Series Description

The Movin' On TV show was a 60 minute drama/adventure series on NBC about two independent drivers of one fine semi rig who hauled freight all over the United States and selflessly helped out people in need or in trouble along the way.

Movin' On Cast

Claude Akins .... Sonny Pruitt
Frank Converse .... Will Chandler

Theme Song

Title: "Movin' On"

By: "Merle Haggard"

Big wheels rollin', big wheels rollin' - movin' on.
Big wheels rollin', gotta keep 'em goin, big wheels rollin'- movin' on.

The white line is the life line to a nation.
And men like Will and Sonny make it move.
Livin' like a gypsy, always on the go,
Doin' what they best know how to do.

Jammin' gears has got to be a fever,
'Cause men become addicted to the grind.
It takes a special breed to be a truck drivin' man,
And a steady hand to pull that load behind.
Big wheels rollin' - big wheels rollin' - movin' on.

Movin' On Trivia

Sonny Pruett had years of experience on the road plus street smarts and Will Chandler was a younger man with a college degree and book smarts. The contrast between the two made for interesting television and their varied strengths often came in handy when something dangerous happened.

Some well-known guest-stars who appeared on Movin' On included Mackenzie Phillips ("One Day at a Time"), Clint Howard ("Gentle Ben"), Tina Louise ("Gilligan's Island"), John Ritter ("Three's Company"), and Anne Francis ("Honey West").

Movin' On was also sometimes referred to as "In Tandem", the title of its pilot episode.

Even those who didn't care for Movin' On had to admit that it had one of televisions catchiest theme songs (see above). In July of 1975, it made it to the number 1 spot on Billboard Magazines "Hot Country Singles Chart"!

Apparently, you didn't have to be a "good ole boy" to appreciate Movin' On. President Gerald Ford once commented that it was his favorite show!

Claude Akins got his first big role on screen in the 1953 movie, "From Here to Eternity". Soon afterwards he landed guest-starring roles on several TV series including, "Dragnet", "Gunsmoke", "My Friend Flicka", and "Zane Grey Theater". He then moved back to the big screen in hit movies including "The Defiant Ones, "Rio Bravo", "Merrill's Marauders", and "The Killers". You may have seen him in the 1973 movie, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" and never known it because he wore an ape costume for his role as the evil General Aldo.

The semi used on the pilot episode was a 1973 Kenworth W-925. Sonny Pruett must have been doing well because by the time the first regular episode aired, he was driving a 1974 model.

Movin' On did wonders for CB radio sales! The thought of being able to talk to people while travelling down the road was appealing to many and a source of entertainment. Think of it as a pre internet chatroom. There was even a Movin' On walkie talkie that was sold mostly to kids!

When Movin' On was on the air, the nation's highways were devoid of trucks! The truckers were all in truck stop lounges watching the show. The storylines about getting loads to haul, dealing with highway patrolmen, and the other challenges of life on the road made Movin' On nearly irresistable to truckers.

Episodes List With Original Air Dates

Pilot TV Movie

In Tandem (90 minutes) (5/8/1974)

Season 1

1. The Time of His Life (9/12/1974)
2. Roadblock (9/19/1974)
3. Grit (9/26/1974)
4. Lifeline (10/3/1974)
5. The Trick is to Stay Alive (10/10/1974)
6. Cowhands (10/24/1974)
7. The Good Life (11/7/1974)
8. Games (11/14/1974)
9. Hoots (11/21/1974)
10. Good for Laughs (11/28/1974)
11. High Rollers (12/5/1974)
12. Goin' Home - Part 1 (12/12/1974)
13. Goin' Home - Part 2 (12/19/1974)
14. Antiques (12/26/1974)
15. Explosion (1/2/1975)
16. Landslide (1/16/1975)
17. Ann's Party (1/25/1975)
18. Fraud (1/30/1975)
19. Ammo (2/6/1975)
20. Tatoos (2/13/1975)
21. Ransom (2/20/1975)
22. The Price of Loving (4/2/1975)
23. Wedding Bell (4/9/1975)

24. The Stowaway (9/9/1975)
25. From Baltimore to Eternity (9/16/1975)
26. The Toughest Man in America (9/23/1975)
27. The Elephant Story (9/30/1975)
28. Home is Not a House (10/7/1975)
29. ...To Be In Carolina (10/14/1975)
30. Will the Last Trucker Leaving Charlotte Turn Out the Lights? (10/21/1975)
31. General Delivery Raleigh (11/4/1975)
32. The Big Wheel (11/11/1975)
33. Prosperity Number One (11/18/1975)
34. Please Don't Talk to the Driver (11/25/1975)
35. The Long Haul (12/2/1975)
36. The Long Way to Nowhere (12/9/1975)
37. Breakout (12/16/1975)
38. Love, Death and Laura Brown (12/23/1975)
39. The Old South Will Rise Again (1/6/1976)
40. Witch Hunt (1/13/1976)
41. The Big Switch (1/20/1976)
42. Woman of Steel (1/27/1976)
43. Living It Up (2/10/1976)
44. No More Sad Songs (2/17/1976)
45. Full Fathom Five (2/24/1976)
46. Sing It Again, Sonny (3/2/1976)