MESILLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION JANUARY-FEBRUARY
VOLUME 16. ISSUE 16.
2017
www.m-v-t.com
Mesilla Valley Transportation
CONTENTS
3 Letter from Royal 4 Susan Cooper 6 E-Snubbing 7 Crockpot Oatmeal 8 This Thing We Do 11 Trainer of the Year 14 Border Brew 16 Bataan March
Hello MVT,
In 2016 we faced one of the most challenging years for Mesilla Valley Transportation, however we made it through and are starting 2017 of strong. I am unbelievably proud to say as of January 20th, MVT holds a Satisfactory Rating from the Department of Transportation. We have already begun to see old customers return and are excited to be welcoming new customers. We could have not grown to be the size that we are, or earned our rating back without the hard work and dedication of everyone who makes up our MVT Family. Keep up the great work, it surely doesn’t go unnoticed!
Coming together is a beginning;
Sincerely, Royal Jones President & CEO
keeping together is progress;
working together is success.
-Henry Ford
MESILLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION
Our highlighted employee... Susan Cooper I would like to introduce myself. My name is Susan Cooper. I have been with MVT for 20 years. My job description is Head of Research. Although I am only a department of one. My duties are to make sure every load delivered gets invoiced. Which means all those drivers whose paperwork flew out of the truck because it was a windy day, I get another bill of lading and get it signed so MVT can get paid. I also bug everyone on a regular basis with help with drivers, who hold on to their paperwork too long, especially the ones who do not speak English. I am an army baby, born in Washington DC, at Walter Reed Army Hospital. They do not get more American than that, and I never learned how to speak Spanish. Even though I have been in this area since I was a baby. Four days after I was born my dad was transferred to Fort Bliss, TX. So we were all packed up and drove from Washington DC to El Paso. This was my father’s last tour of duty. He became fascinated by rocket ships while at Fort Bliss. After his time with the Army was up, although he was from New York, he decided to stay in El Paso and get his college education in this field. He enrolled at NMSU because of the space program they offered. When I was 8 we moved to Las Cruces where my father continued his education and eventually received his doctorate in Physics. I have 3 brothers, John who is 5 years older than me and Paul who is 8 years younger. My mom and dad met in Washington DC, they had just built the Pentagon and had put out a coast to coast announcement they were hiring. My mother was from Arkansas and anxious to get out of the small-time life, applied and was hired. Her job was to send letters to the mothers and wives of fallen soldiers. My mom and dad were married for 65 years before my mom passed in 2011, 4 years later my dad passed as well. I have been in the trucking industry for over 40 years. After graduating from Las Cruces High School in 1971. I enrolled at NMSU, with the idea of getting a degree in accounting. My parents were best friends with BJ and Dana Wright. Dana was head of the transportation department for Whitefield Trucking. The only trucking carrier in this area at
the time. My mother also worked there. After a year of college, I went to work for Whitefield part time, to earn extra money while attending college. Dana took me under his wing and taught me everything he could about trucking. It turned out I took to it very easily. It made sense and I loved it. After one more year of college I dropped out and went to work at Whitefield full time. I did a little bit of everything; billing, collections, dispatching, order entry, logs. In 1977 I married Jim Cooper. He was a welder by trade and soon after we married he was offered a job at the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant, in Phoenix, AZ. We lived in Phoenix for 8 years, our daughter was born in 1981 and our son in 1983. In 1986 we moved back to Las Cruces. There was one trucking company in the area located in the same building that Mr. Whitfield had built. I went to work for Espinosa Cartage. Over the years, I was there the company changed hands a few times, the company then became Val Vere Cartage. I told the owners I came with the building, but they always kept me on anyway. The last owner of the business was going to liquidate everything and no other company was coming in. So, before this happened I applied to MVT, and was put right to work. When I came to MVT Royal had 100 trucks. There were maybe 6 of us that ran the office and maybe another 6 dispatchers. We did not have computers. The dispatchers all sat at a round table, and they used magnets on a magnet board to follow where the trucks were. My job was to check in the driver’s paperwork, as they came through town. I had a window like a bank teller, where they would hand over their paperwork. It was great being able to get to know the drivers and a little about them. I would then bill out all the paperwork. If the drivers could not get to town they would send in paperwork through Trip Pak. As the years went by, the company was growing at a fast pace, and so was office personnel. We were stuffed into the same building where the shop was. Every inch of that building had a desk. We had a swamp cooler only, with