Transporting grip equipment is the first logistics challenge on any shoot. And the most frequently underestimated. A dolly weighs 80 to 150 kg. Twenty metres of track is 100 to 160 kg of steel. A telescopic crane can exceed 500 kg with its counterweight. All of it needs to arrive on set before a single shot is taken — pass through available access points, be unloaded safely, on schedule. This guide covers the real logistics of grip equipment transport: weights, vehicles, Paris-specific constraints, and the checklist so nothing gets left behind.
What Are the Weights and Dimensions of Grip Equipment?
Logistics starts with the numbers. Here are the reference figures for the most common equipment on professional shoots in France.
Dollies. The Fisher 10 weighs around 80 kg without accessories — heads, extensions and telescopic arm can add 20 to 30 kg. The Chapman PeeWee sits at around 150 kg (more robust, built for heavy camera packages). These figures don’t seem excessive on paper. But an 80 kg dolly in a service lift with a 200 kg load capacity becomes a real constraint when you also need to bring up accessories in the same trip. I experienced this on a Canal+ series in a building in the 9th arrondissement — three lift trips for what could be done in one from a proper loading bay.
Track. Standard sections measure 1.20 metres and weigh between 5 and 8 kg each. Sixteen sections for a 20-metre tracking run, that’s 80 to 130 kg of steel, plus connectors, levelling wedges and mounting plates. Storage length for a 20-metre set: sections stack but easily occupy 1.5 m × 0.8 m of floor space.
Cranes and telescopic arms. A lightweight jib like the Egripment Small rarely exceeds 80 kg with its motorised head. The Technocrane 15 or PeeWee IV with extension reach 200 to 300 kg. Large-amplitude cranes — Technocrane 30 or Moviebird — exceed 500 kg with counterweight, base and accessories. These configurations require a dedicated truck with a tail lift. No alternative there.
What Vehicle for Transporting Grip Equipment on a Shoot?
Volume and weight determine the vehicle. Three configurations match three different production levels.
12 m³ van — the light configuration. Suited to short shoots with a lightweight dolly, 8 to 12 metres of track, a fluid head and basic accessories. Typical payload: 1,000 to 1,200 kg. This vehicle fits in the vast majority of Parisian garages and underground car parks. It’s the solution for short commercials, music videos with moderate grip needs, and shoots in apartments or small venues.
20 m³ truck with tail lift — the standard configuration. This is the reference vehicle for most professional shoots in France. It carries a complete package without compromise — heavy dolly, 20 metres of track, lightweight crane arm, heads and accessories — including safety equipment. Payload: 3 to 3.5 tonnes. The tail lift is essential once the heaviest cases exceed 80 kg. You don’t carry a complete dolly by hand from the pavement.
Semi-trailer — the large-scale shoot. Feature films with heavy grip equipment, series with multiple simultaneous units, commercials with a large-amplitude Technocrane. The semi represents a significant transport cost — but it’s the only option when the total exceeds 4 tonnes. Its main constraint in Paris: access to the shooting location, which must be validated during location scouting before the production confirms. (I’ve seen semi-trailers stuck 200 metres from the set because nobody checked the alley clearance. That’s half a day lost.)
“I arrive with my truck — that’s the first advantage of renting from a key grip who owns their equipment. The logistics are built into the service: the gear is loaded by me, in my truck, in an order that matches the unloading sequence on set. It eliminates the wasted time every morning.”
What Are the Access Constraints for Delivering Heavy Equipment in Paris?
Paris concentrates the most demanding logistics constraints. The majority of Parisian shooting locations present at least one access difficulty. Often several at once.
Stairs. The most common constraint in Haussmann-era buildings. An 80 kg dolly doesn’t go down a spiral staircase without a team of three and proper carrying equipment. The decision is made during scouting: can the equipment be broken down into portable sub-assemblies? Is the stairwell wide enough? Handling time goes into the schedule just like the setup on set — you can’t make it up.
Service lifts. When the building has one, payload capacity and interior cabin dimensions are the two critical data points. A 300 kg service lift won’t take a complete dolly. Dimensions matter just as much: a 1.50 m case doesn’t fit in a 1.20 m cabin. These measurements must be taken during scouting, not discovered at 6:30 on the morning of the shoot.
Ramps and underground access. Car parks and basement entries raise the question of vehicle clearance and headroom. A 20 m³ truck is 3.50 to 3.80 metres tall. Most Parisian car parks are limited to 2 m or 2.20 m — incompatible. You need to identify the dedicated delivery access, often separate from the visitor car park, or arrange street parking with a special permit.
Road permits. Parking a grip truck in double file or in a restricted zone in Paris requires a prefectural filming permit, issued by the Prefecture of Police via the Cinema Liaison Office. This document specifies addresses, time slots, registration plates and vehicle dimensions. Processing time: minimum 8 to 15 working days. A production that submits the file the week of the shoot is taking a real risk. I saw it happen on an Agat Films feature — the permit wasn’t there on the morning of day one. Three hours of improvising before the fax arrived.
