Category: Announcement & Hot Topics

Did you know that during winter there is an increasing amount of vehicle collisions due to poor weather conditions? It’s reported that 24% of weather-related vehicle accidents occur during the winter with icy roads being the leading cause of winter truck accidents.

As the cold weather approaches, you must prepare yourselves and your vehicles for the upcoming winter conditions. Snow, ice, and low visibility can make driving more challenging, but there are several steps you can take to ensure your safety on the road.

Firstly, it’s important to check the vehicle’s brakes, battery, fluids, and tires before heading out on a trip. Make sure that the tires have sufficient tread and are filled with air to the recommended pressure. Additionally, truck drivers should keep emergency supplies in their vehicles, such as a first aid kit, blankets, extra clothing, and food and water.

Another essential is to make sure that the windshield and windows are clear of ice and snow before driving. This will help to ensure better visibility and allow you to be seen while on the road. Additionally, it’s essential to drive at a safe speed and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles to allow for better stopping in case of an emergency.

By taking these necessary safety precautions and having the right equipment on hand, you can help ensure your safety and the safety of others while driving in winter weather conditions.

When in doubt, shut it down! No load is more important than your safety!

A Guide to Safe Winter Driving – Tips and Tricks from MK Drivers

As part of our recent maintenance campaign, we requested that you share some useful tips and tricks for driving safely during the winter season. We have collected all your responses and compiled them into a guide for your use. By following these tips and being prepared, you can stay safe while driving on winter roads.

No matter where you find yourself this Christmas – whether at home with family, sleeping in your cab, or delivering the final gifts – remember that you are appreciated. While Santa Claus often takes the spotlight, it’s important to recognize the real heroes: our professional drivers. To those working over the Holidays, thank you for your hard work and dedication.

To the entire MK Family, thank you for being such an important part of our team. Thank you for keeping the economy moving and ensuring goods are delivered safely and efficiently. We appreciate all that you do for us here at Marvin Keller Trucking.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, prosperous New Year!

Just a reminder, our team has initiated the second phase of MK Connect! The second phase focuses on how we can help you enhance your overall performance and achieve your individual goals. Let’s connect so we can better support you!

To access this survey, click on the link below that contains your Driver Manager’s name. Once you fill out and submit the survey, your DM will schedule a call with you to review your response. When filling out the survey, please be as detailed as possible.

Please fill this out as soon as you can. We appreciate your participation and look forward to reviewing your feedback.

Amy – MK Connect Phase 2

Tom – MK Connect Phase 2

Andrew – MK Connect Phase 2

Alex – MK Connect Phase 2

Lucas – MK Connect Phase 2

At our operations meeting every Friday, 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.

First we would like to shoutout, Marc Bear, Dave Williams, & Jason Coleman for installing their own Samsung tablets in their trucks to save the cost of coming down to the shop. Thank you!

We would like to thank Alvin Jordan for he had been at a new location in TX recently and helped give directions to the next driver who was having trouble finding the office. Thank you for being so willing to help out!

Shoutout to Eli Greenwood for he took matters into his own hands to save time by restacking 5 pallets that had shifted rather than wait for the Receiver. Way to work extra so you could keep moving!

We would like to recognize Anthony Gilio. He pulled two loads out of Augusta so we could keep another driver moving who was not arriving until after that facility closed. Thank you for being someone we can rely on!

Thank you to Terrance Parks! He left out a day early several weeks in a row to help save deliveries for us. Thank for helping to keep our Customers happy!

We would like to shoutout Ken Newby for he disposed of damaged product at his own property to save us the cost of playing someone to pick it up. Thank you always for going over and above.

Shoutout to Jason Grigsby for he had a difficult situation a weeks ago with many complications including rejected product and lots of downtime Thank you for having a good attitude and being understanding through the mess!

We would like to recognize Eric Doney for he was struck by another driver at a truck stop and was able to chase the driver down to get his company info so we could claim the damages to our equipment. We appreciate your determination!

Lastly, thank you to Terry Hodge, Chris Le, Anthony Collins, Damien Strong, Robert Benton, and Garrett McWilliams for working extra days in the past few weeks to help us make on time deliveries. We appreciate the extra work from all of you!

