The series was likened to Route 66 and Cannonball, following a similar format. Episodes usually centered on Sonny and Will, always traveling, becoming involved in the lives of people they met (or met again) in the various places they found themselves.
The pilot episode was a made-for-television movie originally titled In Tandem – a reference to the tandem axles on the tractor and trailer, as well as that they drove as a team, or "in tandem". The movie begins with Will sliding out of control in a truck he was driving, due to poor maintenance of the brakes. After he manages to get the truck stopped, he drives to a truck stop and calls the company to quit his job. He then meets Sonny, a "gypsy" trucker, and they decide to try driving as a team, which works out well.
Akins and Converse actually drove the trucks during filming, having been trained and obtaining their chauffeur's licenses (forerunner to the commercial driver's license) prior to making the pilot episode. Executive producers for the series were Barry Weitz and Philip D'Antoni. Akins later went on to appear in another trucking-related TV series, the more comedy-oriented B.J. and the Bear.
Episode list
Pilot (1974)
"In Tandem" (May 8, 1974)
Season 1 (1974–1975)
No. overall
No. in season
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
1
1
"The Time of His Life"
Walter Doniger
George Kirgo
September 12, 1974 (1974-09-12)
2
2
"Roadblock"
John Peyser
Robert Lewin
September 19, 1974 (1974-09-19)
3
3
"Grit"
Hy Averback
William Putman
September 26, 1974 (1974-09-26)
4
4
"Lifeline"
John Peyser
James Menzies
October 3, 1974 (1974-10-03)
5
5
"The Trick Is to Stay Alive"
Michael O'Herlihy
Dan Ullman
October 10, 1974 (1974-10-10)
6
6
"The Cowhands"
Paul Stanley
Eugene Price
October 24, 1974 (1974-10-24)
7
7
"The Good Life"
Richard Benedict
George Kirgo
November 7, 1974 (1974-11-07)
8
8
"Games"
Charles S. Dubin
Stephen Kandel
November 14, 1974 (1974-11-14)
9
9
"Hoots"
Michael O'Herlihy
Jim Byrnes
November 21, 1974 (1974-11-21)
10
10
"Good for Laughs"
Sutton Roley
Mann Rubin
November 28, 1974 (1974-11-28)
11
11
"High Rollers"
Leonard Horn
Ken Kolb
December 5, 1974 (1974-12-05)
12
12
"Goin' Home: Part 1"
Paul Stanley
George Kirgo
December 12, 1974 (1974-12-12)
13
13
"Goin' Home: Part 2"
Paul Stanley
George Kirgo
December 19, 1974 (1974-12-19)
14
14
"Antiques"
Charles S. Dubin
Eugene Price
December 26, 1974 (1974-12-26)
15
15
"Explosion"
Richard Newton
Jack March
January 2, 1975 (1975-01-02)
16
16
"Landslide"
George Fenady
Ken Kolb
January 16, 1975 (1975-01-16)
17
17
"Fraud"
Seymour Robbie
Michael Fisher
January 30, 1975 (1975-01-30)
18
18
"Ammo"
George Fenady
Robert C. Dennis
February 6, 1975 (1975-02-06)
19
19
"Tattoos"
Michael O'Herlihy
Story by : John G. Wilson & Ken Kolb Teleplay by : Ken Kolb
February 13, 1975 (1975-02-13)
20
20
"Ransom"
Alex Grasshoff
Stephen Kandel
February 20, 1975 (1975-02-20)
21
21
"The Price of Loving"
Seymour Robbie
Eugene Price
March 6, 1975 (1975-03-06)
22
22
"Weddin' Bells"
Michael O'Herlihy
George Kirgo
March 13, 1975 (1975-03-13)
Season 2 (1975–76)
No. overall
No. in season
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
23
1
"Stowaway"
Corey Allen
Gwen Bagni & Paul DuBov
September 9, 1975 (1975-09-09)
24
2
"From Baltimore to Eternity"
Allen Reisner
Jimmy Sangster
September 16, 1975 (1975-09-16)
25
3
"The Toughest Men in America"
Lawrence Dobkin
David Harmon
September 23, 1975 (1975-09-23)
26
4
"The Elephant Story"
Leo Penn
Stanley Z. Cherry
September 30, 1975 (1975-09-30)
27
5
"Home Is Not a House"
Jack Priestley
Story by : Karl & Terence Tunberg Teleplay by : Jimmy Sangster
October 7, 1975 (1975-10-07)
28
6
"...To Be in Carolina"
Michael Schultz
Gwen Bagni & Paul DuBov
October 14, 1975 (1975-10-14)
29
7
"Will the Last Trucker Leaving Charlotte Turn Out the Lights?"
Ernest Pintoff
Glenn Schiffman
October 21, 1975 (1975-10-21)
30
8
"General Delivery"
Leo Penn
David Harmon
November 4, 1975 (1975-11-04)
31
9
"The Big Wheel"
Allen Reisner
Jimmy Sangster
November 11, 1975 (1975-11-11)
32
10
"Prosperity #1"
Corey Allen
Ron Bishop
November 18, 1975 (1975-11-18)
33
11
"Please Don't Talk to the Driver"
Jack Priestley
Jimmy Sangster
November 25, 1975 (1975-11-25)
34
12
"Long Way to Nowhere"
Jerry Jameson
David Harmon
December 9, 1975 (1975-12-09)
35
13
"Breakout"
Lawrence Dobkin
Jimmy Sangster
December 16, 1975 (1975-12-16)
36
14
"Love, Death and Laura Brown"
Lawrence Dobkin
Nancy Greenwald
December 23, 1975 (1975-12-23)
37
15
"The Old South Will Rise Again"
Bob Kelljan
Jimmy Sangster
January 6, 1976 (1976-01-06)
38
16
"Witch Hunt"
Jack Arnold
Orville H. Hampton
January 13, 1976 (1976-01-13)
39
17
"The Big Switch"
Allen Reisner
Jimmy Sangster
January 20, 1976 (1976-01-20)
40
18
"Woman of Steel"
Lawrence Dobkin
Phyllis & Robert White
January 27, 1976 (1976-01-27)
41
19
"Living It Up!"
Anton M. Leader
Jimmy Sangster & Ernie Frankel
February 10, 1976 (1976-02-10)
42
20
"No More Sad Songs"
Bob Kelljan
Jimmy Sangster
February 17, 1976 (1976-02-17)
43
21
"Full Fathom Five"
Leo Penn
Jimmy Sangster
February 24, 1976 (1976-02-24)
44
22
"Sing It Again, Sonny"
Jack Arnold
Story by : Stanley Z. Cherry Teleplay by : Jim Allen
March 2, 1976 (1976-03-02)
Home media
On September 20, 2017, the first & second seasons of Movin' On were released on manufactured-on-demand DVD by Allied Vaughn & Pro Classic TV.[3]
DVD Name
Ep #
Release Date
The Complete First Season
22
September 20, 2017
The Complete Second Season
23
September 20, 2017
References in popular culture
The CB radio boom of the mid-1970s, figured into a merchandisingtie-in for the show, and Movin' On-brand walkie-talkies, which worked on CB channel 14, were marketed to children.
During the series, truck drivers on the CB would say that they were going to "do it like Pruitt". After the series ended, the phrase became "do it like Pruitt used to do it." This phrase could still be heard occasionally 30 years later.[4]