PUB. 5 ISSUE 1 KTA Motor Carrier Spotlight Meet the Key Oil Safety Team
PUB. 5 ISSUE 1 CONTENTS 2025 Event Calendar June 12 Annual Golf Classic July 23-25 2025 KTA Annual Conference 4 President’s Message With Constant Change Comes Opportunity By Rick Taylor, KTA President 6 Save the Date 2025 KTA Annual Golf Classic 7 Everyday Heroes Needed 8 How Kentucky is Addressing Distracted Driving By Evan Waggener, Marketing Director, KTA 10 KTA Motor Carrier Spotlight Getting to Know Todd Felty of Mercer Transportation Company 12 KTA Allied Member Spotlight Getting to Know Scott Brown of Phil Brown Insurance Agency 15 Save the Date 2025 KTA Annual Membership Conference & Expo Lake Cumberland, Kentucky July 23-25, 2025 16 KTA Motor Carrier Spotlight Meet the Key Oil Safety Team David Murphy and Dylan West 20 Thank You to Our 2025 Sponsors 22 Enjoying the Mid-America Trucking Show ©2025 The Kentucky Trucking Association (KTA) | The newsLINK Group LLC. All rights reserved. Kentucky Trucker is published three times per year by The newsLINK Group LLC for KTA and is the official publication for this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review, consideration and education. The contents do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you need legal advice or assistance, it is strongly recommended that you contact an attorney as to your circumstances. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of KTA, its board of directors or the publisher. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements within this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any product or service advertised. Kentucky Trucker is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of KTA. While a first-print policy is encouraged, in cases where this is not possible, every effort has been made to comply with any known reprint guidelines or restrictions. Content may not be reproduced or reprinted without prior written permission. For further information, please contact the publisher at (855) 747-4003. KTA Staff Rick Taylor President/CEO rtaylor@kytrucking.net Evan Waggener Marketing Director ewaggener@kytrucking.net Kentucky Trucking Association PO Box 818 Frankfort, KY 40602 (502) 227-0848 kytrucking.net Renew your membership today! https://kytrucking.net/renew 22 Kentucky Trucker | 3
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Members, It’s hard to believe that we are almost halfway through this year. So far, 2025 has brought with it many changes. We have a new administration and hold out hope that new policies will be friendly to our industry. Changes in the weather have brought both tragedy and new life. The devastating tornados and floods took a toll on our fellow Kentuckians but as the spring moves into summer, we are reminded of the beauty of our state and why we choose to live here. We have had a change in staff and are excited to welcome a new marketing director, Evan Waggener. Evan recently graduated from Campbellsville University and we are happy to have him on board. Please stop by and introduce yourself if you see him at one of our many events. The state legislative session wrapped up and with it, changes to state law. One of those changes is Senate Bill 99. This bill addressed the very real dangers of distracted driving. In this issue, we highlight the problem we face in our state and what is being done to remedy it. We hope that you will join us for a change of pace at the University Club for the 2025 KTA Annual Golf Classic. Spend the day with old and new friends as we compete for bragging rights and some amazing prizes. Transportation will be provided to the golf course. There has been a change in the date for the 2025 KTA Annual Membership Conference & Expo. In past years, we have held this event in August. This year, we will be meeting on July 23-25, before the school year begins. The dog days of summer call for some fun on the shores of beautiful Lake Cumberland. So, pack your bags and bring the whole family along for an event that will surely impress. By Rick Taylor, KTA President 4 | Kentucky Trucker
Our industry is constantly evolving, with changes in technology, regulations and customer demands. But with this constant change comes opportunity, and time after time, with every challenge that presents itself, you rise to the occasion. Your resilience in finding ways to overcome obstacles and continue operating is nothing short of impressive. Thank you for all you do for the association. We want to hear from you and are here to assist you. So please reach out. Sincerely, Rick Taylor President, KTA Our ASE-certified mechanics provide superior repairs and maintenance for semi-trucks at fair prices. • Complete Truck and Trailer Alignments • Tracking and Tram • DOT Inspections • U-Bolts • Steering Repairs • Frame Alterations • Truck Fabrications • Leaf and Air Springs • Air Ride Suspension Repairs • Fifth Wheels • Wheel Balancing, Tire Replacement and Turning • Drive Axle Repairs and Replacement Medley’s Auto and Truck Repair Services Inc. has two convenient locations in Louisville. CONTACT US TODAY! (502) 459-5740 quote@medleystruck.com medleystruck.com WE GET YOU BACK UP AND RUNNING! Medley’s Auto and Truck Repair Service Inc. Since 1944 Kentucky Trucker | 5
