2014
Employee News V O L U M E
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J U L Y - A U G U S T
MESILLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION
9525 Escobar Dr. 3590 West Picacho Dr. El Paso, TX 79907 Las Cruces, NM. 88007 T- 915-872-2250 T-575- 524-2835
3750 Stewarts Lane Nashville, TN 37218 T-615 627-5117
13166 S Unitec Dr. Laredo, TX 78045 T 956 717-9849
10210 N Vancouver Way Portland, OR 97217 T 503 286-6110
www.m-v-t.com
Employee News J U L Y - A U G U S T
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A Letter From Royal Jones
Please enjoy this first of many MVT Newsletters as we try and get everyone to know a little more of what is going on and more about each other inside and outside of our work lives. We are glad to have Emily Roof on board as our Marketing Director for all companies. You will be seeing her around more and more in all of our different locations as she gets to know us all better and learns all that we do. She will help us be better as we strive to be better at everything we do. It has been an eventful year to say the least so far as we all learn e-logs and find ways to get better at this. We are much more strict on safety and hours of service and we will continue to do so for the good of ourselves, the public and our equipment.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Insider Letter
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Employees of
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the Month Congrats are
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in order!
Meet your
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Co-workers Bataan March
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Let’s Get
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Healthy Driver Appreciation Day
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The racing season is in full swing now and we hope that you and your families will come out some time and watch and have a good time as we race in El Paso on Friday nights and Saturday nights in Las Cruces. As always your employee ID gets you in free and kids 10 and under get in free. We have lots of new ideas and fun things going on at the races this year besides the racing so make sure and come on out! Hope to see you all out there! I see it being a great year for Mesilla Valley Transportation, and none of it could be possible without great employee like you! So keep up the great work, it surely doesn't go unnoticed! “You can do anything you set your mind to”
Sincerely, Royal Jones
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Letter from Dean I hope you all enjoy this Newsletter. I believe it will be a great way to communicate what’s going on between the companies and a great way to get to know the employees you work with. I will start off my sharing a little about myself, I have been married for 16 years to my beautiful wife Marty. I also have been working for MVT for 16 years… (1998 was a good year for me) I have two kids: Alex and Donald. Both whom are very active. My little girl, Alex recently placed 19th in the State (NM) during a fishing tournament. Donald is currently attending Texas Tech and is on their Bass fishing team. I’m not as into fishing as my kids but family is very important to me! When I’m not working you can find me hanging out with my family. MVT has grown to be a great company, and I know I don’t tell you all this enough but, thank you! Thank you for all of your hard work! We wouldn't be where we are without you. Please let me know if you need anything to get the job done, my door is always open. Enjoy the rest of the Newsletter! Sincerely, Dean Rigg
E-Log Mandate for the Trucking Industry Takes Another Step ... E-log’s seem to be a major topic these days, Federal regulations currently do not contain any special incentives for using electronic logs. However, there are numerous benefits to using electronic logs:
First and foremost, electronic logs can greatly simplify compliance by eliminating the need for paper logs. Drivers and carriers see significant time savings from going paperless. Some of the most common logging violations can be eliminated. Virtually all “form and manner” log violations go away, drivers always know where they stand on compliance, and drivers always have a current log. Alerts will tell driver when they are approaching an hours-of-service limit. Besides making compliance easier, electronic logs make auditing easier and faster. The systems typically come with automated auditing built in. Roadside inspections can be easier and quicker. Scheduling and dispatch become easier because office personnel know the location of the vehicles and how much time drivers have available. Location, engine use, speed, and other data captured by the devices can prove valuable during litigation or other legal proceedings, potentially protecting both the driver and company. While other companies are struggling to follow this mandate, Mesilla Valley is excelling past these companies since we have already been in compliance with E-logs. Thanks for everyone that took the time in become an “Elog Expert” you have made this transition even easier!
