Trucks and Trailers

Tragic Turn: Trailer of Show Pigs Bursts Into Flames on I-80

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 18:23:41 GMT

With the windows rolled down and the sun on his face, Chad Rieck admits he was having a pretty good day driving down Interstate 80. He was pulling a trailer with four gilts, and one of those gilts was bringing home the title of Third Overall Purebred Breeding Gilt from the Aksarben Stock Show.

For Chad and his wife, Amy, spending precious time with their 17-year-old daughter Hollynn at a stock show is something they don’t take for granted. Their busy daughter, now a senior, was juggling the show weekend with homecoming, volleyball and dance team. Because of this, she drove separately to the show with her mom to squeeze in more of her school activities.

Separated by a couple minutes on the interstate, they were chatting on the phone keeping each other awake on the drive from Grand Island, Neb., back to their farm in Creston, Iowa. Suddenly, the traffic slowed down and their day took a tragic turn.

A car burning alongside I-80 held up traffic for miles.

(NDOT)

Igniting the Fire

“I remember my wife saying, ‘Traffic is starting to get bad,’” Rieck recalls. “I told her there was an accident up ahead and we’d get through it eventually.”

When he came upon the scene, he discovered a car burning alongside the road. By this time, he had rolled up his windows and slowly drove by the car. No emergency vehicles were on the scene, so Chad estimates the fire had probably started within three to five minutes of when he passed it.

“The front of the car was fully engulfed in flames,” Rieck describes. “The driver’s portion to the back of the car was starting to get hot – hot, hot flames. My fear of driving by was, ‘What if there’s a gas tank there, and that gas tank blows? That’s going to be bad.’”

When he drove by, something burst.

“It wasn’t the gas tank that blew, but something, whether it was a fuel line, a tire or whatever, blew a ‘poof’ of flames,” he says.

About a mile after he passed the car on fire – maybe one or two minutes at most – Rieck noticed smoke rolling out of the trailer. At first, he thought maybe some smoke from the fire got in through the open trailer windows. Then, he wondered if he blew a tire.

“I’m looking in the mirrors checking for that and continually rolling,” he says. “I see a semi behind me begin to flash his lights at me. That’s when I thought, ‘Okay, I’ve got problems.’”

Fortunately, he was coming upon an exit ramp. He jumped off the interstate and threw the truck in park as soon as he could.

“My wife’s still on the phone with me at this point,” he says. “I jump out of the truck and see the trucker running up with a couple of fire extinguishers. Because of him, I was able to get the back doors opened on the trailer. We got most of the flames down but didn’t have enough to get the fire completely out.”

When he opened the door, he saw that their banner-winning Poland China gilt was already dead, but the three other pigs were hanging on to life.

“The Poland gilt was on the back of the trailer and had somehow broken out of her pen trying to get away,” he says.

The burning trailer was caught on camera by the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT).

(NDOT)

Roadside Rescue

The fire picked up again as he tried to figure out how to get the pigs off the trailer.

“When I parked the trailer at the show, we left some tack in the trailer. So, I locked the ramp and the driver side walk-through door,” he explains. “I ran to get the key that I thought was in the truck, but there was no key there. Now, I’m just frantic.”

With no way to get to the three pigs still on the trailer, he grabbed for the big cart they hauled tack with that was standing upright in the back pen.

“Not a smart deal,” Rieck recalls. “I grabbed it with my hand, and now I’ve got some nice blisters. But even if I could have moved that cart, it wouldn’t have mattered. I had to get the pigs out the side ramp.”

The trucker ran back with a crowbar and Rieck broke the latches off the ramp door to get the ramp down. Flames greeted him. He was running out of options. He ran around to the other side’s ramp, broke that latch off and ended up getting two pigs out.

“The third pig was scared and wouldn’t come out, so I had to reach in through one of the sides to push her out,” he says. “I ended up with some burns on my arm from that, but I finally got her out.”

At this point, the trailer is still on fire. The trucker told Rieck to unhook his truck and pull it away from the trailer now that the pigs were out.

“I would have never thought of doing that,” he adds. “We had a gas can and small generator in the tack room of the trailer, so I went to work to get that out of there before we had an even bigger problem. Fortunately, the tack room was in decent shape, likely because there was a door between it and the main part of the trailer.”

Once the fire truck arrived, they focused on the trailer first. Megan Hobbs says she was able to gather buckets from the tack room to start filling to get to water all three pigs who were alive at the time. Unfortunately, they lost the Duroc, so they had to turn their focus to the remaining two.

(Megan Hobbs)

Meanwhile, people began showing up and helping with the pigs that were now scattered.

“I had one pig walking down the exit ramp,” Rieck says. “Meanwhile, one gilt was hunkered down under a tree in the ditch and the third was dying alongside the exit ramp. I’m in shock at this point – walking around and asking myself why.”

Stock show people he had never met before like Joe and Megan Hobbs of Newton, Kan., turned around and came back to help.

“As soon as we arrived at the scene, there was another young lady who worked for Legacy Livestock Imaging that had also stopped to help,” explains Megan Hobbs. “We immediately just jumped into action getting any and all water available to help cool the pigs down. At the beginning all we had was cooler water and water bottles. In those situations you don’t ask for permission, you just go with what your gut tells you to do.”

(Chad Rieck)

A Little Bit Ironic

When the York Fire Department showed up, they quickly went to work extinguishing the fire in the trailer. Hobbs says she kept running water back and forth from the firetruck to the people caring for the gilts alongside the road.

“God put us in the right place at the right time,” Hobbs says. “We trusted our gut turning around to go help as we just knew it was probably one of our own from the livestock industry that needed help.”

The firefighters on the scene also reached out to a firefighter in a nearby department, David May, who had show pigs.

“I received a call from dispatch when I was about 5 miles from my farm heading home with pigs from the show,” May says. “They said there was a vehicle fire involving a trailer with larger pigs and asked if I could help wrangle and haul the surviving pigs. Of course, I didn’t hesitate and was already on the move.”

May devised a plan to get his pigs off his trailer quickly and navigate through the piled-up interstate traffic.

“I had my 16-year-old daughter Braxtyn with me, so we began talking through things on the drive there,” May says. “I even joked with her, ‘It’s probably someone who kicked our butt today.’ But that didn’t cause either of us to hesitate to help however possible.”

When May got to the scene, he immediately recognized the pickup. It had been parked directly beside his truck during loadout about 45 minutes ago.

“I recognized the people and confirmed I didn’t know them,” May says. “I parked and walked up to assess and gather information. Within a minute, another Iowa trailer showed up to get the live hogs. We discussed what to do with the now two deceased pigs. I offered to put them on my trailer and dispose.”

After all the pigs were on trailers and the firefighters had inspected Rieck’s trailer to confirm it was safe to haul home, Rieck went over to talk to Braxtyn and thank her for coming to help.

Hollynn Rieck’s Champion Poland and Third Overall Purebred Breeding Gilt at Aksarben.

(Legacy Livestock Imaging)

“For some reason, I wanted to try to cheer this kid up who had just seen this devastation,” Rieck says. “I tried to distract her by asking if she showed a pig that day, and she said, ‘Yes, I was third place with my Poland gilt.’”

It was definitely a little ironic, both dads admit. Their kids had been competing against each other just a few hours earlier. They loaded their pigs up beside each other and took off about the same time. As they got back into their trucks and trailers for the second time that day, they both spent some time reflecting on their drive home.

A Case of Bad Luck

Hollynn drove her dad back in the truck and trailer because he was still in shock. All Rieck could think about was what he could have done differently.

“I saw a number of trailers roll right on by as we stood there with the trailer smoldering,” Rieck says. “I know the next time I see a car fire, I’m going to feel like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights. I’m going to be like, ‘Don’t drive through it.’ Maybe I could have gotten in the ditch more, but that’s not safe either.”

It was the kind of incident that you could never predict, May says. Typically, a trailer fire starts with a bad wheel bearing, then the wheel gets hot or locks up. Eventually, the tire catches on fire and results in heavy black smoke that’s easily visible.

(Chad Rieck)

“Most livestock trailer fires start on the outside of the trailer,” May says. “But this fire started inside the trailer. This was a completely freak accident.”

The odds of something hot coming off the car at the precise moment Rieck drove by while also entering the trailer is one in trillions, he adds.

“It’s a bad-luck lottery. It could never have been predicted,” May says. “But, just like so many instances in life, you just have to react and adapt as plans change.”

Still, Rieck says he learned some valuable lessons going through this experience. He will make sure his next trailer has fire extinguishers. He won’t travel with his doors locked on his trailer. He’s also going to invest in some wireless cameras to put into his trailer.

Stock Show Support

When they returned home, a veterinarian confirmed the gilts who survived the trailer fire needed to be euthanized, as their injuries were too severe. Rieck says it was hard on Hollynn to walk through an empty pig barn the next day. Although it’s not an uncommon thing, as every show season comes to an end, this was not the ending she expected. She had high hopes of taking the Poland gilt to the American Royal in a few weeks.

Hollynn won Champion Poland China Gilt and Third Overall Purebred Breeding Gilt at Aksarben.

(Amy Rieck)

For Rieck, the hardest part was calling the breeders who leased them the gilts and telling them what happened.

“The personal financial portion of this isn’t much compared to having to contact those breeders and let them know about the fire,” Rieck says. “We work with Hunter Langholff to get some of our pigs. I can only imagine what the conversation was like with me screaming and yelling about the pigs right after it happened. I’ll never forget Hunter calmly saying, ‘Do not worry about that. These breeders will only care that you, Hollynn and Amy are fine. Pigs can be replaced.’”

With a few tears in his eyes, Rieck says he never wants to take his stock show friends for granted.

“Stock show people are pretty special,” he adds. “Because guess what? We all wanted to win that day. We raise our kids in the show ring and in the show barn for a reason. It’s so we can be around these people. My daughter is going to be a much stronger person because of the experiences that she’s had winning and losing in the show ring and yes, even going through this trailer fire.”

Hollynn says she’s already learned a lot from the fire.

“I am so thankful for all of the people who stopped to help us during our emergency,” she says. “This is living proof that the stock show industry is the best thing to be a part of. The amount of love, thoughts and prayers I have received from people has been astronomical. At the end of the day, I am just grateful my family is ok and that I will forever be a part of such an amazing industry.”

