NAB Perspectives: Fred Gerling Expects Second-Story Expando Truck to Hit the Road by 2015

Several remote-production vendors have begun rolling out compact new trucks that boast a smaller footprint, while still packing a strong HD-production punch. Gerling & Associates built the trailers for many of these compact units (including the 40-ft. ProShow Broadcast Maestro HD unit on display at Gerling’s NAB 2013 booth) and expects this market to grow. However, President/founder Fred Gerling also foresees a new development on the opposite side of the market: second-story expando trucks.

“We have some very nice small-truck designs, but clients are still requiring bigger trucks to account for more people,” Gerling said from his outdoor exhibit booth. “We have answered that call by introducing a second-story trailer. It expands from both sides and then expands on top as a second story.”

No second-story expando trailers are currently on the road, but Gerling believes that interest will grow in these units, with the expectation that the first second-story expando mobile unit will hit the road in 2015.

The second-story expando will encapsulate the entire trailer when it is not expanded. Once expanded, the area will have approximately 40 ft. of usable space and be about 90 ft. wide (compared with 102 ft. for the main first-story trailer area).

“This will be ideal for huge sports shows,” said Gerling. “It will be great for graphics [area] and things like that. People are really clamoring for more space. [Truck] compounds are getting so crowded these days at venues that they are moving trucks off-site and connecting them via fiber. But this provides a different solution for that.”

With growth in both the small trailer and oversize-trailer business — not to mention the traditional 53-footer — Gerling expects the next year to be a busy one for sports.

“This year, the TV business was not quite as busy as it was last year. When a lot of contracts changed hands, trucks were built to accommodate that, but it’s still very good,” said Gerling. “I expect next year to be a very big year since a number of contracts are once again changing hands. Several of our clients are asking for new technology and breakthroughs, and we have to be ready for that every year.”