this many employees the summers where hot in the building, and we were faced with the fumes from the shop. In fact, Roseanne entered MVT into a radio contest, they were going to give a free lunch to the neediest business in town. MVT won hands down, besides the cramped conditions, we had a one stall bathroom and 3 pregnant women. I think that was what we won on. Eventually the company built us a grand office across the street from the shop. Safety was no longer in a trailer in the parking lot. We were all together and we had so much room, and refrigerated air. It was awesome. Before you know it, more people were hired, we looked around and were cramped in again, sometimes 2 to a cubicle. They added an addition, it was great, until we looked around and there was no room. They added another addition to the building. It looks like we did it. We have our grand office back. It was astounding how fast we grew, and I was a part of it. It has been such an honor to watch it grow to what it is today, and is still growing. Like a mother hen, watching over the child you raise, you want to make sure it is done the best way you know how. I will always feel responsible for what I can give to this company. I tend to sometimes (ok all the time) get a little over zealous when I see something I know I can help with. I mentioned I have 2 children, Jamie my daughter and Jason my son. In 1995 my husband and I divorced, he moved back to Phoenix and I was left with 2 soon to be teenagers. My kids both attended Las Cruces High School. My daughter graduated from Las Cruces High, my son moved to Phoenix to live with his dad, and completed his last two years of high school there. After my daughter graduated she moved back to Phoenix as well and continued her education and became a medical assistant. She went to work for the same doctor that delivered her. After my son graduated from high school, his education was in the engineering field. He went to work for a large engineering firm in Phoenix, but was later asked to relocate to their corporate office in Dallas, TX where they could better use his talents. My daughter married, her husband is a respiratory therapist. They had their first child, a girl named Alyssa who is now 9. My daughter then became home sick and moved back to Las Cruces while she was pregnant with her second child, Isaac, who is now 7. She has blessed me with 2 wonderful grandchildren. I have been with my grandkids every day since Isaac was born. They keep me young. Every Saturday is our play day. Just me and the grandkids.
Sincerely,
Susan Cooper
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MESILLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION
E- Snubbing By: Alex Valenzuela
Victor Segura wrote an email in early December informing all MVT Enterprise on the issues of E-snubbing. If you missed it, you were being an e-snubber. Fortunately, you can be reintroduced to the context right here. The lack of response regarding electronic communication seems to have reached epidemic proportions, raising the question of how to avoid experiencing it in the first place and how to best respond when it does happen.
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e have all been raised to know that being on time shows your respect for the other person. Removing your hat while the national anthem is played, is also a sign of respect. Eating politely, keeping your elbows off the table, don’t talk with your mouth full and avoid reaching across the table to grab the saltshaker. These are all easy manners that should be obtained to conduct good etiquette. There are times throughout every day of your life when you should make a choice of whether to use good etiquette or be the person everyone avoids. Branched out from the general etiquette merged e-mail etiquette, newly known as E-snubbing. Again, are you going to use good etiquette or be the person everyone avoids? The emphasis on the importance of timely communication and how it impacts the appearance of our brand must be exaggerated. We need to consider that being an e-snubber is creating a lack of loyalty, trust and confidence to not just yourself but to the MVT brand. E-snubbing occurs when one decided not to respond through online communication. As mentioned in the Sydney Morning Herald states “E-snubbing is that it’s a way of signaling who holds the whip hand in a relationship; people almost always e-snub down, not up the status hierarchy.” “The more important you are the quicker your emails get answered.” – Automated Social Hierarchy Detection through Email Network Analysis
The New York Times recently published concerns regarding E-snubbing – “Back in the good old days, people used to duck your phone calls. Or just not return them. But in this, the electronic era, a whole new brand of disdain has come into play. The age of the e-snub is upon us.”
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It is imperative that we protect OUR MVT brand by remaining professional, always. The addition of this specific process will be incorporated into the staff new hire orientation process.
Ensure someone has taken the lead when responding to a customer’s concerns by letting everyone on the email chain know that you have replied and are communicating with the customer! Reply to all on the initial response and direct communication to a one on one after this has been done.
