Picture Car Glossary
transportation captain
What is a transportation captain?
Updated June 2026 · Revolution Picture Cars
Also called transpo captain.
A transportation captain is the crew leader responsible for overseeing all drivers, transportation logistics, and vehicle movements for a production including picture car staging, cast vehicle scheduling, and equipment hauling.
The transportation captain reports to the unit production manager (UPM) and works in close coordination with the picture car coordinator to ensure all vehicles are staged correctly, arrive on time, and depart safely. On large productions, the captain manages a transportation co-captain and multiple drivers across several units.
Example
The captain oversees every driver and every vehicle movement on the show, including the picture car department's, and answers to the UPM for the transportation budget and the union classifications.
Figures are illustrative, chosen to show the mechanics rather than to quote market rates.
Where you'll see it
The transportation department head, above the picture car coordinator on vehicle logistics.
Common mistake
Routing picture car decisions around the captain. They are accountable for every vehicle movement and every driver on the show, including the picture car department's.
Related questions
- What does a transportation captain do?
- Oversees all drivers, vehicle movements, and transportation logistics on a production, and answers to the UPM for that budget.
- How do the captain and the picture car coordinator divide the work?
- The captain owns transportation and drivers overall; the coordinator owns the on-camera vehicles, their sourcing, prep, and dressing.
Official sources
Sourcing picture cars for a production? Find, vote on, budget, and book them in one place with Revolution, free for productions.
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