TRUSS NEWS
Platform updates, new features, and upcoming industry events.
Platform Updates
Security Notification Emails
Added branded templates for all 7 Supabase security notifications including password changed, email changed, identity linked/unlinked, and MFA enrollment alerts.
Branded Auth Emails
Signup confirmation, password reset, and magic link emails now use the Truss dark theme with branded design matching all other platform emails.
Expanded City Coverage
City selection expanded from 25 to nearly 200 US cities. All city dropdowns now use a searchable combobox for fast type-to-filter selection.
Forum Visual Redesign
Forum pages redesigned with rounded card layouts, scroll-reveal animations, depth-colored comment threading, vote micro-interactions, and modal entrance effects. Matches the design language used across the rest of the platform.
Forum Markdown Support
Forum posts and comments now support markdown formatting including bold, italic, inline code, links, bullet lists, and code blocks. A compact toolbar above textareas makes formatting easy.
Invoice Billing Approval
Producers requesting monthly invoice billing now require admin approval before booking on invoice terms. Admins set credit limits and payment terms. Producers are notified when approved or denied.
Safety Compliance Guides
Two new reference pages covering OSHA regulations and fire code compliance for live events. Fall protection, electrical safety, rigging, occupancy limits, pyrotechnics, flame-retardant materials, AHJ inspections, and more.
Project Files
Producers can now upload schedules, venue specs, input lists, and other project documents. Booked techs see files on their booking detail view with one-click download. Files organized by category with drag-and-drop upload.
Settings Page
New settings page with account management, notification preferences, privacy controls (profile visibility, rate display, gear list, messaging), billing links for producers, and account deletion. Accessible from the user menu.
Admin Dashboard
Full platform admin dashboard with seven pages: overview metrics, user management with admin actions, bookings oversight, revenue analytics by city and role, invoice approval queue, review moderation, and real-time activity feed.
Stripe Identity Verification
Users can now verify their identity with a government ID and selfie match through Stripe Identity. Verified users display an ID badge on their profile and browse cards.
Vercel Analytics and Speed Insights
Added Vercel Web Analytics for real-time visitor tracking and Speed Insights for Core Web Vitals monitoring alongside existing Google Analytics.
Advanced Splash Page Animations
Hover micro-interactions on feature cards, rotating gradient border sweeps on comparison strips, and parallax depth on the hero background.
Scroll Animations on Splash Page
Added scroll-triggered fade-up reveals for each section, staggered card animations for feature grids, and animated number counters for stats.
Splash Page Rebuild with Split Path Marketing
The homepage now features split tech/producer marketing paths with targeted messaging, a full comparison table, booking flow stepper, and insurance-first positioning.
About, Contact, and FAQ Pages
New About, Contact, and FAQ pages provide transparency on the Truss mission, a direct contact form, and answers to common questions for both technicians and producers.
SEO Landing Pages for Every Role and City
Over 700 statically generated landing pages now target producers searching to hire AV techs and freelancers looking for gigs — covering 21 roles across 15 major US cities.
Forum Light Mode Polish
Improved forum readability in light mode with stronger borders, more visible sidebar cards, higher contrast text, and better hover states across all forum pages.
Light / Dark Mode
Toggle between light and dark themes via the sun/moon icon in the navbar. All design tokens flow through CSS custom properties for instant theme switching with zero page reload.
Forum Redesign with Threaded Comments
Forum rebuilt with compact post rows, left-side vote arrows, threaded comment nesting with collapse/expand, sort tabs, and a two-column layout with sidebar. Inspired by classic Reddit.
Wiki Articles with Revision History
Gear Wiki pages are now fully editable Wikipedia-style articles. Every edit is tracked with full revision history, edit summaries, and a table of contents. Supports Markdown formatting and gear-to-gear linking.
Browse Page Scalability Upgrade
Browse now uses server-side filtering, sorting, and pagination with database indexes. Scales to 50,000+ technician profiles.
Gear Wiki
Crowdsourced knowledge base for 120+ AV gear items. Add tips, flag known issues, ask questions, and upvote the best contributions. Wiki activity shows on profiles.
Rotating Tagline on Splash Page
The splash page hero now cycles through six value propositions with a slide-up animation, replacing the static tagline.
Community Forum
Discuss the AV industry with fellow techs and producers. Nine department-based categories, verified skill indicators, helpful marks, and forum activity on profiles.
Payout Nudges & Auto-Retry
Techs with pending payouts now see the dollar amount on their dashboard and receive email nudges. Pending payouts process automatically once Stripe Connect is set up.
Profile Certifications
Technicians can now add industry certifications to their profiles — Dante, CTS, ETCP, Crestron, OSHA, and more. Certifications display on public profiles and browse cards.
VenueSpec
Crowdsourced venue technical specs from techs who've actually worked there. Submit and browse power, rigging, loading, internet, and production notes for event venues.
Market Intelligence
Live AV labor market data — rate benchmarks by role, top markets, experience distribution, specialization trends, and hiring demand. All from the Truss marketplace.
AI Crew Planner
Describe your event in plain English and get an AI-generated crew plan with roles, headcounts, gear, and production timeline. Each role links to matching techs on Truss.