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Annoying e-mail messages plague all of us, but those of a more legitimate nature are surely deserving of a simple reply. Unfortunately, basic e-courtesy is in short supply. So, Communicate! Communicate! Communicate! Courtesy will go a long way and although we are all extremely busy it is well worth the effort to send a simple reply that you received and are working on a request especially if it involves both our internal and external customer!
Januray-February,2017 2017 Januray-February,
Crockpot
Healthy: Makes: 2 servings Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 9-10 hours
• 1 1/2 cups old fashion oats • 3 cups water • 1 tablespoon cinnamon • 2 medium apples, chopped • 1/2 cup walnuts
oatmeal
the perfectly easy breakfast STEP 1: Put all ingredients into a small crockpot (around 3 quarts)
STEP2: Stir everything a few times STEP 3: Put the lid on the crockpot and set crockpot to warm
STEP 4: Let cook for 9-10 hours or until most of the liquid is gone
This recipe calls for apples, cinnamon, and walnuts; but don’t let that limit you! You can create your own recipe and add any ingredient! One of my other favorites is cinnamon and dried cherries!
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THIS THING that we do... This Thing That We Do...
By:
Frank Blea
Hello again MVT and all of our extended MVT family. In my previous article I mentioned believing in this thing that we do, as concerns the nurturing, promoting and preservation of MVT. Let’s delve a bit deeper into what this means, and why it concerns us. One might ask, “What’s the big deal? I come to work, and I do my job. What more can you ask of me?” A while back, Mr. Alan Dahringer wrote a great article in the newsletter about the humble beginnings of MVT, and about the hard work, perseverance and tenacity of those individuals involved from the very beginnings of MVT. Reading that article one can only imagine the work, dedication and sacrifice it took to make a go of it. Since I began working in this industry, I have personally known two individuals who struck out on their own in quest of starting a trucking company. They both failed before they had been at it a year. I knew yet another fellow who went to work for a start-up and tried to get me to go with him. That company failed also. What if the founders of MVT had thrown in the towel? We show up to work every day, wrapped up in our own personal agenda and this does not even cross our minds. Remember the old catch phrase, “trickle-down economics?” My friends, it trickles down and it trickles up as well, and if Mr. Jones and company had given up when the going got tough, we not only would not be working for MVT, but other things within our community, which we take for granted, would not exist. Thriving businesses within the community causes the community to prosper. When the community prospers, it affects every one of us. Our families and friends, and the entire community in general all enjoy positive returns. When the community does not prosper...well suffice to say it’s not pretty. I came over to MVT in December, 2000. Sometime earlier that year I remember reading an article which stated that it would be a do or die decade in trucking, and the writer went on to make the prediction that the trucking companies which survived the decade would most likely go on to make it. I was working for Shipper’s Transport when I read that article. Shipper’s closed its doors in February, 2009. It did not last out the decade. MVT is still here. “So what is your point Frankie?” I’m glad you asked! Well then, let’s bring it on home. Over the past 16 years I’ve literally watched many of the children of our MVT family grow up before my eyes. On any given day one might see a child in the break room, having a snack and doing school work...yes, pretty much as they would be doing if they were at home. Or the child writing “I love you Mom!” on the dry erase board in Mom’s office. And let us not forget the day that Jackie’s little guy stepped out of Mom’s office and let out a sneeze that almost brought the building down...well he got my vote for man of the year right then! I could go on and on.
Do we take this all for granted and never give it a second thought? Is this just a normal occurrence which does not merit some thoughtful consideration as to how all of this came together...and how it still continues to be possible? Do you ever stop for a moment to ponder this wonderful something we have going here…this thing that we do? This thing that we do is MVT, and we all have a vested interest in keeping on doing this thing that we do.
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WATER cooler
CHAT
If you could have a super power just for today, what would it be?
The power to heal, too much sickness in the world today. Albert Villa
MVT El Paso Regional Operations Manager for TX-CENTRAL
What was your last great meal?
A great meal is defined by the company I am with. My parents are people that I have great meals with, everyweekend. Audriana Rodriguez MVT El Paso Fuel Coordinator
Who do you aspire to be?
Mr. Royal Jones. A great person, father, and boss. Alex Garcia MVT Laredo Terminal Manager
How do you get out of a rut?
