We’ve received feedback from both food-grade customers and drivers about the importance of keeping trailers clean. Sweeping out trailers is not only a customer requirement, but it also prevents rejected equipment, frustration, and unnecessary costs.
Please keep the following in mind:
Always sweep out trailers when dropping them. Many rejections occur simply because trailers are left dirty. A rejected trailer creates frustration for customers and adds unnecessary expense when another driver has to bring a clean one.
Helpful tools for cleaning trailers (shared by Bobby Miller):
Leaf blower
Broom
5-gallon bucket (for collecting and disposing of debris)
Flashlight (to spot glass or dirt at the front of the trailer)
Crowbar/hammer (to pull up nails)
Keeping trailers clean is a small step that makes a big impact on our reputation, customer satisfaction, and overall efficiency. Thank you for doing your part!
End-of-Rotation Reminder
Before heading home on your last day of rotation, please check in with Dispatch. Don’t assume you’re automatically done for the week—sometimes last-minute needs come up that require a hand. A quick check-in helps prevent miscommunication and keeps things running smoothly for the whole team.
In short, swept trailers and a quick check with Dispatch = happy customers, smoother operations, and less stress for everyone. Thanks for helping us keep things running smoothly
We’re proud to shine the spotlight on one of our latest customers, Krusteaz, a brand that has been bringing smiles to kitchens across America since 1932.
As a product line of Continental Mills, headquartered in Tukwila, Washington, Krusteaz is known for its high-quality dry bakery mixes. If you’ve browsed the baking aisle at your local grocery store, chances are you’ve seen (or baked with!) a Krusteaz product, from pancakes and muffins to cornbread and cookies.
The story began in 1932 when Rose Charters decided to tackle the challenge of making the perfect, easy-to-prepare pie crust. She called her product Krusteaz pie crust (cleverly combining “crust” and “ease”). Rose and her husband James started selling the mix to friends, neighbors, and local cafes. They quickly outgrew their home kitchen and soon opened the first manufacturing plant in Seattle.
In April, we were awarded dedicated lanes directly for Krusteaz. These lanes run out of Effingham and Hopkinsville to various locations in IL, GA, KY, and others. The transition has been smooth, and our team has appreciated the flexibility they offer and the ability to make adjustments when needed for pickup or delivery times.
Many of our drivers are already familiar with the Continental Mills site in Hopkinsville, and we’re thrilled to continue growing this relationship through expanded freight opportunities.
We’re celebrating an incredible milestone out of Pennington, AL — 57 Walmart loads delivered with zero failures so far this year! That’s a 100% on-time service rate, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Here is some feedback from our KBX customer:
💬 “KMTN has taken 57 Walmart loads… not a single failure! HUGE shoutout to Jason & the team for staying on top of these and making Walmart loads a priority. Thank you for all your efforts!” – Sarah, Senior Logistics Specialist,
💬 “This is awesome to see! Thank you all very much for your hard work and execution on servicing Walmart. Walmart is a very sensitive customer for us, so to see 100% service is greatly appreciated. Keep up the great work!” – Kyle, Logistics Manager, KBX
💬 “Incredible!!! Really awesome job to everyone at Marvin Keller!” – Shelby, Logistics Team Lead, KBX
This kind of consistent performance only happens when professional, dedicated drivers put excellence first — and that’s exactly what our team has done.
We’re always working on business development at Marvin Keller; no company ever grew by resting on its laurels. That’s why we’re always striving to gain new customers and expand our lane options with existing customers. Customer freight bids can be unsparing and even long-standing customers can be seduced by the cheapest bid. Our sales rep, Dan, is always bringing in new leads and has landed the company several new customers in his short tenure so far. Here’s an overview of what’s new so far this year.
Krusteaz
Our most recent acquisition is the baking company Krusteaz. You’ve undoubtedly seen their baking mixes at the grocery store. Many of you have run their lanes to Continental Mills in Hopkinsville KY. We will be running some lanes directly through the customer out of Effingham and Hopkinsville to various locations in IL, GA, KY, and others. These new loads should go live in the next week or so.
Shasta
Those of you who run south may have run a load or two for Shasta Beverages, a soda company. These lanes run from Gainesville GA to Alabaster AL or Montgomery AL. While it’s only a couple of lanes right now, as long as we provide good service, we have our foot in the door to open up new business with them.
KBX
While we’ve been running loads for KBX for a while now, our consistent good service has allowed for more and more lane opportunities. Pennington AL to Elwood IL has been a steady lane for several years now. What started out as a decent way to get back to IL, despite incurring quite a bit of deadhead miles to get there, has become a major hub in the south region. With the proliferation of drivers based in the Carolinas, we’ve created a “micro network” of business down there that makes coming to the Midwest during a work rotation unnecessary. We’ve started running Hartsville SC to Pennington AL, getting us directly where the freight is with no deadhead. The Shasta lanes to AL are also lining up with these. And we’ve recently acquired a Pennington to Olney IL lane in addition to the Elwood, allowing us to return IL drivers home easily. With Pennington being drop and hook, it has become a high velocity lane.
