2025 TEXAS BURNING MAN COMMUNITY TRUCK SURVIVAL GUIDE
Welcome back to the Texas Burning Man Community Truck! Need to get gear from Texas (Austin, Houston, Dallas) to Burning Man and back? We’re here to help!
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See below for key information on the program. Have additional questions? Contact admin@txbmtruck.org or visit the Facebook Group.
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We don't guarantee anything. This truck is organized by volunteers who cannot be held responsible for any damage to or loss of your property. You are responsible for the contents of your purchased space on the truck at all times.
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VOLUNTEER!
Volunteers rock! The community truck is not a paid service, is a community of volunteers working together to make it happen. Without volunteers, the truck doesn't happen.
We need volunteers in each city and on the Playa to help lead the planning and organization of the truck as well as on-site help on playa and in each city. Without volunteers, this truck cannot happen. The more volunteers we get, the quicker everything gets done, and everyone can go home happy knowing their stuff is safely in transit. We promise it goes by fast and you meet a lot of great dusty people along the way!​
Take Action
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Step 1: Fill out the Interest Form no later than July 8, 2025
This form is used to estimate how much space you will be using. We use the info provided on this interest form to help determine whether we have enough participation in the truck to make it happen and the price per cubic foot. In the past, the price per cubic foot has ranged from $8-10/ft³. Please note this can go up this year. The more people that use the truck, the cheaper it is for all. So tell your friends!
You must enter your space in the Interest Form in cubic feet (Cubic feet = Length x width x height). Need help with measuring your items in cubic feet? Here are a few resources:
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Check out our list of Common Volume Estimates of items frequently packed on the truck
The email address you include in the Interest Form will be used to email you the official Registration Form. While it's important to fill out the interest form as accurately as possible, you will have one more chance to edit the space you will be reserving on the truck using on Registration Form.​​
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Step 2: Fill out the Official Registration Form. The Registration Form will be be sent from admin@txbmtruck.org in July or early August to the email address you provided in the Interest Form. This will be where you can enter your final cubic feet needed on the truck. Your reservation is not confirmed until you have paid for your space.
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Step 3: Pay for your space. Only after you pay is when your reservation is complete. The truck is first come, first served. After submitting the Registration Form, you will receive an email from admin@txbmtruck.org with a link to pay. If you are unable to pay by the due date (to be announced), you forfeit your reservation. Again, truck is first come first served so the sooner you pay, the sooner you guarantee your space. We cannot accommodate refunds or last minute changes. If you need extra space after paying, email us at admin@txbmtruck.org. There are no guarantees that additional space will be available.
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At load-in, volunteers will be measuring the cubic feet of your gear and ensuring it matches the space you reserved. Please be honest in your reservations, this ensures we do not overload the truck.
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Step 4: Prepare your containers– After paying for your reservation, you will need to prepare your containers and label your belongings correctly. See the Packing Your Things section below on how to prepare your gear to and from the playa.
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Step 5: Load your own gear on/off the truck. Make sure you can lift what you pack. We will not do the lifting for you. YOU MUST BE ABLE TO LOAD AND UNLOAD YOUR BELONGINGS IN TEXAS AND ON PLAYA. If you are unable to pick up or drop off your gear, you will need to designate a trustworthy friend to do so on your behalf (a designee).
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If you are designating someone else to pick up or drop off your gear in Texas or on the playa, you will still need to label your items (see the Packing Your Things section) and then fill out the Designee Authorization form. The form will be emailed to you after payment. Make sure to send a copy of this form to the Designee to have on hand for when they pick up or drop off your gear.
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PURCHASING SPACE
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Payments for your space must be made by the due date indicated in the payment request email you receive in July or August.
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Pricing in 2024 was $10 per cubic foot but this can go up or down. We need for all participants to complete the interest form as accurately as possible to help us calculate the total price per cubic foot. All space is sold on a first come first served basis.
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All space on the truck will be sold in cubic feet. (Cubic feet = LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT).
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TRUCK SPACE IS ONLY SOLD IN WHOLE UNITS. No partial cubic feet, you must round up when purchasing.
