J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. was established in 1953 and has become a respected leader in risk and regulatory management. J. J. Keller helps customers increase safety awareness, reduce risk, follow best practices, improve safety training, and stay current with changing regulations through our wide variety of products and services, as well as other resources.

Products and Services. J. J. Keller's broad product line includes training, software, online management tools, outsource services, consulting, mobile technology, printed publications, forms and supplies. These diverse product offerings cover more than 1,500 vital transportation topics, including CSA, hours of service, vehicle inspection and maintenance, driver qualification and training, and hazardous materials.

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J. J. Keller Presents 17th Annual Vendor of the Year Award

Neenah, WI – J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.® bestowed its 17th Vendor of the Year Award on Orion Labels, LLC of Seymour, Wis. during a ceremony held on May 1.

Orion Labels is proud to receive J. J. Keller’s 17th annual Vendor of the Year award,” said Eric August, Partner, Orion Labels. “Our focus when working with J. J. Keller is to exceed their expectations, to anticipate their needs and the needs of their customers and to create solutions to challenges in real time. If by supplying J. J. Keller with cutting-edge solutions we can support their leadership in the marketplace … we have added value to our relationship. As a business, that is Orion Labels’ goal, for J. J. Keller, and for all of our customers.”

J. J. Keller annually rates its vendors according to their levels of service, quality, value, communication, resourcefulness, and professionalism. A group of over 50 associates participated in the rating process, selecting Orion out of 72 vendors.

Orion has been instrumental in helping J. J. Keller respond to customers’ needs through the development of several new types of labels in recent years.

“We are very pleased to have chosen Orion Labels as our 2013 Vendor of the Year,” said James J. Keller, President/CEO of J. J. Keller. “We have a very good partnership and this has added value to our customers nationwide.”

Along with this year’s Vendor of the Year Award, J. J. Keller also issued Supplier Excellence Awards to xpedx®, Bind Rite Graphics, Accuform® Signs, Midwest Textile Manufacturing, and Heinn Chapman.

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News Release

February 19, 2013

Federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Posting Revised;
J. J. Keller Service Replaces Posters and Notifies Subscribers of Future Changes

Neenah, WI – Along with the recent publication of revised Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations, the Department of Labor modified the FMLA poster. The modification reflects changes made to the law by the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2010 (NDAA) and the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act (AFCTCA).

All public employers, and private employers with at least 50 employees who have worked at least 20 weeks in the current or preceding calendar year, are required to update their FMLA posting by March 8, 2013. Many of the changes in the posting involve provisions that have been effective since the NDAA and AFCTCA were enacted.  The revised posting also contains information regarding servicemember care leave for veterans, which is effective March 8, 2013.

According to Darlene Clabault, J. J. Keller’s senior editor of Human Resources content, supporters of the FMLA have indicated that the new final rules are not the end. They’d like to see the law expanded in a variety of ways, including the following:
    •    Decrease the number of employees required to establish employer coverage to less than 50.
    •    Decrease the number of hours an employee has to work in the previous 12 months to be eligible from 1,250 to 750.
    •    Increase the number of qualifying reasons.

The Wage and Hour Division removed the FMLA poster from the regulatory text so that it may make non-regulatory changes in the future without going through the full regulatory process.

"This means that FMLA changes down the road may be made without a lot of fanfare,” Clabault said. “Given the attention the new regulations have received, and the support of further expansions, the stage may be set for more work on the law. Already, bills have been introduced in the House and Senate that would allow employees to take FMLA leave for the death of a child. There will probably be others.”

Any changes to the statute or the regulations could, of course, require a change to the posting. If the Wage and Hour Division determines that an employer has committed a willful violation of the posting requirement, the employer may be issued a civil monetary penalty.

With an average of 40 state-level labor law changes annually, plus myriad federal changes, staying up to date with postings on an ongoing basis can be time-consuming and confusing … and vitally important.

J. J. Keller’s State and Federal Labor Law Poster Sets along with the One-Year Update Service allows companies to ensure they have the most current labor law posters available to comply with posting requirements. Each set includes one laminated federal labor law poster with all required notices as well as another with the required state postings.

Then, for the next 12 months, any time legislation mandates labor law posting changes, 
subscribers to J. J. Keller’s Update Service automatically receive a new state or federal poster (whichever is applicable) and an e-mail notification within 30 days of the government finalizing content.

As an added bonus, subscribers receive access to a website that provides additional information regarding labor law posters, including:
    •    PDF poster images for all states, in order to view content and/or revision dates to postings.
    •    Shipment tracking for poster updates.
    •    The quarterly Labor Law Compliance Advisor e-newsletter, which features HR hot topics, regulatory updates, upcoming poster revisions, and other labor law-related news.

For more information about J. J. Keller’s State and Federal Labor Law Poster Sets along with the One-Year Update Service, visit jjkeller.com/laborlaw6.

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Recent News from J. J. Keller

J. J. Keller announced a significant upgrade to the internet portal that supports clients of their outsourced services. The newly launched “J. J. Keller Client Information Center” allows clients to remain abreast of critical compliance work that is managed by J. J. Keller. Companies that are subject to regulations imposed by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) utilize J. J. Keller’s services to monitor compliance trends, regulatory requirements, documentation, and completeness of information.
 
