Behind the wheel of the Wienermobile: 'Hotdoggers' describe life on the road

So when WRAL News learned the Wienermobile would be coming to town the weekend of March 25 at the Skyfest Air Show, I saw it as a "bun-ce" in a lifetime opportunity to grill the drivers of the famous car to see what the job entails.

The car was created in 1936 by Carl Mayer, the nephew of the company's namesake. The Wienermobile took a break from touring the country during World War II due to gas rationing stateside as the company focused on canning meats for soldiers overseas.

The car made it's return to the road in 1952, along with company spokesperson George Molchan as "Little Oscar," when five new vehicles were constructed to tour the country.

Today, there are six total wienermobiles with each one assigned to a different region and two drivers, or hotdoggers, per car.

Kaitlyn Bross, 23, and Christian Jabbar, 22, known on the road as "Ketchup Kaitlyn" and "Cookout Christian," said they first learned of the car when it rolled through their respective college campuses of Marquette and Penn State.

"I had actually never seen it before," Jabbar said. "It came to my college campus last year, and so I saw it and said 'I need to do this.'"

"I ended up rock-climbing with a current hotdogger, and she told me all about life on the road, the travel and the amazing PR experience," Bross said. "So when I was a senior in college, I applied for the job and cut the mustard, so here we are."

The news they would be driving a car that looks like a hot dog on a grill across America, averaging 500 miles per week, was a bit of a surprise to their families.

"At first they were a little confused," Jabbar said. "But once they researched it and found out what the job actually is, the were really excited for me and were very proud."

Of the potential thousands and thousands of people who apply for the job as a hotdogger, The Oscar Mayer company only selects 12 people per year to drive the car.

And while the drivers don't get to pick where they are assigned, Oscar Mayer tries its best to make sure the hotdoggers are good fits with one another after rigorous training at "Hotdog High" in Madison, Wisconsin.

"They assign us based on our personalities, who you mesh with while you drive around the country in a 27-foot long wiener," Bross said.

And driving the Wienermobile does have some additional benefits other than marketing and PR experience.

"One of the awesome parts of driving the car is not only is it your professional car, but it's also your personal vehicle," Bross said. "So if you are driving it and you are in your home market, you can park it in your driveway. Which is pretty 'wienerful.'"

While driving a 27-foot-long sausage on wheels may get some odd looks from neighbors and people passing on the highway, Bross and Jabbar relish the chance to put a smile on people's faces.

"Everywhere we go, we see people constantly smiling and having a good time," Bross said.

"Everyday is like a parade while driving this big dog," Jabbar said. "So everyday we see people waving and honking, trying to get a picture of it, so we love that part of it."

Bross and Jabbar are currently nine months into their year-long contract.

"You're expired meat once your 12 months are up," Bross said. "Most people when they are done go on to careers in public relations and marketing or are happy to stay with Kraft-Heinz."

"All you need is driver's license and a bachelor's degree," Jabbar said.

"But you also gotta have an appetite for adventure," Bross added. "Because we are constantly cruising across the country 'meating' people."

But you might want to leave the blasters at home.