LOAD-IN SCHEDULE
Times and locations to load your gear onto the truck to ship to the Playa
HOUSTON
Date: Saturday, August 16, 2025
Location: TBD
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LOAD-IN
Time: 9:00 am - 11:00 am​​
AUSTIN
Date: Saturday, August 16, 2025
Location: TBD
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LOAD-IN
Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
DALLAS
Date: Sunday, August 17, 2025
Location: TBD
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LOAD-IN
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm​
PICKING UP YOUR GEAR ON PLAYA
Your gear will be available for pickup on the playa at Sonic Soul Tribe 2:30 & Esplanade
Gear pick-up on-playa will run Thursday, August 21st - Monday August 25th from 10am - 8pm.
We cannot guarantee when the truck arrives during build week, but usually your gear is ready for pick-up the Thursday during build week. We will keep you posted on FB and via email when the truck arrives. Volunteers are still needed during unloading hours on-playa. If there's no volunteer there, the truck will stay locked and closed. Sign up to volunteer here.
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Important: You must pick up your gear on the playa. Do not ship things on the truck and keep it there all week. This is how your stuff can go missing, and the community truck will not be held responsible for it.
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There is no guaranteed arrival date on the playa. Once the truck leaves Texas, we have no control as to what happens on the road. In the unlikely event that it shows up late, you need to survive, so we suggest not packing your essential survival gear on the truck. We will do our best to keep you up to date on the arrival date of the truck to the Playa via email & Facebook.
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AT ALL OTHER TIMES, THE TRUCK WILL BE LOCKED AND INACCESSIBLE. If you have a problem with these hours or cannot commit to picking up your items then, we suggest designating someone else to pick up your stuff or ship your items another way. See the "Take Action" Section above for information on the Designee Authorization Form if someone will be loading/unloading your gear.
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We will not pack your things for you on the playa. Make sure you are there at the right time and can physically load/unload your things on/off the truck. Any items left near the truck that are not placed on in the trailer will be donated or burned. Please do not leave your excess packing materials on the truck.
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ON-PLAYA RELOADING FOR EXODUS & DEPARTURE SCHEDULE
The truck will be available for reloading at the same location, Sonic Soul Tribe 2:30 & Esplanade
Load your dusty gear onto the truck. The truck will be available from
10am -8pm Saturday, August 30th - Sunday, August 31st
& Monday, August 8am-10am.
​TRUCK DEPARTS Monday, September 1st, 12:00pm sharp!
Volunteers are needed during reloading hours on-playa. If there's no volunteer there, the truck will stay locked and closed. Sign up to volunteer!
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All items reloaded on the truck must be packed just as it went on; in boxes and with labels on all sides. This includes bikes. BRING EXTRA LABELS AND TAPE FOR YOUR BELONGINGS. When loading your gear onto the truck, it is imperative that you keep a walkway open. Do not just throw your gear on the truck without organizing it.
LOAD-OUT SCHEDULE
Come pick up your gear the weekend after the burn
DALLAS
Date: Saturday, September 6, 2025
Location: TBD
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Time: 9:00 am - 11:00 am
AUSTIN
Date: Saturday, September 6, 2025
Location: TBD
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Time: 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm​
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PLEASE NOTE THERE IS A UT FOOTBALL GAME (AWAY) AT 11:00AM, IF YOU CANNOT BE THERE TO PICK UP YOUR BELONGINGS, DESIGNATE SOMEONE ELSE TO BE THERE.
(Hook 'em)
HOUSTON
Date: Sunday, September 7, 2025
Location: TBD4
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Time: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
PACKING YOUR THINGS
General Info
ALL BINS SHOULD BE PACKED FULLY. Hundreds and hundreds of pounds will be stacked on top of your bins. Packing your bins tight and full will help protect them. The Texas Community Truck is not responsible for any damage to your property.
All items must be boxed well, this includes bikes and strangely shaped items. NO metal, wood, etc. should be sticking out of anything. Things will be packed on top of or next to others and we are unable to do so unless items are boxed properly, think TETRIS. Any item not packed properly will not be allowed on the truck and no refund will be provided. PVC, conduit, wood, etc. MUST be taped or ratchet strapped together securely so they will not fall out of the bundle, roll away, etc.
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Bins will NOT be provided. All items must be packed and properly labeled before your load in time. Packing and labeling is YOUR responsibility. We are asking all burners to use the 27 Gal. Tough Storage Tote in Black with Yellow Lid. Emphasis on the diamond pattern lid! No bins with wheels PLEASE.
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Try and avoid bins that are significantly bigger (9 cu. ft. and up) because unless you’re packing pillows, those bins are going to break some backs.