2025 KTA Annual Golf Classic University Club in Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky Thursday, June 12 10:00 AM Registration 11:00 AM Lunch 1:00 PM Shotgun Start Cost $160 per golfer $640 for a foursome JOIN US FOR AN EPIC DAY OF GOLF, NETWORKING AND AMAZING PRIZES! The cost includes green fees, access to golf carts, lunch and drinks! A charter bus is available for transportation to and from the Golf Classic for anyone traveling from the Louisville area, compliments of Kentucky Truck Sales and Amston Trailer Sales. Sponsorships available. Register today! https://kytrucking.net/golfclassic 6 | Kentucky Trucker
EVERYDAY HEROES NEEDED www.tatnonprofit.org Truck drivers are the eyes and ears of our nation’s highways. You can help end human trafficking. MAKE THE CALL, SAVE LIVES. Call 911 for a crime in progress. Call the hotline for victim services. 1-888-3737-888 (US) | 1-833-900-1010 (CAN) Download the TAT App!
How Kentucky is Addressing Driving By Evan Waggener, Marketing Director, KTA 8 | Kentucky Trucker
When we hear the phrase “distracted driving,” most of our minds automatically associate this with a cell phone or other types of personal devices. Studies done by the University of Utah showed that driving while using your cell phone can inhibit your attention and reaction times as much as a .08 BAC. Many new technologies and laws are emerging to try to curb distracted driving, with a focus on cell phones and seatbelt usage. There are dozens of other causes for distracted driving — most of which we don’t even realize. A few of the other major contributing causes of distracted driving are things that we, as drivers, can’t control at times. Having to go to the bathroom, being drowsy, billboards, radio stations and passengers can all be factors distracting a driver and causing unsafe driving conditions or accidents. Rental cars, company vehicles and new car purchases can take time to learn the new controls, and many modern vehicles come standard equipped with screens bigger than our phones — including integration of calling and messaging apps that can take eyes off the roads and what is in front or around us. The best course of action is all in decision-making while driving. Having a passenger or voice assistance is nice, but not always a feasible option. When necessary, dialing numbers while stopped is the safest option, and making sure to keep calls to necessary, non-emotional discussions is beneficial. Knowing the risks that come with distracted driving helps, because many drivers don’t know that using your phone to text or make calls uses the same part of the brain as driving, and can hinder attention and performance by up to 37%. The last legal motion regarding distracted driving, and specifically cell phone usage in the state of Kentucky, was signed into law in April 2010. House Bill 415 simply outlined legal grounds for making phone calls or GPS capabilities while driving for people over the age of 18. This bill, however, didn’t take into account new technology that would take over the automotive industry, as well as the massive changes that have happened to the average cell phone since then. A new bill was introduced and passed in February 2025. Senate Bill 99 amended KRS 189.292, restructuring the definitions of personal communication devices and the actions that constitute using them in an illegal manner and pushes for safer use in the integrated systems in the control center of a vehicle. This bill also establishes a revocation period of a person’s driver’s license if they are found violating the laws regarding texting and driving. One of the biggest methods of enforcement that is being put into place is camera systems that are placed along busy roads, rest areas and weigh stations. They are gaining popularity and are starting to get installed in Minnesota and a few other states, and are being used to collect data and provide evidence for citations and tickets for distracted driving on the highway. These technologies are afforded through grants from the state transportation cabinets. They cannot give citations on their own, but are proving to be a useful tool for highway patrol and state police forces for trying to reduce accidents and improve driver awareness. As it pertains to Kentucky though, we are behind the pace of the states around us with the laws and enforcement of distracted driving legislation. Senate Bill 99 is a step in the right direction. The more steps we take to create a safer roadway, the better we are as a state. Kentucky Trucker | 9
