Need advice please

Welcome to the forum hayhauler11 since it's your first posting. lot's of 411 in here. Goodluck to ya.

 

Greetings Hayhauler11.

My preference has been hauling hay in a dry van (53'.) As to the tractor type, that depends on your needs. Is it local work or OTR? Will a day cab work or do you need a sleeper? These are basic considerations you'll need to look at. Other than that, it's your preference for your creature comforts that matters. If you buy a used tractor, try to get one with some type of warranty left. I wouldn't look at anything over 500,000 miles for used.

Happy haulin!

 

good luck to you

 

Are you hauling the large round bales, large square bales, or small square bales?

Most of the hay around here is large, round bales and it's generally hauled on a flatbed. The bale wrap is popular too, so no tarping...not that anybody tarps hay anyway. Hi-boys seem popular for the round bales, not sure why. I've loaded those with a too-small tractor and the lower the better as far as I'm concerned. Almost tipping a tractor on it's nose is scary.

The large, square bales are usually flat-bedded too, but they tend to be stacked a little more securely and I them on a variety of lower trailers.

The quarter-horse guy not far from me prefers the small square bales though, horse people do for some reason, and they come in a van. He unloads with a forklift. I thought that was odd...never saw a forklift on a farm before.

Anyway, there's a fair bit of hay around here, and that's what I've noticed for trailers. The tractors vary...it's pretty much all owner operators or hauled by the farmers.

 

Tractor and trailer choice might vary as to what will you be hauling after the hay season is over?

 

take my advice with a grain of salt i'm sure a lot of guys know a lot more about it than

but i am assuming that you are a farmer or haul hay short distances.

iv seen several tractors on the road with a million miles on them and the owners have said they have not had any major repairs. so i would think condition and how well the truck was cared for is more of a consideration than millage. a truck with 600k + miles on it would easily last 5 years in a local operation. that being said though i would look at trucks less than 10 years old. whoever you buy the truck from make them have a dot inspection done on it before you buy it, this will insure that the truck is safe and all safety related items have been checked.

if all you haul is hay localy no need for a sleeper cab get a newer day cab truck with less money for the same price as a sleeper cab truck.

having hauled stuff with f-350 duallys and gn trailers for the last 6 years you will find a semi is much better.

 

That brings up a good question. How far do you haul and on what kind of roads? It's not unusual for hay from here to travel 600-800 miles, but most travels less than 200 miles. A lot of that is often gravel roads and or secondary highways.

Also, is the truck going to be spending a lot of time bouncing around hay fields, or be loaded in the yard? Might make some difference as to what the guys here would recommend.

 

Type of bales is important, as well as delivery point.

If you delivering to a feed lot or dairy a flat or possibly live floor is generally preferred. Horse farms I would suggest a flat, with possibly a piggy bak for unloading.

Type of truck is kinda like buying a tractor. Tractors resale is partly based on color of machine. Green resells better than Red over yellow........


Your large cars (359,379 Pete-W900) will in general carry a higher value. So long as maintained. Trucks are basically identical underneath the skin. Motors, Tranny's, Wet Lines, axle's again depend on what type of operation.

How you load and unload are probably the biggest factor for determining what type of equipment to buy.

 

If you can swing it see about finding an old western star.. there built very well somewhat expensive but a great truck none the less. But if your lookin for a truck that can get it done id suggest a daycab mack... pretty much old reliable as long as you get a well taken care of one. stay away from the newer ones though.. they seem to break more often.
Sterling's are pretty solid to There the dumbest looking trucks i have ever seen from the front but conway swears by them.