As May reflects on what happened, he says he’s not surprised by the overwhelming support people provided to the Rieck family.

“It’s what we do for each other in all aspects of agriculture, not just livestock,” May says. “I’m glad I was able to assist as needed here and glad my daughter was able to see value in helping others even when it’s not always pretty fairy dust and rainbows.”

Clicking On Used? Navigate Online Farm Equipment Auctions Like A Pro

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 18:05:14 GMT

Whether you’re ready to sell some used farm equipment for positive or negative reasons , there are several things to be aware of before diving into the auction market at its absolute peak , which is normally from November to March.

Big Iron Auctions/Sullivan Auctioneers co-founder Mark Stock , who has been in the business for 41 years, says the first thing sellers need to do is to get in touch with your preferred auction platform. Giving advance notice is one of the many keys to a good experience selling at auction.

“If the seller can contact us by the middle of September, that’s great,” Stock says. “My advice for buyers is make sure you look at all the photos [in the auction listing], and then call the owner [before you bid]. We always publish the owner’s name and phone number, which is something most auction sites don’t do. So, call those sellers and ask questions.”

The latest auction update from Machinery Pete Facebook:

Stock also emphasizes going through those images with a fine-tooth comb. He wants new-to-the-market buyers to understand transparency is not some pie-in-the-sky, unrealistic expectation to have. There are plenty of auction companies that prioritize a truly open-ended process.

“We do a good job of showing everything that’s good and also everything that’s bad about that piece of machinery. That’s how we try to earn the buyer’s respect,” he says. “And the sellers, they don’t want to have someone mad after the end of the sale because they didn’t let the buyer know about something.”

The explosion of online equipment auctions, a space where Big Iron is currently one of the biggest players, has proven to be a bit of a double-edged sword in more ways than one. While it’s true today a farmer in Arkansas can jump on their phone and buy a used, $300,000 combine from the seat of the dentist’s chair, some bad actors have tried to weasel into the fray. Selecting a reputable auction company you’ve researched and feel good about working with can help ease any anxiety about getting wrapped up in something nefarious .

“It’s just one example, but we UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) search everything because we want the transaction to be seamless,” Stock says. “And then if there is a loan [attached to] payoff, we work with that creditor to make sure that loan gets paid off before the buyer takes possession. We handle all that stuff so there’s no surprises.”

Kinze Manufacturing founder Jon Kinzenbaw’s antique tractor collection in Williamsburg, Iowa.

(Big Iron Auctions)

When asked what’s coming up from Big Iron, Stock says the digital auction platform has a “really big fall catalog” coming out soon and to check out BigIron.com for more info. On November 4, there is a notable sale for precision ag and farm machinery history buffs. Bidding for that sale opens October 19.

“John Kinzenbaw, the founder of Kinze Manufacturing, has a huge tractor collection, and he’s going to sell off over 100 of those tractors to the highest bidder here in November,” Stock says.

Greg “Machinery Pete” Peterson will be in attendance, too.

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Wisconsin Ag Regulators Propose Massive Livestock Fee Increases

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 19:24:36 GMT

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is proposing changes to rules, ATCP 10 and 12 , regulating animal disease and movement and animal markets, dealers and truckers.

According to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation (WFBF) , these changes include massive fee increases that will be a substantial financial burden to markets, dealers and truckers that will unavoidably be passed down to farmers.

The license fee for what the DATCP calls “Animal Market Class A” would change from $420 to $7,430. A late fee for those markets would also increase by nearly 1,700% by shifting from the current price of $84 to $1,486. The registration fee paid by about 1,000 truckers transporting livestock in the state would increase 517%, from the current price of $60 to $370.

(Wisconsin Farm Bureau)

WFBF Government Relations Director Jason Mugnaini says it is important to clarify that Wisconsin’s program had historically received state funding support through DATCP, but this proposal shifts that onto industry fees.

The WFBF also reports the inspections and public health activity costs of these programs have previously been partially funded by state funding in Wisconsin, as they are in neighboring states. DATCP’s proposal shifts the full cost of these programs onto industry fees.

DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski explains the fees have not been adjusted since 2009 and the increases are needed to maintain critical animal health and transportation services.

“This program is currently in deficit because these have not been adjusted for so long,” Romanski explains. “Costs have increased during that time.”

He is transparent about the financial realities driving these increases. While the percentage increase might seem large, it reflects 17 years of accumulated cost pressures. He summarizes the goal is not to burden the industry, but to ensure the continued provision of critical animal health and movement services.

According to Sam GO, DATCP communications director, the DATCP Division of Animal Health receives federal funding through cooperative agreements for specific goals and objectives, such as animal disease surveillance and animal traceability. The cooperative agreements are separate from the programs in the proposed fee rules and do not fund the programs in the proposed fee rules.

She explains as federal funding for the cooperative agreements has decreased, those activities that are partially federally funded (such as animal disease surveillance and animal traceability) need to have a larger portion of their costs covered by the state animal health general program revenue. That means there is less state GPR remaining to cover the deficit in program revenue for the ATCP 10 and ATCP 12 programs.

The ATCP 10 fees support the following animal health programs: Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) Forms, Intermediate Handling Facilities, Disease Certifications (Brucellosis, Tuberculosis, Pseudorabies), Equine Infectious Anemia Retests, Equine Quarantine Stations, Feed Lots, Medical Separation, National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), Farm-Raised Deer, and Fish Farms.

The Process

Romanski explains the administrative rule process is collaborative and takes about two and a half years. He says the process is designed to be collaborative with multiple opportunities for public input and engagement. He encourages stakeholders to not just critique the increases, but to offer constructive feedback and potential alternative solutions.

The current stage is specifically about public comment and engagement. He says the department wants to hear from industry members, producers and other stakeholders. They are actively seeking input that can help shape the final rule package.

The public can participate and provide feedback that can be considered by the department’s staff through several channels:

Attending public hearings
Submitting written comments by Oct. 15

The remaining hearings will be hosted virtually and at the Prairie Oaks State Office Building, Room 106, 2811 Agriculture Dr., Madison, WI 53708. For more information, dial-in instructions and to register for online access click on the ATCP 10 or 12.

ATCP 10:
• Monday, Sept. 15 – 1 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 17 – 9 a.m.

ATCP 12 :
• Tuesday, Sept. 16 – 1 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 17 – 1 p.m.

Individuals can submit written comments by Oct. 15 to: Angela.fisher1@wisconsin.gov or Angela Fisher, DATCP, P.O. Box 8911, Madison, WI 53708

Romanski explains after the public comment period, DATCP staff will review all submissions, consider suggested changes, and then present any revisions to their policy-making board. This ensures multiple layers of review and public involvement.

Neighboring State Comparisons

According to the proposal document , programs in adjacent states (Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois) are similar to Wisconsin, as all are based on federal standards. Neighboring states primarily fund these types of programs through general program revenue; therefore, they have lower fees than Wisconsin’s current fees. While Wisconsin’s program fees are collected from a small number of licensees, these critical programs have impacts and benefits across animal health, animal industries and public health.

In Iowa, a livestock market permit is $50 per year. The livestock dealer and livestock market agent permits are $10 per year. A bull breeder license is $20 every two years. A livestock dealer or order buyer permit is $50 per year. A feeder pig dealer agent permit is $6 every two years. A pig dealer’s agent permit is $3 per year.

In Michigan, an action Class I is $400 per year. A buying station (Class II) is $250 per year. The remaining fees are waived for veterans: A dealer (Class III) is $50 per year. An agent broker (Class III) is $50 per year. A collection point (Class III) is $50 per year. A trucker (Class IV) is $25 per year.

In Minnesota, a livestock market agency and public stockyard is $300 per year. A livestock dealer is $100 per year. A livestock dealer agent is $50 per year.

In Illinois, a livestock auction market license is $200 per year. The livestock dealer license is $25 for a new license, $10 for the annual renewal, as well as $10 for each location in addition to the first location, and $5 for each employee. A feeder swine dealer license is $25, the renewal is $10, and there is a fee of $5 for each employee. There is no fee for a slaughter livestock buyer’s license, just a requirement to submit an annual report.

Industry Feedback

Both the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association (WCA) and WFBF have come out opposed to the fee increases.

Tressa Lacy, WCA president from Rio, Wis., voiced her concern at the first hearing on Sept. 11.

“The Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association is in opposition to the proposed fee increases inspections and registrations related to a variety of activities by Wisconsin animal dealers, truckers and markets in ATCP 10 and 12,” she says. “I raise beef cattle with my husband and our 8-month-old in Columbia County. We both work off the farm in agriculture to financially afford our beef and hay farm operation, and I know the cost of these fees will be passed directly on to producers like us.

“The result of such significant increases will be fewer livestock marketing options, the potential for reduced disease traceability and fewer opportunities to sell livestock in the state of Wisconsin. Fewer options inevitably mean lower prices and thinner margins in an industry that is already being pushed on thin profit lines.”

She explains the inspections and animal health protections funded by these programs serve a broad public purpose — protecting animal health and consumer confidence in the meat raised in Wisconsin.

“It is fundamentally unfair to shift the entire cost onto the users as this is certainly a public food safety conversation,” Lacy adds. “I share the industry concern that these initial proposals are just the start of all programs in Wisconsin shifting to being user funded. Other states fund these programs with state support as the benefits are shared by everyone. DATCP should restore and continue the approach for these outlined programs.”

She concluded her comments saying: “WCA respectfully ask that DATCP reconsider these unreasonable fee increases and maintain a funding structure with state support that is fair, practical and supportive of both public health and Wisconsin agriculture.”

Mitch Giebel a WFBF member from Lyndon Station, Wis., also shared his thoughts on the proposed fee increases.

“I’m very concerned about the massive increases of fees being proposed,” he says. “As a young farmer, every dollar really does matter on our operation. We work hard to raise our livestock, and we already face high input costs, tight margins and unpredictability when it comes to marketing. Adding thousands of dollars in new fees, especially increases as massive as what is proposed doesn’t seem realistic. It’ll undoubtedly make it harder and tighter for the sale barns and livestock markets to survive, and unavoidably, it is probably going to be passed to us as the producers and farmers.”

He also explains programs such as animal health, disease control and traceability benefit everybody in the state, not just farmers.