KTA MOTOR CARRIER SPOTLIGHT Louisville, Kentucky, has always been home to Todd Felty, with the exception of when he attended college — getting his undergraduate degree at Eastern Kentucky University and then a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Louisville. After college, Todd was hoping for a position at a local high school teaching special education, but instead, he ended up at a middle school, teaching a transition program with the Archdiocese of Louisville. “That was great training for the future,” recalled Todd. “I spent some wild years teaching. It was difficult at times. If you’re a teacher, you need to set the climate for your students every single day. If you have a bad night, whether you just stayed up late or couldn’t sleep, your students are probably not going to have a great day.” Through this experience, Todd realized he always needs to be performing at his best, which was not always possible, but it is definitely something he strives for to this day. After four years in education, Todd decided that a change in career was needed. “I quit teaching and joined the Police Department because teaching got too dangerous,” he jokingly said. For 21 years, Todd was a police officer retiring as a lieutenant overseeing a patrol sector containing Louisville’s downtown area. Mercer Transportation Company was actually in the sector that he was in control of. Todd and his major would pass by the Mercer campus every single day. Todd would often make the comment, “Whenever I retire, Mercer would be a cool place to work.” It just so happened that when Todd was getting ready to retire from the force, Mercer had a position open for a security director. He applied for the job and met with the general manager. During the interview, the general manager asked Getting to Know Todd Felty of Mercer Transportation Company Todd, “Would you be interested in another position in the company?” Todd answered sincerely, “I’m not sure. I don’t know anything about trucking.” The general manager replied, “We will teach you everything you need to know.” Long story short, Todd ended up as the safety manager, and another former police officer ended up as the security director. That was 2018. Todd quickly found his place as the safety manager with the help of the safety director, Len Dunman. Len had been with the company for 42 years and was safety director for 21 of them. His knowledge of the industry was vast, and Todd made a point to learn everything he could from him. “Len always reminded me that trucking is an art, not a science. You have to know the regulations and do the right thing. However, you also have to be able to use your experience, knowledge and ability to adapt to situations because, in any given situation, there are 10 | Kentucky Trucker
going to be wrong and right answers. It’s important to find out which one is going to be the best answer,” recalled Todd. When Len accepted another position within the company in January 2020, Todd was asked to step into the safety director’s position. “I run the entire safety department now and am thankful that I have good managers who work for me in each department. Ultimately, the department as a whole is responsible for our driver qualifications, drug and alcohol testing, CDL and medical licensing, truck inspections, our log department and our video compliance,” said Todd. “I have a good understanding of the position because I was hired as the manager of the hourly employees to do each one of those tasks, and that helped with my new role of overseeing the whole department.” A funny sidenote, Todd’s former major, who rode alongside while on patrol, is the current general manager at Mercer. There are a total of six former police officers who followed Todd’s lead and are now working at Mercer. “I don’t know if the police and trucking go hand-in-hand necessarily, but we, as former officers, know how to follow the rules and maintain order within any given environment. It’s worked out well; we’re all very happy here,” said Todd. “My wife, Laurie, loves it too — there is a lot of worry that comes with being married to a police officer.” As the largest for-hire carrier in Kentucky, Mercer handles irregular routes and specialized hauling. They are also 100% owner/operators. “Our drivers know us for a couple of unique things. Contractors pick and choose their own loads and set their own schedules. We have coordinators in place that will help them find loads,” said Todd. “From what I’ve been told, we have one of the fastest pay turnarounds, with drivers typically getting paid immediately after every load, sometimes the same day of delivery.” “We have about 270 employees working for us. But, when you count owner-operators, we lease approximately 1,850 drivers,” said Todd. “There is an open-door policy on our 15-acre campus. Somebody can simply walk in and talk to us. We want to be available to help, and our drivers really like that about us.” To Todd, success is seeing people grow within the company. “We love to promote from within and see employees who have been here for years be able to fill management positions and make a career out of the trucking industry. I am very proud that we are able to do that.” “When I was at the police department, my colonel told me that the key to getting promoted in any situation is being ready when the time is right to take that