Category: Announcement & Hot Topics

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.

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.

2. 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. 

3. 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.

4. 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.

How many times have you sat around idly while worrying about all the things you need to get done instead of just doing them? I think we’ve all had times when we felt overwhelmed by our workload and weren’t sure how to get started. Proper time management is essential in any profession. Professional truck driving is no exception and probably requires more attention than other fields. Because the nature of the job involves a lot of unknown variables, it’s incredibly important to have a plan of action each day and learn how to manage the short amount of time in which to complete the necessary tasks.

When you effectively manage your work time, the benefits will carry over to your personal life as well. It goes without saying that those who have good time-management skills are more productive as they have more time to devote to tasks. This also results in higher-quality work and greater overall profitability. An integral part of time management is knowing how to appropriately allocate your time. Here are some tips:

• Learn what tasks take the most time and allocate your time to leave the most for the most important activities
• Set priorities based on urgency and importance of tasks, avoiding non-important tasks.
• Get organized! Clutter has a negative impact on well-being and productivity
• Avoid multi-tasking; studies show it doesn’t save time because when you have to switch from one task to another your focus and concentration is broken and you lose productivity
• Avoid procrastinating
• It’s often hard to remember everything you have to do, so use planning tools if you need to. Make notes; use a notebook, planner, or phone apps to keep track of your priorities.

As a driver, the best way for you to make good use of your time is to trip plan. Plan a routine and follow it every day, writing down all your steps if that helps you follow it. The effects of good-time management are not just related to productivity. It also benefits your personal well-being. When you’re not worried about having to cram in all your work duties, you have more free time to do the things you want. You also have more energy and less stress.

The most successful and resilient companies foster a culture of discipline and responsibility. A company is only as successful as its team members. If you need help forming a routine or are struggling to maintain productivity, please reach out to your driver manager as they can help with trip planning and anything else to help you perform at your best.

The most successful people are constantly improving. Having a self-improvement mindset involves being willing to learn and being open to new ideas and ways of thinking. This mindset is necessary for effective problem-solving and personal and professional growth.

Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Those with a self-improvement mindset see failure as a learning opportunity. These individuals understand that learning new skills requires practice and failure. Don’t fear failure; learn from it. We learn from our mistakes because it forces us to question our methods and try something new. Effort and resilience are keys to growth.

Conversely, people with a fixed mindset believe they have a fixed set of skills that cannot be changed. Therefore, any attempt to learn anything new is futile. They avoid challenges for fear of failure and see any failure as evidence of their lack of abilities and potential and they settle for “good enough.” But we should never settle because we can always do better; accept nothing less than greatness.

We live in a world that values immediate results and this can contribute to our unwillingness to keep trying when we don’t get them. We have to shift our focus to the effort and process and value that growth more than a quick outcome. While unproductive effort is never helpful, most growth happens incrementally. Here are some ways to achieve this mindset.

• Learn from your mistakes.
  • Seek feedback from your supervisor, team, and others and use the feedback to improve. Accept constructive criticism without becoming defensive or taking things personally and be willing to put forth the effort to improve.
  • Adopt an attitude of genuine humility: a modesty that comes from understanding our place in the greater scheme of things. Having a servant mindset increases our ability to learn and be good leaders.
  • Avoid arrogance as it leads to overconfidence and complacency. These have detrimental effects on safety and our ability to adapt and grow.
• Practice mindfulness and self-reflection. Maintain awareness of your feelings and thoughts when you get carried away by negative or defeatist thought patterns. Make an honest assessment of your traits, attributes, and performance and adopt and attitude that is accepting of change.
• Be adaptable. Always be willing to change your approach to problems to meet ever-changing needs.

Those with the growth mindset confront chaos and turn it into order. They learn from their mistakes, use feedback to their advantage, and they consider mindset as a skill that must be practiced.