Low emission zones (LEZ). Since 2023, Paris restricts commercial vehicle circulation based on their Crit’Air sticker. The oldest rental trucks — Crit’Air 3 or unstickered — are banned on weekdays within central Paris. Check when booking the truck: the vehicle’s sticker must match the zones being crossed.
How to Plan Transport Logistics for a Shoot?
Transport logistics are prepared in four phases, ideally starting from the technical scout.
During scouting: record the access constraints at each location (stairs, lifts, ramps, entry clearance), identify the truck parking point, estimate carrying time between the truck and the set. A location on the fifth floor with no service lift easily means 45 minutes of handling on arrival. And the same on departure.
When building the equipment list: total volume and weight determine the vehicle size. Over-estimating costs in rental. Under-estimating forces either a second trip or leaving safety equipment on the dock. That’s not an option.
For permits: the filming application includes vehicles. As soon as addresses are confirmed, the application goes out. Outside Paris, municipal authorities process parking requests — timelines vary, but 5 working days minimum is a prudent rule.
The evening before the shoot: loading in reverse order of the planned unloading on set. What comes out first loads last. This logic is obvious on paper. It is nonetheless regularly neglected when loading happens in the rush of the evening.
Budget questions related to transport are covered in the article on grip equipment budgets and daily costs. The most common logistics mistakes — particularly underestimating handling times — are addressed in mistakes to avoid when renting grip equipment.
Grip Equipment Transport Checklist — Before Departing for the Shoot
This checklist covers the checks to perform before the truck leaves the warehouse.
Vehicle
- Vehicle payload verified against total loaded weight
- Tail lift tested (operation, capacity)
- Crit’Air sticker compatible with zones to be crossed
- Road permit in hand for each shooting address
- Vehicle clearance compatible with access points identified during scouting
Loading
- Complete inventory done before loading (every case, every part)
- Loading order matches the planned unloading sequence
- Heavy items (dolly, counterweights) wedged and strapped
- Track protected against lateral impact
- Fragile cases (heads, electronics) separated from heavy equipment
Equipment
- Dolly bearings checked (no play, free rotation)
- Dolly head hydraulic cylinders tested
- Track locking systems and connectors verified
- Motorised equipment batteries charged
- Chargers and cables present for each electronic device
- Full safety equipment (straps, ballast, barriers)
Location access
- Service lift dimensions recorded (if location is above ground floor)
- Corridor and passage widths verified for large cases
- Contact with venue manager confirmed for delivery time
- Truck parking plan confirmed
To discuss the logistics of a specific shoot, the services offered by Mes 3 Filles Productions cover rental with integrated transport. For an initial conversation, the contact page is the starting point.
FAQ
How much does a complete grip equipment package weigh for a standard shoot?
A standard package — Fisher 10 dolly, 20 metres of track, lightweight crane arm, heads and accessories — weighs between 400 and 600 kg depending on the exact configuration. With transport cases, packaging and safety equipment, the total weight in the truck often approaches 700 to 800 kg. Confirm with the key grip when building the equipment list, before booking the vehicle.
What vehicle is needed to transport a dolly and 20 metres of track in Paris?
A 20 m³ truck with a tail lift. It provides the necessary payload (3 to 3.5 tonnes) and volume for track cases without dangerous stacking. The tail lift is essential once the heaviest cases exceed 80 kg — you don’t carry them by hand from the pavement. A 12 m³ van can work for lighter setups (8 to 12 metres of track, lightweight dolly), but it quickly hits its real weight limits. Many people discover this on the morning of the shoot.
How do you obtain a filming permit for a truck in Paris?
Filming permits in Paris are issued by the Prefecture of Police via the Cinema Liaison Office. The application includes dates, addresses, time slots, number of people and vehicle specifications (registration, dimensions, Crit’Air). Processing time is 8 to 15 working days — not 3 days, not 5 days. For shoots in the suburbs or outside Paris, applications go to the local municipality or prefecture depending on local regulations.
What do you do when a location isn’t accessible by service lift?
Several approaches depending on the layout. If the equipment breaks down into portable sub-assemblies under 30 kg, manual handling remains possible with a sufficient crew. Some equipment is designed for this kind of constraint — compact dollies like the Elemack, for example. When no solution works, the issue must be raised during the technical scout: access is a production constraint that can justify changing the location. It happened to me twice. Both times, changing the location was the right call.
Why is renting from a key grip who owns their equipment a logistics advantage?
When the equipment and the key grip come from the same place, logistics are built into the service from the start. The gear arrives loaded in order, checked the evening before, by someone who knows every case and its contents. There’s no coordination needed between a separate rental house and transport provider — two parties who may have different information about the location constraints. This integrated logistics approach is one of the concrete advantages of renting equipment directly from the key grip.