Driver of the Month: Bradley

Congratulations to January’s Driver of the Month, Bradley! He has been with Melton for nearly two years after previously working in the oilfields, but has been hauling farm equipment since he was just 16 years old! Bradley’s favorite part about Melton is the family environment and the flexibility we have in getting drivers home in the case of personal issues and events. He has two great Safety tips for our drivers: first, never be afraid to call in and ask for help when you need it. Second, if you feel like your load needs more straps, always add more – better safe than sorry!

His DM, Wendy, had this to say about Bradley: “Bradley is very conscientious and always keeps me updated. I know I don’t have to worry about a load when he is picking up for us.” Congratulations, Bradley!

Rookie of the Month: Ahmed

Congratulations to January’s Rookie of the Month, Ahmed! He has driving for Melton since 2023, and this is his first driving job after graduating from 160 Driving Academy in San Marcos, TX. Ahmed holds a master’s degree in human resource management and previously worked as an HR and Payroll analyst. He chose to drive for Melton after doing a lot of research about OTR jobs, and came to Melton after speaking with Samantha in Recruiting! The most interesting load he has hauled was just 400 lbs and only had to travel 50 miles – definitely unusual!

His DM, Rebecca, wanted to give her congratulations: “Ahmed is a great driver, hard worker, and always communicates and works hard at representing Melton in a positive way. Great asset to the team.” Keep up the great work, Ahmed!

A Message from Our Wellness Manager

The iCare enrollment window is open!  If you are on the Melton Health Plan and if you want a discount on your insurance premiums, it’s time to get your iCare Personal Health Assessment (PHA). The deadline for completion is September 30, 2024.

What does the iCarePHA consist of? *

• Venous blood draw (cholesterol, hemoglobin A1C, liver & kidney function, etc..)
• Height/Weight and Waistline Measurement
• Blood Pressure

*Rest assured, no employees at Melton Truck Lines will ever see your testing results. Only you and the CareATC providers will have access.

Why should you participate?

1)  Once the covered employee and their covered spouse complete their iCarePHA screening they will see significant savings in their 2025 health care benefit premiums by paying the discounted iCare premium rate. Non-participating employees will pay a higher monthly premium and be enrolled in the standard rate plan. 

2)  Most importantly, the screenings are an effective method in identifying any health risks early!

New Hires:  If you are a New Hire in 2024 you will automatically be enrolled in the standard rate, and must complete the iCare/PHA screening within six months of your benefits effective date. If you have specific questions, please reach out to our benefits team.

Screening Locations: (please visit careatc.com/meltontrucklines for locations)

CareATC’s National Near-Site clinics, including the Melton On-Site Clinic and the Laredo Terminal Clinic (in Laredo, please call Jorge Landa).

Remote spouses and employees not near a CareATC facility should participate by visiting a LabCorp location directly.  Please reach out to a Bret Bringham or a member of the benefits team for LabCorp scheduling instructions. **

**This option is available only to those who are not within 30 miles of a CareATC clinic or our Laredo Clinic.

There are several PHA screening options available:

Scheduling Your iCarePHA in Tulsa or at a CareATC clinic: 

Visit https://www.careatc.com/meltontrucklines

Once logged in scroll down and click on “Personal Health Assessment (PHA) Scheduling”

Click “At The Health Center” for onsite screening event in Tulsa  CLICK “At the Clinic” to schedule at a CareATC Clinic.

Choose the day and time that fit your schedule.

Click “Schedule” to reserve your spot.

Scheduling Your iCarePHA at the Laredo Clinic:

Please call Jorge in the Laredo clinic to schedule your PHA.

Onsite Screening Event Pre-Registration: (Scheduled Onsite Screening Events:  May 17th  /  July 19th  / August 9th /  September 6th)

• Visit https://www.careatc.com/meltontrucklines
• Once logged in click on “Schedule a Personal Health Assessment (PHA)”
• Click “At a Company Event”
• Select “Melton” and then pick your preferred event date.
• Select the time that best fits your schedule.
• Click “Schedule” to reserve your spot.

Scheduling Your iCarePHA at LabCorp:   **This option is available only to those who are not within 30 miles of a CareATC clinic or our Laredo Clinic.

Please reach out to our benefits department or wellness manager for instructions.

 Fast 8 Hours Before Your iCarePHA:

• Fast from food and tobacco products
• Drink plenty of water (black coffee allowed)
• Take prescriptions that don’t require food (including blood pressure medications)

If you have any questions regarding scheduling, please contact CareATC directly at 800-993-8244.

In Good Health,

Bret Bringham

A Message from Our safety department

Happy April, Melton Drivers! It is officially springtime—the time of year that traditionally brings warmer weather and an increase in how much freight we receive. With this in mind, it is important as ever to develop and maintain excellent customer relationships by arriving at shippers and consignees on time with damage-free freight. There are a variety of ways you can successfully do this, ranging from brushing up on time management skills to continuing to commit to safe driving habits.

Undeniably, having effective time management skills and practicing thorough trip planning helps uphold strong customer relationships. Efficiently managing time ensures that deliveries are made promptly, meeting, or even exceeding customer expectations. Additionally, effective trip planning allows drivers to anticipate potential delays, enabling proactive communication with customers to mitigate any disruptions. This level of transparency and communication fosters trust and confidence in Melton’s services, strengthening the overall relationship we have with the customer. To achieve this, keep these time management aspects in mind:

Checking the Weather: We are in a transitional period in terms of weather right now, meaning as you travel across the United States, you can encounter snow, heat, severe storms, or even the perfect sunny, 70-degree day. It is important to be weather aware throughout your entire trip to ensure that you are prepared for what you are encountering. Plan ahead and let your Driver Manager know of any anticipated delays.

