MESILLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION
MARCH-APRIL
VOLUME 17. ISSUE 3.
2017
www.m-v-t.com
Mesilla Valley Transportation
CONTENTS
4 Fun Fact 6 Recipe 7 Water Cooler Chat 8 Border Brew 10 Biggest Loser 12 Bataan 16 Order Up! 18 Humor
HIGHLIGHTED
EMPLOYEE Hello MVT,
My name is Albina Yañez. I am the HR Coordinator in Las Cruces. I have been with MVT since May 2016. I have had the opportunity to work in HR for the last 6 years and I really enjoy it. I have learned a lot in the short time I have been here and I find the ins and outs of the trucking industry very interesting. I was born and raised in the Las Cruces. I was raised by a single mom who was very strong and independent. I think that’s where my stubbornness comes from and my strong work ethic. I have been working since I was 16 years old. My first job was at snow cone stand in the summer. After I graduated high school, I took a year off and worked at Montgomery Ward (man did that age me?). I attended NMSU for 2 years but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and ended up dropping out. I have had the opportunity to work in various fields including banking, phlebotomy, and non-profit organizations. I went back to college late in life. I originally decided to go back to school just to finish my associates so I could set a good example for my kids, but once I returned I realized I enjoyed it. I received my associates in 2012 and decided to go on for my bachelors, and graduated in May 2015. I enjoy learning something new every day and look for a learning opportunity in any situation. I am raising two kids. My daughter is 18 and attends NMSU and is a member of the Pride of New Mexico marching band and my son is 13, finishing his last year of middle school. He is part of the engineering program and loves taking things apart to see how they work. They are my pride and joy and keep me very busy. They take up most of my free time, but when I do get a moment to myself, I enjoy watching all sports and even enjoy playing them occasionally. Since I have started working here I have really wanted to learn to play golf. So, that will be next on my bucket list, along with skydiving. It’s never too late to learn something new and accomplish all those things you have put off for some other time.
Sincerely, Albina Yanez
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘WOW! What A Ride!’” ~Hunter S. Thompson
FUN Facts!
MVT ran
165,956,279 miles in 2016 That’s like driving... 127,855 59,228 6,665 695 3.5
times from El Paso, TX to Nashville, TN
times across the United States
times around the world
times to the moon
times to Mercury
Meatloaf MADE EASY 1. 2. 3. Ingredients Meatloaf • • • • • •
1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 egg 1 onion, chopped 1 cup milk 1 cup bread crumbs salt and pepper to taste
4. 5.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, onion, milk, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper.
Place meat mixture into a lightly greased 5x9 inch loaf pan.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup. Mex well and pour over the meatloaf.
Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
...........enjoy! Sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar • 2 tbsp mustard • 1/3 cup ketchup
WATER
CHAT
cooler
How many stamps are on your passport?
“Not nearly enough to fulfill my bucket list basics. Still have to go to Japan, Isranbul, Australia, Germany, and Erika Chaparro many other. MVT El Paso E-Log Auditors
What new activity have you tried?
“I tried fencing.”
Michelle Barraza MVT El Paso E-Log Auditors
When was the last time you felt like you were on top of the world? “When my boyfriend asked me to marry
him. Most beautiful feeling in the world!” Valeria Ponce MVT El Paso Safety Clerk
What new activity have you tried? “I’ve tried the Ketogenic Diet.” Eli Mitchell MVT Las Cruces System Administrator
2701 W. Amador Ave. #2, Las Cruces, NM 88005
Book of the Month The Last Lecture
Randy Pausch was a successful computer science professor at Carnegie University and lived a happy life with his wife and three kids. Unfortunately, in August 2006, Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was only given a few months to live and he didn’t let those horrific words taint his life. He remained optimistic, something you normally wouldn’t expect after being given your expiration date. He did not feel sorry for himself, instead decided to give one last lecture. To him giving one last lecture meant that it was his last time to have the many people who he cared about hear him speak to an audience. This book is broken down into different sections. The Last
