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Do you have the right personality traits for success?

You reap what you sow, as the saying goes. Those who exhibit positive personality traits are more likely to find positivity and opportunity in return. Conversely, those who think negatively will probably see negativity in everything. Positive traits such as resilience, empathy, and adaptability are important to a successful career. These qualities not only enhance individual performance but also foster a collaborative and productive workplace culture. By embracing these traits, employees and organizations can navigate challenges more effectively and drive long-term success. Here are the traits Marvin Keller is looking for in a driver.

Adaptability

  • Adaptability is the essence of intelligence, the ability to evolve with changing environments and solve problems. Embrace change and focus on what you can control; try to learn new things instead of resisting change, and seize opportunities for growth. Be resourceful, using creativity to find solutions to problems.

Ambition/Self-Motivation

  • Show you are motivated to succeed by exhibiting enthusiasm and a good work ethic.

Friendly/Empathetic

  • Be approachability and express genuine interest in others and be willing to go out of your way to help others.

Honesty

  • Honesty and integrity are important in any job; being able to trust your employees and coworkers creates a more open, transparent atmosphere. Being honest is especially important for drivers. Because we can’t be on the road with you, we have to be able to trust that the information we are given is accurate. Deception with your managers or bosses undermines that trust and you become a target for micromanagement.

Humility

  • Put the team ahead of yourself; consider achievements that others helped with as team efforts. Show that you are interested in the success of the whole company and not just those of the individual. The humble person avoids arrogance and self-aggrandizement. There’s nothing wrong with taking credit for your work, but be modest about it. Hyping your own work at the expense of the team is a bad look.

Optimism

  • See opportunity in adversity and challenges, and always look for ways to improve.

Respect

  • Everyone has different strengths and that is what benefits an organization. If everyone was good at and deficient in the same areas, success of the team would be hindered. Respecting those differences and the contributions of others is integral to team success.

Resilience

  • Carry on, even when things are tough. Being able to recover quickly and powering through challenges makes you a stronger, more successful person.

Dependability/Thoroughness

  • Be dependable in delivering results. This is an easy skill to develop as you just have to do your job and be reliable. Doing so consistently builds trust among your coworkers and bosses and sets you up for success and upward mobility.

Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?

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Monday’s Trivia Winners

Monday Question #1: 

Question: Who invented the first semi-truck?

Answer: Alexander Winton in 1898

Total Submissions: 32

Randomly Drawn Winner: Dave Bruchman

Monday Question #2: 

Question: Which U.S. state has the most miles of highways? 

Answer: Texas

Total Submissions: 28

Randomly Drawn Winner: Jordan Richardson

We have many prizes to give away, including gift cards, flashlights, leaf blowers, TVs, and a brand-new truck seat. Participate in the questions this week for a chance to win these items!

Thank you to everyone who participated. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s questions!

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Entering Shipping IDs in Samsara

We have seen an increase in DOT Inspections lately, particularly in Indiana. A few drivers have received violations for form and manner. Please ensure that you certify your log daily and enter the Shipping ID in the Samsara app for the load you are currently on. We have had some reports that the Shipping ID is disappearing after it has been in, so it is a good idea to double-check and make sure the number is still showing up throughout the day when you stop. If you have any questions, please contact your Driver Manager.

Video on how to enter Shipping IDs in Samsara

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How to Build a Good Relationship with your Manager

I’m sure we’ve all had a job where we felt like a number, a nameless cog in the machine. Is that company still around? The most successful organizations are those who have employees who are highly engaged within their companies and have good relationships with their managers. It goes without saying that people who are happy in their jobs are generally more successful and, by extension, so are the companies they work for. In a 2017 survey by a human capital management firm, 93% of respondents stated that having trust in their supervisor/boss was essential to being happy in their jobs. Good employee/manager relationships have numerous benefits:

  • Improved productivity; employees who feel valued by their managers are more committed and invested in their roles and provide better performance.
  • Better customer service by leaving a positive impression on customers.
  • Increased retention and more new employees; happy employees are more likely to stay motivated and more talented and skilled employees will be attracted to the organization.

At Marvin Keller, we strive to train driver managers to be great coaches who are responsive and helpful. We value your input as it helps us to define and solve problems. While management works hard to solve problems, they don’t have all the answers. You are out there on the frontlines every day and have more valuable information than you may realize; you have a vantage point that we in the office do not. We appreciate and welcome all input to help other drivers in their everyday routines. This makes a big difference, especially for new drivers just learning the ropes. It also helps your manager learn more about what you have to deal with so they can be prepared to help.

Here are some ways you can improve your relationship with your managers:

  • Be effective with communication. Always err on the side of over-communication.
  • Prevent conflict before it starts by bringing up issues or concerns before it becomes a problem.
  • When dealing with conflicts, handle them rationally and gracefully, without jumping to conclusions or becoming angry or defensive. Approach each situation with an open mind; your manager will be expected to do the same.
  • Be open and honest while still being respectful. Transparency will put everyone on the same page and allow positive change to occur.
  • Avoid making excuses. If you don’t have all the tools you need to do the job, bring your concerns to your manager. Otherwise, the expectation is for you to do your job without being hounded.

