’s tours over the years. In the time he’s worked with the singer, he says he’s always known her to be generous to her crew — but the $100,000 bonuses she gave to each of his drivers who worked on the full U.S. leg of the Eras tour have been unprecedented, and “life-changing.”
“She’s giving a sum of money that is life-changing for these people,” Scherkenbach, of the concert transportation company Shomotion, tells. “A lot of these drivers are not homeowners, and a lump sum like this gives you the ability to put a down payment on a home. That’s what makes me really happy. That generosity is a game changer for these people.”in bonuses to her dancers, sound technicians, riggers, and truck drivers.
According to Scherkenbach, most artists of Swift’s stature typically give drivers $5,000 to $10,000 extra, making Swift’s bonus nearly 10 times the norm. And while he says his drivers have always received generous bonuses from Swift, none have been “at this magnitude.” Swift even gave bonuses to some of Shomotion’s drivers who didn’t work on the full tour. “We had some drivers that completed half the tour and then [Shomotion] had to move them over to Beyoncé, but they were given a percentage. Some of those drivers that had completed half the tour received $30,000 to $50,000. They’re not real thrilled withright now,” he joked of having to move them off the Eras tour, “but I have other artists [that need them].
He’s also grateful for more than the money; he appreciates the family atmosphere of Swift’s tours. “They did the documentary on the last tour,, for Netflix, and she listed my drivers in the credits,” he says. “To put the drivers’ names in the movie credits? That shows the character of a person.