Bob Farr might be the envy of every trucker who dreams of landing a job that combines trucking and sports.
Farr, of Tustin, Calif., has been driving broadcast production trucks since 1984. He currently hauls a production trailer for Southwest Television Production Services of Tempe, Ariz., which is rented to CBS Sports for broadcasting sporting events. He drove for Trinity Broadcast Network for 17 years before it sold its production trucks; he also ran a camera for Trinity’s first mobile uplink.
“It’s the kind of thing every kid involved in television dreams of while in college,” Farr says. “I get to do it and get paid for it.”
Before working in television, Farr, 62, hauled cattle and general freight. He began driving trucks on his family farm in the ninth grade. He was student teaching in college when he decided that teaching wasn’t the profession for him, and quit school to drive a truck.
“The students weren’t interested in learning,” Farr says. “Trucking was beginning to grow so I quit school and went on the road. I drove for a baking company for years and was ready to retire. I saw a guy on television say that his company was going to buy a new production trailer, and I just knew I was supposed to pull that trailer. I’ve been hauling for broadcasting companies since then.”
When Farr arrives at the next broadcast location, he helps set up if he isn’t over his legal hours. If he doesn’t need to rest for the next day’s drive, he watches the event. He does whatever he can to help out.
“I pull the truck in, find the location and park,” Farr says. “I power it up. My responsibility ends there, but if I have some hours left to work I’ll help with the cable. At the end of the show I pick up the cable and leave for the next town if necessary.”
