Transport Hire for UK theatre tour

[sijevans]

I'm looking to book a truck for our Set, LX & Sound equipment for a 10-week UK tour this autumn.

 

We are currently touring with just our Set jammed into a hi-top LWB Transit with a tetris-like van pack, so I'm thinking we're going to be looking at at least a 7.5-tonner (if not something like a 13-ton Rigid) with the extra hire equipment.

 

We're on tour for 10 weeks with 8 week-longs and 2 weeks off within that period. So potentially this is 9 transfers and 2 weeks of storage.

 

Have asked Paul Mathew for a quote but was wondering if anyone has any advice/suggestions/recommendations for alternative and cost-effective ways of doing this (ones that don't involve members of the touring company driving the truck!)?

 

S x

[dunk_1984]

Are you just after recommendations for trucking companies?

[Ben]

Can very highly recommend Richard Jameson.

[Shaggy]

I can think of no sensible alternative way of doing things. Remember, the crapper your truck pack the more it will cost you to pay local crew that sweet TMA as you stand around scratching your head and arguing about how it went it last time. As well as Paul Matthews, Southern Van Lines and McGuinness also do theatre trucking, I have no idea of costs but have eperienced both on tour, and McGuinness had better drivers and trucks in my opinion.

[IRT]

Try Stardes in Sheffield

[gareth]

Don't forget Luckings and Stagefreight as well - both good companies.

[dunk_1984]

ASL and being Fly by Night.

[Biro]

Stage Truck

[Dodgecaliber]

Here we go again!

 

Companies such as this will not quote, or will atleast give a shocking quote for a tour like this.

 

Im not going to start reminding people of what I do for a living as most of you know, but people please!

[gareth]

Companies such as this will not quote, or will atleast give a shocking quote for a tour like this.

The two I recommended most definitely will. As a producing venue, we tend to send out tours of perhaps four or five weeks' duration, with one or two moves a week - both Luckings and Stagefreight have done sterling work for us in the past on tours such as this, and were happy to do so.

 

Small edit to add : That said, our tours are always a 45-ft trailer, and re-reading the first post in the topic has reminded me that the OP is looking for a smaller vehicle than that. I'd still try Luckings, though - I know they have a few smaller vehicles in their fleet. Don't think Stagefreight do, though ...

 

Another edit to add : Simon, you could do with updating the location field in your profile so that people can make appropriate recommendations for local companies in response to requests like this. There's a chap (whose name I forget, but could easily find out if required) who's an owner-driver of, if I recall correctly, a 17-tonner, who we and a couple of other Welsh theatre companies use for moves that don't need a full trailer - but he's based in, I think, Cardiff, so there's no point in suggesting you conact him if you're a long way from there.

[DanHerbert]

What you may find is that truck companies will supply an arctic as it is more cost effective to send tours out on one of these even if it fits into a 7.5 tonne truck, I've seen many small scale tours arriving on an arctic when it would clearly fit into a 7.5 tonne, even the touring crew have said that it is cheaper to hire one of these compared to a 7.5 tonner!

[MarkA74]

I know that Fly By Nite still have a couple of 7.5T's on their fleet, although I'm not sure how often they go out these days, most of their stuff runs out in either 26T rigids or 40 foot artics.

[Hugh]

ASL now called Domino Trucking in Doncaster have a 7.5 toner they use for a jobs like this. http://dominotrucking.com

[AdrianW]

+1 for Stardes

 

If your looking for an owner operator, try Miffy @ BRM Productions

[allgoodnamesaretaken]

Try React Transport, (Colin 01506 443888) they are a scottish company but have at least one other location in manchester. I used them on a corporate tour earlier this year with 7 transfers and 6 weekends of storage. Vehicles are all 18T