Nuts and bolts.

Feb. 28, El Paso.
Time for circus logistics, or what it takes to keep a village on the go.
Circus Chimera uses a generator to provide electricity to all the trailers, the office, the concession stand, the circus itself, and everything else that needs it. Cost per day: 75 gallons of diesel, at whatever price it happens to be where it's at, anywhere from $2.30 upward these days.
The circus also provide diesel for private trucks, of which there are a dozen, in the form of mileage dollars at each pay period. For the big trucks to transport everything from the tent to the workers' sleeping quarters, the circus arranges for diesel delivery on the lots, so that they are ready to go after the show without having to stop to refuel. On the trip from McAllen, Tx, to Roswell, NM, a week ago, more than 1,350 gallons of diesel were burnt just in these trucks.
There is a cookhouse, with two cooks, to serve three meals a day to the 15 performers and some 65 other employees traveling with the circus at all times. Cost in food per month: about $5,000.