to the Driver Manager team. We want to make sure everyone is able to perform at their full potential.

Our driver managers need your help!

Please ensure that you send in your ETAs and keep our team informed of any delays at shippers/consignees, as well as any general delays such as breakdowns or heavy traffic. We are currently training new driver managers over the next few weeks and we need your support while we are short-staffed.

Our aim is to provide you and our customers with the best service possible!

It’s no secret that drivers who are polite and courteous to customers, shippers, and receivers are more likely to experience fewer delays and a smoother loading and unloading experience. Customers are a premium at any time but that especially holds true during freight recessions when customers and freight are hard to come by. Truly elite fleets are set apart from the rest and get priority business by providing good service and showing respect.

Another way to show respect for customers is to pick up and deliver loads on time. When you follow a shipper or receiver’s schedule, you show that you have respect for their time. Having the product off or on the dock when they need it goes a long way in maintaining customer relationships and growing your business with them. If you’re going to be late due to circumstances out of your control, let your driver manager know so the customer can be notified. Showing up late without notice is unacceptable and leads to loss of business.

Marvin Keller is laser-focused on service and is watching service levels carefully. The driver manager team is here to support you. If you are struggling to meet our service levels, reach out to them and they will form a plan to help you succeed.

Please join us in welcoming Dan, the newest member of our Customer Team!

“Hello, my name is Dan Fultz. I am joining the Marvin Keller team as an Account Representative, and I am excited to take on a new challenge in the transportation industry. I have 5 years in a sales background as a Financial Advisor and almost 20 years in various ministry leadership roles. I look forward to using this skill set to develop MK’s line network and supplier partnerships. My wife and I will soon be celebrating 17 years of marriage, and we have two children Alex (13) and Aubrey (11). I stay active with running, biking, and swimming while spending as much family time as possible. Growing up in Pennsylvania, we have made our kids Philadelphia Eagles fans but we’ve managed to survive 10 years in Bears country. I look forward to building relationships, growing with the company, and being part of a great team here at Marvin Keller!”

Introducing the newest member of MK, Jon-Michael Winans. Jon works in our Operations Team as a Driver Manager.

“Hello, my name is Jon Winans. I am joining the Marvin Keller team as a Driver Manager and I am excited to learn something a little new! I come from the LTL world. I was a forklift operator for 6 years before becoming an operations supervisor and dispatcher for almost 10 years. I have enjoyed working in the transportation industry and look forward to growing more knowledge now with truckload. Prior to that I worked at a local pizza joint through high school and college and also dabbled in sales. I have been married just over 13 years now and have two children. My son is 13 and my daughter is 8. Outside of work I enjoy the outdoors, love to fish, and will never pass up watching a good baseball game! With that said, GO CUBS! At the end of the day, nothing beats kicking your feet up by a nice fire and roasting some marshmallows with the wife and kids. I look forward to my new role as Driver Manager and I am excited to get to know everyone especially the drivers!”

Please join us in welcoming Jon!

Our fleet has taken a significant step forward by integrating 410 trailers and 100 trucks with Samsara’s Tracking System. This technological upgrade offers real-time visibility of our equipment, boosting fleet efficiency and theft prevention through tracking devices.

Initially, we used Sky Bitz for tracking before switching to Orbcomm’s system. However, challenges with parts and installation delays prompted us to bring in Lonestar, a third-party tracking service. However, managing equipment across three software platforms posed monitoring challenges.

In September 2023, Orbcomm suffered a cyberattack lasting 22 days, resulting in a loss of visibility on our equipment, leading drivers to resort to paper logs. This Orbcomm security malfunction prompted a swift software deployment on our end. By the end of September, we started implementing a new ELD System called Samsara, which also included tracking devices. The MK team made it a priority for prompt installation to get us out of the dark. We worked closely with our reliable maintenance vendors to conduct routine lot checks and enlisted their help in the installation process. Furthermore, company drivers, Jimmy Hendrix, and Ken Newby installed many of the new trackers to our equipment in our local regions whenever possible, contributing significantly to the initiative.

