Truckers Needed For Documentary!

Hey this is Wayne the producer for the Trucker Documentary.I'm posting to say the biggest thing that we are looking for is what you guys would like to see in this movie we have seen alot of interesting replies so far. What our ultimate goal is is to go on a trip from Edmonton, Alberta to Houston, Texas and stop at various truck stops along the way and interview as many truckers as possible about there lives the trucking world what it means to be a trucker all the sacrifices that have to be made, all the changes that have happened in the trucking world the good ones and the bad ones. As well as any other things that come along the way or issues that you as truckers want to see us talk about and get out there for the world to see once we have this movie out for the general public to see. So if you could reply with what you would like to see in this kind of a documentary or if you would be interested in setting up an interview either on the phone or somewhere along our journey we could meet and do a on camera interview that would be wonderful you can just reply to the thread or just email me at the top thread link.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration with this.

 

Well how many deliveries are you gonna make on this trip? That would tell you alot about what truckers go through. People will tell you to back your trailer in a spot a compact car wouldn't fit into. Then make you wait hours on the docks. What till you see what B.S. we put up with Hours of Service. You'll find out what crap that is. Hey I ain't a producer or nothing but really get the word out about what we really go through. Remember everything you have in you office right now was delivered by a truck.

Interviewing Wiseone is a great idea. He is literally hated by trucking companies, that will really peeve them off...lol.

 

Yeah we'll definetly be doing all the interviews we can and get as much info as possible for this initial run of us going to Texs we're just gonna drive down in a car and get the interviews done just for an easier begggining for alot of our footage and then from there we will add different things involving deliveries and whatnot.

 

Well ya'll are the poets. When will all this start by the way?

 

We're Leaving the 18th of the Month I'm Just trying to plot the best course so we can check out as many truck stops along the way and see about side routes for any other interviews or features we want to add for when we edit the movie.

 

It is a very interesting concept, but you realize there is an entire tv series "Ice Trucker" that is telling the tale of one very small population of drivers and it is taking them an entire season?
To try to address issues in any "road picture", especially if it is to be crammed into a single run, is almost a joke.
You need a half dozen rides in a half dozen scenarios to even make a dent in the hundreds of items that are on a truckers radar
1) safety
a) other drivers
b) driver training
c) weather
d) roads
e)equipment
f) hours of service
g) police enforcement

2) pay
a) cents per mile versus hourly
b) fairness - why is a pilot paid $150,000 and truckers $50,000? I have more control and responsibility for my vehicle than he does his! I have the lives of THOUSANDS of motorist in my hands every day while he has hundress of passengers. I don't have the luxury of traffic controllers, a guy with orange cones to help me park, and a HOTEL room to sleep in every night.
c) taxes (actually this is a good point for govt as we have had an increase in our per diem exemptions slowly restored over the past few years)

3) home time
a) personal cost of missing special events
b) companies that keep drivers out for unreasonable time frames
c) special circumstances - there is a special group out there that helps transport drivers or family members in times of medical emergencies

4) forced dispatch
a) hot loads
b) bad nieghborhoods
c) shippers or receivers with reputations for long delays

5) health issues
a) excercise
b) diet
c) sucking diesel fuel day and night
d) on the job injuries

6) public awareness
a) driving skills
b) truck physics
c) need for being on the road - you can't believe the number of people who think the logistics of hauling freight demanded by consumers should be funneled into one lane, or into a 6 hour midnight shift!

7) politics hoo-boy! THERE's a can of worms!
a) taxes
b) fuel
c) highway conditions (you could do a documentary centered on that alone with the new interest caused by the recent highway collapse in Minneapolis)
d) trade/NAFTA/Superhighway
e) owner operator issues

that's just off the top of my head, give me a half hour, or a couple of other drivers, and I'll write you an essay that no screen writer could possibly format into a 2 hour "peek" into the lifestyle of the average trucker.

8) personalities
a) career (life-time) drivers
b) born into it (daddy and grandpa drove trucks) driver
c) young (fresh 21 year olds) drivers
d) old (2nd career guys like me) drivers
e) REALLY OLD (farts who still talk about twin sticks, no air conditioning, and driving the 2 lane coast to coast, LOL!) drivers
f) women
g) foreign nationals LOTS of British and Russian and Indian, and . . . drivers out here today

9) equipment
a) older rigs with smaller companies
b) 53' foot trailers
c) reefer trailers
d) bullhaulers
e) specialized freight (munitions, over-size, NASCAR and Concert transporters)

10) drivers
a) company
b) owner operator
c) local
d) regional
e) coast to coast

11) lifestyle
a) racism
b) gays
c) lonliness
d) CB rambos
e) drugs (sorry guys, we all know there are still super-truckers out there)
f) truckstops
g) parking when off duty (its tough trying to bring a truck home these days with new municipal laws restricting us from parking on city streets, shopping center parking lots, and yes, even in our OWN yards!)

12) taking a break
a) hobbies
b) music
c) volunteerism
d) family
e) sports

13) extra-curricular
a) truck rodeos
b) teaching
c) Trucker Buddies
d) truck shows/conventions

If you ever narrow down your focus on what you plan to discuss in your short film, during a short run, with one truck, feel free to contact me!

 

As a new guy coming into the business the post above I absolutely appreciate!! Even tho it is off topic it gives us newbies an idea what we are getting into as well. Film or no film I think that was a great post.


I still havent seen Bizzaro Studios answer my challenge to talk to truckers wives/families tho. IMHO if they cant or wont do that they just arent willing or able to follow thru on what the claim/promise. I challenged you pages ago, and you saw people support that challenge.....so are we to assume you only wish to cover whatever portion of this lifestyle YOU deem fit? And if so how can you in good faith ask us for help? Hasnt the trucking industry been hit enough by bad media? You want to be fair and honest or make a (as said in an earlier post) "smokey and the bandit"?

The ball is in your court. If you're looking for a Sally Fields leg shot talk to Burt. If you're looking for what you claim in al fairness you have lost credibility with me as this very thread moves forward. Give people striaght open and honest answers. Stop repeating your sales pitch and address their quesions as if they actually spoke. Re-read your own responses. They aere robotic and repeatitive. Frankly useless and vague. I see your film as yet another slap to the honest hard working truckers that exist today.

Now to be fair. Do slimeball truckers exist? Yes they do. Does that get better media ratings? Of course it does! Are you after ratings or truth? About time you start answering questions if you wish the people here to believe the later. I would start (if I were a producer and a man of my word) with re reading this thread in its entirety and seeing what was asked. Answer and address those questions and concerns with something other than a pre-typed sales pitch. Maybe if you did that people could formulate a real opinion of what they will or will not do to help your film.

Just personal thoughts and rants. Sorry if I offended anyone. Good luck with your "film".


Be safe!

 

Yeah, kinda scary thinking there would be no real runs and what type of drivers may come in from truck stop interviews.......IMHO. It loses the reality of what trucking really is if you're not going to be doing real hauls.

 

Why don't one of you offer to let them ride with you for a day or two? I know it wouldn't give them the full experience of driving, but they could see into your world. It would have to be one of you that deliver in cities, possibly with more than one drop in a day and someone who has experience, someone who's company will work with them and let them get the true experience of it. Anyone game?

 

Great idea Road Hog