By Steve Seepersaud
Between now and next summer, if you find yourself road tripping somewhere between Kansas City and Colorado Springs, be on the lookout for Oscar Mayer's frankmobile. If you see it, wave "hello" because the pilot is a Binghamton grad.
Chloe Van Caeseele ’23 is one of 12 people ― from a pool of more than 2,000 applicants ― selected to drive the nomadic frankfurter. She has committed to a year of living out of a suitcase and traveling the central portion of the country with her co-pilot, visiting a different city each week, and making almost daily public appearances to further build Oscar Mayer’s brand recognition and following.
“I love to make people smile and bring a sense of levity to everyday life,” Van Caeseele said. “You can’t take life too seriously when you’re traveling in a 27-foot hot dog on wheels.”
Van Caeseele was intrigued by the frankmobile ever since she first saw it outside a mall in her hometown of Hornell, N.Y. After doing some research on how drivers were selected, she applied for the program that selects a new crop of 12 drivers each June for a one-year assignment.
What set her apart from her competition? She said it was experiences such as being an admissions tour guide, resident assistant in Hinman College, and interning with WBNG-TV in Binghamton and the University’s media and public relations department.
“I like doing lots of different things, and I didn’t want a job where I’d just be working at a desk,” she said. “I love traveling and I need to have something different in my life every single day. My experiences at Binghamton put me in situations where I’d interact with lots of people and be a welcoming face. And, that's what I’m doing now.”
Van Caeseele attended “Hot Dog High” in Madison, Wisc., to learn how to drive the frankmobile, which she found to be a huge change from navigating her Toyota RAV4. The 40 hours of training included classroom instruction and lots of practice on a closed course under the supervision of retired state troopers.
“You have to do these interesting maneuvers like weaving in and out of cones and reversing,” Van Caeseele said. “A huge part of the job is working with your co-pilot. You can’t back the vehicle up without someone directing you. There are a lot of blind spots, so you have to build trust with your co-pilot. They are your eyes and ears outside and you need to do what they say. Fortunately, it has been smooth sailing on the road. You average 500 miles a week. Honestly, driving is one of the easiest parts of the job. You’re behind the wheel constantly so you get lots of practice."
Van Caeseele knows her year with Oscar Mayer will go by quickly, and is starting to think about what’s next.
“I have to do something cool after this. My dream job is to be a game show host. I’d love to do something with travel. There’s a lot to see and a lot of people to meet. I feel like I’m living my dream every single day and that’s because of Binghamton. I give my greatest thanks to Binghamton University, every faculty member, everyone who came before me. To represent Binghamton on a national stage gives me so much pride. I’m happy I can represent an amazing institution.”