Always look to get out of my comfort zone, driving different route to work. Do things that I’ve never done before.
Robert Martinez
MVT El Paso Regional Operations Manager
Trainer of the Year By: Alex Valenzuela
Rigoberto (CHARIG) Chavez Chavez has been driving for Mesilla Valley Transportation for 12 years. Prior to those 12 years he drove for another 5 years. Giving him a strong 17 years of on road driving experience. What qualifies a driver to be considered Trainer of the Year are maintain a perfect CSA score, 240,000 + miles driven throughout that year and an average MPG of 9.0 or better. Chavez was successful at achieving all three. Keeping a clean record across the board, one may say is a hard task but for Chavez, he was able to maintain an excellent Driver Ranking. Brought in 240,000 miles in 2016 with a 9.71 MPG score. GREAT JOB RIGOBERTO!
About: Rigoberto Chavez
He is very dedicated to both, Mesilla Valley Transportation and his trainees. A very hardworking man with an incredible personality. He is the kind of man that brings a positive aura to any place. With his outgoing personality and his caring heart, he is always willing to encourage and guide any driver that accepts the assistance. One of his many qualified features Chavez obtains is keeping in touch with all his past students, continuing to give them helpful advice and act as their mentor. Now, he’s not all work, one of his “...to me that is a great hobbies satisfaction, because includes they are loving MVT, building. just as much as I do.” Still implementing a creative and passionate individual. When asked how he felt when he found out he was awarded Trainer of 2016 his answer was, “SURPRISED! I love to drive and do my best with a lot of pride, especially when I see my trainees become a reflection of my driving. I see students now, that I trained…taking the role of trainers, to me that is a great satisfaction, because they are loving MVT, just as much as I do.”
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2701 W. Amador Ave. #2, Las Cruces, NM 88005
Book of the Month The 5 Love Languages
someone feels. Just as putting fuel in a car, our lives run at its best when our Love Tank is filled and constantly being filled. The opposite effect might lead to, burning out or in more relatable terms, giving up.
s ’ a t s i r Ba CORNER
The
The last year has without a doubt flown by for the Border Brew Crew. We’ve reached the end of year one and we couldn’t have asked for a better first year. In this time we’ve expanded our menu’s and offer a variety of high quality foods and drinks. We’ve made great friends within the local small business community. Even welcoming our friends at Peebs&Oli to showcase their upcycled treasures on our walls. It has been our pleasure to be an extention of the MVT and Border Families and we look forward to another great year! By: Joann Ortiz
“We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job everyday to make important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.” -Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon
If you have not read the book by Gary Chapman, you’re missing out. Chapman’s bestselling book has been sold to millions worldwide. These couple hundred pages have changed countless relationships. Chapman does an amazing job describing how important it is for couples to understand each other. It is a possibility for couples to truly be in love but one may feel unloved because there is a miscommunication between each other between their love language. Partner one may not think the same about giving and receiving love towards partner two. Dr. Chapman uses “Love Tank” as a great analogy to explain how much love
In his book, Chapman explains that we tend to give and receive love in five main ways, words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, receiving, and physical touch. Relationships almost never have the same love language. The 5 Love Languages gives a great insight to communicate better with your partner. You’ll be surprised what you can learn about you partners love language and possibly even discover your own! By: Alex Valenzuela
2701 W. Amador Ave. #2, Las Cruces, NM 88005
Chinese New Year Arts and Crafts
and fun atmosphere for these pairs! So, that’s exactly what they did! On January 12th, Border Brew hosted a night of arts and crafts for BBBS. Joann and Kim, the fabulous Border Brew Baristas, set up a handful of Chinese New Year themed arts and crafts and made a wide selection of delicious drinks for the pairs.
