Submit a quote request with as much detail as possible. You can use this form or send us an email. In most cases we only bill you for shoot dates, so make sure you give us your shoot dates separately from pick up, drop off, or any travel days.

One of our Rental Agents will reach out to you with a quote within 1 business day. Work with them as much as you need to dial in your needs and make sure everything is correct.

For the fastest and most accurate quoting, request your quotes in writing through email or the web form. Emailing an individual Rental Agent you’ve worked with is ok too, but make sure you copy rentals@cinderatlanta.com if you need a response fast! Adding that email forwards your request to our whole team of Rental Agents, so whoever frees up first can get back to you.

You just need to do 3 things to set up an account. Or if you’re a technician setting up the order for a production company, connect us with them so they can complete these steps:

Sign the Rental Agreement
Fill out the New Customer Information Form with company information and payment information.
Provide a Certificate of Insurance (more details below).

The first two steps are pretty quick, but some insurers take a day or two to send COIs, so we don’t recommend waiting until the last minute!

Do I need insurance? How does that work?

We require insurance when an order’s replacement value exceeds what an individual could reasonably repay in the event of a loss. Orders requiring a vehicle, dolly, or high-value lights will always need insurance.

If you don’t have insurance and just need a small package, let us know. We’ll price out the replacement value and let you know if we will require insurance, and are happy to suggest a few insurance companies to you that offer short term policies.

You’ll need to provide a Certificate of insurance (COI) showing your coverage limits.

COIs can be hard to read if you haven’t dealt with them before, so here's a list of the five important coverage parts we look for. You will need all five in order to properly insure your rental.

(1) Certificate Holder should be:

Cinder Lighting & Grip LLC

295 Margaret St SE, Unit 1

Atlanta, GA 30315

(2) Misc. Rented Equipment Coverage (or Inland Marine coverage with a second page attached that includes Misc. Rented Equipment): This covers loss or damage to rented equipment (excluding vehicles). The limit should meet or exceed the value of equipment rented for your shoot (from Cinder as well as other rental sources). A $250,000 limit is usually enough for most short term productions, but if you feel like that may not fit the needs of your particular shoot, feel free to ask about the replacement value of the equipment on your order.

Example: If you rent a lighting package and gear is stolen from your car, Rented Equipment Coverage will pay to replace the equipment.

(3) Automobile Liability Coverage: Limit $1,000,000. The “Hired Autos" & “Non-Owned Autos” boxes OR “Any Auto” should be checked on the certificate. This covers damage to other vehicles, property, and medical expenses related to a vehicular accident. It does not cover the actual vehicle you rent from us, just other parties involved in an accident. This coverage is not required if your order does not include one of our trucks.

Example: If you rent a 3 ton grip truck and hit another vehicle, Automobile Liability Coverage will protect you and pay out what is owed to whoever was hit.

(4) Physical Damage Coverage: This covers any damage to Cinder’s truck related to a vehicular accident. Limit: $50,000 if you are renting a Cargo Van from Cinder, $80,000 if you are renting a 3 Ton Truck or Cube Truck, and $125,000 if you are renting a 5 Ton Truck. This coverage is not required if your order does not include one of our trucks.

Example: If you rent a 3 ton grip truck and hit another vehicle, Physical Damage Coverage will pay for the damage done to the 3 ton grip truck.

(5) In the Description of Operations box, we need to see the phrase "The Certificate Holder is included as Additional Insured and Loss Payee”.

While not required by Cinder, it is recommended that you also carry General Liability Coverage.

If you are currently shopping for Production Insurance and need a place to start, we recommend getting quotes from TCP Insurance, Athos Insurance, and Williams Turner & Mathis Inc. These companies have departments which deal specifically with the film industry and will know exactly what you’re looking for.

In the event of an insurance claim, you should contact your insurer to begin the claim. We will work with the insurer as much as needed to satisfy their requirements from us, and prepare a bill for the repair/replacement. In most cases, once a claim is investigated and approved, the insurer will pay Cinder directly the amount of the bill except for the deductible. You’ll usually need to pay Cinder the amount of the deductible directly.

Setting up insurance can be complicated and time consuming, so don’t wait until the last minute, and we recommend using an insurance company with a film production background, as many larger, traditional insurers struggle to create policies that properly cover the nuances of film production.

We’ve seen all kinds of COIs, so if you’ve got any questions feel free to send them our way. We’re happy to help you figure out if anything is missing.

What are your pick up and return times?

	Your Vehicle	Cinder's Vehicle
Pick Up	After 2:00 PM the business day before your first shoot date	After 5:30 PM the day before your first shoot date - Use Lockbox System
Drop Off	By 12:00 PM the business day after your last shoot date	By 9:00 AM the day after your last shoot date - Use Key Drop

Orders you’re loading into your own vehicle can be picked up between 2PM and 5:30PM the business day (Monday - Friday) before your shoot starts and should be returned by 12:00PM the business day after your shoot ends.

If your order includes one of our vehicles, it will be ready for pick up after 5:30 PM the day before your first shooting day and should be returned by 9:00 AM the day after your shoot ends. You’ll be given a gate code and lockbox instructions so you or your driver can pick up and drop off outside of normal business hours.

Because of the amount of time it takes to unload, check in, refuel, and prep the next customer’s order on the truck, we do need rental vehicles returned by 9:00AM the day after the shoot ends. If you need to use the truck for runs the day before or after your shoot, please let us know beforehand so we can accommodate.