“Healthy animals and safe food are the best interest for our state; other states recognize that and utilize state funding to maintain these programs and cover these costs,” he says. “Wisconsin needs to restore and maintain its state funding that has historically existed for these programs, rather than shifting a substantial burden on a small number of farmers and marketers. I am asking you to please reject these fee increases as they are written. They are too steep, too fast and out of line with our neighboring states.”

WFBF is calling on producers to share their concerns: “These unprecedented fee increases cannot move forward without your voice being heard. Share how these proposals would impact your farm, your business and Wisconsin agriculture.”

Used Farm Equipment Swindle Alert: BBB Warns Virtual Vendor Vehicle Scams on the Rise

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 16:49:31 GMT

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning used equipment buyers nationwide about another sophisticated scam involving used farm equipment.

This particular grift, according to a press release from BBB, involved a fake online heavy equipment retailer impersonating a legitimate Missouri dealership, Cook Equipment & Trucking (Marble Hill, Mo.).

Buyers from across the U.S., some even from as far away as California and Arizona, reported losing a total of $223,000 after attempting to purchase heavy equipment and farm machinery through fraudulent websites and Facebook Marketplace ads.

Related: Essential Advice for Safely Buying Used Farm Machinery

Victims say they were “ghosted” after wiring money for equipment that never arrived. The BBB does not say whether the victims were able to dispute the fraudulent charges and claw back the proceeds from the scammers.

The reported fraudulent transactions include:

$45,000 for a skid steer loader from a buyer in Oak Hills, Calif.
$32,000 for an excavator from a buyer in Hancock, Mich.
$29,500 for a trailer from a buyer in Amanda, Ohio
$29,000 for a trailer from a buyer in Greenville, N.C.
$28,000 for a skid steer loader from a buyer in Eastman, Wis.
$31,000 for an excavator from a buyer in Des Moines, Iowa.
$29,000 for a skid steer from a buyer in Blue, Ariz.

BBB says the real Cook Equipment & Trucking, a small business operating since 2010, confirmed it has no website and is not affiliated with any online sales. The impersonators registered three fake websites, the most recent on July 14, and continue to run deceptive ads on social media.

“Those shopping for heavy equipment and farm machinery online should do their due diligence so they don’t fall victim to a virtual vehicle vendor scam,” says Michelle L. Corey, president and CEO, BBB St. Louis. “If an item is priced well below market value, that’s a red flag.”

To avoid getting swept up in an online virtual vehicle vendor scam the Better Business Bureau offers these tips:

Research the business at bbb.org or call 888-996-3887
Be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true
Verify the website and contact the business directly
Read all terms and understand refund policies
Use a credit card for added protection
Report scams to BBB Scam Tracker, your state attorney general, the FTC, and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center , and notify the social media platform where the fraud was discovered

To learn more about how to avoid online fraud in the used equipment auction world, check out BBB’s 2024 study on virtual vehicle vendor scams.

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Farmers, Truckers and Gear Heads Rejoice: EPA Rolls Out Streamlined Diesel Engine Fluid Guidelines

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 15:08:48 GMT

EPA is rolling out new guidance for manufacturers of farm equipment and other heavy-duty vehicles, removing regulatory red tape requiring diesel-powered farm equipment to reduce engine torque dramatically when a problem arises with the machine’s Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) system.

You can read EPA’s statement on the announcement here.

The new rule making goes into effect immediately for all new diesel engines on model year 2027 machines. It should also be noted the new guidance from EPA is voluntary for all non road equipment. Ultimately, each manufacturer will have the right to choose whether it implements the new inducement strategy or maintains the status quo with its own machines.

To fix the problem for farm machinery already in the field, EPA’s new guidance, developed in collaboration with farm equipment manufacturers, will work to ensure necessary software changes can be made on the existing fleet.

(EPA)

EPA administrator Lee Zeldin says now all non-road equipment, like farm tractors, combines and sprayers, must be configured so there is no impact on engine power for up to 36 hours when a DEF system malfunction occurs. Once 36 engine hours have passed, a 25% reduction in engine torque will go into effect until the machine is serviced. If the farm equipment is not fixed within 100 engine hours, then a 50% reduction in torque is activated until the machine can be serviced.

Additionally, farm equipment can be restarted with full engine power three times for up to 30 minutes after inducement, according to the EPA release.

“This is the first crack in the ice toward saying we don’t need these expensive systems on our farm equipment,” says Ben Reinsche, owner, Blue Diamond Farming Company in Jesup, Iowa. “We don’t need to immediately shut off an engine or be restricted for 36 hours if you have DEF unavailable or a malfunction.

“This is a positive step and maybe a formative step toward saying that having these emission standards on farm or off-road equipment is not critically necessary,” adds Reinsche. “There are so many other things farmers can do that are planet positive, like using conservation and sustainability practices, rather than having an after treatment system on our diesel engines.”

Small Business Administration (SBA) leader Kelly Loeffler says the new rule will save 1.8 million family farms across America a staggering $727 million per year while offering “vital financial and operational certainty.”

“This announcement today is such a big deal, especially on behalf of our farmers and ranchers,” says USDA secretary Brook Rollins. “At a time when our ag sector is really hurting, our farmers have had to endure a 30% cost increase in inputs, and a $30 billion Biden-era trade deficit, these everyday regulations being lifted makes such a difference.”

The new guidance greatly reduces a machine setting known as DEF derating and allows operators more time to secure DEF, refuel and make repairs. The new guidance also reportedly retains the environmental benefits of Tier 4 engine and DEF regulations for farm equipment and trucks.

“Today we are taking another important step forward by undoing these diesel fluid guidelines that have hurt our farmers and small rural businesses,” says U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). “Not only will these new guidelines save family-run farms hundreds of millions of dollars per year, but it is also just common sense, folks. No farmer should have their tractor come to a halt in the middle of a field due to Green New Deal-style regulations from Washington.”

How Did We Get Here?

EPA ushered in DEF requirements for large farm equipment when it enacted broader Tier 4 emissions standards in 2004.

Tier 4 Interim rules, which required DEF for farm machines 750 horsepower and up, then went into effect in 2008.

In 2015, EPA’s final Tier 4 regulations were put in place, meaning all new non-road diesel engines — regardless of horsepower rating — had to comply with new emissions standards.

Curious where your farm equipment is made? Check out Farm Journal’s “Who Makes What Where” feature to learn more.

Why Do Many Farmers Hate Using Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF)?

American farmers say they detest using DEF due to the challenges and additional fuel cost it tacks onto their operations.

Here are some reasons farmers aren’t big fans of DEF:

Higher Costs and More Maintenance: DEF adds on extra materials costs for machinery-based field work. Farmers must purchase large amounts of fluid, and the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) framework that processes DEF is prone to malfunctions and expensive to repair. Often a simple-but-unexpected repair can pop up out of nowhere and end up costing farmers thousands of dollars and leave equipment inoperable.
Field Work Interruptions: If a tractor runs out of DEF or if the system breaks down, under the now-defunct previous guidelines engine power was greatly reduced, which is known by many farmers as “going into limp mode.” For farmers who rely on their equipment to operate consistently and reliably during planting and harvesting, any issue quickly becomes a major headache.
Storage Issues: DEF has a limited shelf life and is sensitive to temperature ups and downs. A quick Google search says DEF freezes at around 12°F and can degrade if stored in temperatures above 86°F. And who wants to look at a giant pallet of DEF cartons stacked in their machinery barn? Nobody, that’s who.
Contamination/Quality Control: DEF fluid must be pure and free of contaminants. Accidentally using the wrong type or getting foreign substances in the tank during refilling can wreak havoc throughout the system, leading to repairs and downtime.
Engine Performance Concerns: There are farmers who believe newer emissions systems, including those that use DEF, reduce the machine’s total power output and lower fuel efficiency.

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From Skyfall to Stable Growth: Why Used Equipment Sales Are Poised for a Breakout Into 2026

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 15:00:33 GMT

Recent used farm equipment auction activity shows a market gaining momentum and stability with harvest and the fall auction busy season just over the horizon.

Machinery Pete witnessed that renewed energy and enthusiasm from farmer-buyers in person at Freddie Berger’s farm estate auction on July 14 in Mandan, N.D. The sale featured a huge fleet of used machinery — more than 10 Bobcat skid steers, 12 UTVs, a row of wheel loaders and feed trucks — and there were strong prices across the board.

Yet, it was a gently-used hauler truck (pictured below) that has stuck in Pete’s craw a few days later.

(Ulmer Auctions. )

“The one that got me was a 2023 Peterbilt 537 truck with a Sioux Automation 4600 box — only had about 2,300 miles on it, so it was going to be high — it came in at $181,475,” Pete says. “Pretty much across the board everything was strong: the hay equipment, loader tractors, all of it.”

Speaking of loader tractors, those machines have been red-hot on the auction circuit, Machinery Pete adds.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

At a sale in Rogers, Ohio, last week, a pair of low-hour John Deere 6M loader tractors also caught his attention. A 2023 6120M with 65 hours (pictured above) sold for $122,500, beating the previous auction record high for that model by $2,500.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

A 2023 6140M with 252 hours and no loader sold for $112,500. Machinery Pete says that’s the second-highest auction price all time for that year/model.

Taking stock of used machine supplies across the auction market, Casey Seymour is seeing “tractors trend line down, planters trend line down and sprayers trend line down.” At the same time he is also seeing “combines peak up; we kind of expect that because a lot of those machines are coming on for fall harvest. But for the most part it feels like inventory is contracting.”

One market force that has taken Seymour and Pete somewhat by surprise is the ongoing downturn in used high horsepower row crop tractor demand. Normally, the guys expect those machines to be moving steadily right now while utility tractor activity settles down, but that trend has flipped.

In the months ahead, Machinery Pete says a handful of ag lenders and industry insiders he’s met with are bracing for a large wave of farm estate auctions. It’s an unfortunate but direct result of the low profitability, high operating expense environment grain farmers have been mired in for two years now, he admits.

“I think that last quarter of the year, and especially in those last couple weeks in November, I really feel like we’re going to start seeing a lot of positive (auction) movement that will carry over into ’26,” Seymour says. “Now, that said, we’re going to need to see some movement on commodity prices.”

You can head over to YouTube to watch the full episode of Moving Iron. Go ahead and give it a “thumbs up” if you like the show and hit the “Subscribe” button with the bell next to it so you get every new episode as soon as it drops.