position. You should be preparing yourself every single day for the next step. It may never happen; that’s a fact of life, but if it does, you don’t want to be the one who should have done that,” recalled Todd. Adding upon that wisdom, Todd likes to pass the following advice on to his employees: “Start building your resume now. Training is key, and knowledge is power in any industry. You can learn a lot just by listening to your peers, going to conferences, taking good notes and keeping track of what you’ve done. It’s important to have a historical record of your achievements so that you’ll be able to position yourself for the promotion when the time is right.” The KTA is one of the great resources that helps Todd keep his employees informed. “The association holds monthly Safety and HR Council meetings, and many of the employees who work for me attend,” said Todd. “It’s a great way to learn the most up-to-date information about what’s going on in the trucking industry,” This year marks the 37th year of Mercer’s membership in KTA. Todd has been on the KTA board since 2020. Beyond that, networking with peers at KTA events is invaluable to Todd. “Mercer is the only trucking company I know. But when I go to meetings and talk with the other people, I am able to learn what the industry looks like for other carriers that have their own trucks and owner-operators. It’s a great place to get educated and help with training.” When Todd is not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife of 30 years and two sons. Their oldest son, Nick, is a musician. He plays the trumpet with great skill and, as a result, was recently accepted to Penn State Graduate School on a scholarship. While Nick is in graduate school, he’ll also be serving as a teaching assistant at the university. Jack, their youngest son, is just as impressive. He has special needs but just got a job at UPS unloading the crates that come off the plane. Kentucky Trucker | 11
KTA ALLIED MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Getting to Know Scott Brown of Phil Brown Insurance Agency Raised on a tobacco and beef cattle farm in rural Shelby County, Kentucky, Scott Brown learned the value of an honest day’s work while he was young. On weekends, one could find Scott working alongside his father, Phil Brown, in the tobacco fields, driving the tractor or whatever was needed. Phil was also managing the association marketing department at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky. In 1988, Phil branched out on his own and started the Phil Brown Insurance Agency and Brown Realty Company. He was still farming at this time, and despite the long hours, he found success in all he did. By the time Scott was 14, his father was winding down the farm and wanted to focus on his insurance business. He told Scott, “You can start doing more farming and earn some money to buy yourself a car.” Scott took over many of the farming duties, becoming an adept operator of the tobacco setter and raising beef cattle. He did this for a couple of years until he had saved up some money, and with the help of his mother and father, purchased his first car, a Dodge Spirit. Scott went on to attend the University of Kentucky, where he earned a business degree. After graduating, Scott joined his father at the Phil Brown Insurance Agency in 1999 and has been there ever since. Today, Scott serves as President of the agency. When he’s not working, Scott enjoys spending time with his wife of 18 years, Jennifer, and their 11-year-old daughter. Whether it’s taking a walk together through the neighborhood or having fun on the beautiful beaches of Florida, the family is very social and enjoys spending time together with friends and family. Perhaps his favorite activity, though, is being sous chef when Jennifer cooks up a delicious meal for the family. We recently had a chance to visit with Scott and learn more about the company, KTA membership and the amazing benefits that are offered. The following are excerpts from our conversation. 12 | Kentucky Trucker
Tell us about Phil Brown Insurance Agency. What makes the company unique? At the time my father started the company, almost all agencies were small, family-owned businesses, or at least they were locally owned. We are one of just a few family-owned businesses left in the insurance arena. Most others have been sold out to national firms, private equity or banks. Because we are still locally owned, we feel it helps us provide more personalized service compared to national firms. We’ve had very little turnover; in fact, the average tenure of our employees is over 15 years. We work hard to take care of our employees, and in turn, they are amazing with our customers. I hear a lot of praise about interactions with our staff when I’m out talking to people. I’ve had customers tell me many times, “Thank you so much for the friendly staff. We really appreciate all their help and support.” What does Phil Brown Insurance Agency specialize in? From the beginning, our focus has been on association health plans. We