stage call trucking

Did you get the call and was the money good enough to make the jump? This forum has a lot of things to take into consideration.

 

This is the first tour for us. The others were what they call "one off's".
Heard that this is where appreciation is really shown to the drivers and they are taken care of very well during the tour. The show can't go on if the truck(s) aren't there.

 

When I was up near Eerie earlier this week I stopped at the TA and there were 6 trucks that were hauling for Brad Paisley. The trailers were very obvious too as they had BRAD PAISLEY H20 TOUR graphics on the side. I'm guessing they had a day or two off as they were all parked right next to each other on the far side of the lot.

I didn't get a chance to look at the side of the tractor to see what company it was though.

 

With sound, lighting and staging and the show locations you listed earlier, how many trucks and drivers are you going to have to use? I went to see Cats once and I can't even imagine how many trucks they would have needed to bring all the staging in, not to mention the sound and lighting but I suppose a lot of them rent the sound and lighting at the theater. It must have taken the crew a couple of days just to set it all up. Then they had to just tear it all down, reload it and move on the the next show.

 

most major tours have 1 off stage designs, they set them up and tear them down at each show and move them to the next venue

this includes sound and lighting because it is all designed with the design of the stage

 

Just using a single truck/driver with a 53' dry van. Looks like a lot of the venues are smaller ones. Some of the shows play 1 night then on to the next, for maybe a couple of nights. It varies, but most of this is in the southeast with a few dates in LA, Chicago, and NYC.

 

First show was last night in Spartanburg SC. Talked to DH last night, just had dinner with everyonee (cast,crew, etc) catered in from Olive Garden! He's met alot of people including the actors and everyone has been really nice and friendly. Several of them asked if he would be driving the entire tour, which he will be, and they were apparently excited about that. They're now in Charlotte NC for the weekend. Been told that if we want tickets all we have to tell is where and how many. Guess we'll go when they come to Tampa. This may get us further in the door and a lot more contacts for the future.

 

We have done smaller off-Broadway (way off Broadway) plays and that is true. But those are small shows and they do manage to get it all in the van - sometimes without an inch to spare and sometimes it takes them a while so loading can be a long wait. Most of them don't weigh much but I sure haven't found any that pay the kind of money I have read. Maybe I am looking in the wrong places.

 

Sounds like you are off to a good start. I am assuming DH is your driver. Hope all goes well on the tour, have fun and be safe out there.

 

Yep, DH and driver is one in the same. After 10 yrs of having others driving the other trucks we had we were forced to cut back to one truck and him driving it. Oh the stories I could tell about that!

Talked to him this am and he said that Robert Plant is coming in tonight. DH is a HUGE Led Zeppelin fan but sadly, he won't get to see him as our show finishes in Charlotte tonight and heads to Philly next for a week.