What is Tour Routing?
Tour routing, in the context of the music or entertainment industry, refers to the process of planning and organizing the travel itinerary for a performing artist or group of performers.
This includes deciding on the cities or regions where shows will be performed, the sequence of the performances, and the modes of transportation between locations.
Understanding tour routing is an important aspect of tour management. It helps to ensure that the tour is logistically feasible, financially viable, and maximizes the artist’s exposure and revenue potential.
A common misconception is that a tour manager books the concert tour. This is not under their responsibility umbrella and is typically handled by the artist’s booking agent. However, a tour or production manager may be consulted to discuss the logistics of certain movements between shows.
Conceptualizing Tour Routing
Once a tour manager has received a tour routing from a booking agent, a good idea is to spend some time understanding how all of the different dates connect together.
This involves creating a spreadsheet and calculating the distance and time it takes to travel between different locations. Be sure to highlight any changes in time zones.
This becomes a useful document to reference as you begin the process of advancing shows.
By doing this, you can identify potential pain points and start to better understand the overall rhythm of the tour.
A good tour manager understands the push and pull of a tour. Through this, they can make decisions for the betterment of the band and crew based on the routing.
It’s important to keep your road team in the loop about difficult scenarios looming on the horizon. It helps them to mentally prepare, and it makes navigating those waters a bit more palatable when you do finally arrive.
Considerations for Bus Touring
A good rule of thumb is to estimate 2 hours of travel for every 100 miles of driving.
For example, you could budget 8 hours for a 400-mile drive. This is inclusive of fuel stops.
Considerations for Van Touring
Van touring is considerably different when compared to bus touring. You’re normally driving during the morning, and arriving to the next city mid-afternoon for load-in.
A tour manager on a van tour will need to build in time for roadside stops.
It’s also important to be mindful of time zones and rush-hour traffic when calculating your lobby call for the following morning.
Linear Tour Routing
When we refer to linear touring, we are referring to a single, continuous tour.
This is where you get on the bus, perform a series of shows, and conclude the tour having completed all of the shows while only using the bus as transportation the entire time.
This is generally the style of routing when artists release a 30-date North American or European tour.
Non-Linear Tour Routing
In contrast, non-linear routing is more logistically complicated as the dates on the calendar do not link together via bus transfer alone.
Essentially, there are different layers of tour logistics happening concurrently.
For example, you might have a run of shows in Texas hitting the major markets of Dallas, Austin, and Houston.
- 10 JULY – Dallas, TX
- 11 JULY – PRESS NYC
- 12 JULY – Austin, TX
- 13 JULY – Houston, TX
For whatever reason, a press event got added on 11 JULY that was originally going to be a day off. Now you’ve got to get the band and crew to New York.
Unless you’re able to fly private, commercial day-of-show flights are now involved for both 11 JULY and 12 JULY.
While the band and crew fly to NYC, the bus will be moving to Austin, TX. Gear has to be coordinated, ground transportation, and the list of logistics goes on.
Nashville Style Routing
Nashville-style routing is a different style of touring entirely.
Generally, the tour will use a hub and spoke model in and out of Nashville.
For example, bus call might be set for midnight on a Thursday in Nashville. The tour will then do shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The tour would return to Nashville early morning Monday.
Nashville has proximity to a number of major markets in a 10-hour radius. This makes it a geographically convenient location for touring operations.
Touring crews for artists that use this style of touring are typically based in Nashville.
This helps to avoid additional transportation costs for personnel at the beginning and end of runs.
What is Deadhead?
In the context of transportation or logistics, deadhead refers to a situation where a vehicle (such as a truck, bus, or airplane) is being moved without carrying any passengers or cargo.
Essentially, it is an empty leg of a journey. For example, a truck that is returning to its base location after delivering goods to a destination is said to be “deadheading” on the return trip.
An entertainer coach might deadhead to the first date of a tour, with no passengers on board. For example, the tour may start in Seattle, but the coach is coming out of Nashville. The band and crew would fly in and rendezvous with the bus, while the coach rides empty up to Seattle.
What is an Overdrive?
An overdrive is a mileage limit that has been exceeded during a drive.
This is typically set at either 450 or 500 miles, depending on the transportation vendor.
This generally means some type of additional compensation for the bus driver.