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Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July and you all had a chance to head out to the speedway for MVT night at the races. The night was full of food, fun and lots of fireworks. If you are interested in buying your MVT Speedway shirt see Rue Stone. rue.stone@epspeedwaypark.com Don’t miss out on upcoming races go to www.epspeedwaypark.com or www.snmspeedway.com
Kurt Dove announces new partners Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kurt Dove has added Mesilla Valley Transportation and Border International Semi Truck Dealership as new associate sponsors for 2014. “I am pleased to be associated with a dedicated and economical-minded company such as MVT,” said Dove. “People overlook the importance of transportation in society and the impact it can have. Efficient transportation reduces cost of goods, while inefficient transportation increases cost. “Both companies are very active in their community and know the importance of their employees and their families,” stated Dove. “That makes this more than a pleasure to have them on board as part of my team. http://www.bassmaster.com/news/kurt-dove-announces-new-partners
Raise Joke Sam walks into his boss’s office. “Sir, I’ll be straight with you, I know the economy isn’t great, but I have over three companies after me, and I would like to respectfully ask for a raise.” After a few minutes of haggling the boss finally agrees to a 5% raise, and Sam happily gets up to leave. “By the way”, asks the boss as Sam is getting up, “which three companies are after you?” “The electric company, water company, and phone company”, Sam replied.
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Congratulations are in order! Congratulations to Javie Chavez and Cortney Castle on their recent marriage. Both individuals are employees of MVT. Congrats to you both and we wish you a life time of happiness!
Congratulations to Allan Dahringer and Joanne Dahringer on their recent Anniversary of 30 years. Both are employees of MVT and two of our longest working employees here. May you both be blessed with lifetime of happiness! Congratulations to Kara Randle on her recent accomplishment in graduating with her Masters in Business Administration.
Also a Big Shout out to Cortney Castle-Chavez on her recent promotion to Human Resource Manager for El Paso, Las Cruces and Outside offices. As well as big congratulations to Jose Figueroa: Recruiting, Retention, Development Manager – Recruiting department, Fuel Training, Driver Liaison, Driver Trainee Program and Kimberly Beck: Training Manager – Driver Orientation, Staff Training & Development, Outsourced Training
Congratulations to Luis Garcia and his Wife Terri Garcia On their recent Anniversary of 35 years. MVT wishes you both 35 more years of joy and happiness! Cheers!
Congratulations to Armando Lerma (Las Cruces Finance) and His Wife Marissa Lerma on their arrival of this beautiful little girl Miranda born April 25th.
Way to Go KARA!!
Congratulations to Rebecca Orozco (HR El Paso) on her recent engagement to Manuel Serros! Cheers to the beautiful couple where fate brought them together at Starbucks! !
Congratulations to our last two quarter Drivers who won a 2014 Nissan versa Hatchback. These drivers won with the best fuel mileage in quarter 1 and 2 for 2014. This is a great accomplishment! Keep up the hard work Billy Chastain and Edward Lee Pratt (pictured left) and Rolando Montelongo with his family (pictured right) Next winners will be announced at the:
Driver Appreciation day August 14th.
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Meet Your Co-workers
We will feature employees every issue to find out more about our Co-workers
Name: Susan Cooper How long have you worker here at MVT? 18 yrs What do you like to do outside of work? Crafts, I love to create things, my favorite is to refurnish furniture a love I got from my mother. Is there anything New and exciting in your life you’d like to share with your fellow employees? I have 2 beautiful grandchildren, I am looking forward to retirement in a few years to become the soccer mom for these 2 wonderful kids, I am blessed to be a big part of their lives. Where did you grow up? Las Cruces, NM Where did you go to school? My school years were spent in Las Cruces, I graduated from Las Cruces, High School in 1971 What is the most exciting thing you’ve done/accomplished? I’ve accomplished many things in my life, my 2 children, my 40 years in the trucking industry, traveling, but for me my most exciting thing was a trip I took to Washington DC to see the place where I was born. Share a story about your child hood: I was born in Washington DC, my father was stationed in the army there, he was an accomplished trombone player in the US Army Band, and would often entertain the troops in the hospital with up and coming rising stars like Frank Sinatra. Shortly after I was born my father was relocated to Fort Bliss in El Paso TX. After the tour in the Army was done, we moved to Las Cruces, NM as my father was interested in a new field that was just beginning, the space program. The only times I remember of my childhood are in Las Cruces. I was a busy child, always into something the University had to offer for children of NMSU students. Swimming, golf, horseback riding, acting, music, cotillion (ugh) . Often traveling with friends on their family vacations. I was a Rainbow Girl for many years, we were deeply involved in community projects. My mother worked part time at the only trucking company in Las Cruces, Whitfield Transportation . After graduating from college I decided to attend NMSU, with a major in accounting. To make a little extra cash I went to work at Whitfield with my mother, I found I really enjoyed this type of work, so after 1 year of college I decided that trucking was the career I wanted, so I quit college and went to work for Whitfield full time. So here I am 40 years later still in the profession I fell in love with.
