Trucking company CEO speaks out after Taylor Swift gives all drivers 6-figure bonuses for tour transport
Published on Aug 03, 2023 at 3:28 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Aug 04, 2023 at 4:15 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Imagine going to work, knowing you’re going to carry equipment for Taylor Swift’s tour.
And now imagine learning Taylor Swift is giving you a $100,000 bonus for the trouble.
That’s exactly what happened.
Taylor Swift gave drivers a hefty bonus as a thank-you for helping carry the equipment she needs for the US-leg of her Eras Tour, which has been touring the country since March.
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Two companies were tasked with the job, Upstaging Inc. and Shomotion LLC.
Swift travels with a lot of equipment, including stage props, lights, musical instruments, speakers, microphones – and the list goes on.
Mike Scherkenbach, CEO of Shomotion, said drivers were called into a production meeting and they all assumed the topic of conversation would be the tour schedule.
Instead, they got a thank-you letter and a big check.
Drivers were left flabbergasted, and some of them were confused.
“They’ve been out there nonstop, the men and women that drive for us have been away from their families for 24 weeks,” Scherkenbach said.
Scherkenbach further explained that drivers were a bit tired, so when they got the letter, some of them weren’t really paying much attention.
“The funny part is, they just glanced at the letter quickly and didn’t look at the amount, so one driver read it as $1,000, another driver read it as $10,000,” he said.
Another driver thought it was a joke.
Scherkenbach could not disclose the exact number of truck drivers or trucks that were included in the bonuses for safety reasons, but was keen to explain that everyone truly appreciated the ‘tip’.
Well, we’re sure they did.
Both companies will continue to move Swift’s equipment while she is performing in Mexico, with dates in Mexico City on Aug. 24, 25, 26 and 27.
Scherkenbach said the truckers are just happy to do the job.
“We never expected our staff to receive any bonus of this [magnitude]. We were just grateful to be part of what we think will be a record-breaking tour on all fronts,” he said.
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