Truckers hauling the massive gear and infrastructure for the Taylor Swift “Eras” tour were stunned when they each received a reported $100,000 bonus on the last leg of the run. Although major tour gratuities are customary, most truckers and roadies typically receive between $1,000 and $5,000.
“These men and women, they live on the road. They sleep during the day and work all night. It’s a grueling task. They leave their families, young children for weeks. For Taylor’s tour, they’ve been away from home for 24 weeks,” Shomotion trucking company CEO Michael Scherkenbach reportedly said. “It’s a life-changing sum of money for somebody to be able to become a homeowner and for drivers that have children are starting at the age that they’re going off to college. It’s a game-changer,
For their part, Shomotion truckers transported the bones of the tour staging. Scherkenbach likened the setup to a small city where technicians of various disciplines create a massive production, complete with on-site catering. As the final tour date approached, the truckers and other road team members were called into what they believed was a routine production meeting. But Taylor Swift’s father, Scott Swift, unexpectedly gave a speech thanking everyone for their hard work.
“Scott gave a short speech and said how much he appreciated the service and what they’ve done for the tour for the last 24 weeks,” Scherkenbach reportedly said. “They’ve been out there nonstop.”
That’s apparently when envelopes were passed to the truck drivers. Scherkenbach indicated the drivers didn’t want to appear rude by opening the envelopes, but several peeked inside out of curiosity. Along with a hand-written thank you note from the music icon, there was a bonus amount listed at the bottom. Things got very strange, very quickly.
“The funny part is, they just glanced at the letter quickly and didn’t look at the amount. So, one driver read it as $1,000. Another driver read it as $10,000. And then another driver said, ‘Oh, this has to be a joke. $100,000?’ which then made the other ones reopen their letters,” Scherkenbach reportedly said.
Although Scherkenbach declined to indicate how many truckers worked the tour, some estimate upwards of 50 drivers received bonuses large enough to put a down payment on a good home or pay a child’s college tuition. Reports also indicate that Taylor Swift handed out more than $50 million to crew members all told.
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