ALL BINS/TOTES MUST BE ZIP-TIED CLOSED. All items you are transporting must be labeled with our transport label (see the section on Labeling below)
If you have a very large or strangely shaped item, you must let us know asap. Email us at admin@txbmtruck.org
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LABELING
1. ​LABEL EVERYTHING. Download, complete, and print/copy the TRANSPORT LABEL which will be emailed to you after payment. You will want to make copies of the label and tape on every side of the item(s) you are shipping. It's always a good idea to bring extra labels and tape with you to the playa incase some of your labels fall off. We actually recommend sheet protectors so you're less likely for the labels to fall off and become MOOP.
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2. IF YOU NEED SOMEONE ELSE TO DROP-OFF OR PICK-UP YOUR STUFF FOR YOU.
If you are designating someone else to pick up or drop off your gear in Texas or on the playa, you have one extra step. Complete the Designee Authorization form which will be emailed to you after payment. Still ensure all of your items have the transport label taped to every side of your item and make sure your designee has a copy of your full Designee Authorization form with them any time they need to pick up/ drop off your gear. BRING EXTRA LABELS WITH YOU TO THE PLAYA. Sometimes our boxes/gear lose our labels and your gear will need to be labeled in order to reload it onto the truck for exodus to Texas.
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SIGN THE WAIVER
SIGN THE WAIVER AND PRINT (sent to you after payment). Have this on-hand at load-in. This will help community truck volunteers to check you in faster. A form must be completed and signed by each person utilizing the community truck. If you are using a designee to pick up/drop off your gear, they must have your signed form on-hand.
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NO PROHIBITED ITEMS
See prohibited items section below. Read it then re-read it.
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BIKES
All bicycles must be put in boxes. Unboxed bikes won't be allowed on the truck unless it is a tricycle.
IF YOU ARE BRINGING AN E-BIKE, the bike itself is allowed on the truck, but the battery must be removed and shipped via other means (like from other vehicles driving out or standard UPS).
PROHIBITED ITEMS
The DOT defines nine primary classes of hazardous materials (HAZMAT), each with specific divisions. If you transport an item that is considered hazmat the fine per item that you will personally incur can range from $15,000 to $186,000 plus additional costs with the delay of the truck. If you are in doubt, here is a reference sheet from the DOT. We have listed out a few common items for you as well:​​​
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Alcohols (e.g., rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, perfumes, nail polish remover, high-proof spirits)
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Anything damaged by extreme heat (i.e. un-canned or dry food, etc.)
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Consumer electronics with lithium batteries (ex: power banks, cell phones, laptops, e-bike batteries, etc.)
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Camping stoves, kerosene, propane
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EXPLOSIVES, GAS, FUEL, COMPRESSED GAS - VIOLATIONS CAN RUN ANYWHERE FROM $79K TO $186K PER OFFENSE. THIS FINE + ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR TRUCK DELAYS WILL BE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. DON'T DO IT.
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GENERATORS. VIOLATIONS CAN RUN ANYWHERE FROM $79K TO $186K PER OFFENSE. DON'T DO IT.
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ILLEGAL ITEMS. This INCLUDES Cannabis, and any other substances. If it’s illegal anywhere in the US it can’t go on the truck. You don’t want to be the reason the truck gets pulled off the rail and searched with drug dogs do you?
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LITHIUM BATTERIES. Please ship your e-bike batteries via ground. THE VIOLATION FINE PER BATTERY FOUND ON THE TRUCK IF WE GET PULLED OVER IS $15,000 PER INCIDENT. THIS FINE + ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR TRUCK DELAYS WILL BE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. DON'T DO IT.
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Medical/recreational oxygen, scuba tanks
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Paints, thinners, solvents, wood sealants, stains, varnishes
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Refrigerant gases (e.g., dry ice, CO2)
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Smoke detectors, fire extinguishers
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Swimming pool chemicals
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WATER. Transporting large quantities of water is prohibited. Water is very heavy and there are weight limits that we cannot breach. Also, transporting water on the truck is economically inefficient. Please coordinate your own water outside of the community truck with your campmates, or use the Burner Express to purchase water that you can get on playa.
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We reserve the right to open any and all items loaded on the truck. REMEMBER your stuff is not the only thing on the truck, so don’t be irresponsible. If you blow up the truck, cause a fire, cause the truck to be pulled-over and searched due to suspicion of illegal substances, NO ONES stuff will make it to playa. Don’t be that ass who ruins it for everyone else!