Farm Equipment in 2025: Insider Tips for Finding Deals, Used Machine Migration Trends And More

Fri, 09 May 2025 19:07:09 GMT

There’s just no getting around it: 2025 is a tough time for the farm equipment manufacturing sector. Overall demand for new machines is down to Great Recession-era levels, and most farmers are tightly grasping the bankroll they’ve built up over the past couple years.

There is a silver lining though, according to Moving Iron Podcast hosts Casey Seymour and Greg “Machinery Pete” Peterson. Bargains on late-model, used equipment are out there, you just have to know where to look.

“If you’re looking to do some buying used equipment-wise, I don’t think you’re going to be able to find it cheaper than right now,” Seymour says.

“My advice is, you know, call your dealer,” Machinery Pete adds. “Go and have a talk with them because that late-model stuff on the lot, you know, they’re still motivated to move it. You can get yourself some good deals.”

Farm Truck of Tomorrow?

(Slate Auto)

One very good deal Seymour and Peterson are watching is a new, American-made electric pickup truck brand, Slate Truck (shown above). The company plans to offer a base model starting at $25,000 that can also be converted into a SUV.

“They’re still testing it, but they’re saying we are going to give you a cheap, low cost, but solid and reliable $25K pickup truck,” Seymour says. “Now, it’s not the prettiest truck out there, but it’ll be fascinating to see how it sells. Personally, I think it might do well.”

Pete agrees there might be some appeal for a low cost, electric pickup around the Corn Belt. Recently, a 2023 GMC Denali Diesel Duramax with over 30,000 miles sold at auction for $78,000. And a brand-new, heavy-duty pickup today can easily run you over $100,000.

“Now, will you get out your checkbook and write that check for $25K? We’ll see, but with the price of everything rising so high, that’s America, that’s capitalism,” Pete says. “If you can build something at a different price point and make it appealing and it still gets the job done, you might have the next Apple computer, who knows?”

Used Equipment Migration 101

Aaron Fintel, used equipment specialist, 21^st Century Equipment, joined the podcast this week and went down a used equipment migration flow rabbit hole with Seymour.

A few major trends in farm equipment migration across the U.S. today are most notably:

North to South Migration: In general, farming equipment in the North is often of a higher spec (more horsepower, more technology) compared to the equipment found across much of the South. This flow of used equipment is driven by southern farmers seeking to upgrade machinery.
Shifts in Crop Demand: As cotton prices decline, farmers in the South are switching to corn and soybeans, which leads to higher demand for high horsepower used equipment coming down from up North.
Dealer Lot Differences: There are more tractors and used farm machinery moving into the South than leaving it, and many dealers in the South are dealing with an oversupply of certain types of tractors, like mid-horsepower loader tractors. That means you might be able to find some bargains if you’re in the market for a used utility tractor.

“You’re going to start seeing more of this migration of equipment out of bigger farms in the North and into the specialty crop and livestock farms in the South,” Seymour says.

Fintel and Seymour also discussed where spring planting progress stands today, the advent of adjustable power bins on large combines, and how tillage practices that vary by region impact the movement of used tillage tools in the farm equipment auction world.

Chip Nellinger, co-owner of Blue Reef Agri-Marketing, also joined this week’s episode to give an update on commodities and markets.

Watch the full version of this week’s Moving Iron Podcast over at YouTube.

Your Next Read: Why This Old John Deere Tractor is a Farmer’s Best Friend

John Deere Challenge: Watch a New York Tech Journalist Farm 20 Acres of Corn for $20 Profit

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 12:18:56 GMT

You might recall this viral stunt from when it was announced last spring: John Deere and tech influencer David Cogen (@TheUnlockr) joined forces to set the New York-based journalist up as a row crop farmer for an entire growing season. Using 20 acres of prime Iowa farmland, Cogen’s mission was to find out if he could accomplish what farmers must achieve to put food on America’s dinner tables: turn planted crops into cold, hard cash.

Unlike most farmers, though, Cogen was basically given every cheat code in the game: He had guidance from John Deere experts throughout the crop journey, all of the latest John Deere equipment with all the tech bells-and-whistles any farmer could dream for —not to mention a blank check for seed, crop inputs, fuel and labor.

Cogen began by ordering up soil tests and custom fertilizer applications. Then he flew back to Iowa to complete the spring tillage pass and seed the field. Next came another trip to spray weeds post-emergence with Deere’s See & Spray smart application system before returning in the fall to harvest the finished grain and haul it down to the local ethanol processing plant.

Along the way Cogen learned a handful of lessons any seasoned farmer already knows all too well:

The weather never seems to do what you want it to do, when you want it to do it. That’s farming.
You have to eradicate weeds or they will rob your yields and destroy your profits.
Variation is the enemy, it’s all about consistent production and harvesting at the precise moisture level and timing.
A dry late-summer and early-fall is a factor you can’t control but it can cost you real dollars on your final yield. The corn will dry down too fast in the field if you don’t get it off on time, so in this case, water is truly money when it comes to corn and soybean farming.

In the end, Cogen’s field averaged 209 bushels per acre and produced just over 3,000 total bushels of corn, which equates to over 200,000 lb.

His total expenses for the year (land costs, seed, fertilizer and “other”) totaled $16,456, while his total revenues for the 19.24 total acres of corn harvested was $16,478.

Don’t adjust your monitor. Yes, you read that right.

The New York tech editor farmed all year long and only brought home $22 in total profit. It just goes to show, turning a profit on only 20 acres is incredibly hard to do. Small acre farmers deserve just as much respect as the big boys.

“Honestly, I hope that like myself, that this has opened your eyes into what it actually takes to farm,” Cogen says at the end of the video. “Just all of the work that goes into it and you can have a new appreciation for farming and for farmers.

Your Next Read: Farmer Finds A Silver Bullet For High Corn Yields

Missouri Farmer Calls Ford Out for Abandoning Ethanol Flex Fuel in New F-150 Trucks

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 18:08:36 GMT

Missouri Corn Growers Association CEO Bradley Schad, who still helps out around the family farm in his spare time, is calling on Ford Motor Company to reconsider a recent decision he believes will cause long-term harm to U.S. farmers.

“They stopped selling new flex fuel vehicles, so now they don’t have a single new engine platform option for growers to purchase,” Schad says. “The F-Series truck is one of the most important vehicles that we have on the farm today. They’re trying to change that (series) to an electric fleet, and we don’t like that.”

Farm Journal reached out to Ford for comment via a contact form for media on its website. We will update this post if we hear back from anyone at Ford Motor Company.

According to Schad, Ford’s F-150 is not only the top-selling truck in the U.S., but also the top-selling used vehicle in the top five corn-producing states: Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota and Indiana. It is also No. 1 in a handful of ag-friendly states like Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, the Dakotas and the Carolinas.

Model Year 2023 was the last iteration of the F-150 that Ford offered with the V8 5.0-liter Flex Fuel option. Schad, who is a longtime F-150 owner, says he’s not interested in criticizing Ford for the change. After all, recent regulations removed many of the manufacturer incentives that used to exist for flex fuel and E-85 vehicles.

Bradley Schad, Missouri Corn Growers Association

(Photo courtesy Missouri Corn Growers Association )

“We’re just trying to bring some awareness and work with Ford to change the legislation and regulations and help bring that (option) back,” Schad says. “We realize it’s not entirely their own fault necessarily, but work with us to pass some beneficial legislation that helps farmers and rural consumers purchase a more economical fuel and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

Schad says Ford is still supporting its higher-ethanol compatible engines in South America. Brazil, for example, has a minimum ethanol blend in its fuel of 27.5%.

The company’s chief truck-building rivals at GM still offer flex fuel as an engine option on new base models of the Chevy Silverado and the GMC Sierra. Ford, it would seem, is stepping away from the same farmers that helped catapult its trucks to the top of the auto industry, he argues.

(Photo courtesy Missouri Corn Growers Association)

“We need Ford to stand strong with farmers – the No. 1 customer base of F Series trucks in the nation. I don’t think there’s any business sector that buys more F Series trucks than the agriculture sector,” he says. “We need Ford to give us the option to use our own product and help build demand for corn-based ethanol.”

RELATED - Grassley: Farmers Can Feed And Fuel The World At The Same Time. It’s Not Either/Or

Schad is optimistic a long-awaited-but-yet-to-be-passed new Farm Bill will include some type of carve out supporting ethanol-based fuels. Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has also been advocating for year-round E-15 fuel availability for years. Grassley and Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer (R) reintroduced the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 in February. If passed, that bill would enable year-round, nationwide sales of ethanol fuel blends up to 15%.

“We need permanency and predictability with ethanol and biodiesel,” Grassley recently told AgriTalk host Chip Flory.

And while Schad admits he has heard all the critiques of ethanol-based fuels - subpar performance, increased engine problems, etc. - his experience is that higher ethanol fuels are clean burning, high performing and safe.

“There’s nothing more helpful to a farmer than having a strong truck with a strong fuel providing more horsepower and torque in these engines,” Schad says. “Octane is key, and we want to make sure to partner with everyone we can. Hopefully Ford is willing to help us pass some beneficial legislation that brings ethanol the ability to be produced and consumed across the nation.”

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced USDA will release funding under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) for 543 projects totaling $537 million in 29 states. Established at USDA Rural Development during President Trump’s first term, HBIIP helps expand the production of domestic biofuels by helping fueling stations install the pumps, storage containers and other necessary infrastructure needed to offer biofuel options at the pump.

Your Next Read: Here’s Why 2025 Is The Time To Buy High-Horsepower Tractors, Auction Pricing Is Staying Strong

Pete's Pick of the Week: John Deere Sprayer Fetches High Price

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 01:01:00 GMT

This week’s Machinery Pete “Pick of the Week” comes to us from a retirement auction that recently took place at Carey Family Farms in Seven Springs, N.C.

Machinery Pete says it was a fun auction and he thinks it might have been the largest crowd he’s been a part of in the past 1.5 years. Farmer Glen Rouse was the owner of the equipment being auctioned off and Jason Aycock Auctioneers handled the bidding.

While it’s usually a shiny tractor that catches Machinery Pete’s eye when he makes his selection, this week he put the spotlight on a 12-year-old green-and-yellow sprayer.

The “super sharp” 2013 John Deere 4730 sprayer (3,334 hours) had prospective buyers “falling all over themselves” to get a bid in on it, according to Machinery Pete. You can see the sprayer in the video below from Machinery Pete’s Facebook page.

