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Volume 2, Issue 1
Jan – Mar 2015
“The General” Awarded “1st in Class” Stroud Christmas Parade
As we analyze our performance for 2014 compared to 2013, we have achieved success in all of our core fundamentals. We must
strive to achieve the highest trust with our customers and the public which we serve. Significant investments in technology,
personnel, and hiring and retaining the top tier professional drivers have paved our path for success. In today’s market, we are
constantly viewed and measured with public information, of which our public Safety Scores are most important. We are very
pleased to report that we are not flagged in any of the five basic categories and we have achieved almost a fifty percent reduction
in all categories since 2013. I would consider this impeccable execution by our professional drivers in a highly complicated and
compliant intense environment.
As we move forward into 2015, we must maintain our discipline and safety focus. Lower incident rates will provide significant cost
savings in years to come. We can’t over emphasize the importance of our safety culture and the cost associated with safety and
insurance programs. Continued execution of our safety programs is one of our primary initiatives for 2015. In addition,
investments in fleet upgrades will provide efficiencies in fuel and maintenance resulting in overall lower operating cost. This
coupled with our everyday effort to enhance asset utilization with technology and communication platforms will maximize our
overall operating efficiency.
2015 is starting out with some uncertainty from the oil and gas industry. Declining oil prices and active rig counts will definitely
impact our core customers. However, the impact is really undeterminable given our historical seasonality of the first quarter. 2014
was another record year for the oil and gas industry, so we do expect lower capacity requirements from customers servicing this
industry. We have historically, and will continuously work to ensure we have a diversified customer portfolio while maintaining our
core partnerships with customers servicing the oil and gas industry.
The Miller Times – Jan - Mar 2015
Getting to know…Jimmy Miller
By Monica “Miller” Neeley
Jim L. Miller began his logistics career after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. Upon the completion of his service in
1975, he tackled the industry head on by purchasing six trucks and starting J.L. Miller Trucking. His gateway was
primarily cement hauls in pneumatic trailers. When asked his biggest fear about being a business owner at the young
age of 22, he quickly responded, “I had no fear.” He remembers living by the motto, The only thing we have to fear, is
fear itself - Franklin D. Roosevelt. Jim joined his father at
Miller Truck Lines in 1988 bringing with him J.L. Miller
Trucking. Jim’s emphasis was on tanker and pneumatic
transportation in combination with shop, tire, and wrecker
service. Anyone you ask knows, if it’s broken, he can fix
it. There are amazing stories on how he creatively
overcame challenges. Jim actively pursues business
opportunities in commercial property, brokerage,
environmental, and equipment leasing. He has countless
certifications and awards. Jim and his wife Patty have
three children and four grandchildren. On the weekends,
he enjoys taking his grandchildren out on the tractor to
check the cows. Jim is active in his community and a
dedicated member of his church. He served as a
volunteer fireman for 22 years with many of those as
assistant fire chief. He currently serves as a board
member for a national bank, as well as the Chairman of
the Stroud Industrial Authority.
Those are the stats, now let me tell you a little about my dad. My dad is a patriotic, humble, selfless man who has
contributed much of his life to helping others. He leads by example and has a reputation of mentoring men and
women in both business and community. While he has years of experience, he allows people to explore their ideas
and guides them through the challenges. Often, we realize his way would have
been the best way, and although he would never say it, his sly grin says it all. He
truly has an open door policy;
friends and employees alike never
hesitate to pick up the phone to
ask for help.
He is the man that would drop
everything to help a stranger
change a tire or jump their car. He
is never too busy to listen to a joy
or concern, even if that means he’ll
need to work late into the night.
Because
of
his
devotion to using his
talents to help others,
my dad wasn’t home
much when we were
kids. Often we were
asleep before he got
home from work and
still asleep when he
left early the next
morning. It’s funny though, that’s not what I vividly remember. I
remember the undivided attention during the occasional Saturday
afternoons at the lake, his commitment in teaching us to drive, and the
Sunday dinners after church. My dad has taught us through example
about kindness, respect, and hard work. I am so proud to call him my
father as he is someone who has truly made the world a better place.