“Our clients entrust us with helping to manage critical work processes and documents, and it’s imperative that we keep them informed of the potential for non-compliance to regulations”, mentioned Scot Rambo, J. J. Keller’s Directory of Compliance Services. “At a glance, our clients know if they have compliance issues and we work closely with them to fix those issues and mitigate risk that could cause significant fines, be harmful in litigation, or potentially shut down an operation” continued Rambo.

The Client Information Center has a series of dashboards that provide visual snapshots of compliance, as well as links to detail for specific employees or records that require attention. Clients of Keller Services can contact their assigned Client Representative and also access the “Personal Assistant” feature in which compliance questions can be instantly messaged to Keller’s staff of regulatory experts, for answers or clarifications.
 
“The complexity of DOT regulations, combined with the risk that non-compliance can have on a brand, has produced significant growth for us in the past five years” indicated Rambo. J. J. Keller's compliance services for the transportation industry include the management of Driver Qualification Files, Drug & Alcohol Program Administration, Log Auditing, Driver Vehicle Inspection Report Auditing, CSA Program Administration, Vehicle Titling, Registration, and Permitting. For Human Resource professionals, J. J. Keller oversees FMLA leave tracking, leave determination, documentation, and provides certification review.

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U.S. Oil Field Exemption is now Added in EOBR/E-Log Solution

Encompass™ Now Supports Oil Field Rules Along with Others

Neenah, WI – J. J. Keller’s Encompass™, the industry’s leading DOT compliance management tool, will now support the U.S. Oil Field logging exception through the use of Keller’s  Android-based EOBR system.

“The U.S. Oil Field exception is critical to effectively manage hours-of-service requirements in the oil and gas field industry,” said Rustin Keller, Vice President of Business Services for J. J. Keller... Continue reading.

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J. J. Keller Introduces New Flatbed Cargo Securement Training Program

J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.®, a leading provider of compliance products and services in transportation, construction, human resources, and other industries, has developed a new driver training program designed to reduce the risk for cargo securement violations, accidents, and liability.

Cargo Securement FLATBEDS training program teaches drivers how to keep their flatbed loads in place and in compliance with 49 CFR Section 392.9 and Part 393, Subpart I. The program goes beyond the minimum requirements by including best practices and how-to information to further ensure the proper and safe securement of cargo. Plus, it underscores the impact of cargo securement violations, on both the individual driver and the carrier, under CSA... Continue reading.

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A Special Offer to CVTA Members from J. J. Keller

Electronic On Board Recorders

Attached is a PDF File detailing the offer J.J. Keller is making to CVTA member schools to provide affordable access to our EOBR solution for teaching electronic logging to your students.

Also attached is an overview of our Encompass solution which includes the electronic logging functionality mentioned above as well as Fleet Compliance and Driver and Vehicle Performance functionality. Encompass is the platform that our e-logging system operates on and we are making the service free to NAPFTDS schools. See the Encompass Overview document for a sense of what Encompass would cost to purchase if it was not being provided free to your school.

Basically, your school can buy the EOBR black box that installs in the truck for $199 each-essentially our cost. Your instructors/students can use an Android phone or a Windows lap top computer to interface with the EOBR (log in and out, change duty status, etc).

Logging data is sent from the truck to the Encompass system on-demand via a cellular signal or via Wi-Fi. Sending the logging data via cellular connection requires a data plan (usually $30 or less per phone or lap top per month) on cell line(s) sending the data. If data is going to be downloaded via Wi-Fi in your yard, there would be no ongoing data transmission costs to your school.

So if you already have a laptop computer you can use as a display and you have a Wi-Fi connection that could transmit data from the truck in the school's parking lot, your ongoing cost to train students on electronic logging is $0. We couldn't get it any lower than that.

Feel free to contact Keith Keller if you wish to learn more about deploying J. J. Keller's EOBR solution at your school. It could be a great way to show prospective students that your training program is state of the art and includes training on technologies that today's drivers must know to be successful.

Rich Harney, Vice President of Marketing
J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.
3003 W. Breezewood Lane
P.O. Box 368
Neenah, WI 54957-0368
800-843-3174 Phone
800-727-7516 FAX
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Online Resources

We offer a variety of resources on our website, jjkeller.com. Daily news articles keep customers current on the latest transportation developments. Business Issue pages, reference materials, and FAQs are also available to learn more about specific DOT topics. In addition, email newsletters and other regulatory alerts bring up-to-date information right to subscribers email inboxes.

Find out more about J. J. Keller solutions, visit jjkeller.com or call 1-800-327-6868 today!

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Address
3003 W Breezewood Ln.
Neenah, WI. 54957

Contact
Emily Samsa, Sales Supervisor
Ph: 800.843.3174 x2624
Fax: 800.727.7516
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.jjkeller.com

J. J. Keller History

J.J. Keller & Associates opened its doors in 1953 as a one-man consulting shop. Co-founders John J. "Jack" and Ethel Keller saw an unmet need: to provide motor carriers with the products and services they required to run day-to-day operations.

And so began their venture... a regulatory / consulting / warehousing / insurance underwriting operation. The growing company began to focus on transportation regulatory services and built a solid reputation for providing companies with practical help in meeting complex government regulations.

Today, the company employs more than 1,100 associates and serves over 350,000 customers, including more than 90% of the Fortune 1000.