The used applicator sold for $104,000, which Machinery Pete says is the third-highest auction price he has on record for that year and make/model.

Additionally, a John Deere 9670 STS combine with only 1,371 hours sold for $122,000.

Probably the “hottest item” on the auction docket in North Carolina: A John Deere 1700 Max Emergence XP 8-row strip-till vacuum planter sold for $53,000. Its former owner only paid $30,000 for it just a few years prior to the sale.

Machinery Pete wasn’t done with just that one auction, though. He had quite the busy weekend to kick off February because he also hit a “very nice” sale on Saturday in Elk City, Okla. That auction was handled by Elite Auction Company.

Worth noting from that auction was a 2022 John Deere 8R 410 tractor with only 489 hours that sold for $330,000.

A 1927 International Huckster truck with a working callilope in the bed.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

To end on “one of the coolest things you’ll see this week,” Machinery Pete says a 1927 International Huckster truck with a working calliope in the bed (pictured above) sold for $18,500 at an auction in Eastern Shore, Va. Someone must have been in the market for a new town parade vehicle when they purchased that truck.

Have a used tractor you’re looking to sell? List it with MachineryPete.com , the most trusted name in farm equipment, reaching thousands of prospective buyers every day. Follow Machinery Pete on Facebook and on YouTube for the latest updates straight from the man himself.

Machinery Pete: What You Should Know About Semi Auction Sales

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 22:02:59 GMT

Some of the most eye-opening, memorable auction sale price results I can recall over my 35-year career have come from one particular equipment category likely to surprise a lot of Machinery Pete followers: semis.

Many of you will recall Terry and Mary Smith’s farm retirement auction last December in Chillicothe, Mo. A 2017 Peterbilt 389 Glider day cab semi with only 34,493 miles sold for $350,000. I don’t think our TV cameras accurately captured the collective sound of jaws hitting the ground.

Another memorable super sharp used truck we filmed was a 2004 Freightliner FL80 grain truck with a Kahn 20' aluminum bed and 205,604 miles that sold on a Nov. 30, 2021 farm retirement auction in Noblesville, Ind., for $85,000 — a record price on FL80s that stands today. At least five people came up to me to ask if they heard that price right.

More recently, a pair of Freightliner FLD120 day cab semis turned heads on the Doris Meeker farm estate auction held Nov. 8, 2024, in Warsaw, ll. Both were very low-mile, one-owner rigs. The 1996 model with only 25,753 miles sold for $82,000 (a record price), while the older 1989 model with just 25,359 miles went for $51,000.

Demand Holds Strong

Demand obviously remains very high on earlier tier emission models in excellent condition. This trend first smacked me upside the head nearly 13 years ago when a Kenyon, Minn., sale featured a pair of 2007 model Peterbilt 379s with just 117,000 and 120,000 miles — one red and one black. The sister rigs were one serial number apart. The sale day buzz around this pair of Petes was through the roof.

The red one sold for $105,000 and went home with Bob from Wisconsin, who told me “Pete, I’ve got three 379s at home.” He was the runner up bidder on the black one, too, which went for $100,000. $105,000 was tied for the record high auction price on Peterbilt 379 until February 2015.

But what about now? A January 2023 farm retirement auction in Walnut, Ill., saw a sharp 2007 Peterbilt 379 with 355,150 miles sell for $198,000. But that wasn’t a record. That came from the 2006 model 379 with 364,801 miles in Villa Grove, Ill., that sold for $262,000 in July 2022. Queue those collective jaws hitting the ground again.

Of course, this trend of farmer-buyer demand shifting toward earlier emission-tier engines is not isolated to semis. Check out the hot prices on other earlier emission era items sold at that November Warsaw, lll. auction: a 2010 John Deere 9670 STS for $140,000 and a 2003 John Deere 8520 with 2,293 hours for $165,000.

Your Next Read: Why Buying Used Equipment Could Make Sense This Year

New Report Provides Update in Last Year's Central Illinois Ammonia Spill

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 17:02:35 GMT

A recently released report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) provides new insights into the ammonia tanker-truck crash that happened in Teutopolis, Ill. almost exactly a year ago.

The crash occurred when a vehicle passed the tanker and forced it off the road, and according to an interview included in the NTSB report, that vehicle was a minivan driven by a 17-year-old Ohio girl.

“Oh, (expletive). Yeah. Oh, my goodness. Yep, totally my bad. Wow. Holy (expletive),” the girl said while watching the video from the ill-fated truck during an Oct. 4, 2023, Illinois State Police interview.

Dash cam footage from the tanker shows it had to pull to the shoulder of the highway to avoid a collision but lost traction, ran off the road and hit a utility trailer that punctured the anhydrous tank – causing more than half of its 7,500-gallon load to spill.

Five people died as a result, including three family members who were near the road when the incident occurred. About 500 people residents within a 1-mile radius of the crash site were evacuated after the accident as well.

NTSB said its latest findings are merely a factual account and do not include analysis or conclusions, which are expected later.

Meet AGwagon: The American Truck Built By Farmers, For Farmers

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 21:35:00 GMT

There are many distinct varieties of trucks — fire trucks, garbage trucks, tow trucks and cement trucks, for example — but oddly enough, there has never been a pickup truck 100% purposely-built for farmers and ranchers, until now.

Certified Agriculture Dealerships (CAD) has teamed up with Fox Factory Performance Vehicles to create AGwagon pickup truck aftermarket kits. The kits convert off-the-factory-line trucks into rugged and tough, back 40 devouring, farm equipment hauling beasts.

Before the AGwagon, most farmers upgraded and ruggedized trucks with cash out-of-pocket. That can get expensive. Original equipment manufacturer-installed front ends, for example, are not built to withstand the pounding that driving fields and hauling equipment and other heavy loads everyday places on a pickup. Many farmers end up replacing a farm truck’s worn out front end every other year or so, according to CAD reps.

AGwagon offers Ultra HD front bumper with winch mount and grille protection, along with premium fog lights and a front bumper light cannon upgrade.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Now, farmers can finance and order a purposely built AGwagon through CAD’s 200-plus dealer network, and it shows up ready to take an absolute pounding from day one, from the beefed up front end to the ultra-heavy-duty back bumper.

There are several pre-configured options and features to choose from, starting at $30,000 for a basic tier of upgrades and topping out at around $50,000 for the top-of-the-line package. Farmers can also order ala carte to pick and choose the features that best fit their intended use.

The kits are brand agnostic (it just needs to be a new domestic truck and over half a ton) and assembled in the USA at Fox Factories’ Trussville, Ala., plant.

The AGwagon kits were built off feedback from a panel of 14 farmers and ranchers. The features that made the final cut are mainly centered around making trucks more durable and rugged, as well as adding in high performance and comfort features. Notably, there is an option to install a ruggedized Starlink Internet terminal on top of the cab for on-the-go connectivity, and there is an integrated two-way radio system available.

“What CAD and Fox Factory were able to do with AGwagon is what I personally don’t see enough of in the ag sector, and that is going to the farmers first, and to the ranchers first, and finding out from them what they need for a pickup truck to be more functional,” says farmer Jeff O’Connor.

O’Connor raises soybeans in northeast Illinois (Kankakee to be exact) and he participated in the farmer panel. Having reviewed the first AGwagon prototype, O’Connor likes the stepped-up durability, internet connectivity and LED lighting add-ons that will help farmers working long days.

“I’ve still got a 79-year-old dad — who’s soon to be 80 — helping me,” O’Connor states. “I’m upgrading lights in our shed just so it has better lighting for safety. You hate to lose skilled labor because they can’t see where their feet are going. So I am glad to see they really made [lighting] a major, major part of the truck and its ability to serve the operator.”

CAD hosted an unveiling of its prototype model, built onto a Ford Super Duty pickup, in Columbus, Ohio, last week. Speaking to reporters, CEO Pat Driscoll highlighted how the company worked alongside farmers to bring their feedback to life.

“They said ‘give me a heavy-duty front end that will hold up for years’, and that’s what we have here,” he says. “Easy bed access was also at the top of the list. That’s why you see the fold-away steps on the side, because none of us are getting younger and we need a little help. One of the other things they wanted was high intensity, 360-degree LED lighting because work doesn’t stop when it’s dark. This truck gives you 360-degrees of LED lighting for as long as you need it.”

For those curious, the AGwagon name was picked because the truck “captures the defining characteristics of the original AGwagon aerial application plane — reliability, longevity and capability,” Driscoll says.

Special financing is available, and all AGwagons include a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty on all installed components. Learn more about the AGwagon’s features and multiple upgrade packages at agwagon.com .

The AGwagon will only be available from Certified Agriculture Dealerships. To locate your nearest CAD, head over to AgTruckTrader.com .

Your Next Read: Purdue Study Shows Grain Entrapments Decrease By 35% Since 2022

Gripp Garners Top Honor at Top Producer Summit 2024

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 21:18:00 GMT

Farm Journal’s Smart Farming Week is an annual week-long emphasis on innovation in agriculture. The goal is to encourage you to explore and prioritize the technology, tools and practices that will help you farm smarter. Innovation today ensures an efficient, productive and sustainable tomorrow.

Gripp.ag was selected as the “Farmer’s Choice Award” by audience vote at the 2024 Top Producer Summit in February. Clearly, farmers saw value in having all their machine maintenance and operator feedback information digitized and accessible to stakeholders in an easy-to-use mobile app.

“We’re very honored to win the Farmer’s Choice Award with so many great AgLaunch companies, it really validates Gripp’s approach to be selected for this award by such a high caliber audience,” Wiedmeyer says. “Our core mission is resonating with farmers of all shapes and sizes.”

Wiedmeyer himself found value in the networking aspects at Top Producer Summit, noting the impressive makeup of attendees and exhibitors.

“There was a level of quiet sophistication that was refreshing to see, which is a real testament to the Top Producer event and its ability to draw some of the most down to earth, elite farmers in the country,” he adds.

Currently, the startup’s digital product is being deployed to farms across the country.

“We have an aggressive set of capabilities coming in March and April based on farmer input, so the struggles of manual record keeping and tracking bottlenecks left to one person on the farm are a thing of the past this upcoming season,” Wiedmeyer says, noting the release of new pricing tiers for small farms and the startup’s recent decision to remove the long-term upfront commitment for farmers who want to try out the system.

