The Kansas City Star
By Randolph Heaster
Jack Cooper Transport Explores Reality TV Possibilities
February 22, 2010
Jack Cooper Transport Co. teetered on the edge of bankruptcy last year and continues to fight for a turnaround of its fortunes.
Is that a story made for reality TV?
Mike Riggs hopes so. Riggs, chairman and majority owner of Cooper Transport, said the company has become a client of a Beverly Hills talent agency that will shop the idea of a reality TV show revolving around the car-haul company.
"I had never heard of such a thing, but there apparently is a niche of reality TV shows dealing with the workplace," Riggs said.
APA Agency recently sent a memo to its various offices announcing that Cooper Transport has become a client.
"APA will focus on developing digital, documentary and/or television content that follows Jack Cooper's quest to come back from the brink of bankruptcy and become a $1 billion carrier by taking on their largest competitor (Allied Holdings), working to repair strained Teamsters labor relations, and 'greening' their fleet, all while helping to put thousands of drivers back to work," the memo stated.
Some of the more well-known shows of the genre include "Deadliest Catch," which followed boats in the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab fishing season; and "Black Gold," a documentary-style show about oil drillers.
Riggs said one trucking show of the genre was "Ice Road Truckers," which followed truckers in Canada moving supplies to diamond mines through treacherous terrain.
Riggs, chief executive Bob Griffin and others plan to be in Los Angeles in mid-March to discuss ideas with producers and distributors
."We're an 80-year-old company in a bread-and-butter industry you can't outsource to Mexico or China," Riggs said. "We have good union jobs, and I think it would be good for people to see what the Teamsters do. If you pay a guy a fair wage, he's going to be a better worker."
Ideas have been tossed around, but Cooper Transport officials are eager to hear what their partners have in mind.
"I think there will have to be a strong human-interest element to it, whether it's following a driver around or something else," Griffin said. "We're really just putting together now what the possibilities for such a program could be."
To reach Randolph Heaster, call 816-234-4746 or send e-mail to
[email protected]..© 2010 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kansascity.com
Jack Cooper Transport, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is the second largest auto transport carrier in the nation, and one of the few remaining auto transport companies with Teamster union drivers. Founded in 1928, today Jack Cooper operates 26 terminals throughout the U.S. and Canada, owns a fleet of 1,400 state-of-the-art trucks and transports over 1.6 million new and pre-owned automobiles and trucks annually. Jack Cooper is known for its integrity, outstanding service, quality performance and innovative strategies and has been the recipient of numerous vehicle transportation quality, service and safety awards.