Border Brew hopes to continue growing this relationship with BBBS by BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS offering a holiday themed Border Brew Coffee House arts and crafts once every is proud to announce they month. have formed a relationship with the Dona Ana Moun- JOIN BBBS tain Region Big Brothers You can learn more about Big Sisters (BBBS) pro- BBBS by calling them at: gram! BBBS is a national organization that pairs 575.523.9530 children ranging in age from 5-18 years old with a mentoring adult. Together By: Cassidy Lee BBBS and their mentors provide the children with a safe support system that they may be lacking at home or school. Part of the program requires the mentors to spend a few hours with their kiddo each month. Border Brew wanted to help offer a safe, relaxing,
Facebook Reviews “Cold brew coffee is great. Strong, non-acidic,smooth f l a v o r. B r e a k f a s t sandwiches and lunch wraps are very tasty. Never a long wait.” -Erik Thompson “Yes to soy and almond milk options. Good prices too!!” -Ann McPhee
“Very nice folks. Great mocha and yummy egg sandwich. We found y’all by accident but will stop by when we pass through Las Cruces again. Koji will insit upon it!” -Lesley Tibbits “Love the roast beef on croissant. Great atmoshphere and friendlyservice. Love that it’s on the west side of town.” -Nora Olivas
Come Visit Us! Monday....................7AM-5PM Tuesday....................7AM-5PM Wednesday..............7AM-5PM Thursday.................7AM-5PM Friday......................7AM-5PM Saturday.................7AM-3PM Sunday......................CLOSED
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By: Emily Roof Three years ago, around this time, I was getting ready for the annual Bataan Death March. I convinced a former employee to participate in this race with me. Poor thing... She had no idea what I was getting her into. As a matter of fact, I had no idea what I was getting myself into! Neither of us had participated in this run before. I have to admit, it was the hardest thing I have ever done. We only did half! (14.2 miles) but we did finish the race and in good time at that. But there were times during the race I felt like giving up, It was hard!! The hills, the soft sand..agh! But then a fellow racer would pass. Not only was he running, he was running with a prosthetic leg. An injury from war. That kind of commitment and determination just stunned me. If he could do it so could I. “What am I whining about?” I would think. I have everything in the world to be thankful for, yet there are men and women out here who have risked their lives for my freedom and suffered harsh recoveries and YET still had a positive attitude.
The Bataan Memorial Death March is a challenging march through the high desert terrain of White Sands Missile Range, conducted in honor of the heroic service members who defended the Philippine Islands during World War II, sacrificing their freedom, health and, in many cases, their very lives. It’s a great race with so much meaning behind it. If you have the opportunity to be part of it, I highly recommend it. It’s an experience I will never forget. With a life lesson on no matter how hard things may get, YOU can and will get through it. 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. If you are interested in participating in this race, please email Emily.roof@m-v-t.com. There are 2 options to pick from: The honorary route (14.2 miles) Or the full course of (26.2miles).
MVT will proudly cover all employee registration fees. All that we ask in return is that you show up and enjoy yourselves. Be sure to train, nobody wants to see you get hurt. Please be sure you can commit to the event. If for some reason you don’t show up your registration will be charged back to you. ($125)
Deadline to Register: March 5th, 2017
Think your motorcycle has a chance to win? Registration for the MVT Motorcycle Show 9am-11am Everyone welcome!
Food, Music, Giveaways and MUCH MORE! 9525 Escobar Dr., El Paso, TX 79907
Shop MVT Looks Online @ store.m-v-.t.com
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Letter from the Editor
elcome 2017! I remember thinking a few years ago, how far away 2017 was and wondering where I would be by then. If I remember correctly I was planning on being a firefighter/paramedic in Seattle, Washington by now, however I have certainly changed my career plans since then. Turns out I am recently graduated from New Mexico State University, living in Las Cruces, and working in the Marketing Department for Mesilla Valley Transportation! I must admit this is not at all where I thought I would be in 2017, but I am unbelievably happy going into the new year! It continues to amazes me how many experiences life takes me through in a year as I simple live it day-byday. By the time I have a second to let my mind catch up it is a new year filled with another 365 days of new experiences. The clock never stops ticking and the time never stops passing by. I am already looking forward to thinking back on 2017, in a year, and reflecting on all the good, the bad, and the ugly and knowing all those experiences have helped shape me into the person I have become. This year at MVT is shaping up to be a busy one already! Our marketing team has been fortunate enough to begin working with several of the other companies under the MVT umbrella doing a variety of tasks including; creating websites, starting company Facebook pages, designing flyers, and much more! We truly are excited to continue cultivating these new relationships! I wish you all a fantastic 2017! Show this year who’s boss!
Sincerely,
Cassidy Lee
love
PROMOTE what you instead of bashing what you hate
Making a Difference Everyday
The MVT Way