The Miller Times – Jan - Mar 2015
Jimmy & Patty Miller Company Party
1979
Tyler, James,
& Jimmy - 1996
OUR SYMBOL - WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
By Charlie Harper
Obviously it means different things to different folks. To me, it is a reflection of purpose for our company. That
purpose entails both challenges and opportunities.
Let’s assume that this symbol serves a purpose to meet challenges. The challenge to be a better person to
ourselves, those we work with, and those we represent. A challenge of responsibility, harmony, cooperation,
support, teamwork, and individual effort…realizing we have varying capabilities, our symbol challenges each of us
to perform at our highest level of achievement possible. Without question, it is a challenge to exceed the
expectations of our customers and other benefactors. In short - we are challenged by our purpose to make our
best contribution to something worthwhile.
Given the above, then our purpose also becomes one of opportunity. Opportunity...as in a lifetime of achievement.
Give it all some thought. I invite you to ponder what the highest level of achievement can do for both ourselves
and the united effort we represent.
Whether we have been associated with our symbol over the past several
years or we are a newcomer to our field of endeavor, an opportunity exists for all of us.
Then…why would we not affirm our commitment to make the most of our opportunity by accepting the challenges
fronting us?
WINTER DRIVING SAFETY TIPS
Contributed by Houston Brittain
Trucking requires full concentration on the road. Not only must commercial drivers contend with other motorists, dangerous
weather conditions, and wandering wildlife, but they must do so while operating large rigs, often carrying heavy and
sometimes dangerous cargo. One mistake carries possible huge repercussions. To help stay out of harm’s way, consider
the following safety tips when driving:
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Do not tailgate. Be patient. Maintain proper space with the vehicle in front of you. According to studies, the most
common vehicle trucks hit are the one in front of them, due to tailgating. The bigger the rig the longer it takes to
brake and stop.
Signal early when approaching an intersection, giving other motorists ample warning of your intended direction.
With so many blind spots on a truck, minimize lane changing. Check your side mirrors at least once every 10
seconds.
Use the truck’s flashers when driving below the posted speed limit for an extended period of time.
Give your truck ample time and space when slowing down for a complete stop. Use brake lights early. Most
motorists don’t realize how long it takes for a rig to stop.
If you must idle the truck, keep windows closed to avoid prolonged exposure to fumes.
When pulled off to the side of a road, highway, or Interstate due to mechanical problems, always use flashers,
reflective triangles, and even road flares to alert approaching drivers.
Try to maintain a full fuel tank in winter driving to prevent water condensation from building in the fuel lines.
Maintain additional space with the vehicles in front of you when driving in rain or snow.
Operate below the posted speed limit when driving in wintery conditions.
Slowdown in work zones. Close to one-third of all fatal work zone crashes involve large rigs. Plus, you could lose
your commercial driver’s license if caught speeding in a posted work zone.
Take plenty of driving breaks, especially while driving cross-country, to help remain alert.
Don’t fight eye-fatigue. Pull off the road and take a nap. The consequences of falling asleep at the wheel far
outweigh those associated with arriving late.
Strictly adhere to commercial driver hour restrictions. By law you cannot exceed 11 continuous hours of driving.
You could jeopardize your truck driving career if caught violating this law.
The Miller Times – Jan - Mar 2015
Driver Safety Enforcement:
What Motor Carriers Need to Know
(Data provided by FMCSA, submitted by Houston Brittain)
Driver safety enforcement impacts both drivers and carriers. Research, such as the Large Truck Crash Causation Study, has shown that
unsafe driver behavior is a major contributor to commercial motor vehicle (CMV)-related crashes. Other studies indicate that a small
segment of the driver population is involved in a disproportionately large number of crashes. As a result, under Compliance, Safety,
Accountability (CSA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) expands its approach by identifying five serious
violations along with poor safety performance histories during interventions with motor carriers.
CSA:
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Directly monitors the safety and performance of individual drivers
Addresses problem drivers based on their records across multiple employers
Holds both motor carriers and drivers responsible for safety and performance
How Does the CSA Driver Enforcement Process Work?
