Bands Make It Rock-Drivers Make It Roll is the slogan on the business cards given the drivers associated with the Brooks & Dunn tour. That's just one of the ways that Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn recognize the importance of drivers to their tour. The CMA duo of the year's Neon Circus and Wild West Show has been the top-grossing country tour for two years running, and with nine semis hauling equipment, it's an extravaganza to be moved night after night.
For Chad Smith, joining the 2001 tour was his initiation into driving for the entertainment world. A resident of Nashville, he drove for 10 years before getting the opportunity to join the tour. He credits landing this job with knowing people and living in the right location. "It's a Catch-22, because everyone wants experience but no one wants to give experience," he said. "A big part of it is where you're located."
Compared with the OTR and LTL loads that he'd been hauling, Smith found touring a totally different experience. As an avid country music fan, he was at first so excited that it was tough to get into a schedule. "I've always been a fan of Brooks & Dunn, so I caught several shows early on," he said, "but eventually I learned I need some sleep sometimes."
Now that he's wrapped up his second year, he says he has settled into a routine, even returning to many of the same venues. Knowing in advance exactly where to set his rig makes the job that much easier.
His trailer holds the equipment for the Neon Circus and Wild West Show, which provides entertainment between sets. A mechanical bull, a hot air balloon, games and a side stage offer a carnival atmosphere. Another eight trucks transport the main stage, videos and rigging. Numerous buses carry performers and crew.
All of the trucks are brightly painted with the Brooks & Dunn insignia, but only one, the truck that Chad drives, actually belongs to Brooks & Dunn. The others are leased, and are more or less standard fare. Chad's customized Aeromax tractor has a Cummins M11 engine that runs through a Super 10 transmission. It was custom-built in Calif.ornia in the mid-1990s for Brooks & Dunn to pull their 53-foot trailer, which originally was used to haul their Legends racecars.
The trailer has a generator that powers everything from the lights to the air conditioning and landing gear. There's even a sink on board for washing up.
The triple-axle trailer is a little more difficult to maneuver than a standard tandem. "It doesn't behave like any other trailer I've ever pulled," Chad commented. "If I pull too tight it can pop like a toothpick. All of my turns have to be made extra wide.
"It's low to the ground so I always have to be aware of clearance because the back may drag. And because the truck's custom made, it's sometimes hard to get parts when it breaks down."
To the eye, what makes the trailer stand out are the brilliant Neon Circus and Wild West graphics. It's the only trailer to bear such extensive artwork, and it's very much a part of the show, parked on the midway at every venue. Chad keeps it clean and spit-polished.
"It's a rolling billboard," Chad says. "It gets a lot of attention. Wherever you go, someone is riding beside you. Occasionally they'll snap a picture, and I'm blinded by a flash."
Generally, two or three trucks caravan, pulling out around midnight as soon as the trailers are loaded after a show . They usually run 300 to 400 miles between gigs, three to four nights in a row with a break of a few days. On the trips home, they tend to travel in big groups and frequently cover longer distances.
Whenever they pull into a truckstop, someone is ready to talk. Usually, other drivers want to know how to get hired on, but unfortunately these jobs are generally not advertised.
Sometimes they want to talk music. Chad is ever mindful that he represents Brooks & Dunn. "You always have to be on your best behavior.
"Brooks & Dunn are fantastic to work for. I'm very impressed with the guys I work with. Everybody is working together and that's very important with the guys. It's a family organization."
Like an average family, everyone has a job to do, but what makes it different from typical driving gigs is the level of intensity. While all drivers face deadlines of some sort, the tour drivers are responsible for moving a virtual city that has to be transported and quickly set up. Instead of one boss, there are many: the lead driver, the road manager, the production manager, the stage manager.
The other significant difference is its brevity. The tour operates on a schedule laid out a year in advance, and may range from four to six months. Last year at the tour's end, Chad went to work immediately for U.S. Express, which he praises highly. "They are very understanding and kept turning me," he said. "Most of the drivers take other jobs. A lot of them have been in entertainment longer than I have and go into other tours. This year, one of our drivers is going with the Rolling Stones."
The performers often keep a different schedule from the drivers because they might have morning interviews or other obligations when they arrive at the venue. Still, the crew see the artists nearly every day they're on tour. Over the past two years B&D were joined on tour by Montgomery Gentry, Toby Keith, Keith Urban, Mike Walker, Cletus T. Judd, Dwight Yoakam, Gary Allan, Trick Pony, and Chris Cagle.
It's not unusual for the performers to join the drivers and crew for breakfast. Breakfast and dinner are catered at each venue and offered to everyone. Custom omelets or prime rib – what's good for the boss is good for the crew. Likewise, the drivers stay in the same hotels booked by the entertainers.
Gourmet food, top-notch hotels, and – if you have the hours for it – a free concert every night are just some of the perks. Chad sums it up, "You have to stop and remember not just what you're doing but that you're fortunate to do that. I'm very grateful and want to thank Scotty Edwards, Baja Fletcher, and Keith Edwards and all the crew. This tour has got to be one of the best to work with."
The entire schedule, hotels, and contact information is posted in a password protected area of the Brooks & Dunn Web site, allowing families instant access to the itinerary. That's just another way Kix and Ronnie accommodate their drivers. And to show their appreciation, they bring everyone together again for a special Christmas celebration. Last year, they hosted a private party for their employees in a rented bowling alley.
So while the tour may last only part of the year, the Brooks & Dunn family lasts year round. Whenever the band gets ready to rock, the drivers will make it roll.
