Nagle Toledo announced a 17% pay increase for its drivers, the biggest in the company’s 36-year history. The Toledo, Ohio-based truckload carrier raised starting salaries for drivers from $1,200 to $1,400 per week effective Jan. 1. The company’s top pay plan tops out at $1,700 a week.
Ed Nagle, the president of the fleet of 50 trucks running temperature-controlled loads from Ohio and Michigan to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, told FreightWaves that it was one of the first TL carriers to start paying over-the-road drivers a straight salary back in 2017.
“The reason we pay our OTR drivers a salary is twofold. First, we hire professionals and most professionals get paid a weekly salary. The second reason is the drivers love the predictable weekly paycheck,” said Nagle.
“Because of the nature of our lanes, our drivers only run 1,800-2,200 miles a week while still getting home. In the past, they might get paid $800 one week then the next week they might get paid $1700 depending when their paperwork was received,” he continued.
Several carriers have raised pay in recent months to lure new drivers to their fleets. A high-demand, shop-from-home environment due to COVID has left grocery stores and retailers struggling to find the inventory required to meet the consumer’s needs. Additionally, the number of qualified drivers has been trimmed significantly during the pandemic due to increased retirements, the impact of the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse and low driver school enrollment.
Nagle primarily hires drivers with five years of experience and a stable work history.
“We only take drivers that are disciplined in trip planning, making his pickup and delivery appointments,” said James White, director of operations. “Nagle drivers are responsible, dependable and great communicators with a safe history. Those are the attributes of a professional truck driver and we are only interested in drivers that are committed to this profession.”
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