UPDATE: If you have any questions or if for some reason the sticker is not scanning, please inform your DM.

Did you know that you can earn MK Pro-Points when you find an “I Spy” sticker on our trailers?

What is an “I Spy” Sticker?

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!

Only 34 drivers have found these stickers!

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?

MK Connect Survey Results – Phase 1

We have completed the initial phase of the MK Connect Surveys and have compiled all of your responses to help Marvin Keller make improvements. Here are some of the key findings:

• One daily problem reported by drivers was the After Hours Call Center. To tackle this issue, we started weekly meetings with their team to provide additional training opportunities, which has significantly improved the call center’s service.
• Another challenge cited by drivers was workflow in BlueTree. To address this, our team has integrated workflow into the DriveMK App, which all drivers should be using. And since switching to Samsara after the BT ELD went down, we have received nothing but positive feedback regarding workflow.

Marvin Keller wants to connect with You! – Phase 2

Now, we will be initiating the second phase of survey questions that will focus on how we can help you enhance your overall performance. Let’s connect so we can better support you!

To access this short survey, click on the link below that contains your Driver Manager’s name. Once you fill out and submit the survey, your DM will schedule a call with you to go over your response. We appreciate your participation and look forward to reviewing your feedback.

Amy – MK Connect Phase 2

Tom – MK Connect Phase 2

Andrew – MK Connect Phase 2

Alex – MK Connect Phase 2

Lucas – MK Connect Phase 2

For the past couple of weeks of driver spotlights, we recognized the following drivers who went above and beyond! We appreciate you going the extra mile!

We would like to shoutout Molly Gribler. She noticed her copy of a BOL was missing a page and made sure she got it from the Shipper.  This saved us from headaches trying to bill the Customer for the shipment.  Thank you! 

Thank you to Ed Hrezo. He headed out really early in the morning so we could make an on-time delivery.  Thank you for helping to keep our Customers happy.

Kim Kuffel & Gifford Libby and Jessica Branham & Will Caldwell did Meet and Greets to help us get drivers home on time.   Thank you for being so willing to help out.

Alvin Jordan, Sean Johnson, Dan Schmitt, and Ed Hrezo have all worked extra days in the past few weeks to help us make on time delivery. Thank you for being someone we can rely on.

In order for all business to succeed, they must always be creating a culture of constant improvement.  Marvin Keller is no exception.  Understanding that adaptation and improvement is necessary to survive and thrive is important for everyone, no matter their role. 

Associates must keep in mind that there is ALWAYS room for improvement, no matter how well things are going in the present.  Those who have the improvement mindset understand that the purpose of improving is to constantly bring value to their company and customers in order to stay ahead of the rest. 

These team members are focused on the company goals and shape their behavior and actions to align with those goals.  All members of a team bring a set of skills and experience and contribute, but no one will ever know everything.  There is always room to improve, and it’s important to note that major changes for the better can happen incrementally.  Minor improvements over time can make a big difference.

Team players avoid casting blame on others and making excuses.  They accept responsibility and learn from their mistakes.  They also share knowledge with others.

One way Marvin Keller drivers show their constant-improvement mindset is by adding information to the MK Drive app so other drivers can take advantage of the shared knowledge.  They are also open to learning new technologies to improve the logistics process.  Small things like that go a long way.

Marvin Keller Implements New Tablets to Enhance Your On-Road Experience

We’re thrilled to announce that our brand-new tablets have arrived! These tablets are designed to improve your driving experience and provide a seamless location for all your needs while on the road. We utilized the ELD system switch to introduce a new set of tablets and after thorough research, we selected the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 with Verizon as the perfect fit.

Some features include:

• Unlimited Data – the freedom to use as little or as much data as you would like
• A wide range of apps such as navigation, trucker apps, and DriveMK to provide you with more information at your fingertips.

Our tablets come with a variety of apps, including streaming services, music, and audio entertainment, all of which can be accessed through your own personal account information. We will continue to explore additional apps and functionality with the tablets on an ongoing basis. If you have any recommendations for apps you’d like us to include, please inform your driver manager.

The tablets are designed as a one-stop shop for all the information and tools drivers need to complete their trips with ease. We are confident that these tablets will make our industry safer, our driver’s lives easier, and our company stronger.