Meet Your Co-workers
We will feature employees every issue to find out more about our Co-workers
Name: Lorena Novelo How long have you worker here at MVT? 10yrs What do you like to do outside of work? I love to spend time with my 3 boys and my family. I also love to shoe shop. Is there anything New and exciting in your life you’d like to share with your fellow employees? My son is graduating this year! Tell us about yourself: Proud mother of 3 wonderful great boys! Where did you grow up? Down town LA. It was great growing up next to the beaches and Disneyland. Where did you go to school? Belmont High School Share an office friendly joke that made you laugh: “Did you hear about the Kidnapping? -He woke up.” you can thank my son for that joke she shared that with me and I shared it with everyone at work!
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Bataan Memorial Death March
Written by Trish Duque
Congratulations to the 31 employees from Mesilla Valley Transportation, JH Rose, R Leasing and Border International Trucks who did the 25th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March! Some did the full 26.2 miles and others did the 14.2 miles. This event is always special and fun for us to get together and do. Back in the day our very own Royal Jones, used to do the Bataan Memorial Death March in honor of his mom’s husband, Jim, who was in the real Bataan Death March when he was a prisoner of war. Now, Royal is a huge supporter of us doing the event every year. It’s an honor to be a part of an event that is dedicated to remembering this special group of heroes from the Bataan Death March. Many of those who come are also war veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. There is also a special group of amputees that do the event in honor of those that endured the great hardships as prisoners of war. While the march is still a military event, many civilians and athletes come to take advantage of the challenge and honor these veterans and shake the hands of the few survivors from the real Bataan Death March. The March is a real challenge! The route starts at White Sands Missile Range and takes you on a dusty, sandy and hilly terrain, up and down a small mountain (26.2 mile route) and through the popular “sand pit”. Many come for the personal challenge, the spirit of competition or to foster the esprit de corps in their unit. Some March in honor of a family member or a particular veteran. I really enjoyed seeing how excited and nervous we get about the event. We train and we come together to endure the challenge and support each other. Everyone feels their own personal accomplishment. Everyone was really brave, helped and encouraged each other, showed a lot of spirit and crossed the finish line! My favorite conversation was with the team from Safety who called themselves the Sand Turtles. Oh how they were hurting afterwards! They hardly wanted to talk to me, I’m pretty sure they did not like me much at the moment. They just wanted to get in their car and go home! Poor Judith Vizcarra was like, “congratulate me in a week” and later vowed to never do the March again.. I will be cheering you on from home!
History of the Bataan Death March The Bataan Memorial Death March honors a special group of World War II heroes. These brave soldiers were responsible for the defense of the islands of Luzon, Corregidor and the harbor defense forts of the Philippines. Marchers come to this memorial event for many reasons - personal challenge, the spirit of competition or to foster esprit de corps in their unit. Some march in honor of a family member or a particular veteran who was in the Bataan Death March or was taken a prisoner of war by the Japanese in the Philippines If you are interested in participating in the 2015 Bataan Memorial Death March Please contact Trish Duque, MVT covers all registration fees for MVT employees.
