Heavy-Duty Bolt Truss for Phoenix Arena & Festival Rigging
When a build needs to fly heavy LED grids, span across an arena, or hold an arena-scale lighting rig, bolt truss is the standard. Xperience Entertainment rents and sub-rents Tomcat box truss, Pro X heavy-duty bolt truss, and Tyler GT — the three brands that show up on touring riders and venue rigging specs in Phoenix.
For lighter goal-post and arch builds see Global Truss Rental Phoenix. For the full design walkthrough see the Arizona Truss Build Guide.
Brands & Inventory
Tomcat Box Truss
Industry-standard touring truss. 20.5" and 26" box truss for arena rigging, festival mainstages, and heavy LED grids. Accepted at every venue.
Pro X Heavy-Duty
Pro X F44P and similar bolt truss — cost-effective heavy-duty option for buyouts, fixed installs, and budget-conscious production.
Tyler GT Truss
Long-standing arena rigging brand. Reliable for mid-size touring and corporate concert applications.
Chain Motors & Control
CM Lodestar 1-ton and 2-ton motors with Motion Labs control. Bridle steel, Crosby shackles, and span sets per build.
Ground Support Kits
Tomcat sleeve blocks and Pro X crank-up tower kits to 32 ft for outdoor festival and stadium builds.
Certified Rigging Crew
ETCP-experienced riggers, engineered rig plots, and full insurance for arena and stadium work.
When to Use Bolt Truss vs Spigot Truss
Spigot truss (Global Truss F34/F44): Fast assembly, lighter weight, perfect for corporate goal-posts, wedding arches, brand activations, and small-to-mid concert builds. Conical couplers mean a single person can assemble most pieces.
Bolt truss (Tomcat, Pro X, Tyler): Higher load capacity per foot of span, better fatigue life for touring use, and accepted by every arena house rigger. Heavier and slower to assemble — needs more crew and torque tools. Used when the build requires it, not as a default.
Quick rule: Spans over 30 ft, LED walls over ~1,500 lbs, tower heights over 22 ft, or any flown arena rig — go bolt truss.
Common Bolt Truss Build Types
Arena Flown Grid
Multi-truss flown grid from venue rigging points. Holds full touring lighting rig + LED wall. Motors, bridles, certified riggers.
Festival Mainstage Roof
Tomcat/Pro X tower system with roof truss — typically 40x30 to 60x40 ft. Engineered ballast for Arizona wind.
Ground-Supported PA Wings
Tomcat tower flying line array PA wings on each side of stage. Common for outdoor concerts and stadium pre-shows.
Heavy LED Wall Frame
Bolt truss sub-frame for LED video walls over 20 ft wide. Stronger than F34 for heavy LED grids.
Corporate Concert Build
Tomcat box truss flown over corporate stage at Footprint Center or Talking Stick Resort with full intelligent lighting rig.
Phoenix Arena & Festival Experience
How We Spec a Bolt Truss Rig
Every bolt truss build starts with the full production plot — lights, LED, PA, drape, total weight per truss run, and point-load locations. We pick the truss series (Tomcat 20.5", 26", or 30.5"; Pro X F44P; or Tyler GT) based on span and load, then produce a stamped rig plot showing motor positions, bridle math, and SWL margins. Bridle steel, motors, and shackles are pulled per plot and packed in flight cases.
Case Study: Corporate Keynote at Footprint Center
A Fortune-500 sales kickoff in the Footprint Center bowl — 8,000 attendees, 4-day rehearsal, single shot of glory. We flew a four-truss Tomcat 20.5" header from the arena's permanent rigging steel using twelve CM Lodestar 1-ton motors, with bridled corners to clear the scoreboard. The header carried 60 moving heads, eight follow spots, and the LED video wall's flown header section. Pre-rig started two days before show; trim was set 48 hours ahead so the lighting designer had real time to focus. Strike completed in 6 hours after the final session.
Phoenix Permits & Arena Rigging
Indoor venue work is governed by the venue's house rigger — we file rig plots through their production office in advance. Outdoor builds on City of Phoenix property require a Special Event Permit and may require a temporary structure permit through Planning & Development. Reference: Phoenix Planning & Development.
Bolt Truss Rental FAQ
What is bolt truss and how is it different from spigot truss?
Bolt truss connects sections with steel bolts through corner blocks instead of conical spigot couplers. Brands like Tomcat, Pro X heavy-duty, and Tyler GT use bolt connections because they handle higher loads, longer spans, and the repeated cycle stress of touring better than spigot connections. Bolt truss is the standard for arena rigging, festival mainstages, and heavy LED grids.
