Eagle Logistics Services. Indianapolis, IN

ivory tower business lecturing from an unqualified trying to assign everyone's motives for leasing

 

There's nothing Ivory Tower about it. Eagle offers a service, just like any other business. If you want that service, take it. If you don't, then don't. But don't take the service and then complain that it's not what you wanted.

Truck driving jobs are everywhere out there. There are company jobs, L/O jobs, O/O jobs, and completely independent jobs. There's no reason to ever get involved with something you don't want or like.

Eagle will put you in a truck without a credit check or money down, they'll assign you someone to help manage your business, and they'll charge for that service. If you don't want to own a truck, why in the world would you pay $6-800/week to buy a truck??

Someone a few months ago in this thread said that they run under their own authority, have contracts with their own brokers, and own their own truck and asked why they'd want to work for Eagle. My answer? They wouldn't. It's as simple as that.

If you're a newer driver without his own equipment, Eagle can provide it and give you the tools to be successful. If you're an experienced driver with the equipment and capitol to do it yourself, you have no need for Eagle or any company like it.

Don't ask for steak at a seafood place, go to a steakhouse.

 

Wow very offensive and insulting u are!

 

I think what Fr8 is frustrated with is that you said the average was $1.91 x .75 = $1.43. What is frustrating is that the boots on the ground guys are getting $1.15-$1.25 all in and the OM is calling it 'yeah, that's your 75% rate.


I get 92% rate off brokers loads at my carrier and hmmm wouldn't you know it after their 8% cut my rate is also $1.15-$1.25 and I'm like WTF.

There is a middle man agent booking the loads, sees the true rate- perhaps $1.91 like you say but is telling the Eagle L/O the customer only has $1.6x in it . Can't prove it or disprove the guy is lying or cheating or stealing as they cannot see the master bill.

All of this causes distrust and frustration-- add in the $1200 fixed overhead every week and the pressure to run for cheap or absolutely starve out, people want to go to the movies.

 

Time out... Fr8. you are way out of line. And dont try your age/experience line with me. I'm 48 y/o, a 14 year military vet, and my experience includes dairy tankers, doubles, flats, RGN, Reefer, and dry van... and I OWN two trucks.Oh yeah, and 15 months in a lease purchase program.

I'm reading the same thing you Eagle contractors are. Nothing EagleOps has said has come across as insulting from my point of view. On the flip side he/she has been taking quite a few shots from you.

As for not getting information or support, guess what... you know where they work. You know what time they work. Get a load to that location, get face to face time and RESPECTFULLY find out what the issue is. Calling people clueless when they are simply trying to help you see multiple facets of a situation is disrespectful and frankly EagleOps has been more than patient with you. In his shoes I'd have cut loose on you several pages back.

 

I think I understand what you're saying, but that's not a problem if you can see the Rate Cons right? I mean, obviously the broker is taking their cut out of it, and we can't be 100% sure what that is, but that's what brokers do. At least by seeing all the rate cons, you can make sure Eagle isn't cheating you.

 

Before the rate con comes the phone conversation with the broker/agent who tells me the load only pays 'this much' which is what the rate con will eventually show yes. The problem is, how do I trust (or Eagle L/O's) what this agent is saying is the truth? This is where the distrust and frustration comes in when you start to think someone is stealing from you but you can never prove it.

Choices, yes, don't accept the cheap freight and starve out or accept the cheap freight so you can eat this week and hope for a better week/month/quarter/year down the line and get a pat on the head that 'hey you signed the rate con, so don't go ardering seafood at a steakhouse'.

This isn't my thread or my company, I do follow it though and Fr8's frustrations are the same as mine at my company.

 

Sure, it's possible that your Ops Mgr. isn't negotiating well enough for you, or that the broker bought a load for $2000 and is trying to sell it for $1000, but in general, the laws of supply and demand will keep that down.

Brokers try to keep as much money as they can, that's just business, but they're kept in check by the fact that they aren't the only game in town and if their rates are bad, a driver (or OM) can go to another brokerage.

It's not perfect, and there will always be suspicion, but in my experience, there just aren't that many instances of total theft.

 

I missed a lot of Fr8's quote at the top of this page, so I'll answer here:

But Eagle drivers shouldn't expect "higher than average wages" if you aren't accounting for truck/trailer payments. That's part of the service Eagle offers, you can't separate it.

It's not philosophy, it's just good business.

Imagine two jobs, both pay $2000/month:
Job A has no deductions and pays the fully $2000/month in a check.

Job B deducts $600 for rent and gives you an apartment (worth $600/mo), then gives you $1400 in a check.

Which job pays more? The answer is that they both pay the same. Just because you choose to only look at the take home doesn't mean that's all you're being paid. Whether you like it or want it, if you drive with Eagle you're leasing a truck that you'll own if you complete your lease. Part of your earnings each week are going towards that truck and trailer. If you choose not to account for them or don't want them, that's fine, but that money is still going there.

Again, what Eagle offers isn't up for debate. If you want to join Eagle and don't care about the $800/week you're spending in truck and trailer payments, that's totally ok, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. You can join because you want the freedom to book your own loads, because your friends run with Eagle, or because you like the color Red, but regardless, the service Eagle offers is a 5 year path to truck ownership. Good, bad or indifferent, that's the product, ignore that at your own peril.

Eagle just hit 600 trucks last month, I've seen a lot of drivers come and go. Working on this side of trucking you actually get a huge amount of experience because you see so many peoples' careers at the same time. I can assure you that most failures and successes share common traits.

 

OOIDA, " When considering a lease-purchase program, remember that until the final payment is made you are paying the bills, expenses, insurance, maintenance, repairs and taxes on equipment owned and controlled by someone else. At any time during your agreement you could lose the equipment and your investment."