The driver enforcement process provides FMCSA with the tools to identify problem drivers and to verify and address the issues. The
Safety Measurement System (SMS) includes a tool, called the Driver SMS, which enables Safety Investigators (SIs) to evaluate roadside
performance of drivers across employers over a three-year period. Using this system, SIs can identify drivers with overall poor safety
histories who work for carriers that have been identified as requiring a CSA investigation. If the investigation results verify the driver
violation(s), FMCSA takes an enforcement action against that driver, such as a Notice of Violation or a Notice of Claim.
CSA Driver Safety Enforcement Approach
Under CSA, driver enforcement occurs as part of motor carrier investigations and focuses on driver enforcement for serious rule
violations, such as:
 Driving while disqualified
 Driving without a valid Commercial Driver's License–
 Making a false entry on a medical certificate–
 Committing numerous Hours-of-Service violations
 Enforcement action will be taken directly against the driver. If the carrier is also determined to be a responsible party, it may
also receive enforcement action.
 It is important to clarify that CSA does not rate individual CMV drivers.
Making Carriers Aware of Driver Safety Performance
The Pre-Employment Screening Program is an FMCSA program mandated by Congress that is designed to assist the motor carrier
industry in assessing individual CMV drivers‟ safety violation and crash history as a pre-employment condition. The program is
voluntary and is not part of CSA. Motor carriers may request a driver‟s information for the purpose of pre-employment screening only.
The driver must provide written consent. Individual drivers may request their own driver information record at any time. The electronic
profiles contain three years of inspection data and five years of crash data. However, the database does not include conviction data. There
is a fee for this service for both drivers and carrier.
Safety Training in Houston Terminal
Infinit-I Online Training in Driver Orientation
The Miller Times – Jan – Mar 2015
The Miller Media Team appreciates all the pictures contributed by our drivers.
Keep them coming in and see them featured in our newsletter, on Facebook, on
Twitter or even in a national ad. Send them to: [email protected]
Picture contributed by
Mike Harris
Owner
Operator
Jonathan
Truck 7063
Boen – O/O
Mike Harris
O/O
Glenn
Tina
Sorrelles
Barker
O/O
O/O
David Sonier – O/O
The Miller Times – Jan – Mar 2015
Meet the Billing Team
Information compiled by Amy Mitchell
Written by Sara Carter
Pam Hunt – Texas and Tank Billing
Pam started working with Miller in 1989, almost 26 years ago. She works in the Billing Department in the Stroud Office. She is married
to Kelly Hunt and has 4 children, Joshua, Amanda, Amber, and Lyndsie. Pam also has 7 grandchildren, Zoey, Jayden, Ryder, Abby,
Kieran, Ava and Layla. Pam enjoys gardening and especially likes working with flowers.
Pam has regularly donated to the American Red Cross. A short story that Pam shared: “Many years ago Julie Amos and I were donating
blood at the Stroud High School. After donating, we drove back to work. No sooner did we arrive to the parking lot, when I felt a warm
stream of liquid dripping from my jacket. I quickly removed my jacket, only to see the bandage was not doing the job. Julie and I played
“Chinese fire drill” and back to the High School we raced. The students were shocked to see us come in. The situation was quickly
remedied. Moral of the story: Always have a buddy at work that will be there for you and don‟t let anything deter you from giving the
„gift of life‟.”
Pam shares that she has worked at Miller for many years and she is so grateful for the Millers, they are amazing, kind and supportive.
She is so honored to be a part of the Miller Team!
Tawanna Gordon – Flatbed Billing
On October 20, 1997, Tawanna started working as an intern. She remembers how much she enjoyed working side by side with Mrs.
Bonnie Miller. They shared an office and she learned so much from her.
Tawanna is married to Robert Gordon and has a son, also named Robert. She has two grandchildren, Colton who is 3 and Christian who
is almost 16 months old, she loves spending time with them. Tawanna is a professional photographer, has a Scentsy business, and is a
member of Jesus First Baptist Church.
Amanda White – Van & Reefer Billing
Amanda is coming up on her first anniversary. She shares that she feels very blessed to work at a company who really cares about each
individual, a true family-run business. Amanda is married to Ty White. They have three children, Mackenzie, Dominick, and James.
She enjoys working out, spending time with her family and playing softball. Amanda is a proud member of Harrah Baptist Church.