5 tips for staying safe and healthy during the Spring and Summer Spring is in the air… so make the best of that fresh (okay, somewhat pollinated ;)) air. Here are our favorite tips to help take care of you this season, and ensure that you spring into summer with your head, your heart and your body all feeling their best! 1. Identify Your Symptoms With a record-breaking allergy season this year, now it’s more important than ever to make sure you’ve got the correct diagnosis before you start treating what ails you. So when you feel a tickle in your throat, try to determine if you’ve got a common cold or allergies! See our previous posting on the subject to help figure it out, and don’t forget to see a doctor if the symptoms linger! 2. Spring Clean the Healthy Way Spring cleaning is a bit of a Catch-22: there are few things more calming than a house free of clutter—and few things more stressful than the prospect of cleaning everything out! So here’s a tip: break down the tasks into manageable projects by setting goals for one afternoon, or one weekend, and in a month or six weeks, you will have made great progress! 3. Get Out! Spend Some Time Outdoors It turns out that there’s a reason why you feel happier spending tons of time outdoors. Well, actually, there are several reasons. For starters, the increase of light is proven to elevate people’s moods, and research indicates that the exposure to Vitamin D may help prevent everything from cancer to depression to heart attacks. Additionally, those who spend a lot of time outdoors are more likely to get more physical exercise, simply because they’re out and about and enjoying the beautiful weather. So grab your sunscreen, a picnic lunch, a good book or a fun game, and just do it—spend some time outside! 4. Make a Meal with Fresh Farmer’s Veggies! One of our favorite things about the spring is that the freshness of the vegetables and produce offered just speaks for itself, increasing not only the deliciousness of the meal, but also the health factor—with such vibrant flavors, you don’t need to weigh down your recipes with extra oil or sauce. Here’s one of our favorite simple recipes best enjoyed when the days are getting longer, Spring Salad! 5. Volunteer Giving back is a great way to spend time outside and have a great time doing it. Just visit the fantastic volunteermatch.org, type in where you are and what kind of activity you’d like to volunteer for, and voila! You’ll be inspired by the range of volunteering opportunities in your area, and will be helping out in no time!
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Best Blueberry Lemonade
What you’ll need: -1 Cup Granulated Sugar -1 Cup water -1/2 to 1 Cup Lemon juice, depending on tastes -2Cups fresh Blueberries -Water
How to make it: -Combine 1 cup water, sugar and 1 cup blueberries in a small saucepan -Simmer over low heat, stirring often, until sugar is dissolved and blueberries start to soften and leach their color. -Strain blueberries and cool the sugar water mixture -Combine lemon juice with sugar and add enough water to make 2 quarts of lemonade. -Serve with extra cup of blueberries for garnish EMPLOYEE
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What you’ll need: -1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked and rinsed -2 cinnamon sticks, broken in small pieces. -1/2 Cup sugar, or to taste -1 anise star, broken in small pieces -3 cups fresh pineapple juice
Pineapple Horchata
How to make it: 1. In a blender, combine rice, cinnamon sticks and star anise with 4 cups water. Pulse to blend. Transfer to a large bowl and add another 4 cups water. Soak at room temperature for 4 hours. 2. Return mix to blender and blend until smooth. Run Through a fine sleve into a pitcher 3. Add pineapple juice, stir to continue 4. Add sugar and chill. Serve over ice with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon
9525 Escobar Dr. EL Paso TX, 79907
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Thanks to every one that participated in March of Dimes! We all had a blast out there walking for such a great cause! As a family we raised over $1500 Thank you to everyone who participated!
Letter from the Editor I would like to take a moment to introduce myself, my name is Emily Roof and I am the Marketing Director here at MVT. It will take awhile until I get to know all of you, since this company is huge!! But please tell me hello when you see me running around. A little about myself.. I like long walks on the beach, Pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain.. Wait!! this isn’t a singles AD or a Jimmy Buffet song, well that’s embarrassing.. But I do have a great sense of humor and really do look forward in getting to know all of you and work for such a great company! I hope you enjoyed this first edition of our new bi-monthly Mesilla Valley Transportation Newsletter. If there is anything you would like to see in the next issue please email me at emily.roof@m-v-t.com. All comments and suggestions are welcome! Our goal here is to keep everyone updated on the latest events, awards, special occasions etc. While Transportation is a major necessity in today society, we understand the time and dedication it takes to be a successful business. None of it would be possible with out great employees and drivers like you! So Thank YOU! Keep a look out for the next issue!
Emily K. Roof Marketing Director
Making the Difference Everyday The MVT Way