What is Gripp.ag?

Gripp.ag is an AgLaunch 2024 startup that is on a mission to digitize and streamline equipment and asset tracking needs for farmers. Founded by Tracey Wiedmeyer, the group hopes to accomplish its mission via its mobile-optimized, digital interface and integrated QR code technology.

Gripp was incubated out of Purdue University’s DIAL Ventures, which works to connect entrepreneurs to the leading challenges across agriculture’s constantly evolving landscape.

“Tracking farm equipment historically has been focused on the maintenance of ‘things on tires’, but we’ve widened our sights to virtually anything that a farm operator relies on to be successful,” Wiedmeyer tells Farm Journal. “The options for today’s farmers range from costly and complex software that wasn’t built for ag, or more commonly, relying on unreliable memory, shop whiteboards, and, on a good day, paper forms, notebooks, sticky notes, and sharpies.”

To learn more head over to Gripp.ag.

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Step Away From The Notepad! Gripp Launches Digital Equipment Management App

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John Phipps: The Surprising Outcome of the Slow Switch to Electric Vehicles and Equipment

Fri, 26 May 2023 13:19:15 GMT

As the tiny number of electric cars trickle out into the U.S. fleet, multiple attempts have been made to compare cost of ownership and more specifically cost of maintenance for these new machines. It’s hard to put much stock in these estimates – the number of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is small, these are the earliest technology, and a couple of years is too short to approximate a car’s lifetime expenses.

Luckily, we do have an entire country to act as a pilot plant for this experiment – Norway. Last year 80% of all car sales in Norway were BEVs. Norway is about the size of California with only 5.5 million people, so the government has been working hard to install charging stations to ease range anxiety.

The trickiest problem has been high-density housing like apartments where parking is already a premium, let alone parking with a charger. Gas stations like Circle K are adding high speed chargers and lucrative additional dining areas for people waiting.

Early reports are some consumer confusion on how to operate the charging kiosks, not unlike the introduction of self-serve gas pumps or self-checkout at stores. Coffee and snack sales are way up though. Their power grid shows little sign of strain as most BEV owners charge at night, prompted by cheaper electricity.

To my surprise even heavy construction machinery is beginning to be introduced, mostly for urban areas where regulations are strictest.

Even with a relatively small proportion of BEVs in their fleet, there are already some obvious, but largely unanticipated outcomes.

City residents quickly noticed the difference in air quality and most notably, noise. EVs will likely have their biggest impact in large cities.
There haven’t been mass mechanic layoffs.
Whether that continues to be the case is unknown since internal combustion engines (ICE) repair demand cannot be compared fairly to new BEVs yet.

The biggest change has been for car dealers, as empty showrooms have far fewer ICE vehicles clearly because they won’t be sold after 2025. The switch has upended the car sales rankings with Tesla, Volkswagen and now relatively inexpensive Chinese brands replacing traditional manufacturers.

Thanks to places like Norway and China, a lot of arguments about comparative advantages between the two technologies will soon be grounded in real-world data.

Dead Noise: AM Radio Could Soon Be Phased Out of All Vehicles

Wed, 10 May 2023 21:35:06 GMT

Do you listen to AM radio? Curtis LeGeyt, National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) CEO, says AM radio reaches 47 million people each week. But there’s speculation it could be phased out for the sake of electric vehicles.

Electric vehicles generate a higher level of electromagnetic interference than gas-powered cars, which automakers say can:

• Disrupt AM reception
• Cause static
• Create a high-frequency hum

With these issues in mind, NAB reports Ford, Tesla, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Volvo and Volkswagen have chosen to remove the AM option from their electric lineup, along with some gas-powered vehicles, in coming years.

FM radio will remain intact, however, as the frequency is not as easily disrupted.

Joe Gill, National Association of Farm Broadcasters president, isn’t on board with the move. He says AM removal poses a threat to public safety due to emergency broadcasts on the frequency.

“I know the argument will be that if you have an app, you can listen online, but not everybody has reliable internet access today,” Gill says. “This would result in a lot of limitations, and we have to give listeners and citizens a choice.”

Government Concerns in Removing AM Radio

Gill isn’t alone in this thinking. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., penned a letter to 40 automotive industry stakeholders in December, outlining his hope for car companies to continue offering free access to broadcast radio for public safety.

Markey’s comments were backed by former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrators who reached out to Pete Buttigieg, transportation secretary, underscoring the safety needs in AM radio.

“AM radio is an indispensable source of information for more than three million farmers in the U.S.,” says Nathan Simington of the Federal Communications Commission. “To those who say AM is a dead technology, 75% of farmers listen to the radio five days per week.”

Despite concern, legislation backing the concept has not been proposed.

Tougher EPA Emission Rules for Trucks

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 14:50:52 GMT

EPA as expected on Tuesday released final tailpipe emission rules for trucks, which some health and environmental groups say don’t go far enough to be adequately protective. The final rules for nitrogen oxide emissions are 80% more stringent than current standards, which haven’t been updated for more than 20 years, according to an EPA press release. This action begins reductions by model year 2027 and is the first of three in the agency’s Clean Trucks Plan. The next action is projected for March 2023, according to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, speaking at a Tuesday press conference.

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The County Fair, Cattle Mutilators and Ode to de Pickup Truck

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 04:14:24 GMT

The county fair meant a lot to me as a kid. The 4-H tours before the fair and all the water fights were the highlight of summer and before I got into high school sports, the county fair was the highlight of the year. We showed sheep and cattle, built floats, checked out the girls from the rest of the county, occasionally slept under the bleachers and shut off the water to the carnival trailers in the morning.

Oh to be a kid again! Did I mention the water fights? I think that was the only reason you washed steers at fair, was to get the water hose. Later I did enjoy watching my sons show sheep at the fair and I pulled their floats in the parade with my “1-ton dually.”

Speaking of trucks, which tends to be what I do, I was thinking about all the things I did with my trucks over the years. In the country, everywhere you go there is a string of trucks, side by side with gun racks in the back window. My gun rack was mostly for the extra coats, hats and maybe a fishing rod. In small towns, pickups are lined up at the bar like the horses were tied up outside the saloon in the old days when my grand uncle John Resler was sheriff in Akron. When you go to church, there they are, some of those same trucks.

New quieter trucks that are coming out today are nice. The older I get the more I appreciate the toys like AC and electric windows that I once would have thought “just something more to break down.” Of course you have to decorate your truck, fancy mudflaps, headache rack, fog lights, (what fog?) After I dropped a few large round bales and salt blocks in the truck bed, I’d have an excuse to get a steel flat bed. The extra weight of the flatbed did make the truck ride better empty. Now it’s hard to believe how well the heavy-duty trucks ride, just like a car.

I think I counted 17 trucks that I’ve enjoyed so far. Some of them I put over 300,000 miles on and could put a starter, u-joints or an alternator on them with my eyes closed. My trucks have hauled horses, cows, sheep, pigs, hay, wool, manure, couches, (but not at the same time), firewood, welders, torches, tools, even pulled my backhoe with the front wheels off the ground and the bucket chained to a D-ring over the gooseneck ball. Yeah my trucks didn’t owe me anything when I was done with them. I hauled 3000#'s on the ½ tons, 5000#'s on the ¾ tons and 10,000#'s on the 1-ton. Some of them retired when I striped them down and sold them by the pound.

In high school I use to back my dad’s truck in the ditch to load my quarter horse into the stock racks to sort yearlings and cow calf pairs before and after school for $3 an hour. The pickup I learned to drive first was dad’s 53 Ford ¾ ton. I learned to do those famous “Jack Rabbit starts” as dad would call them. I enjoyed immensely when my boys started to drive. They would help me fix fence with the dually. It took both of them to push in the clutch to start it. I would wave to them from down the fence line to bring up the truck and I would see their little heads bobbing up and down above the steering wheel when they struggled to push in the clutch. Later on my boys would follow me in the truck when I moved the tractor and baler to a different field. They didn’t always remember to turn the corner or make it up the hill so I would get to go back and rescue my young drivers from the ditch.

Putting up hay at all hours of the day and night meant I lived in my truck a lot of the time. This was back in the seventies and eighties. The hay would have a little too much humidity (dew) on the windrows after midnight so I would sleep a couple of hours in my truck and wait for dryer air to arrive. One of these adventures was north of Akron Colorado. If any of you remember the cattle mutilations that happened back then, there was a lot of nervous sheriffs running around chasing helicopters and space ships or looking for dead cows that were cut up mysteriously.

Well anyway I was sleeping in my truck north of Akron and half asleep I started remembering the latest news in the paper, which was a cattle mutilation north of Akron actually across the fence from where I was parked. You know how your mind works, I started worrying about those darn space ships that could be hovering around looking for a cow to cut up and before you know it my head was bobbing up and down peeking out each window in the moonlight trying to spot the invasion from the X-files. Of course my gun rack only had coats and hats on it. So I finally found a ball-pin hammer under the seat. With the doors locked and my trusty hammer I’m ready for those cattle mutilating aliens should they decide to park their spaceship near my baler! But they never came, it was a big hammer! So I jumped on the tractor, it had to be dry enough to bale by now.

I smoked a few cigars in my truck, chased a few coyotes, jumped snow banks, fixed fence, ran over rattlesnakes, and even went on a few dates in my trucks. I remember when they first put those wonderful catalytic converters on trucks, which caused more than one wheat stubble fire. I remember when the “white gas” unleaded gas came to trucks, which started the heavy ½ ton trucks and GM Gentleman Jims and Bo James and the Dodge “Little Red Truck”, Ford had full-size trucks called Rangers and Explorers back then.

I’ve been in several blizzards in trucks, hail storms, and watched tornadoes there. I miss my one-ton, which had a flatbed, vise, fuel tanks, welder, torch, generator, toolboxes and more. I’ve changed my share of flat tires in the dark and rain on trucks; of course the easy spare tire mounts came this decade when I rarely have a flat any more with radials. It was a county pickup truck that I raced from Anton to Akron when I got the call that my dad had passed away. My dad only had one new truck his whole life, but trucks can last a long time.

And you know what? MrTruck is now without a truck in Denver, that’s just not natural. When I get a truck I like, being a salesman I end up finding someone you wants my truck more than me. Well it’s time to start looking for another friend maybe a Dodge, they have a new ½ ton this fall or maybe a Ford, they could use the money, or maybe a...