Need to plan an early pick up or late return? Give us a call and we’ll see what we can do to help. The sooner we know the sooner we can plan for it.

My crew needs to do a prep or wrap out. What can you accommodate?

While it’s not always in the budget, sending your crew to prep the package and load the truck is the best way to make sure all the gear is accounted for, configured properly for your preferences, and loaded in a place your team will be able to find it as soon as your shoot day gets started.

Work with your Rental Agent to set up a timeframe for your crew to prep. Our team will pull your order, line up the truck, and stage it in one of our prep rooms for your crew. We will designate one of our staff to assist with any changes, swaps, or questions your crew may have during the prep.

I need equipment delivered. What’s the cost?

We can do that (with enough notice)! A delivery or pick up during our normal business hours is $100 for locations inside the I-285 perimeter. If your location is farther away, contact our team for a quote on the delivery.

I need something ASAP but Cinder is closed. What can I do?

The film industry never sleeps, so we offer 24/7 phone support to accommodate the last minute changes, harebrained ideas, and emergencies that are oh so common.

Calling our office line after hours prompts you with a menu to leave a message or connect to an after hours representative. After hours reps can help with new rentals, changes to an existing rental, and troubleshooting/problem solving for ongoing rentals.

There is a $75 per hour fee for most after hours service. If you’re calling to troubleshoot Cinder equipment on an ongoing rental, after hours fees are waived. If you’re not sure if your issue qualifies for a waiver just call and ask. We won’t bill you for simple questions. :)

Do you offer weekend rental rates?

We do! We consider a "weekend" to be Saturday and Sunday and combine those two days into one day of billing. For example, if you have a two day shoot on Saturday and Sunday, then we would only bill one day for the entire rental. Some exclusions apply. Vehicles and any subrented equipment are billed per day.

How and when do I pay?

For first time customers with a short term rental, we’ll charge your credit card for the rental on the day equipment picks up. For first time customers with a long term rental (lasting more than 2 weeks) we’ll charge half of the total up front.

For returning customers with a short term rental, we can usually wait until the end of the job for payment. For returning customers with a long term rental, we will bill a proportional weekly amount.

If you’d like to set up longer payment terms or pay by check, ACH, or Wire, please negotiate this with your Rental Agent prior to the gear being picked up.

Is my information secure?

While we do require all accounts keep a credit card on file for the duration of a rental, we take steps to make sure your data is protected.

When your payment information is on our servers, it’s stored using AES 128-bit encryption. Were it to fall into the wrong hands, it would take a hacker about one billion years to decode your (now-expired) credit card number.

Cinder is fully PCI Compliant for storing credit card information.

As long as you don’t have an active rental, credit card information can be permanently deleted at any time. That means it’s really gone. None of that “deleted but it’s still in a database somewhere” funny business that always makes the news.

Something broke - what are my options?

Don’t panic. We’re here to help. Whether it was broken by someone on your team, a wear and tear issue, or a downright mystery, we’ll get you a replacement so your project is not delayed.

When you notice damage, contact us immediately. Our team can troubleshoot the problem with you over the phone, send a technician to repair it in the field, or prepare replacement gear for you.

If the damage was pre-existing, notifying us as soon as you notice helps avoid a damage charge when the gear is returned.

If the damage is due to wear and tear there won’t be any cost to you for a replacement.

Our goal when hearing about damage is not to point fingers or mark up the repair cost; it is to get your shoot back on track as quickly as possible, and make sure the equipment gets the attention it needs. If there are costs to the repair, we aim to be as transparent and fair as we can be.

When you rent from Cinder you’re paying for gear that works, so if anything is not working we want to make that right.

I’m not sure what equipment I need. Can you advise me?

While we can’t design your lighting package or grip rigs for you, our knowledgable Rental Agents would be happy to explain the options available, suggest what others have tried in similar situations, or set up demo time with whatever gear you’re curious about at our warehouse.

Do you provide drivers or crew?

We don’t provide drivers or crew, but our Rental Agents are happy to recommend some of our frequent customers who are freelance grips and electricians. Reach out with what you are looking for.

Are there any special licenses required to drive your trucks?

Special licenses requirements are determined by the GVWR of the vehicle.

GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is the maximum allowed weight of a vehicle plus all cargo. So an empty truck weighing 9,000 lbs with a GVWR of 14,500 can carry 5,500 lbs of cargo before it is considered overweight.

All of our vehicles have GVWRs between 10,000 lbs and 25,950 lbs.

CDLs are only required to operate a vehicle 26,000 lbs or higher. This means you do not need a CDL to drive Cinder trucks.

The State of Georgia requires drivers of commercial vehicles weighing over 10,001 pounds to have a DOT Medical card. This includes all of our box trucks. We don't need to see it, but if a truck is pulled over during a rental the officer may ask the driver to show their DOT Medical card.

What vehicle options do you offer?

We’ve got a few options for vehicles. Let us know what you need!

Completely Empty Vehicles - For any department, or moving your own gear around.

Sprinter Van

16ft Cube Truck with Liftgate

Pre-Loaded Grip/Electric Truck - These include a base grip package with room to add lights, electric and additional grip gear.

3 Ton (16ft Box Truck with Liftgate)

5 Ton Non-CDL (26ft Box Truck with Liftgate)

Mobile Power - Truck-Mounted Generators (from 500 Amp to 1500 Amp)

Are you hiring?

Maybe! Check out our Jobs page (Coming Soon!) or email us for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions