Category: Recognition

Meet Rachel Fry, one of Marvin Keller’s Operations Planners.

Hello.  My name is Rachel Fry.  I started at Marvin Keller in February of 2012 as an Operations Specialist and became a planner a year later.  Before starting at MK I worked in billing and payroll for McLeod Express in Decatur, IL.  Before that, I graduated from Millikin University with degrees in English and Psychology. 

At MK, I plan from IN to the east coast and southeast regions, including TN, KY, and MS.  What I like about planning is being able to put the puzzle pieces together to create the most efficient and productive plan for the drivers that generates revenue and gets them home when they need to be.  The MK office and driving staff have a great work ethic and are a pleasure to work with. 

I live in Sullivan with my dog, Juno.  I like to play pool and video games and listen to death metal.

Meet Donna Reed, one of Marvin Keller’s Inside Account Representatives.

I started part-time with Marvin Keller in August 2006 and went full-time a year or two after that.  During my years here I have had many different roles within the customer service arena.  I currently am the customer team representative for ADM/Stratas and Nestle accounts.  I oversee the loads from beginning to end; I’m responsible for accepting/declining load offers, order entry, scheduling appointments, tracking orders, requesting detention, and invoicing.  For ADM/Stratas loads I also add the orders to a portal so ADM will preload for us.  With both accounts, I watch for available lanes that would be a good fit for MK so we can submit rates for them.  I have experienced Marvin Keller grow from a trucking company into a family environment.

Prior to coming to Marvin Keller, I worked for Illinois Power, an electric and gas company.  Most of my years there were in Human Resources supporting Employment, Labor Relations, and Safety.  When I left I was in the Law Department working with the Employment/Labor side.  I chose to leave instead of moving to St. Louis.

I have been married for 34 years to my husband Todd.  We have two children: Michael and Tiffany.  Between them we have 3 grandchildren: Peyton, 6, Rowan, 3 and Maya, 7 months.  Oh yes, we also have 2 dogs, a 15-year-old Shih Tzu and a 1-year-old basset hound that keeps us busy.

Meet Mindy Miller, one of Marvin Keller’s Inside Account Representatives.

Hello all!

My name is Mindy Miller.  I was hired in 2014 as part of the customer team.  Before coming to Marvin Keller I worked at a local bank for 10 years, then after that, I had a daycare in my home for 6 years.  So trucking was a whole new world for me!  The customers I take care of are Sherwin Williams, Conagra, and Rural King.  I do all of the order entry, appointments, and tracking for these customers as well as invoice them.  I just recently started learning Owner Operator Settlements as a backup for the accounting department.  I am enjoying learning something new and different. 

I am very thankful for my job here at Marvin Keller.  They are truly like family.  We have an enjoyable work environment which is so great!  I am so glad that I came to work at Marvin Keller Trucking.

I live in Sullivan with my husband Shannon and our boys Wyatt, who is 16, and Will who is 11.  Shannon is a firefighter/paramedic here in Sullivan and my 16-year-old just got his first job!  I enjoy spending time with them, reading, and baking. 

Hey all! My name is Mitch Wilson, and I’ve been here at Marvin Keller for about a year and a half. I graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a Marketing degree in 2010. I worked in retail sales for almost 10 years, then decided it was time to make a career change. I’d been familiar with Marvin Keller Trucking for some time and had noticed how the business had really grown over the last several years. I figured this would be a great company to work for, and I have to admit that I was right! I am part of the customer team, so I schedule appointments, work with customers, and also handle back hauls out of the Texas area.  So far it’s been a great learning experience and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. Values that I bring to Marvin Keller are honesty and integrity in the workplace and always keeping a positive attitude through change and uncertainty.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, golfing, and playing guitar with local musicians. 

This week’s “Who Are We” is dedicated to Karl Simmons, Marvin Keller’s Owner Operator Driver Trainer.

Karl was referred to Marvin Keller in 2013 by a friend who previously drove for us. This year will be Karl’s eighth year with MK! Hiring in as a company driver, Karl was asked to help grow our fleet by becoming a Driver Trainer. In 2020, Karl was able to purchase his own truck and lease on with us as an Owner Operator. We are thankful Karl is willing to continue training our drivers after this huge accomplishment. Karl enjoys working for MK due to our family atmosphere and willingness to go above and beyond to get our drivers home. He says that we are true to our motto of, “More Respect Per Mile.”

Karl has many tricks he shares with his trainees to ensure they are prepared. He shared two of them that he feels are of high importance.

• Do not hesitate to shut down in bad weather. No load is more important than safety.
• Do not let the possibility of violating stress you out. Violations happen and it is more important to legally get to safety.

Karl likes to spend time with his girlfriend and kids while at home. They like to go on trips and drive around in Karl’s 99 z28 Camaro. Karl’s favorite pastime is racing his Camaro.

Hello, everyone! My name is Tatum Ellis and I’ve been with Marvin Keller for two years. Over these past couple of years, I’ve done a variety of things for MK, but my main focus now is our social media! I push everything out on different social media platforms and help create content for it. This is what I am interested in and going to school for. I attend Eastern Illinois University and I’m majoring in Corporate Communications with a minor in Public Relations. I will be graduating this summer which is very exciting! I’m very grateful to be able to work and focus on getting my degree.   

When I’m not here working or studying for school, I enjoy spending time with my friends, family, and dog. My dog’s name is Eva. She is a cocker spaniel, poodle mix, and is seven years old. She’s definitely the queen of naps. She’s truly the best dog “Eva”.  

And if you guys don’t already know I’m a part of the family tree here! Marvin is my grandpa, Joe is my uncle, and Rick is my dad. My other grandpa, Preston, also drives here too! Who wouldn’t want to work with their family?! That’s one of the many reasons why I love working here at Marvin Keller because of our family-oriented culture.