Five Strategies for Safer Roading of Farm Equipment

In many areas, ag equipment like tractors, combines, and grain carts will soon take to the road for harvest. Farm equipment is large and slow-moving, especially compared to other vehicle traffic, and poses some unique challenges when operating on the road. Luckily, there are steps farmers can take to reduce the risk of accidents, protect their equipment, and ensure the safety of operators.

Below are some best practices for safely roading ag equipment—whether you’re driving a harvester in fall or pulling a planter in spring.

Alliance Introduces New Sizes of Its Popular 885 Agri-Transport Tire 

Yokohama Off-Highway Tires has upgraded the performance of its popular Alliance 885 line of agri-transport tires with new, high-load 850/50R30.5 and 710/40R22.5 configurations—popular sizes for modern manure tankers, spreaders, and sprayers.

The Qualities to Look for in an Agri-Transport Tire

Hauling heavy loads at or near highway speeds with heavyweight equipment like manure spreaders, fertilizer trucks, grain carts, and buggies requires everything to work flawlessly—including tires. The best agri-transport tires deliver high performance both on and off the road, provide long service life, and offer an outstanding return on investment.

Below are some characteristics to consider when choosing an agri-transport tire.

Nine Tips to Minimize Field Ruts

Field ruts create a plethora of issues for farmers—they increase wear and tear on equipment, reduce operator comfort, and can indicate soil compaction. Furthermore, water can create channels and result in the erosion of valuable soil. Need another compelling reason to control ruts? A Minnesota State University Extension educator found that ruts led to a 17% decrease in yield in observation fields.

The best way to deal with ruts is to mitigate the issues that cause them in the first place.

One U.S. Farmer Feeds More than 160 People 

The number of people fed by a single U.S. farmer has grown steadily over the years. In the 1800s, a U.S. farmer grew enough food to feed between three and five people. According to the website Statista, the number has continued to grow over the decades:

• 1940 ~20
• 1960 ~45
• 1980 ~100
• 2005 ~144
• 2022 ~165

While the statistic isn’t perfect, it does show a massive improvement in the efficiency and productivity of U.S. farmers. It might surprise you to learn that tires play an important role in helping farmers grow the number of people they feed.