Written by Kent Sundling, aka Mr. Truck

Mobile Meetings

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 04:14:24 GMT

Starting in January in 2010, Precision Planting launched a new way for the company to reach farmers. With a custom-built 53' trailer, they hit the road with the Planter Technology Institute.

The mobile unit coverts into a classroom for up to 60 farmers. The presentations include information about the company’s products as well as planter setup, metering systems, monitoring systems, row spacing, and variable-rate technology.

“We at Precision Planting are passionate that it starts with the planter,” says Gregg Sauder founder and owner of Precision Planting. “We’re focused on what it’s going to take to get a high ear count.”

Hear more:

The three-hour presentation is given twice a day at each stop. With three stops a week, the company plans to canvass farm country. From Wisconsin to North Carolina, the road show has a goal to reach 10,000 farmers in a year.

“This is something my wife, Cindy, and I have talked about for years,” Sauder says. “We typically have 2,000 farmers come to our summer meetings in Tremont, Ill. and this is a way for us to travel to the farmer instead of them traveling to us.”

Inside the trailer four rows of tiered seating make up a classroom that measures 40' x 22'. A 26' high-definition screen displays a multimedia presentation

“This is a self-contained classroom that we can climate control,” Sauder explains. “We’ve been in 18 degrees below on this tour.”

A rotating display in one corner features a demo planter row unit on one side with another row unit on the other side outfitted with the company’s products. Opposite of the vertical turntable display is a 4-row modified planter set up to illustrate live seed metering and planter displays.

The multimedia mix in the presentation allows for live demonstrations to be shown across the screen. The trailer is also equipped with wireless internet so the newest addition to Precision Planting’s product line up, AutoMap, can be displayed to the entire classroom in real-time.

The events are being hosted by Precision Planting dealers and the presentations are given by a rotating set of Precision Planting employees including district sales managers. Attendees are invited by the dealer hosting the event. The first leg of the tour will concluded on April 4. After planting season the tour will resume until harvest approaches.

“For nine months of the year, we hope to be in farmer’s communities talking to them with our local dealer and precision representatives,” Sauder says.

The Stinger Hitch Helper

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 04:14:24 GMT

Heavy Slide-in Campers, Horse Trailers, RV Trailers etc, can test your truck and SUV’s suspension. Truck leaf springs are longer now. SUV’s are mostly rear coil springs now and they need help with trailers. (Picture below is the dual model. Single tire model picture at the end of article.)

I review trucks and trailers for a living. I used the Stinger Hitch Helper in many of my reviews. I don’t own the new truck and trailers I review, so I can’t be adding springs to the trucks or weight distributing hitches to the trailers. This makes Stinger a perfect tool for me. Slides on and off in seconds without tools. Really makes the trucks and trailers handle better with less steering effort because the front axle keeps the right steering weight, my headlights point straight ahead instead of the trees and the trailers are level with even braking to both axles.

Used a Stinger hitch helper on the way back to Colorado from SEMA in Vegas. At one point in Nevada leaving a gas station, I found those dips in the road that sneak up on you. And yes I scraped the tongue jack, which was all the way up. I was thinking “if I just had a wheel on the hitch to prevent this”. And low and behold at SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufactures Association) in the new products section was “Hell-Ya,” Stinger Hitch Helper.

The Featherlite SURV trailer, empty heading to Colorado, like an empty horse trailer LQ, was tongue heavy. I adjusted the Stinger Hitch Helper to one hole above where the tire was touching the ground before hooking to the trailer. Towing the 8000 lb Featherlite SURV, level. The Stinger hitch helper did improve the handling of the trailer without a weight distributing hitch. Stinger did keep the nose heavy trailer from dragging the jack again and some of the wavy pavement between Salida and Green River through Utah, bounced less.

It takes some of the weight off your rear truck axles. Measuring the mudflaps, we were 1 inch higher off the pavement coming home with the Stinger Hitch. Curves in the mountains had less under steer and of course I didn’t bottom out the jack going through gas stations coming back. The Featherlite SURV has a 1250 lb tongue weight when empty, lighter with 4-wheelers in the back. On the “way home” is always a tricky event going back through the Rockies on I-70 in November (snow) over Vail Pass (10,600 ft) and the Eisenhower tunnel with it’s famous 7% grade at around 11,013 ft. Of course I had to be extreme in my testing to prove value, so I overloaded the Stinger with a 1250 lb tongue weight. It was an average of 75 degrees F and I traveled between 65 and 70- mph. The trailer towed better with the Stinger and curves felt safer with less trailer feedback.

Stinger which slides into your receiver hitch, has a 6-ply tire that is spring loaded. The Stinger Hitch Helper single tire is rated for 1000 lbs of tongue weight. Now a new dually model rated at 2000# tongue capacity. There are advantages helping your tow vehicle reduce tongue weight. A level truck or SUV has better steering control especially if you can transfer weight forward. Stinger is well built with the similar components as a receiver hitch and is powder coated. It has height adjustment, easy to hook up and take off. You may need to add a couple of links to the safety chains.

I like to use it too with the SUV’s with rear independent suspension. Even rear coil springs on newer SUV’s can get squirrelly with a trailer. Stinger solves that problem. Hitch Helper is an easy and fast way to stabilize a tongue heavy trailer. Truck manufactures are rating 1/2 ton trucks to what 3/4 tons use to be rated. The rear leaf springs on modern 1/2 tons don’t keep the trucks level when towing near their capacity at 10,000 lbs.

I took a 2006 Logan Coach Rembrandt horse trailer for a spin up to Estes Park next to the Rocky Mountain Park. Scenic winding roads around mountains, was a good test for the Stinger. I had the wheel down helping support some of the tongue weight on the way up and wheel up for no weight on the way back. Yes I could tell the difference. I could take the curves faster using the Stinger Hitch Helper with less steering effort and more control. Stability is a good thing towing trailers, especially in the mountains. Towing was smoother.

I’ve tried Stinger on travel trailers, tested it on horse trailers and will with a slide in camper this spring. This may be the next big thing in towing. Boat trailers should benefit from the Stinger Hitch Helper as for some unknown reason, the majority of boat trailer manufactures especially those using torsion axles, don’t like weight distributing hitches.

Makes no sense to me, not all WDH’s will affect the surge brake coupler system found on most boats. Having some trailer tongue weight on the Stinger spring loaded tire does take some sway from the trailer. I’d like to try the Stinger on some of the expansion joints on the freeways of California, where the bouncing Porpus action of a bumper pull trailer can drive your crazy.

For more info http://www.stingerhitch.com/ 1-877-851-0096

Written by Kent Sundling, aka Mr. Truck.

SUV's can Tow, Too.

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 04:14:24 GMT

The government classifies SUV’s and mini-vans as trucks because they have a flat cargo area. While I refuse to review mini-vans, SUV’s can tow trailers, properly equipped. SUV’s aren’t my first choice as a tow vehicle, but I do understand the economics. Not everyone can afford a truck and a car. a SUV makes sense for handling all the tasks from hauling the kids to hauling the horses.

A popular segment that is declining the last 3 years with higher fuel prices. In many cases folks will end up with just one vehicle and the mid-size to large SUV’s can be capable of handling a conventional trailer. Get the biggest and longest is the short answer. The full-size SUV’s have similar frames to trucks and a lot of them are boxed frames instead of C-frame, so they are strong. But you’ve got to get as much wheelbase as you can find. So to pull a trailer similar to a ½ ton truck, (GM, 1500, Dodge 1500, Ford F150, Toyota Tundra,) you need a SUV with a similar weight to a ½ ton truck.

Always look at the vehicles trailer towing limits from the manufacture. Most factory brochures and manufacture web sites will give you the brake down of weight limits and hitch weight limits according to engine size, transmission, and rear axle ratio.

For the highest trailer capacity, usually a weight-distributing hitch is required with a receiver hitch, at least class 3 or higher. This is different from a weight carrying hitch, which is just a drawbar inserted into the receiver hitch. The weight-distributing hitch attaches to the trailer tongue with adjustments usually with chain links to transfer weight forward to the SUV, putting weight on all the axles.

On shorter wheel based tow vehicles, having some steering weight on the SUV’s front axle, transferred from the trailer with a weight distributing hitch will give you better control and less work on your part. Once again look for factory towing packages with external auto transmission coolers, class 3 or higher receiver hitch, wiring harness and anti-sway stabilizer bars on the axles of the SUV. The newer SUV’s have 4-wheel disc brakes, which can be an advantage slowing down a trailer. And of course you need brakes on the trailer and a brake control in your SUV.

Written by Kent Sundling, aka Mr. Truck

Leader of the Herd

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 04:14:24 GMT

2008 Toyota Tundra shows real strength in the half-ton pickup market

In the 15 years since the T100 rolled out in 1993, Toyota’s big pickup trucks have made huge advancements, making them more and more popular among farmers and ranchers. The T100 morphed into the available V8-powered Tundra in 1999 and set the stage for an even more impressive model, Toyota’s first true full-size truck: the 2007 Tundra. The 2008 model continues to impress as well.

Primarily American-designed and American-assembled, the Toyota Tundra is built with one thing in mind: being a true work truck.

“During early development, our [design and engineering] team spent months interviewing owners of full-size pickups on farms, construction sites and logging camps to find unmet needs and features,” says Yuichiro Oto chief engineer of the new style Tundra and two previous North American vehicles.

With 44 configurations, a maximum towing capacity of up to 10,800 pounds, with an available 381-hp 5.7-liter V8, 6-speed automatic transmission, brakes larger than any competition at 13.9 inches, and enough interior room to offer both reclining and sliding rear seats in one model, the 2008 Tundra has set a solid new standard for competitors to follow and has inspired many farmers to do the unthinkable -- change brands.

That’s not pure hype, either. The 2008 Tundra is the real deal, as we found out while driving a number of the different models hundreds of miles over the interstates and backroads of rural Kentucky.

THREE POWERTRAINS
Toyota offers the pickup with three different engine choices: the 236-hp 4.0-liter V6 (15 city / 19 highway) and the 4.7-liter i-Force V8 (14 city / 17 highway), both carryovers from the previous Tundra, 4Runner, Land Cruiser and Sequoia -- and the 381-hp 5.7-liter i-Force V8 (13 city / 17 highway ratings) backed by a 6-speed automatic transmission (the others have 5-speed transmissions).

