Nagle Companies First Tractor - 1987
Driver: E. James LaPorte

We are currently a second generation, pseudo-third generation company. Our father (Ed Jr) was an engineer for Dana Corp for almost 20 years. In 1977, our maternal grandfather, Joe Bugyi, who has been in trucking since WWII, called our father asking for a referral. He needed to open a truck terminal in Toledo and he was wondering if our father could suggest anyone. Our father called him back a week later and replied, “Me, and I need to give Dana three weeks notice!”

Our parents, Ed and Joanne, opened the terminal in the Spring of 1977 at the Union 76 truck stop at I-280 and Exit 5 of the Ohio turnpike. At that time, our grandfather worked for Werner Continental. A short time later that was changed to Hall's Motor Freight, Special Commodities Div. Just prior to deregulation (1980) our grandfather made a switch and operated a company (Bug-Eye Transportation – “Bug-Eye is the pronunciation of our grandfather's last name) as a division for Refrigerated Transport Co (RTC)

Operating under the old system of regulation in the new deregulated environment, our grandfather decided to close the company in May of 1984.

Back in 1978, Ed III went to work at the Union 76 Truck stop in maintenance, as a mechanic, pump boy (remember the full-service days!), then the last several years as a manager. Steve Nagle began at the truck stop in 1981 in maintenance and as a cashier.

When our grandfather decided to close the company our mother and father talked with Ed III and Steve to see if we would be interested in joining them as they started a new company. They had a customer base and a following of trucks. Ed III joined Nagle Line 6/1/84 and Steve joined 9/1/84. Nagle Line, Inc. started as an agent for Mid American Transport div of RTC. Almost immediately they converted from a van/reefer operation to a flatbed company so we made a switch, operating as an agent for Taylor& Sledd, a foodservice transportation company out of Richmond , VA. Approximately a year later we were introduced to Ray Brown Trucking, a refrigerated carrier in Massillon , OH that ran similar operations to us. As an agent for Ray Brown, we bought our first truck and reefer and permanently leased it to them. Pat Nagle joined 1/86, Kent Orcutt in 12/86, and last brother Mike joined 9/88.

In 1988 Ray Brown Trucking was sold to a New Jersey investment group, Convair International. Under growing pressure from our customers we obtained our Brokerage authority in 1988, then our Contract and Common Authority under Nagle Toledo, Inc. in 1989. At that time we had 8 trucks permanently leased to Convair so we immediately had our own “fleet”.

In November 1990, we moved from the office at the truck stop to our current location in Walbridge , OH , a former Duff Truck Line terminal. To date, we have never signed a lease agreement with the owner of the property and we are considered his best tenant.

December 1996, Ed Jr and Joanne made their retirement official, staying on thru most of 1997 for the transition.

Currently the four Nagle brothers hold the following positions:

Edwin J. Nagle III – President, CEO
Stephen M. Nagle – Vice President
Patrick J. Nagle – Secretary
Michael P. Nagle – Treasurer

The scope and nature of our business is the transportation of foodstuff commodities, temperature controlled and dry, to all 48 states. However, our primary service is to the states east of the Mississippi .

We specialize in the transport of temperature controlled foodstuffs, from deep frozen (Ice cream at -20 degrees), frozen (0 degrees), fresh (meats at 38-45 degrees), various produce (ranges from 55-62 degrees). We also haul a lot of dry foodstuffs. Ninety-nine percent of the products we haul are consumable goods or consumer retail products. We have been diligent in our commitment to the food industry as people always have to eat regardless of economic conditions. It is no secret that transportation in the food industry is difficult, and serving the east coast as a Midwest company makes it even more so. However, that has been the niche that we have carved out and we have gained a reputation for serving it very well. The continued success of our company in servicing our customers has always been based on the performance of our drivers and our Operations staff.

In addition to our transportation services, our service and repair facility that maintains our equipment also provides service to outside customers as well as emergency road call service.

Over the last 26 years that we have been in Toledo we have made many friends. We continue to work with carriers that we have relationships with that go as far back as the original Bug-Eye Transportation era. Several of our owner-operators today were owner-operators for our grandfather and parents.

We get together with our grandfather several times a year. Without fail, at the end of some conversation he will smile, laugh softly, turn and ask, “What would you guys be doing today if I didn't hire your father?” To which we always respond, we would be working a 40 hour a week mundane job instead of a 70-80 hour a week one that we all thoroughly enjoy.