work with a number of Kentucky trade associations, including the KTA. There are only a handful of agencies that operate and market these programs. The program allows association members to band together and join a larger pool of not just trucking but other trade associations for more buying power. The trade association program that we have right now includes KTA with four other associations that are all pooled together. We’re in the process of joining an even larger pool that will have 11 different trade associations all together. There will be thousands of lives insured in that program. The biggest thing that pooling helps with is stability. With a larger pool, if there’s a high-cost claimant or two, they won’t drive rates astronomically higher because you’ve got enough other people to balance it out. If you’re on your own or if you have a small pool, one or two big claimants can drastically affect rates. When it comes to health plans, there is strength in numbers. It’s important to our agency and to me that our members do not have to worry about their plans. You can’t add any time to your life by worrying. We are here to help support employees in making decisions when there are changes, or even if there are no changes, help them decide which plan is best. To do this, we conduct on-site and virtual meetings, and we even create videos to go over the benefits. The videos are sent to individual employers, and they can distribute them to their employees. The video offering has been very popular, especially for large employers that experience more turnover. For these employers, they can send the video to new hires and say, “Here’s our benefits package. Watch this and let me know if you have questions. You can even send it home to your spouse if they want to take a look at it.” This saves the companies time and money as they don’t have to have their HR person explain the benefits time and time again. It’s easier for open enrollment too, conveying a consistent and concise message to every employee. In addition, we create custom booklets that cover all the different benefits the employer might offer. There are a lot of different ways and channels we use to educate people on their benefits. Even with all that, we understand that it still can become overwhelming at times. We are always happy to answer questions and offer further assistance when needed. What do you like about working with the trucking industry? The KTA, like the other associations we work with, share many of the same qualities: There is longevity and loyalty to the association. The people who actively participate in trade associations tend to come to all the meetings, and as a result, there is a lot of camaraderie. Everybody gets to know each other. They’re all competitors but good friends at the same time. Year after year, when we go to the annual meetings, we see many of the same faces. It’s nice to get to know people and build long-term relationships. Our target market for the KTA Health Plan is small employers, those with less than 100 employees on their health plan. But certainly, we’ve had larger employers that have joined and taken advantage of the many benefits. Do you have a favorite client success story? We have a lot of client success stories, but I like to focus on what the association programs have done for the people who have been in the program for 10, 15 and 20+ years. From the employee standpoint, change is not typically welcomed. So, having a stable program for a long period of time is Kentucky Trucker | 13
appreciated by employees. And in many cases even when we check the market, the association plan still remains the best price, so it’s not like they’re paying more for that stability. How do you handle the changes in the industry? Continuing education is required in this industry, for me and for our employees. Even without that, it’s important to stay on top of developments because there is a lot of change, especially every time there’s a new administration in Washington, D.C. When we had massive healthcare reform a little over 10 years ago, it actually ended up being a differentiator for us. We had an attorney on retainer who was really immersed in healthcare reform. He gave us a lot of help and guidance through that transition period, which in turn allowed us to become a good resource for our clients. Many of them were overwhelmed with how to deal with what was happening. We still have that same attorney on retainer today. He writes legislative alerts for us on a regular basis, and we distribute them to our clients when it is appropriate to do so. Those alerts are valuable and help keep us educated on what’s going on and things we need to do differently. However, perhaps one of the biggest benefits of being in an association health plan is the built-in compliance. There is a third-party administrator who really takes the burden off of the employers, which is kind of unique, a lot of times, that’s not included. Have you had any mentors throughout your career? What did you learn from them? My father was and