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Announcement & Hot Topics

Recognizing Driver Excellence

Our team would like to acknowledge a few of our drivers who have demonstrated exceptional levels of dedication, positivity, professionalism, and hard work. These drivers have been chosen for their remarkable contributions and commitment to excellence.

“It’s difficult to summarize Ken’s contributions in just a few sentences. Ken has been driving for 56 years starting at the age of 19. He drove for his uncle for 2 years and then bought his own truck. In 1989, his business grew to a 38-truck fleet running for ADM. He continued with them until Sept of 2001 when he came to Marvin Keller. Ken continued with MK until 2013 when he left to try his hand at running a body shop with his son. In 2018 Ken came back to MK and remains here today. Ken helps the shop by assisting with DOT Inspections on trailers, installing Samsara units on trailers, and identifying and repairing minor maintenance issues. Ken is also a part of our training program primarily working with students on backing skills, using and updating Samsara and Drive MK, or any additional training they may need. We’re incredibly fortunate to have Ken as a member of the MK Family.” – Amy, Owner Operator Program Manager

“Since Rick joined Marvin Keller in August, he has consistently ran 3000+ miles a week as a company driver. He is always timely and always provides the MK team with updates. His work ethic is second to none, and he is a great asset to have on the team.” – Lucas, Driver Manager

“The Branham Team recently paired up and they’ve been awesome since the start. They are consistently accurate with times and updates they send to us for ETAs. They stay on top of all their paperwork and turn in anything we ask timely. They go above and beyond when the company needs help with a load. The Branhams are true examples of our culture and the level of professionalism we strive for at MK.” – Alex, Driver Manager

“Robert started at Marvin Keller in September as a driver in our 4 on 4 off program. Since he started he has always been willing to work extra days and stay out to help make deliveries. Robert is always on time and is excellent at communicating with the MK team. He has been a great asset and is always willing to go the extra mile.” – Lucas, Driver Manager

“Charity has recently become a trainer here at Marvin Keller. Some of her strengths are attention to detail, a positive attitude, and of course, is always a hard worker. She is a perfect fit to teach new drivers and help them achieve success here at Marvin Keller.” – Andrew, Driver Manager

“Jerry is always willing to help out wherever he can. When we need a load delivered Jerry is always there to assist. His recent accomplishment is transitioning from a company driver to a lease purchase operator. Jerry always maintains a positive attitude, even when things are not going their way. We appreciate all that he does to help out Marvin Keller.” – Tom, Driver Manager

Thank you for all that you do and continue to do to help us be the best carrier out there! Keep up the great work!

Recognizing the Role of Truck Drivers

As we continue to navigate through the new year, the role of truck drivers has become even more critical in keeping the supply chain moving smoothly. Last year presented many difficulties, and we would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to every one of you who worked tirelessly to deliver essential goods and resources to communities across the nation.

“As more than 80% of U.S. communities rely exclusively on trucks to meet their freight transportation needs, the impact of truck drivers is felt in every corner of the country.” The things that fill our lives and power our economy are made available thanks to a truck and a driver behind the wheel. We truly appreciate YOU and all the hard work and dedication that goes into being a professional driver. Thank you, MK Drivers.

Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics Safety

Split Sleeper Berth – ELD

As part of their Hours of Service reporting, drivers may spend some of their rest period in a sleeper berth. Drivers record rest time in sleeper berths using the Samsara Driver App. You can review sleeper berth time in the daily log for the driver.

Sleep Sleeper Berth Rules

Drivers may split their 10-hour required shift reset period into two periods, provided that one is at least a 7-hour split sleeper berth (SB) period and the other is at least a 2-hour off-duty SB period.

These two periods must add up to 10 hours. Neither time will count against the shift time when the second period is completed. By default, Samsara calculates shift points and removes potential violations after both periods are met. To proactively pause shift clocks between shifts, drivers can enable Split Sleeper Toggle.

Refer to the provided link to view additional regulations regarding Split Sleeper Berth in Samsara.

Split Sleeper Berth Rules

Spilt Sleeper Toggle

To proactively pause shift clocks during split sleeper berth conditions, you can enable the Split Sleeper Toggle in the Samsara Driver App.

To enable the Split Sleeper Toggle, perform the following workflow:

  1. Log in to the Samsara Driver App.
  2. Tap HOS > HOS settings and enable Split Sleeper Toggle.split_sleeper_toggle_highlight.pngAn option displays under the HOS dials after you have completed one eligible split sleeper period in your shift:split_sleeper_berth_toggle_disabled.pngsplit_sleeper_berth_toggle_enabled.png
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Announcement & Hot Topics

Did you know?

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.

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Announcement & Hot Topics

Merry Christmas from MK!

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!

Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics

Connect with MK – Reminder!

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

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Announcement & Hot Topics

Driver Spotlights

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!

Marc Bear
Dave Williams
Jason Coleman

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!

Terry
Chris
Anthony
Damien
Robert
Garrett
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Announcement & Hot Topics

Did you know?

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?

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Announcement & Hot Topics

MK wants to Connect with You!

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

Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics

Driver Spotlights

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.

Kim Kuffel
Jessica Branham
Gifford Libby
Will Caldwell

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.

Alvin Jordan
Sean Johnson
Dan Schmitt
Ed Hrezo
Categories
Announcement & Hot Topics Maintenance & Equipment

Did you know?

Did you know you can earn 200 Pro-Points by identifying maintenance issues and scheduling inspections for trailers?

Annual vehicle inspection reports (AVIRs) are mandatory for tractor-trailer safety, and there are many reasons why they are important to complete, such as:

  • Identifying unsafe conditions before they cause accidents
  • Pinpointing mechanical problems before costly breakdowns occur
  • Preventing DOT roadside inspections from placing you out of service or issuing infractions and fines.

We currently have some overdue AVIRs for our trailers, and we could use your assistance! Check out the list below to see which trailers require inspection or need paperwork scanned in. *Note that this list is constantly being updated daily so, PLEASE check for the trailer’s paperwork first. If the AVIR has already been completed, but the trailer still appears on the due list, please scan in the paperwork.

How to scan in AVIR paperwork:

  • In mobile capture, scan in the paperwork under maintenance, then AVIR
  • Then, you will need to enter the unit # and date

Once we’ve received the paperwork, we will reward you with 200 Pro-Points as a token of gratitude for your hard work. These are very important to complete, and we appreciate those who identify trailer AVIR dues and take the time to get them inspected. Thank you!

Trailer AVIR’s Due – List