Lecture, where he talks about how he decided to devote his last months on preparing himself for his presentation rather than soaking up time with his wife and kids. Really Achieving your Childhood Dreams, where he brings his readers in to get to know all his childhood dreams and how he achieved every single one. Adventures and Lessons Learned, this section relives his experience with his cancer. It had come and gone and came again TEN times stronger. Next section is titled Enabling the Dreams of Others, this section is my personal favorite section of the book. You are getting motivational advice. He tells his readers to dream big, show gratitude, never give up, and to tell the truth. Last section is Final Remarks, this section is his own way of thanking everything in his life and how he considers himself lucky. This book is truly moving, it has the power to motivate and to help yourself step back and reframe. We go through times where we think life is impossible and we can’t move forward. Hearing the story of Randy Pausch should quickly slap you out of your slump. I look at this book as getting life lessons as you would from a wise grandfather or your mom and dad. No matter the age you can always be given lessons and lectures to pursue more. By: Alex Valenzuela
FIRE
POLICE
SENIOR
MILITARY
STUDENT EMPLOYEE FIRST RESPONDER
discounts
2701 W. Amador Ave. #2, Las Cruces, NM 88005
Come Visit Us! Monday....................7AM-5PM Tuesday....................7AM-5PM Wednesday..............7AM-5PM Thursday.................7AM-5PM Friday......................7AM-5PM Saturday.................7AM-3PM Sunday......................CLOSED
The Biggest T
he challenge starting on January 1st and ending roughly around the first weeks of April. Border International El Paso/Las Cruces and Mesilla Valley Transportation EP/LC gathered individuals who were ready to take on the challenge of the yearly weight loss challenge. Rules went as followed: You must lose 10% of the body weight by the end of the challenge AND if you didn’t you would have to pay up an additional $10. Just like most things, losing weight and committing yourself to a challenge is easier said than done. Which is why we want to take the time to acknowledge our winner! Although, this challenge was started and designed to act as a fun activity involving work, it does take a great deal of commitment and will power in and outside of work. With all that being said, let’s cut the anticipation and announce our winner. A huge round of applause to Mesilla Valley Transportation’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), Mike Kelley. Kelley entered the competition weighing in at 218 pounds. You look at him today and he is still maintaining his healthy habits now weighing 188 pounds! In total, Kelley lost 30 pounds from start to finish putting him in first place! WAY TO GO MIKE KELLEY!
In total, Kelley lost 30 pounds from start to finish putting him in first place! When asking Kelley if the overall challenge was tough he answered “It wasn’t overly tough…the hardest thing was sticking with it. I just started on January 1st, walking and made a commitment to myself I was going to continue to do it each day”. Making that commitment to himself he was determined to be fully engaged in this life changing experience.
Loser Challenge
By: Alex Valenzuela
Kelley would take walks down to the river on his break and as time went by he would challenge himself to take more steps or go a little further each time. Kelley said, “I started with 2 miles… now in week 16 trying for 5 + miles per day”. He has recently reached 10 miles. Dieting and working out isn’t easy, it takes a great deal of will power, and he had it! Mike Kelley was tested constantly at work. The question was always, what would be more important? Giving into those donuts, pizza and the delicious cinnamon rolls he nearly drooled about when talking about them, or sticking to his goal and making a change. Coming out of this competition as our winner it is safe to say he maintained an incredible will power. He knew from the start that the winner would receive a payout, which for him ended up being $280. But when asking him what he was going to do with the prize money he said, “For me the bonus of the $280 for the biggest loser wasn’t the real win…for me it’s the comments people are making and the fact that I have changed how I feel about myself and caring about my health”. He continues to watch his steps per day, maintain his healthy eating habits, and increase the workouts to incorporate more cardio throughout his day.
! E k i M b o J t Grea We are proud of you!
One word...COMMITMENT! One word…commitment! Staying fit is a commitment to eating healthy and working out. Most people think that working out is the hard part of staying fit. The hardest part is eating healthy! With my busy family life, it was hard to begin, but overtime it got easier. I took it one step at a time and it has gradually added up to my current fitness state. Here is a typical day for me. I wake up at 5 AM and immediately drink a glass of water with an herbal supplement for energy and workout recovery. I then attend a 5:30 AM Crossfit class. This is the only time available in my busy family life. I’ll then make breakfast usually consisting of oatmeal, eggs, greek yogurt and an herbal coffee that keeps my mind sharp throughout the day. Before lunch I’ll drink an herbal coffee for fat burning and have lunch anywhere. I’ll drink an herbal green tea before dinner and then have a protein rich dinner. I have been doing this for one year now and my commitment is paying off.