Primient
We’ve been running for Primient for a while, but we were recently awarded a Decatur to Charlotte NC lane, a lane we had been running through a broker. We always want to work directly with customers and the rate is increased by cutting out the middle man.
Growing a business doesn’t happen overnight. It happens in little steps, often one lane at a time, and small changes add up. Sometimes all it takes is one or two customer lanes replacing broker lanes, or a few thousand deadhead miles every quarter to add up to major gains. MK will continue to push forward, grow our customers, improve our service, and continue to be successful. Your part in this is to provide the excellent service necessary for us to remain a carrier of choice. MK’s success is your success.
We are honored to receive such positive feedback from our customers, like Kaitlyn at ADM, who recently acknowledged our top-quality service. We would like to extend our gratitude to you guys for representing Marvin Keller so well and providing excellent customer service. Keep up the great work everyone!
The network team has recently acquired a new Customer, Packing Corporation of America. We started hauling Pulpboard rolls out of their Containerboard Mill in Valdosta, GA. Just last week, we also started to haul Pulpboard rolls out of their Counce, TN location. These shipments are preloaded and deliver to IL, IN, & MO.
PCA is one of the largest producers of containerboard and corrugated packaging products and has over 120 facilities across the U.S. They started as the North Star Mill in Quincy, Illinois in 1867 making paper from wild grasses and eventually straw. It was the first of the Central Fiber Products Company which became one of the three companies that formed PCA. In 1959 Packaging Corporation of America was formed by the consolidation of the Central Fiber Products Company, the American Box Board Company, and the Ohio Boxboard Company.
In 1991 PCA purchases two containerboard mills, 19 corrugated container plants, and cutting rights to approximately 650,000 acres of timberlands from Georgia-Pacific.
Last year PCA was included in Forbes magazine’s 2021 list of “World’s Best Employers” — one of only 24 U.S.-based manufacturing/engineering companies to make the list.
Corrugated boxes are everywhere. They are used to package, transport, display, and promote almost every product you see and buy. Corrugated is the most sustainable packaging material available and we look forward to growing our business with PCA!
“Just a friendly reminder that all drivers entering our plants need an ID. We cannot allow anyone on site without an ID.
Also, please ensure drivers are aware they need high viz, bump cap and close toed shoes if exiting truck on site.
This is all to ensure safety to the drivers on site.
Thank you for all you do and reminding all drivers of the requirements.”
Please make sure you are wearing the required safety gear when exiting truck on site at all Nestle locations. We appreciate you and your priority to safety!
We received exciting news from ADM regarding our on-time percentage for Walmart.
“Just wanted to say week 14 came out today for Walmart and it was the best on time percentage since 2021. Week 14 hit at 97.9%!!!
All of your locations were on time, nothing early or late at all.
I really really appreciate the hard work that goes into these orders. I am chasing that 100% on time for Decatur and we are close!! Couldn’t do it without you, your teams, and of course the dedicated drivers!! Please pass along my thanks and gratitude to them as well, this is just awesome!”
Currently, there is a lot of construction at the plant and there is very little room to maneuver a trailer around, so all trailers are being dropped at their lot.
The best practice is to drop the empty trailer at 111 E Lynn St., then bobtail to Hearthside and get the paperwork out of the mailbox by the shipping office on the north side of the building. Then head back to 111 E Lynn St and pick-up the loaded trailer.
Now that we are back as a primary carrier for Mars Petcare, we have the opportunity to start hauling freight from their Royal Canin division. We pick up preloaded shipments from the Edwardsville site and deliver to PetSmart in Ottawa, IL & to Animal Supply Company in Bartlett, IL.
Royal Canin was started in 1968 in France when a veterinarian named Jean Cathary came to believe that food could impact the health of animals. They strive to make nutrition a cat or dog’s first medicine and their philosophy is to make a better world for pets. By 1974 Royal Canin had expanded internationally and their products were being sold in eight countries across Europe.
By the mid-1980s the brand was launched in the United States. In 1997 Royal Canin was the first pet food company that offered a nutritional program based on the size and age of dogs. Mars acquired them in 2001 and they continue to grow with new offerings such as breed-specific food, a wet range of cat food, food for pets with allergies, and even liquid designed for tube feeding so vets can help pets in critical condition.
The Marvin Keller Account Reps work hard to grow and increase volume with our current Customers. We are always looking for more drop and hook lanes to keep our Drivers moving!