AI Smart Search
Search for crew in plain English. Type something like 'available LED tech in Vegas under $80/hr' and the AI parses it into filters automatically.
AI Profile Assistant
Generate or improve your bio with AI. Choose a tone (professional, conversational, or technical) and the assistant writes a bio based on your skills, experience, and gear.
Saved Searches with Alerts
Producers can save browse filter combinations and get email alerts when new techs match. Manage saved searches from the dashboard.
Rate Insights for Techs
Your dashboard now shows how your rates compare to other techs with matching skills in your market. See if you're above, competitive, or below market average.
Freelance AV Tax Guide
1099 vs W-2, self-employment tax, deductions, quarterly payments, S-Corp election, and the new No Tax on Overtime provision for AV techs.
Show Calculator
Input event type, audience size, and production specs to get crew and gear recommendations. Covers corporate, concert, broadcast, festival, and 4 more event formats.
Cable Bible
Complete connector reference for live events — 28 connector types across audio, video, data, power, and hybrid categories with pinouts, specs, and compatibility notes.
Job SEO Pages
Static SEO pages for every city and role: /jobs/city/san-francisco, /jobs/role/a1, etc. Cross-linked from the main jobs page for discoverability.
Browse & Jobs Pagination
Browse and jobs pages now load results in batches with a Load More button, improving page performance as the tech base grows.
API Rate Limiting
Rate limiting added to all sensitive API routes (signup, checkout, bookings, jobs, admin) to prevent abuse and protect platform stability.
Smarter Rate Display on Browse
Browse cards now show the rate for the specific role you're filtering by, instead of a generic range. Filtering by A1 shows the A1 rate.
Edit Profile Progressive Disclosure
Profile editing now uses collapsible sections with completion indicators. Sections auto-expand when they have data, reducing page overwhelm for new users.
Specialization Search on Browse
Filter technicians by specialization (FOH Mixing, RF Coordination, LED Wall, etc.) in addition to role. Text search now also matches specializations.
Mobile Responsive Pass
Grid layouts across dashboard, profiles, projects, billing, and other pages now stack properly on phones and small screens.
Admin Dashboard
Platform admin dashboard with real-time stats, user management, booking overview, and 30-day signup trends.
Career Highlights on Profiles
Technicians can now add up to 10 notable credits and career milestones to their profile. Highlights display on the public profile under the About tab.
Password Reset Flow
Users can now reset their password via email from the login page. Includes email verification and secure password update.
Job Board Launched
Producers can now post job listings and techs can apply with one click using their Truss profile. Browse open positions at /jobs. First 3 posts are free.
Role-Based Splash Page
The homepage now shows only the hero until visitors choose 'I'm a Technician' or 'I'm a Producer,' then reveals tailored content with role-specific messaging.
Crew Roles Updated
Added Lead Technician, Teleprompter Operator, Breakout Operator, and Power/Electrical Technician to the crew role taxonomy.
Producer Navigation Update
Invoices and Billing pages are now accessible from the top navigation bar, mobile menu, and profile dropdown for producer accounts.
Server-Side Booking Security
All booking creation, status transitions, and financial calculations now run server-side. Checkout amounts are read from the database instead of client requests. Status transitions are enforced via a state machine with role-based access control.
Splash Page Animations
Added shimmer text on the hero headline, hover-lift on value prop cards, floating glow on the Truss icon, and fade-up section entrances. All CSS-only, no JS libraries.
Quick Invite by Name
Type a tech's name directly on any open role slot to search and send a booking request. Results prioritize skill matches, past crew, and saved techs.
Inline Tech Finder
Find and book technicians without leaving your project page. The new slide-out panel shows your past crew and saved techs first, with one-click save and filter toggles.
Clone Project with Crew Re-Invite
Clone any past project to reuse its roles and crew. Check 're-invite same crew' to send booking requests to the same techs with one click.
Show-Type Templates
Start a new project with pre-built crew templates for Corporate General Session, Concert, Trade Show, Broadcast, Gala, and Conference formats.
Multi-City Availability
Technicians can now list availability in multiple cities. Travel-ready techs show up in every market they cover.
Freetext Gear Field
Add any gear to your profile — not just what's in our dropdown. If you own it or know it, list it.
Dual-Role Accounts
Work as both a technician and a producer from a single account. Switch roles from the navbar without logging out.
Rate Guide Launch
Published the definitive AV technician rate guide — day rates for 24 roles across 10 major US markets.
Career Guide Launch
How to become an AV technician: roles, skills, certifications, and how to land your first gig.
Truss Is Live
The marketplace for corporate AV technicians and event producers is officially open. Create your profile, set your rate, get discovered.
Industry Calendar 2026
The world's largest AV and systems integration trade show. Pro audio, digital signage, unified communications, and live events tech.
Conference and stage expo for lighting, sound, staging, and rigging professionals in the performing arts and live entertainment.
Broadcast, media, and entertainment technology. Covers live production, streaming, content creation, and post-production.
The premier event for the professional AV industry. Networking, certification, and the latest in projection, LED, audio, and control systems.
The go-to show for lighting, staging, and live event production. Gear demos, workshops, and industry networking.
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