still is a mentor. When I started in the business in 1999, I was very green. I had a business marketing background but no actual insurance knowledge. My father taught me everything I know about the insurance programs. He was always big on doing the right thing for the client, regardless of whether you know it benefits us or not. He would often say, “If you put the client first, in the end, you’ll be successful.” When you mentor others, what advice do you pass on to them? All of the employees that are with us now are people that I personally hired. None of them came from the insurance industry. I don’t know that I’d call it mentorship so much, but certainly, I helped teach them about the business and pass on my philosophy of trying to go above and beyond for the client. It’s pretty simple: If the client asks you for something, give them what they asked for. But then, take it a step further and ask yourself, “Is there something else I can give them that they haven’t asked for but would be helpful?” I try to emphasize that we should not stop with the bare minimum and always go the extra mile. To learn more about the KTA Health Plan, contact the Phil Brown Insurance Agency. Scott Brown, REBC, RHU scottbrown@philbrowninsurance.com (502) 719-4429 Laura Medford lauramedford@philbrowninsurance.com (502) 719-4430 14 | Kentucky Trucker
LAKE CUMBERLAND, KENTUCKY Join us at this year’s conference and experience the beauty of Lake Cumberland. Enjoy family-friendly activities, lots of networking opportunities and an incredible lineup of speakers. Sponsorships available. JULY 23-25, 2025 Register today! https://kytrucking.net/ev_calendar_day.asp?date=7%2F23%2F25&eventid=81 2025 KTA Annual Membership Conference & Expo Kentucky Trucker | 15
KTA MOTOR CARRIER SPOTLIGHT Meet the Key Oil Safety Team Key Oil, dba Service Transport LLC, has been a leading distributor of fuels and lubricants in the southeast for over 50 years. Headquartered in Franklin, Kentucky, the company specializes in petroleum hauling and petroleum-related services, meeting the energy and fuel needs of a broad spectrum of commercial, industrial and government operations. Their customers are as diverse in size as they are in scope of activity, including local independent retail stations, gasoline and diesel fuel distributors, state and municipal agencies, power and public utility companies, and other commercial end users. Their parent company, Keystops, has five separate subsidiaries operating under its umbrella, creating a full-service package for its customers. From the construction of fuel islands and gas stations to the delivery of gas fuel and oil to turnkey environmental remediation, they do it all. At the heart of the organization is its employees. They are the most valuable asset the company has. Keeping them safe is a priority — whether it be in the office or behind the wheel. That is where David Murphy, the director of safety, and Dylan West, the safety compliance and training manager, come in. The team of two is taking a streamlined approach to safety with some amazing results. David has been in the safety business for 35 years. After leaving the Marine Corps, he started at an entry-level safety position in the garbage business, then moved over to the safety of fleet operations. David has been leading the charge on safety at Keystops for almost 12 years now. “This is my fifth location as a safety director. At each location — it could be just because of my last name and Murphy’s law — I always got the promotion and somehow inherited a mess. While in the garbage business, I went from Lakeland to Orlando and much to my dismay, the Orlando location was ranked 330 out of 333,” David recalled. “By the time I left, Orlando was in the top 10 of best locations. It was like that when I went to York, Pennsylvania, and to my surprise, Keystops had its challenges as well. In fact, before I started here, Keystops had received a couple of official warning letters from the DOT.” David got right to work, setting standards for employees to follow. “It’s simple,” David said. “We’re going to follow the law, DOT regulations and OSHA standards.” The new leadership and changes were hard to accept for some of the employees. “We had people say, ‘No, we’re not going to do that,’ and that was fine because they could go work that way for somebody else,” David recalled. The structure David implemented started to build the team and created a climate of safety. Over the years, a safety culture evolved and grew, and just got better and better. In fact, today, Keystops is anticipating that they will be in the President’s Circle in their Insurance Captive for the fourth straight year in a row. Hiring and retaining the right employees is critical to keeping the culture that has been created. “From the start, we hire employees with the hope that we can pass on knowledge to them and then they can be promotable,” David said. Dylan happened to be one of those “promotable” employees. “I had been a driver for Keystops and decided that the grass was greener somewhere else, so I put my notice in,” Dylan recalled. Needless to say, this was very disappointing for the entire Keystops team, so they took Dylan to lunch and told him to come back as soon as he was ready. “We gave him a backpack to put his stuff in and said, ‘Don’t lose it because you’re going to need it when you return,’” David said. “I remember the day I called the Keystops office because I wanted to come back to work,” Dylan said. “The manager DAVID MURPHY AND DYLAN WEST 16 | Kentucky Trucker