Staying Within Your Hours: It would be unfortunate if you were close to a consignee, but you have run out of hours on your clock and cannot make an appointment time. Plan your hours for each day and ensure that you will have enough each day to make your appointment times.

Following the Appropriate Route: Some roads do not allow trucks & trailers like ours to drive along them. Double-check to see if the route you are taking allows trucks before heading on that route. Additionally, a portion of I-70 is prohibited year-round to all Melton drivers. The restricted route begins on I-70 in Denver, Colorado and runs west until Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Drivers are to not travel westbound or eastbound on this route. Therefore, be sure to adjust the trip directions if they take you along this route. Contact Safety with any questions.

Planning Your Stops: Planning where you are going to take your 30-minute break and where you will stop for the night ensures you have a safe place to be without causing future delays. Be sure you know where and when you are stopping so you can recharge your battery and be ready to conquer the following miles to your destination!

Along with time management, continuing to engage in safe driving practices also ensures we are keeping up with Melton’s good reputation of safely delivering freight on time. On our fleet, we have awesome drivers who keep safe driving as priority number one. Keep up the good work and drive safely by avoiding these commons unsafe driving events:

Speeding: Although it may seem like speeding can help you reach your destination quicker, it often only gets you there a few minutes earlier. It is not worth the time and money that is lost as a result of an accident or a citation. Respect the law by watching your speed. Remember that even 1 to 5 mph over the speed limit can get you a ticket, so be cautious!

Distracted Driving: Distracted driving can manifest in an abundance of ways, with the most common method being cell phones for all drivers on the road. Don’t be like other drivers who are fiddling on their phones—keep your phone in the bunk. Additionally, messing with the GPS’s directions can be another form of distraction– especially for truck drivers. Be sure that if you are not sure where you are going, then you are pulling over to gain awareness and develop a plan before getting back on the road.

Failing to Wear Seatbelts: Although it has continuously been proven to be a dangerous choice, neglecting to wear seatbelts is still an issue on today’s highways. Once you are in your truck ready to drive, be sure to put on your seatbelt every single time. It is not just a Melton policy; it is the law.

As we welcome April and embrace the onset of spring, it’s imperative to uphold our commitment to punctuality and damage-free deliveries to nurture strong customer relationships. Effective time management and adherence to safe driving practices are pivotal in achieving this feat—and as a result—maintaining Melton’s good reputation. Going forward, let’s protect ourselves and our communities by continuing to prioritize safety on the road!

April Anniversaries

1             Colin Mcleod

1             Dajuan Hodge

1             Daniel Dessiniste

1             Fabian Castellanos

1             Geovany Hernandez

1             Haji Ali

1             Henry Albaro

1             James Parrish

1             Jessi Barnett

1             Johnathan Jackson

1             Jonathan Alltizer

1             Jonathan Montgomery

1             Jose Padro

1             Juan Gonzalez

1             Juver Soto

1             Kelvin Carter

1             Liud Carvajal

1             Melvin Martin

1             Raymond Holland

1             Richalson Auguste

1             Robert Zapata

1             Timothy Taylor

1             Tyree Coggins

1             Ulrick Carson

1             Wesley Boatwright

1             Cariel Turner

1             Colton Hughes

1             Dalton Varnell

1             Kade Sherrill

1             Logan Hager

1             Valerie Strickel

Monthly Celebration

We gathered around the fire in our Tulsa headquarters to have our monthly celebration. Each month we celebrate anniversaries, new hires, promotions, and birthdays.

Congratulations to our Rookie and ambassador of the year!

Also during our monthly celebration, we revealed the 2023 Rookie of the Year, Marlon, and Ambassador of the Year, Mike! Both of these drivers exemplify the values and qualities that make Melton drivers some of the best in the trucking industry. Thank you for being hard workers and responsible drivers!

LEt’s Welcome the Tulsa SPCA!

Last Friday was the first Tulsa SPCA visit of the year! We had a blast meeting all the dogs (and cats) who came to visit. Check out some of the photos below. If you missed last month’s visit, look out for a message announcing the next time the Tulsa SPCA will be at Melton.

Follow Us on Social Media!

December Top Fleets

6.68 MPG

Overall Fleet Average MPG

1. Wendy Rolnicki- Fleet 11 with an average of 7.42 MPG
2. Tony Smith- Fleet 18 with an average of 7.26 MPG
3. Staci Pula- Fleet 36 with an average of 7.22 MPG

Top 100 & Elite Fleet

Melton Cockrell

Michael Bernat

Michael Morse

Michael Allen

Michael Maines

Mike Simpson

Minh Tran

Mohammed Alkateib

Moises Perez

Musa Ahmed

Nicholas Mihal

Patrick Vonalt

Paul Pellerito

Ray Morgan

Richard Zapata

Rickey Russell

Ricky Legue

Ricky Katipunan

Ronald Wright

Samuel Hill

Scott Jernigan

Stephen Vinson

Steven Heiberger

Tamas Keller

Tayler Franklin

Terrance Small

Timmy Blandburg

Todd Rasco

Tony Hayes

Travis Lancaster

Troy Marquis

William Adkins

Wyn Norsworthy

Zoran Harrison

March Hires

Max Lopez

Shop Intern

William Beaulieu

Account Manager, Melton Logistics

March Movement