We installed the final trailer tracker last week, wrapping up the project in just 8 months! This success was thanks to the collaborative work of our MK Team and Maintenance Network, ensuring a smooth installation process and progress towards our fleet’s high-performance objectives.   

Situational awareness is a crucial skill for truck drivers, as it impacts safety, efficiency, and overall performance on the road. At its core, situational awareness involves looking ahead and being fully conscious of your surrounding environment, understanding how various factors interact, and anticipating potential hazards before they become imminent threats. For professional drivers, this means constantly monitoring traffic patterns, road conditions, weather changes, and the behavior of other drivers to make informed decisions that ensure safe and smooth travel.

Knowing and implementing the Smith5Keys provides more space for the vehicle, visibility for the driver, and time to make and act on decisions.

Key 1: Aim High In Steering

Learning to look farther down the road (at least 15 seconds minimum) to see what’s ahead gives you the advantage of planning your next move rather than just reacting to situations around you.

Key 2: Get The Big Picture

Staying alert to relevant information, such as what the vehicles around you are doing, gives you the ability to make safe, well-informed decisions. By checking at least one mirror every 5 to 8 seconds helps create a circle of awareness around your vehicle.

Key 3: Keep Your Eyes Moving

Not only is an active mind less likely to become fatigued, but it is better able to process information. As you are looking farther down the road and using your mirrors to monitor what’s going on around you, you’ll see changes as they happen and be able to adjust your driving plan accordingly.

Key 4: Leave Yourself An Out

By surrounding your vehicle with the most space possible, you’re leaving “yourself an out” to change lanes and change your driving position, as the traffic around you shifts. Avoid traveling in traffic clusters. The safest position in traffic is the one with the fewest vehicles around you.

Key 5: Make Sure They See You

Make eye contact with other drivers and pedestrians. Make sure they know you’re there, and watch what they do so you can avoid sudden, unplanned movements that could turn into a crash. Your ability to keep an eye on how they’re reacting to conditions, and to make sure they know you’re there, can help keep everyone safer.

Remember to use the Smith System Keys to maintain a high level of situational awareness and to execute appropriate actions to mitigate over-the-road risks. Situational awareness is not just about personal safety; it also contributes to the safety of other road users and the timely delivery of goods, which is vital to the economy and community well-being.

Honesty means much more than just telling the truth. It encompasses a range of behaviors that contribute to a person’s integrity and make them a desired and valuable associate and team member. When you are not completely forthcoming, your team members pay the price. Being dishonest even in the really small things is a terrible weakness and will end up costing you and your team in the long run.

Most importantly, being honest builds trust, which is key to creating a professional and successful work environment. Transparency and open communication are essential and this begins with top management. MK’s leadership must foster this environment and ensure everyone feels free to respectfully provide suggestions, ideas, and solutions without fear of reprisal.

Honest associates are accountable and reliable. They take ownership of their work and their mistakes and don’t try to pass the buck. Because Truckers are essentially working remotely, no one is looking over your shoulders to make sure you’re doing everything correctly. An easy way to show honesty and build trust is to report when things happen, even the mistakes; this is how we learn and improve. Remember, mistakes are to be taken in the context of a process, policy, or procedure, not in a personalized or demeaning manner.

A new initiative to improve and reduce physical damage to the equipment is underway. This requires Drivers to routinely submit inspection reports noting any damage to the tractor or trailer before heading out on your shift. For us to improve, we need to understand what happened so we can try to prevent it from recurring. Equipment damage is costly and means there is work to do to improve. The first recommendation is to be more conscientious, deliberate, and careful with tight maneuvers and backing.
Get Out & Look is the tiresome old slogan, but it is time-tested and effective.

Next, we will undertake a statistical analysis of frequency and severity of the damage and then determine what is needed to reduce and improve. We will share these results and continuously update our processes. This is how we find strength in being honest.