From left to
right: Amanda,
Tawanna and
Pam
The Miller Times – Jan – Mar 2015
Anniversaries – Company Drivers
January
Eddie Lyles-11
Robert Owen-5
Raymond Harris-1
James Rogers-8
Pete Lertchala-4
Aaron Byers-1
Larry Pryor-5
Gary Cody-2
Phillip Stewart-1
Jack Weaver-5
Bart Pruden-2
Ralph Russell-7
Ronnie Robbins-3
Timmy Ellis-1
Randy Johnson-7
Earl Lothridge-2
Chris Laughlin-1
Randy Daniel-6
Ed Echevarria-1
Frank Castanon-7
Andrew Machado-2
Steve Wisely-5
Buck Easley-2
Alvin Coston-3
Scott Murphy-1
February
Diana Parris-10
James Green-3
Jarrod Peterson-1
March
Elvin Gregory-11
Bob Cochran-3
Kenny Guillory-1
Anniversaries - Owner Operators
January
Mike Johnson-11
Donald Carroll-5
Roger Keele-4
John Lewis-1
Jeff Woodruff-1
James Segress-7
Dan Castelberry-5
Rick Cole-3
Tina Lewis-1
James Chastain-1
Debra Hunt-6
Candance Stiles-5
Pete Thompson-2
Larry Fitch-1
Benny Hunt-6
Kevin Bechtold-5
Danny Turkelson-2
Dallas Briggs-1
Gene Bertolotto-11
Terry Crocker-9
Robert Stokes-4
Don Wortman-3
Burke Petit-1
Bob Millea-11
Tony Abbato-5
Michael Lockard-4
Bob Simon-2
Doug Hite-1
Jack Manning-11
Adolfo Garcia-5
Calvin McGee-4
Ron Ivey-1
David Brown-7
Lynn Cox-4
Jason Leochner-2
Sammy Morris-2
Andrew Keyser-7
Wilberto Moran-3
Al Hobbs-2
Michael Sherman-1
Gary Bradley-5
Fernando Viesca-3
Phillip Kaylor-2
Donnie Sorrells-1
February
Terry Tattershall-14
Roy McCaslin-9
Gordon Burns-4
Michael Harris-4
Lonnie Van Dyne-1
March
Dan Everett-10
Kerry Applegate-4
Tina Barker-3
Ronnie Melton-2
The Miller Times – Jan – Mar 2015
Anniversaries - Office
January
James A. Miller-33
Cooper Kiddy-5
Shana Bryant-2
Ray McCoy-18
Don Massengale-4
Renesa Barbee-1
Joanie Egan-Miller-10
Leanne Waldren-3
Melody Ham-8
Andy Bowen-3
Charlie Harper-15
Mark Shannon-3
Christina McGee-5
Julie Gillette-5
Bobby Miller-32
Rick Forehand-7
Julie Amos-30
Jeff Duncan-7
Patty Miller-12
Richard Anderson-3
Chester Chastain-1
Michael Williams-3
Bill Albertson-4
Josue Sosa-1
February
Elaine Pierce-20
Matt Gilbert-4
March
Bonnie Miller-32
Lance Cole-11
Anniversaries - Shop
January
Quentin Vinson-8
John Kornelsen-2
Ray White-4
Justen Winburn-2
February
Matt Davis-2
Tommy Horvath-1
March
Carolyn Mitchell-17
Joe Johnson-15
Spotlight - David Henninger
The life of a wrecker driver is full of excitement, adrenaline,
challenges, and…a lot of sleepless nights. David has worked for
MTL throughout the past 32 years. At Miller Truck Lines, he
performs road services and emergency response with heavy
wreckers for truck accidents and rollovers. Mr. Henninger is
highly qualified in his field and holds multiple transportation
related certifications and endorsements. In addition, he was on the
volunteer fire department for 16 years, EMT 16 years, FST Field
Instructor at Oklahoma State, American Heart Association CPR
Instructor and a Hazmat Certified Tech. When David isn’t
operating one of the wreckers or training, he enjoys hunting,
fishing, and is a PADI certified scuba diver. With all of the above
mentioned accomplishments, David’s greatest are his two sons,
Daniel and Matt Henninger. Matt is currently serving his 13th year
in the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Regiment including 4 overseas
deployments. Daniel is in his 8th year as an IT specialist at Grand
Fire Lake Casino.
