Television Network Trucks

Really? 26k?

Think again.

I applied for a job driving them and they are heavy, I think the one I was going to drive was 60k. It has a little studio and all kinds of equipment which is heavy.

And yes you have to have more than a CDL, I've got both a degree in engineering and I hold a few certs and a FCC license.

 

Apparently there are larger trucks I've never seen. Largest I've ever seen is basically a 24 ft box truck. Oh well. Live and learn.

 

This is what I dug up after looking up the DOT number on the side of a truck pulling an NFL tv truck.

SAFER Web - Company Snapshot NEP SUPERSHOOTERS LP

NEP Group - Behind Powerful Production

Looks like this company owns the trucks, trailers and everything else. I'd assume with this kind of work you'd probably be busy all the time. As there is always a sport on television these days.

edit: one more link. They are looking for a fleet coordinator. 3 years CDL experience. based in cali. Must be able to push 50 lbs? Do these coordinators drive the trucks too? lol
https://workforcenow.adp.com/jobs/a...pllc&ccId=19000101_000001&type=MP&lang=en_US#

unloader

 

I was wondering a similar question about touring rock bands/musical acts. Probably also doing double duty humping Marshall stacks and light rigs at the show itself?

 

Long time ago I drove a satellite truck ( k100 Kenworth) for a local/regional tv station. It was a part time gig they would send me out of state ( states surrounding Indiana). I would drive the truck park it and one of the "smart" guys would set it up. They would put me up in a motel +food and if on location for several days I would be provided something to drive. Was great extra money but I got fired for refusing to drive the truck because it needed brakes. I wrote it up and they would not fix it.

 

I have never saw a tour bus, network truck, nascar truck, or NHRA truck pulled over or in a scale house. And they speed all the time. I remember being in Knoxville some yrs back the monnday after some race. And those nascar team trucks were giving I-40 hell!!! Doing 75 thru town it seemed. Passing by the hiway patrol and they never got behind them.

I'm not totally sure of janco, stage call, and upstaging. But I talked to a NHRA team truck driver on the fuel island one day. And he said ppl think this is a dream job. You will be away from family 8-10 months. You will help load and unload. And some times you have to help out in the pits. But you make darn good money.

But as I'm thinking back to a upstaging driver I talked to at the nashvile TA that was pulling for maranda lambert. He said he just drove and others unloaded or loaded the trailer. And that a driver couldn't be all up In the stars face askinng for autographs. Because that was against compay policy.

But yea it seems like driving a network trk would grant no contact with the DOT or any blue light special.

 

CNN has fake trucks.

 

I drove a KISS lighting truck for 4 months as a fill in for a guy that had broken his leg. 4 months hauling ### every night. I was never asked to do anything except drive the truck. All 8 truck drivers were put in a van and taken to nice hotels where we charged food and drinks to the room, each had our own rooms. I would have stayed with that gig but back then 4 months away was too much. Now that the wife is passed and the kids doing their own things I would consider it but I'm betting it isn't as much fun now as it was in the early 90's.

 

We used to pull broadcast trailers for midcontinent communications until they bought a daycab and sent an engineer to cdl school. Their 53 ft trailer was heavy. I never went inside it to see what all was in it. But that trailer and a vnl630 was over 78k.