What brands of bolt truss do you rent in Phoenix?
We rent and sub-rent Tomcat box truss (20.5" and 26" series), Pro X heavy-duty bolt truss (F44P and similar), and Tyler GT truss. Each brand has its strengths — Tomcat is the touring standard, Pro X is cost-effective for buyout productions, and Tyler GT has a long history in mid-size arena rigging.
When do I need bolt truss instead of Global Truss F34?
Move to bolt truss when you're spanning more than 30 feet between supports, flying a heavy LED video wall (over ~1,500 lbs), building a tall stage roof, or running an arena-scale lighting rig. Global Truss F34 covers most corporate and wedding builds; bolt truss covers concerts, festivals, and arena work.
Can you fly bolt truss at Footprint Center or Arizona Financial Theatre?
Yes — both venues have rated rigging points and we've flown bolt truss at both. We coordinate with the venue's head rigger, file rig plots in advance, and use CM Lodestar 1-ton and 2-ton chain motors. For ground-supported alternatives we stock Tomcat goal-post and tower kits.
How much does bolt truss rental cost in Phoenix?
Bolt truss pricing depends on the brand, lengths needed, number of motors, bridle steel, and rigging crew. Touring-spec rigs with motors, bridles, and certified riggers are quoted per show. Buyout productions are quoted differently than dry hires. Send your rig plot and we'll quote.
Do you provide certified riggers with bolt truss rentals?
Yes. All bolt truss builds at arena and theater venues include ETCP-certified or equivalently experienced riggers. For dry hire to other production companies, certification is on you — we verify your team's qualifications before releasing inventory.
What's the load capacity of Tomcat 20.5" box truss?
Tomcat 20.5" Light-Duty box truss handles roughly 2,000+ lbs UDL on a 30-ft span (always reference Tomcat's published load chart for your exact span, point loads, and support conditions). Tomcat 26" handles significantly more for arena and stadium spans.
Can you build a ground-supported bolt truss tower system?
Yes. We stock Tomcat ground-support sleeve blocks, Pro X crank-up towers, and Tyler GT tower kits for outdoor festivals and stadium builds. Tower heights up to 32 feet with engineered ballast and proper outriggers for Arizona wind.
Do you rent bolt truss to touring production companies in Phoenix?
Yes — we dry-hire bolt truss to vetted touring companies and production buyouts. Send your dates, build list, insurance certificates, and rigging credentials. Inventory is bench-inspected between deployments and we document any damage.
What's the difference between Tomcat, Pro X, and Tyler truss?
Tomcat (now part of Area Four Industries) is the touring industry standard — premium pricing, exceptional QC, accepted by every venue. Pro X offers heavy-duty bolt truss at a more accessible price point — solid for fixed installs and budget-conscious buyouts. Tyler GT has decades of arena rigging history and is still widely used in mid-size touring.
Can bolt truss integrate with our existing Global Truss F34 rig?
Generally no — bolt and spigot systems don't directly connect. We use a transition adapter or stand-alone tower to bridge the two systems when a hybrid build is needed. For most builds we'd recommend choosing one system per zone (e.g., heavy bolt truss for the flown grid, F34 for stage wings).
Do you provide bolt truss for outdoor festival mainstages?
Yes — festival mainstages are core to our bolt truss work. Tempe Beach Park, Steele Indian School Park, Margaret T. Hance Park, and private festival sites. Roof systems, PA wings, LED frames, and headers — all engineered for Arizona monsoon-season wind contingencies.
What rigging hardware comes with a bolt truss rental?
Each build includes the truss sections, corner blocks, grade-8 bolts (torque-spec'd), CM Lodestar motors sized to load, motor controllers, bridle steel (GAC), Crosby shackles, span sets, and all the small tools (impact wrenches, torque wrenches) the rigging crew needs.
How does Phoenix arena rigging differ from outdoor festival rigging?
Arena rigging uses the venue's rated steel grid and chain motors — fast load-in, controlled environment. Outdoor festival rigging uses ground-supported towers with engineered ballast — longer build, more weather risk, more crew, and a strike plan for severe weather. We do both and design the build to the environment.
Does the City of Phoenix require special permits for bolt truss builds?
Outdoor stages and tower systems on Phoenix public property require a Special Event Permit (Office of Customer Advocacy) and may require a temporary structure permit through Planning & Development. Insurance ($2M GL minimum) and engineered drawings are required. We file the paperwork as part of every public-property build.