Your input is invaluable and we encourage everyone to put forth their ideas or suggestions. That’s why we’re bringing back the MK Connect program where we explore what new and helpful information you’ve learned to share with the office and other drivers. Everyone in an organization is responsible for the success of said organization. Your contributions make the difference between success and failure and we encourage everyone to feel comfortable sharing their input so we can continue to grow and be the company of choice for drivers. If you believe your concerns are not properly being addressed, feel free to reach out to another manager for help.

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Building Strong Customer Relationships: A Key to Success in Trucking

In the competitive world of trucking, success hinges not only on moving freight safely and efficiently but delivering exceptional service. At Marvin Keller, we pride ourselves on our extensive customer network and the trust we’ve built over the years. This article explores how our performance and commitment to strong customer relationships sets us apart in the industry, supported by hard data that showcases our operational excellence.

Customer Network and Relationships

We’ve cultivated relationships with a diverse range of shippers across the country, ensuring a steady flow of freight opportunities for our drivers. This network is not just about quantity but quality too; we prioritize partnerships that are built on reliability, transparency, and mutual benefit.  We have regular calls with our customers to review service levels, and potential new lane opportunities and to build relationships with their team.  Each customer has an assigned Account Representative from our office to make sure their needs are met and they are happy with our performance. 

Data-Driven Operational Excellence

80% of the loads we haul are booked directly through our customers.  We offer dropped equipment to many Customers so that our drivers can keep moving and skip lengthy live load/unloading experiences.  In addition, our Account Reps are working to fill gaps in our network with new lanes to help reduce the amount of empty miles we drive.  We bid on hundreds of new lanes each quarter with the intent of increasing the density in certain regions.  This will allow us to deliver the reliability our customers expect from Marvin Keller Trucking.   

At Marvin Keller Trucking, we go beyond logistics to deliver exceptional service that exceeds expectations. As we expand our network and refine operations, we’re committed to meeting evolving customer needs with the highest standards of performance and satisfaction.

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Marvin Keller CSA

Have you ever wondered why some carriers are pulled into the scales for inspections more frequently than others? The company’s CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) Score is often used to determine if a truck should receive an inspection.

Check Out Our Current CSA Scores

Click here to see our CSA trend over the last 12 months:

Click here to see our current fleet CSA violations:

What is a CSA Score?

CSA scores are based on a carrier’s DOT Inspections. Every violation (citation or warning) noted on a DOT Inspection results in points added to the carrier’s CSA score. These violations fall into one of 8 Categories (Unsafe Driving, Crash Indicator, Hours-of-Service Compliance, Vehicle Maintenance, Controlled Substances & Alcohol, Hazmat, Driver Fitness & Insurance/Other).

  • Every violation is assigned a point value from 1 – 10 with 10 being the most severe
  • CSA Scores are updated every 28 days
  • Points remain on a company’s CSA Score for 24 months
  • Low CSA Scores = Safer Operation = Fewer Inspections

What can you do?

Marvin Keller’s CSA Scores are top notch and a reflection of the safety minded Drivers on our team. Continue doing what you are doing!

  • Drive safely and follow the SMITH System Principles
  • Conduct thorough Pre / Post Trip Inspections
  • Report any defects or potential safety risks before you hit the road
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Silgan Closures – New Customer Lane

We recently started hauling a lane for a new Customer called Silgan Closures which is headquartered in Downers Grove, IL. The lane will run 5-6 times a week from Champaign, IL to Warrenton, MO. Silgan Closures makes bottle caps for everything from juice bottles to pickle jars to milk jugs. The lane we are doing for them is loaded with caps for Coke bottles and delivers to the Coca-Cola plant.

You can watch a fun video from their website at the link below

vimeo.com/451944842

Silgan Closures is part of Silgan Holdings which was founded in 1987 by two former executives that wanted to start their own company. The name Silgan was formed by combining parts of their names — Phil Silver and Greg Horrigan. Silgan Holdings also has divisions that produce cans, plastics, and dispensing systems – like perfume bottles.

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Carlise Spotlight

Carlisle Construction Materials, LLC, is a manufacturer of building materials based in Carlisle, PA. They design and manufacture roofing products, insulation, underlayment, adhesives, and hardware for residential and commercial construction. As an MK driver, you’re probably most familiar with Carlisle SynTec in Greenville, IL. Most of our loads with Carlisle ship to or from that location. They supply roofing solutions for the construction industry including PVC Membrane used to waterproof rooftops.


We started with Carlisle running one lane from Bluefield, VA to Greenville, but recently we have been given the opportunity for several other lanes with them. Your home might be held together with some of Carlisle’s products!

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In Memory of Steve Von Behren

Steve was a long time member of the Marvin Keller Family. He joined the team in 2013 and was eager to share his skills and knowledge to help develop incoming Drivers. Steve was an instrumental part of the Marvin Keller training program until he retired in April of 2020. Not only was Steve a professional Driver, but he was also a talented musician. Steve was happy to join in with a few other members of the MK Family to provide live music entertainment at our 2019 Driver Appreciation Celebration.

We were devastated to learn that Steve passed away this week after his valiant fight with cancer. We are grateful for the time we had with Steve and that his talents will continue on at Marvin Keller through the students he inspired and developed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.