The Miller Times – Jan – Mar 2015
With April approaching, the hope is that the annual spring thaw in
freight levels will be in full swing soon. But in the meantime the combination of horrible weather in the Midwest and
Northeast coupled with the collapse oil prices makes it imperative that we do our best through these lean times to
control costs, and maximize the revenue we are generating.
One of our primary goals in that area right now is to achieve the most effective utilization of our trailer pool. The
flatbed division has approximately 350 active trailers including 48‟ flatbeds, 53‟ flatbeds, 53‟ step decks, stretch flats
and double drop trailers. That is a huge investment in hard assets and we need to be effectively squeezing as much
utilization (revenue) out of that pool as possible. Most drivers are aware of the frustration of being told to hook up to
a trailer on the yard, and not being able to find an available one. We have plenty of trailers for this not to happen – we
just have to get better at managing them.
Dispatch is making a concerted effort to make sure
we know where our trailers are, and to make sure we
are not misplacing these valuable assets. New trailers
cost nearly $35,000 each, and that is an expense we
do not have to incur if we are diligent in knowing
where the trailers are, and just as important, what they
are doing. In addition, we are making sure the trailer
pools at our shippers are at the right level to
maximize the benefit to both the customer‟s and
Miller‟s freight needs.
One of the biggest things that drivers can do to assist
in this process is to use the Qualcomm system to send in your empty and loaded macros with the current trailer you
have. This is especially important in a drop and hook situation so that dispatch knows what trailer is being pulled and
what trailer was left at the shipper. The percentage of flatbed drivers who do this is relatively small; it would make a
huge difference in our ability to know where all our trailers are if more drivers would do this small step.
We are currently talking to several vendors and getting bids for new software and tracking systems for the entire trailer
inventory. We hope to have this in place within the next 6 months. This transition to a new system will make a huge
difference in our ability to control the asset pool. In the meantime, anything you can do to make sure we know what
trailer is under a load, and where a trailer is dropped will be greatly appreciated.
The Miller Times – Jan – Mar 2015
Miller Cares
By Lori Clutter
In 2012 we, as a company, started a project called "Miller Truck Lines
Secret Santa”. Since we started, we have raised over $8,000.
In the last
three years these funds have been used to provide Christmas for several
families.
As the fundraising efforts evolved, it was decided that the money should be
distributed to more than just holiday gift-giving. Some of the money was
used to pay insurance premiums for employees that had been off due to
illness, injury or other extraordinary life circumstances that arose.
As the evolution continued, we wanted the name of the fundraising to
define the efforts of all who organize, shop, cook, clean up, and maintain
the fund, so we are proud to announce that we will now be represented by the
name "Miller Cares".
This benevolence fund will continue to be used to assist Miller employees that
find themselves in need of emergency assistance. The main change is we will
be focusing on employees only; this has always been the main, but not sole
focus.
There will be a committee of administrators of this fund; they will be
announced at a future time. And the members of this committee will be
alternated from time to time.
We will continue to raise funds through our $5.00 breakfast and /or lunches.
And "Miller Cares" will be having other fundraising events as the year
progresses. We will start our monthly cookouts in March! Keep a lookout for
the flyers. If you are in town…come join us!
The Miller Times – Jan – Mar 2015
Roger Johnson, Tiger Miller,
& Jimmy Miller
1st Place – Petroleum
Under 1 Million Miles
Diana Parris – Million Mile Driver with
Houston Brittain. *Not available for the
Million Mile Award ceremony
James Roscher and Ray Chasteen.
Tiger Miller &
Jimmy Miller
The Miller Times – Jan – Mar 2015
2nd Place – Irregular
Over 5 Million Miles
John Pinkston
Mike Cook
Thanks to
everyone that
helped make
the Feb. 2015
American Red
Cross-Miller
Truck Lines
Blood Drive
successful!
Houston Brittain
Newsletter Contributors:
Zenna Beasley - Proofreader
Sara Carter – Editor & Newsletter Design
Theresa Johnson – Photographer
Amy Mitchell – Data Compilation
Canzada Taylor – Data Compilation
Theresa Johnson
Picture contributed by
William Wilkens
Company Driver
The Miller Times – Jan – Mar 2015