What's it like being a driver for farms and ranches?

Highly dependent on farm, region, and what they produce.

Grain typically is hauled in grain trucks. Usually a semi and a grain trailer but sometimes a big straight truck. Fruits and vegetables usually semi trailer and double trailers sometimes flatbed straight or semi.

Hay is often OTR sleeper single axle tractor and flatbed doubles. Pretty oddball setup.

Livestock is pretty obvious, semi with stock trailer.

They might also have you haul seed or chemicals. Or whatever they need done that day.

 

I've never heard of anybody having a full time job driving for a farmer or rancher. I suppose in some parts of the US there are some but not here. My brother worked for two different farmers hauling grain to the mill in harvest time, but most of the year he was a farm hand doing whatever needed done.

In Arkansas a lot of people might get a start in trucking with a farmer because they don't need a CDL. My brother said his lightest load for the year was over 90,000 pounds and his trailer brakes didn't work. Not really the type of job you'd want to do full time. Like I said though, farming is so different everywhere its hard to say.

 

what was he doing, flinstoning the rig to a stop?

 

Ive been around farming and ranching my entire life... Rarely do they hire some one to do nothing but drive. On most farms and ranches driving is just a very small part of the job... And every one I've ever worked for you must be able to maintain and repair the equipment yourself.

Often times the equipment is old and rather run down, sometimes it's flat out not road worthy by DOT standards. But some have pretty nice equipment mixed in with the older stuff.

Here are a couple pics of 2 trucks I drove for a rancher several years ago. He had several bullracks, 2 A-train flatbeds, and very old bevertail lowboy. Now he has an old tanker as well.




He also had an old (early 70s) Mack Dump truck with a 14 yard bed, and a very old belly dump pup trailer.

 

In the florida orangegroves they drive schoolbusses with the roofs cut off and no se habla ingles.

 

Something like that. I guess thats why those old farm trucks only run about 45 mph.

 

Just like regular driving only more... fragrant.

 

There are a few large "corporate" farms that hire drivers......but, most are 1099's....no insurance.
Trucks won't be anything to special...…..if you see super nice farm trucks they are usually an older
semi-retired farmer......just drives a truck for something to do.

If you want to drive rural.....work for farms, etc.....there are quite a few trucking companies that
haul pretty much exclusively for farms/ranches. Hopper bottoms, bull racks, milk tankers, etc. Some
of these companies have pretty decent equipment.....decent benefits, pay W-2, health insurance, etc.

They prefer drivers with some experience.....guys with some common sense......flip flops, steering wheel
holders need not apply. They look for guys with leather boots, long pants, tool bag in the truck, pliers on
your belt and know how to use tools.

 

Low pay,long hours.