Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/805422
April 2017 | Overdrive | 27 Because the miles per day averaged over a tour's length are relatively low, drivers usually get paid a flat rate. Landstar owner-operator Tom Arnold, who hauled for "American Idol" audi- tion tours from 2011 to 2015, says his weekly pay was more like a salary. The tours lasted as long as three- and-a-half months or as short as seven weeks. Arnold averaged 500 to 700 miles between venues. "Some weeks, we would stay in the same city and just move to a different venue, so those weeks were great," he says. "We got paid the same for doing less work. But one time, we had to get from Los Angeles to Boston in four days. We did it legally, but we had to push the limit." Buchs picks up loads a couple of times each month for off-Broadway the- ater shows in the Midwest. He says the pay, when computed on a mileage basis, is about two to three times the rate of general freight, but it's well earned. "You can spend 30 hours on a 120- mile load," Buchs says. "There's a lot of detention time involved, but it's built into the rate. With the loads I do, I bobtail to a venue and usually have to arrive around 8 or 9 p.m. on a Sunday. The shows don't end until later, so it's often midnight or later when I get load- ed. When I do those loads, I'm getting paid for my work time, driving time, loading time and everything else." Buchs then usually drives through the night to get to the next venue Monday morning. "A lot of owner-operators don't want to work those kinds of hours," he says. "You have to plan ahead and manage your hours to stay legal." If a delivery is late the next day, the carrier could be required to "buy the house," which means they would have to pay for all of the tickets to the show and pay the staff and everyone involved. "I can't imagine what that would cost," Buchs says. Because the loads are one-way and Buchs operates as an independent, he has to pay for his unloaded miles get- ting to the venue and then to his next load after delivering the equipment on Mondays. Stage Call's drivers also are paid more like a salary. "Our company trucks only average about 70,000 miles a year," says J. Watkins, chief opera- tions officer. The 120-truck concert-hauling fleet pays its drivers by the day because the miles are lower. The day rate averages $390 plus a fuel surcharge. Stage Call owner-operators gross about $170,000 a year. Because they drive fewer miles, they have lower maintenance costs, which usually results in higher net pay than most general freight haulers, Watkins says. Mesh drives about 80,000 miles annually but says he grosses about the same as drivers hauling general freight and driving 120,000-plus miles a year. "At the end of the day, I gross about the same, but I keep a little bit more of that because I burn less fuel, I have less wear and tear on the truck, and my loads are generally lighter," he says. About 30 percent of Stage Call's trucking needs are not dedicated tour- ing, but typically are hauls such as mov- ing lighting and sound equipment from a warehouse to a convention center. The company pays these drivers $1.35 per mile plus a fuel surcharge. Arnold has done shows where stage crews loaded and unloaded everything, but his time with "American Idol" was more demanding. "You have to load it in order so it comes off in order," he says. "They're building the set as they're unloading, so they want the carpet and toolboxes loaded last so they come off the truck first. When the set is built, you have to load the empty boxes back on the truck. Sometimes, as the days go on at a venue, they're switching things out, so you're constantly doing things when you're at a venue." BREAKING INTO THE NICHE Getting into hauling for events can be all about who you know. Owner-operator Gary Buchs got into off-Broadway haul- ing after his Landstar agent got him in contact with Clark Transfer of Harris- burg, Pennsylvania, which hauls shows and other events. Many such loads typically aren't posted on load boards because of their specialized nature. Landstar owner-operator Tom Arnold got on with "American Idol" because he had a friend who left the job and helped him fill the empty spot. "It's hard to get in without any experience doing shows," Arnold says. "I had a friend vouch for me. They expect someone with some sort of logistics experience with special commodities, whether that's moving household or sensitive equipment." Stage Call Specialized Transportation looks for drivers with at least two years of over-the-road driving experience, a clean driving record, a stable job history and clean background checks, says J. Watkins, chief operations officer. When hiring owner-operators, Stage Call requires late-model trucks that are compliant with all of California's emissions regulations. Watkins says the equipment must be "aesthetically pleas- ing and mechanically sound." "Appearance is important because a lot of people will see our trucks at shows," he says. "We want our drivers to have relatively low-key trucks with the Stage Call logo prominent." Another hurdle can be security clear- ance. For some of the largest events, such as the Super Bowl, the carrier has to work through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to get the driver and the truck cleared to be at the stadium, Watkins says. Most of the drivers Stage Call uses for its tours are either company drivers or owner-operators leased to the company. Stage Call also brokers out freight dur- ing the busier seasons, Watkins says. Steve Mesh, leased to Stage Call, says it's important for all drivers thinking about hauling concert tours and events to consider extended time away from home. He once was on a tour that lasted 10 months. "Can they handle it, and can their families handle it?"