By: Gilbert Lopez MVT Las Cruces Business Intelligence Developer
BATAAN MEMORIAL DEATH MARCH 2017
T
he 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. The conditions they encountered and the aftermath of the battle were unique. They fought in a malaria-infested region, surviving on half or quarter rations with little or no medical help. They fought with outdated equipment and virtually no air power. On April 9, 1942, tens of thousands of American and Filipino soldiers were surrendered to Japanese forces. The Americans were Army, Army Air Corps, Navy and Marines. Among those seized were members of the 200th Coast Artillery, New Mexico National Guard. This year’s 75th anniversary of the Bataan Death March was the largest conducted. Altogether 7,200 entries were received, and of those, 6,304 people were at the starting line. The last of 5,598 finishers — a wounded warrior who completed the march in a little more than 15 hours — crossed the finish line at 10:14 p.m. Sunday. Congratulations to the 34 employees from Mesilla Valley Transportation, JH Rose, Rio Valley Biofuels, R Leasing, Verde Logistics and Border International Trucks who did the 75th Anniversary Bataan Memorial Death March! Some did the full 26.2 miles and others did the 14.2 miles. 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”. Marchers who participated in the “Heavy Division” of this year’s march were required to carry 35-pound ruck sacks. Event organizers asked marchers to consider filling their packs with canned goods and nonperishable foods they could donate to food banks upon finishing the march. This year, Roadrunner Food Bank partnered with Casa de Peregrinos, in Las Cruces, to collect 27,510 pounds of food from the march. More than 9,300 pounds of food directly went to Casa de Peregrinos, per a news release from Roadrunner Food Bank. 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. More events are planned to honor the 75th anniversary of the Bataan Death March. At 4 p.m. April 9, a ceremony to commemorate the surrender of American and Filipino forces will be conducted at Veterans Memorial Park, on Roadrunner Parkway. The ceremony will be the first time it has been conducted in Las Cruces. Of the New Mexicans who served in Bataan, only four survivors of the Death March are still alive: William Trask, of Clovis; Val De Herrera, from Blanca; Dale Overmier, from Albuquerque; and Las Crucen Julio Barela, who now resides at the New Mexico Veterans’ Home in Truth or Consequences. All of the survivors are in their late 90s. Again, huge shout out to everyone who participated. It’s a great race with so much meaning behind it. If you have the opportunity to be part of it next year, I highly recommend it. It’s an experience you will never forget. By: Emily Roof
Employees that participated: Employee Abraham Saenz Alan Noyes Allan Dahringer Amy Noyes Andrew Baker Astrid Martinez Cesar Atilano Christine Robles David Chavez Ernesto Villalobos Felicia Chacon Francisco Hinojosa Gerald Gattis Greg Ginger Helen Noguera Holly Webb Ivan De La Cruz Jesse Castaneda Jesus Duran Jr. Jesus Lopez George Rosencrans Jorge Solis Kara Randle Karina Rubalcaba Kristal Nevarez Louie Valverde Martin Torres Mike Kelley Robert Rubalcaba Rudy Gallego Ryan Elliott Sergio Pacheco Trisha Bannister Veronica Flores
Company Verde Logistics JH Rose MVT JH Rose MVT MVT MVT MVT MVT MVT Border Int. MVT MVT MVT MVT Verde Logistics JH Rose MVT Border Int. Border Int. Border Int. Border Int. MVT MVT Rio Valley MVT Border Int. MVT MVT Border Int. MVT MVT JH Rose MVT
Miles Walked 14 14 26.2 14 14 14 14 14 14 26.2 26.2 26.2 14 14 26.2 14 26.2 26.2 26.2 26.2 14 14 14 14 26.2 26.2 26.2 14 14 26.2 26.2 14 14 14
JoJohn Special-Order Up! By: Frank Blea
As I arrive to work at MVT, through the dispatch window from the hallway, I catch sight of the crew already clustered around David Vandera. They stand there now with that bewildered “thousand meter stare” on their faces, and I know it can only mean one of two things. Either David Vandera is telling bad jokes in Spanglish again, or we have a JoJohn special cooking. “Hey Chingon! Get on in here, we have another JoJohn special tonight!” Too late, he’d seen me! Oh well, could be worse. Could’ve been David with his “chistes” again, whew! David breaks down tonight’s mission, then exclaims, “Okay chingones, let’s make it happen, arriba Dallas Cowboys!” Excuse me, what? Oh yeah, right, David could never resist an opportunity to plug his Dallas Cowboys, and since he was the big boss on duty, it was all opportunity. All righty then…so…JoJohn special and arriba Dallas Cowboys. Let’s do this. So just what is a JoJohn special? Thought you’d never ask! Back in the day…and I’m talking way back in the day when back in the day was still once upon a time, now that was back in the day! It was back in the day when the ECT group was just the freaking night and weekend crew. It was back in the day when Albert Villa, Andy Zavala and Andy Barrios were the rookie FNG’s of the night crew. It was back in the day when Gisela and Edgar were our hot shot night crew customer service team It was back in the day when Mr Royal would send a green screen at 3:00 in the morning threatening to hang us all by our you know whats’s if we dropped that Foamex load, or that Nogales load, or…”Does homeboy ever sleep?!” The muttering would spread quietly across the room, but then again, “Ten-four Senor Royal, we’re on it! Arriba Dallas Cowboys!”
