Top 10 Questions to Ask Your Entertainment Trucking Provider

When it comes to tour trucking, the right partner can make or break your tour. While many providers offer on-time delivery, fleet tracking and may know the roads, what happens before, during and after a tour is just as important. From proper tour etiquette, truck loading assistance and a knowledgeable support team, having a provider you trust is essential. Whether you’re a production manager, artist manager, or business manager, asking the right questions upfront helps ensure smooth operations and fewer surprises down the road.

Here are the top 10 questions you should ask any entertainment trucking provider before signing on:

1. What experience do you have with concert touring and live events?
Touring is a unique specialty that not all trucking companies are familiar with. Professional tour trucking partner should have experience in live event logistics and understand the timing, coordination, and challenges of getting equipment from venue to venue.

2. Can you handle cross-border tours?
If your tour spans the U.S. and Canada, ensure the trucking partner can navigate the logistics and regulatory requirements. Your partner should:

• Know driver requirements and eligibility to cross borders – it’s more than just having a passport

• Understand the complexity and differences in traveling with a temporary bond or carnet, or oftentimes both

• Produce and submit PARS, PAPS ACE and ACI documents

• Work closely with customs broker to ensure all paperwork is on file prior to border crossing

• Ensure driver(s) are familiar with border crossing protocol, location challenges and any effects it may have on transit time

• Have Canadian authority and be licensed to travel in every city and province

3. How do you manage last-minute changes?
Tour schedules can shift. Your provider should be flexible, scalable, and able to adjust routes, truck count, or provide co-drivers as needed without disrupting the tour.

4. What types of vehicles and equipment do you offer?
From standard box trucks to tour-ready 53’ trailers, day cabs to sleepers, knowing the fleet options helps you plan efficiently and match gear requirements.

5. How do I know your drivers will be a good fit for my tour?
Even within the same company, there will always be variables in personality, preferences and touring style. Ask about the company’s values, training, and hiring process. If this is the first time working with this team, share the vibe and culture of your tour and ask what the company does to ensure the driver will “fit”.  Hands on? Hands off? Is your camp a boisterous family or quiet and business-like? Bringing on the right driver will enhance the tour environment, support your production goals, and unite with your crew rather than creating stress or disruption.

6. What safety and security measures are in place?
Ask about protocols for equipment protection, driver training, and insurance coverage to ensure your tour assets are safe at all times.

7. How is pricing structured?
Transparency is key. Understand how costs are calculated, whether there are hidden fees, and how changes to your tour might affect pricing.

8. Can you assist with planning and logistics beyond trucking?
Some providers go beyond transportation. Confirm whether they offer warehousing, can store between runs, truck packing, or will coordinate with other service providers. Are they willing to be creative in solutions and find ways to alleviate tour stress? You never know unless you ask.

9. How do you communicate during the tour?
Clear, real-time communication is critical. Do you have a dedicated point person for your tour? Who is the primary contact for the lead driver? How are after hours requests or changes communicated? Ask how updates, delays, or changes are shared with the team on the road.

10. Can you provide references or past client case studies?
Speaking with other production teams or managers provides insight on your tour trucking partner’s reliability, professionalism, and character.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right tour trucking provider is about more than cost and availability. It’s about building a partnership that supports your tour every step of the way. What would you add to the list? Drop us a note and let us know.

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Check out 10 Essentials for a Smooth Tour: Must-Knows and Must-Haves from the Road for more practical insights.