answered the phone. There was no ‘Hi’ or ‘Hello’, just a ‘When you’re coming back?!’” Shortly after, Dylan was back at Keystops, driving a truck. When the safety training manager put in his two-week notice, Dylan decided to apply for the open position and give safety a shot. He hasn’t looked back since. “Dylan has played a pivotal part in our growth, our improved performance, and driver recruitment and retention,” David said. Preventing turnover and working with employees is a priority for the team. “We look at how we can keep employees instead of just firing them if problems arise. We want to give every opportunity for success, so that way they can do better and get to where they want to be rather than moving on and hiring the next warm body that walks through the door.” Dylan said. “Once you get a little experience under your belt, you can begin to anticipate recurring issues. For example, if every few months like clockwork, a driver becomes complacent and repeats their previous mistake. Those are the opportunities where we can fix a problem, but more importantly, break a bad habit,” David said. Maintaining a safety culture is an ongoing endeavor. “Each employee comes from a different background and has outside influences. Even so, to maintain a safety culture is to help them understand that when they are at work, doing what they’re supposed to be doing, it’s going to be different than what they would do in their personal pickup truck,” David explained. “If you’re not looking at where you are at and what » Truck Repair » Air Bag Recovery » Landoll Transport » Secure Storage » Crane Service Louisville’s Oldest Wrecker Service with over 87 years of Towing and Recovery Engineering (502) 426-4100 tonyswreckerservice.com » Long Distance Towing » Fleet Management » Equipment Sales » Equipment Transport » RGN Service Kentucky Trucker | 17
you could improve on, you’re not going to get better and possibly even slide backwards.” Of note, one of the Keystops companies just finished a 13-month run with no accidents. Now that’s impressive! Technology is another tool that David and Dylan have implemented to help take safety one step further. “A driver involved in an incident may take the standpoint of, ‘I’m not at fault.’ But we look at it from the standpoint of ‘Could this have been prevented?’ Our onboard cameras have helped tremendously, proving that most of the time we are not at fault.” David explained. “We have a couple of drivers who are part-time now and on the way to retirement, who have a collective 85 years of driving experience. For over 35 years, they have been doing things their way,” Dylan said. “And here comes David and me kicking the door in, saying, ‘Here’s a camera. Here’s a tablet. I don’t care if you’re 70 years old. You’re going to do it our way now.’ Well, these two drivers just picked it up and ran with it. I use them as ‘the example’ of what to do when I am training.” Keystops became a member of KTA in 2017. “We initially joined because we wanted to learn more about state legislation and the state police, specifically, what their priorities and concerns were,” David said. “With the added benefit of being in a good place to exchange information and knowledge, there have been several presentations over the years that really opened our eyes. The KTA is a great resource for education.” “Meeting people in the industry and bouncing ideas off them while gaining knowledge has been huge for me,” Dylan said. He is currently in the process of creating a driver simulation system for training drivers at Keystops. “One of the members, who is at every KTA meeting, happens to have a driver simulation system. He actually gave me the opportunity to sit down and play with their system a little bit and see how it compares to mine and figure out ways I can improve. The networking is invaluable,” Dylan said with a smile. David Murphy Dylan West 18 | Kentucky Trucker
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Enjoying the Mid-America Trucking Show The Mid-America Trucking Show was held March 27-29 in Louisville, Kentucky. Over 50,000 people showed up to get a look at new equipment and technology, learn from the experts and celebrate the industry. The Kentucky Trucking Association (KTA) had a booth set up in conjunction with NextGen Trucking. The KTA Road Team joined us as well, advocating for the industry and for the KTA. It was great to see so many of our KTA members as well! KTA Booth NextGen Trucking Students KTA Road Team 22 | Kentucky Trucker
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