It was back in the day when MVT did not yet have a cadre of stalwart local drivers in the outlying areas such as we have today, so we had to use some creative dispatching to service a steadily growing customer base. Cue the JoJohn special! JoJohn provided the creative aspect, and the rest of us did the dispatching and juggling, and everything else it took to make it happen, and it went something like this… Driver 1 will pick up loads a’ b’ and c’ at Collins & Akeman and stage them for teams 3,4, and 5, who are east bound and hammering down with ETA’s of 2:00 am, 5:00 am and 8:00 am respectively. Driver 1 will then take his break and when he wakes up in the morning, will do a yard check (trailer count) at Collins & Akeman, and then he will report in for load d’ and once it is loaded, he will hammer down like his butt’s on fire, and we need to find and set up a repower en-route before we get off shift in the morning. **A quick side note here. It was a different time back then, and hammer down was how everything was done. Meanwhile driver 2 will pick up loads e’ and f’ at Milliken and stage them for teams 6 and 7, who have ETA of 4:00 am and 9:00 am respectively. Driver 2 will then pick up load g’ and hammer down, and hope he has a strong tail wind! He will want to take it all the way, but line up a swap in advance just in case, and pass the info to the day shift on this one. Loads b’ and d’ are burning hot, no margin for error. If team ETA’s change, move these loads around to the first teams on sight. Teams 4 and 7 have tendency to run low and slow, need to stay on top of them. Driver 8 is in Nashville sleeping. Give him a wake-up call at 5:00 am and have him start shuttling trailers. We need trailers everywhere. Get with Gisela and Edgar on prioritizing. “Hey Boss, team 6 says they will be out of hours!” “They’re a team, they can’t run out of hours. Log 5 and 5 and keep on trucking! Arriba Dallas Cowboys!” “Hey Boss, Team 3 says they want to be home for Thanksgiving.” “Why do they want to be home? Their team is not playing. Only the Cowboys are playing. Tell them keep on trucking, arriba Dallas cowboys!” And so went the shift. The JoJohn specials were an addition to our normal fleet workload, and the scenarios I describe above, with some literary embellishment and humor thrown in for color and effect, are just a sampling of what we might encounter with these. The JoJohn specials were always different and always challenging. Wow, is it 8:00 o’clock already? “Great job chingones, time to go home, arriba Dallas Cowboys!”
Office-Saf
fe Humor How do you tell an alligator from a crocodile?
One will see you LATER and the other will see you in A WHILE...
What lights up a soccer stadium? A soccer match...
What did one toilet say to the other? You look flushed...
What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta...
how do you make a hanky dance? Put a little boogie in it...
DRIVER APPRECIATION DAY May25th 2017 9525 Escobar Dr. 79907
11AM-2PM
CAR GIVEAWAY TO DRIVER WITH THE BEST MPG!
SHOUT OUT TO RACHEL KNIGHT! Rachel Knight, married to our very own Seth Knight, was named the Teacher of the Year for the Las Cruces Public Schools!
Con
l! e h c a R s on gratulati
Letter from the Editor
Hello MVT,
Wednesday, April 26th will mark my one year anniversary as an MVT employee. To be honest, I didn’t have a clue what working at MVT would be like, what I would be doing, or if I wanted to stay with the company after I graduated. However, on my first day (which all I did was fill out HR paperwork) I met the CEO of the company, Royal Jones, how cool was that? It was that moment I got my first taste of the type of workplace culture at MVT, and I liked it. Sure enough, as each day passed I continuously met more friendly people who greeted me with a smiling face. Everyone was more than happy to help me with anything I needed. Although, I did not know any one when I got here , on day one I started with an entire network of support from my MVT Family. I have always believed that a company’s culture is created by its leaders. After having met our leaders I know that they truly care for Mesilla Valley Transportation and value all the people who make this company what it is today. I was browsing motivational quotes and I stumbled on one that I feel many of us can relate to.
WHEN SOMETHING goe s wrong in your life ,
JUST YELL,
“PLOT TWIST!”
and move on.
I can’t say I have ever had a day go as planned; in fact, it worries me when things go as planned. It has taken some time to learn to accept surprises, and not to assume. But, I must admit my marketing team is what keeps me motivated, excited, sane, and ready for any challenge. I know they are there for me to lean on whenever I face a ‘PLOT TWIST.’ We spend 40+ hours a week around the people we work with, our teams. Don’t forget to thank them for the laughs, the support, and the motivation they provide for you!
Sincerely, Cassidy T. Lee Marketing Department