Many transportation vendors have started to move away from this model and instead offer their drivers a more competitive, all-in rate.
Now, regardless of the mileage driven, they will receive the same flat rate.
When is a Co-Driver Required?
A co-driver is required when the length of a drive is logistically impossible with only one driver.
For example, if you are originating in Nashville, TN and you have a show in Norfolk, VA, that’s roughly a 700-mile drive.
That’s not legally possible to do with one driver. Unless you build in a day off, you’re going to need a co-driver to join your tour.
The drivers will then share driving duties to complete the drive within DOT regulations.
When the tour is being built, it’s good to avoid these scenarios if possible, because they add a considerable amount of expenses to a budget.
Additionally, it can become complicated if you don’t have an available bunk on the bus for a co-driver.
Days Off
Oftentimes, it is up to the tour manager to determine where the tour will stop for non-show days.
Generally, it’s always a good idea to move the tour forward to the next city, when possible. This helps to avoid any transportation issues that might rear their ugly head.
A tour manager should be on the lookout for locations that are along the way, and allow the group to enjoy their day off.
Deciding where to stay is a balance of figuring out what’s logistically possible, along with factoring in price, amenities, and local attractions.
Atlas Obscura, Spaces Archive, and Roadside America are great resources for brainstorming unique day-off activities.
North American Bus Driver Hours
The number of hours an entertainer coach driver can legally drive in a day is regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in the United States.
According to FMCSA regulations, an entertainer coach driver can drive up to 10 hours after being off-duty for 8 or more consecutive hours.
The driver is also limited to a maximum of 60 hours of driving time in any 7-day period, or 70 hours of driving time in any 8-day period, depending on the tour schedule.
Once the driver reaches the 70-hour limit, they will not be able to drive again until they have dropped below 70 hours for an 8-consecutive-day period.
These regulations are designed to prevent driver fatigue and promote safety on the roads.
North American Truck Driver Hours
The number of hours a truck driver can be on duty is regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in the United States.
According to FMCSA regulations, a truck driver can be on duty for a maximum of 14 hours after being off duty for 10 or more consecutive hours.
Of those 14 hours, a truck driver can drive for a maximum of 11 hours.
After the 11th hour of driving, the driver must take a rest break of at least 10 consecutive hours before driving again.
In addition, a truck driver can be on duty for a maximum of 60 hours in any 7-day period, or 70 hours in any 8-day period, depending on the work schedule.
After reaching the maximum hours of on-duty time, the driver must take a rest break of at least 34 consecutive hours before driving again.
European Bus & Truck Driver Hours
In Europe, the legal driving limits for drivers is governed by the EU drivers’ hours regulations. These regulations set out the maximum amount of time that a driver can drive and the minimum amount of rest that they must take.
Specifically, for drivers in Europe, the regulations state that:
- The maximum daily driving time is 9 hours, with a maximum of 10 hours twice a week.
- The maximum weekly driving time is 56 hours, with a maximum of 90 hours over any two consecutive weeks.
- A driver must take a break of at least 45 minutes after driving for 4.5 hours. This break can be divided into two periods: one of at least 15 minutes, followed by another of at least 30 minutes.
- A driver must take a daily rest period of at least 11 hours. This can be reduced to 9 hours no more than three times in a week.
- A driver must take a weekly rest period of at least 45 hours, which can be reduced to 24 hours if compensated with an equivalent rest period taken in the following two weeks.
It’s important to note that these regulations apply to all drivers of vehicles with a total weight exceeding 3.5 tons. This includes entertainer coaches and trucks.
Towing a Bus Trailer
Most bus companies in North America will only allow you to put 10,000 lbs worth of weight in the trailer.
This is another important consideration when production is being built for the tour and you’re figuring out your trailer pack.
Additionally, it’s important to consider that towing a bus trailer can impact how the performance and handling of a bus.
Waking up to a driver attempting a 100-point Austin Powers-esque turn is not how anyone wants to be woken up.
Furthermore, there is the additional cost of the trailer, plus the driver will receive a higher wage for driving with the trailer.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is a lot that has to be considered when it comes to touring logistics.
Effective tour logistics planning requires careful attention to detail, as well as the ability to adapt to unexpected changes or challenges.
Tour managers and logistics professionals are responsible for overseeing all aspects of tour logistics to ensure that the tour runs smoothly and successfully.