But there’s only one real choice if you want pulling power and load-carrying performance: the available aluminum-block 5.7-liter i-Force V8 built at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama.

SPECIAL TOWING PACKAGE
Farmers will find the optional towing package on the 5.7-liter model exceptionally useful. The lower gearing and gear splits in the 6-speed automatic transmission help develop a ton of low-end torque and keeps shifts crisp while maintaining acceptable fuel economy ratings (13 city / 17 highway).

And those getting the 2008 Tundra with the towing package will find the tow/haul mode invaluable. It holds gears when accelerating or decelerating, which is great for trailering horses and livestock or hauling hay trailers.

The towing package also incorporates what Toyota calls “shift logic,” in which the onboard computer system provides rapid accelerator release when it senses sudden hard braking.

STRONG BACKBONE
The Tundra is built tough. Not only is the 2007 Tundra ten inches longer, nearly five inches taller and four full inches wider than the Tundra it replaced, it has one of the toughest chassis and suspensions around.

With development and engineering support from Hino Motors Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc., Toyota’s heavy-truck affiliate, U.S. engineers and designers at Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America in Ann Arbor, Michigan, worked to make the new Tundra ideally suited for enduring the rigorous demands placed on pickups by those who work and recreate outdoors in America’s heartland.

The reinforced, high-tensile steel chassis sets the stage for the entire truck. The frame is tough, built with a heavy gauge steel in a composite design made up of a fully boxed front half, open C-channel under the bed and special reinforced C-channel under the cab.

Engineers also took special interest in making sure the suspension mounts were rigid enough to maximize every centimeter of performance from an all-new suspension, be it heavily laden or running empty.

In fact, the design of the rear-leaf springs and independent coil-over-shock front suspension on the new Tundra allows it to remain at a level ride height even while carrying or towing the maximum load for that particular model.

And when loaded, they don’t ride overly soft, providing a real sense of confidence behind the wheel.

“From bumper to bumper, under the hood and from the inside out, the new Tundra is a true American truck that has set a new benchmark in the full-size truck segment,” says Jim Lentz, TMS executive vice president.

“It will be aimed at the ‘true trucker,’ the true opinion leaders among full-size owners. True truckers are highly credible because they use, punish and demand the most out of the pickups they buy.”

After spending a lot of seat time in both 2- and 4-wheel-drive Tundras, his comments are on the mark.

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Inspecting the Truck: Get Help and a Creeper

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 04:14:24 GMT

Just like back in 4-H and FFA, you want to learn how to separate the Grand Champion Bull from the bum steer that someone is steering you toward when looking for your best-used truck!

This is the report that requires work. You are in charge. You’re the customer. Find out the facts about the trucks that are important to you. Where I sold trucks last, if the customer had doubts about the condition of a used truck, I would drive it in the shop where there was room and get a creeper for the customer to roll under the truck and look for oil leaks and old mud caked in the frame from extreme off road use. Some used vehicles tour auctions from around the country and come from the last hurricane, tornado or flood area. It’s a smart thing to wonder about a truck that has sand and mud stuck to the starter and where do you suppose the seaweed wrapped around the U-joint came from?

When I was an auto broker with AAA Auto Club, some of the members we helped buy vehicles for, would bring along a mobile mechanic to check out a used vehicle. That’s a good idea, or take the used truck that you’ve narrowed down, to a trusted mechanic. The mechanic will have list of checks to know if the truck’s drive train is sound along the engines computers and sensors. If you are an AAA member, they have a great service to certify mechanics that you can trust.

Now get your creeper, flashlight, notepad and oil rag to have some fun on test-drives. And take long test-drives. Forget the short route with only right-hand turns that your salesperson was taught to take you on. It’s your money, your time and your fun!

Shake rattle and role. Does the truck vibrate excessively at idle? Does it shimmy at highway speeds? Does it need just tire balancing or bigger parts? Oil slicks, I thought the oil went INSIDE the engine. Is oil dripping from the transmission, engine, differential, power steering, transfer case etc.? Are those same components wet with oil? Any thing else leaking, gas, antifreeze, brake fluid? Any smoke from the exhaust? Is it black, blue or white? Any holes in the bed? Are they from toolboxes or a trailer hitch?
You can get the TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) on the truck you’re looking at. It will show the recalls and what modifications are sent to dealer service departments to fix known problems. Not all of it may pertain to your truck.
Do a CarFax report on the truck. Some dealers are doing this now for you. You’ll want to know if the truck has a clean title or salvage title. Also take the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number usually on the left base of the windshield) to a dealer for the brand of truck you are looking at and have the service department check the history with the brands national database. Then you will know if there are any open recalls or known problems. And they can tell you if there is any remaining factory warranty left. Don’t assume if the truck has less than 36,000 miles that there is warranty left. Some factory buy-back lemons go to auction and back to a car lot with low miles and no warranty.
Find out the rear axle ratio. Most trucks will have the axle code in the driver doorframe or in the inside of the glove box door. There is usually a tag on one of the differential bolts with the ratio info on it, (another reason for bringing your own creeper.) When in doubt get the service department to help you decode it. 3.55 rear axle ratio will pull smaller trailers with a ½ ton. 3.73 is better for medium loads and 4.10 does best for your biggest loads. 3.73-axle ratio is the only way the GM Duramax diesel comes. With Ford you have to go to a F350 dually to get the 4.10 option. 3.73 was standard, 3.55 is standard starting in 2008. Dodge diesels can have 3.55 or 4.10 in 2002 and older, 3.73 or 4.10 in the 2003-2006 model. 2007 plus, has an optional 3.55 axle ratio.
Look under the surprisingly new bedliner to see what the bed floor really looks like. A lot of the time the new bedliner is there to hide the holes from the gooseneck hitch. I don’t worry if a truck has a rear receiver hitch especially if it was part of a factory tow package. But a hole or holes in the bed where a fifth wheel or ball was attached might be a truck to avoid unless it’s exceptional in every other way. There is no way of knowing how big a trailer was pulled with the truck. Most of the folks I know, who pull trailers, usually pull a little too heavy. If the truck pulled a trailer that was thousands of pounds over the capacity, (like I would) it can strain the drive train and give you premature transmission, clutch, U-joint and axle replacement.
If you’re looking at an automatic transmission, be sure to look for an external tranny cooler. No I’m not talking about the lines that go through the radiator, but a separate cooler in front of the radiator. If you are sure the truck didn’t pull a trailer in a previous life, then you can add an external tranny cooler if the rest of the truck checks out.
You’ve been told this for years, but it’s still true. Sell your trade yourself for the most money. And it’s easier to know where you are in the deal if you’re just working with the numbers on one truck, not a truck and a trade-in.
If the VIN checks out and the service records show the truck is clean, bring your creeper and roll underneath and look for abnormalities in the frame and look for evidence of being used off-road a lot. You know, the caked in clay inside the frame channel and bent steel brake lines and rusted shocks. Make sure the differentials, transfer case, engine and transmission aren’t leaking. If you have remaining bumper to bumper factory warranty, what you find will be fixed, but if there are a lot of things wrong it will cost you too much time. Check the gaskets around the driver door, the threshold and the carpet to see if the wear matches the miles on the odometer. Check the paint for over spray by the door hinges, hood hinges and where the fenders meet the liner. Try each gear including reverse with the brake on to see how fast it engages each gear and how much play, (roll) it has. If it moves too much before you fill the axle move, you could have wear in the pinion gear or u-joints. If you hear too much noise in the tranny when you engage, then there is another problem. Once again if the truck has factory warranty, all these things can be fixed and you have peace of mind, I just don’t want to see you with chronic problems. The mechanic can check how the tranny engages. And the normal stuff, seeing what comes out of the exhaust, water, oil or carbon monoxide. Checkout the 4x4, if a shift on the fly, engage the button or dial, put in 4x4 hi with the hubs in auto or lock and do the circle to see if it hops. This is what you want. Then stop the truck and put in 4x4 lo and drive slower in a circle. And if manual 4x4 do the same with the floor lever and the hubs engaged. The mechanic will have list of checks to know if the truck drive train is sound and checking computers and sensors. Some trucks have solid hubs, so they are always on and you just engage the transfer case with a lever or switch.
Newer trucks with diesels will have 5 year or 100,000 mile warranty from the factory when new, so as I stated above, have the VIN checked with the same brand service department to see if there is any warranty left. On a diesel it’s important to have the mechanic check the radiator fluid and maybe have it tested for metal and oil. And the other side, check the oil and see if any water in it. With diesels it’s important the radiator fluid had a conditioner added at the right service interval. If the radiator fluid gets bad it can pit the sleeves and water jacket called cavitation.
One way to look at buying a truck new or used is your future needs. Find the salesperson and dealership you trust and build a relationship. There are some good ones out there. The month I got out of the business, my oldest son rolled his truck and we had to go truck shopping. I had forgotten how hard it was. We started out going dealer to dealer, reading the paper, looking on the Internet and I just tagged along as dumb ole dad playing with my granddaughter. After my son and daughter-in-law got tired of the search and after changing their mind several times on which vehicle would work for them, they felt like most folks car shopping, frustrated! I got on the cell phone and called one of the veteran salespeople I bought from and trusted as an auto broker. I told him what they wanted and then we went and picked it up. Of course I have the advantage, knowing the dealer cost of vehicles and who to trust. But the point I was trying to make to my kids was, you’re going to buy a lot of vehicles over your lifetime. Find the salesperson and dealer you trust and build a relationship and send them your friends. You still need to do price research to keep everyone honest, but in the same areas of the country used and especially new, cost all the dealers very close to the same. I would think a positive relationship with a salesperson and dealer you trust would take some of the stress out of something you will do over and over again.

A Better Way To Balance Heavy Walled Truck Tires

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 04:14:24 GMT

Heavy walled truck tires are just hard to keep balanced. The weights fly off after a while. Some are glued on some pressed on the bead, but it’s a continuing problem. Centramatic automatic balancers have been around close to 30 years. You’ll see them on UPS trucks, Hummers in the military and thousands of over the road trucks. Centramatic has sold some in to Mexico used on the drive shaft for the hammers on flour mills. And a few farmers have bought them to balance the main drives on combines.
It’s simple how they work. The center disc slides over the studs between the wheel and hub. The outside ring has stainless steel bb’s in synthetic fluid. As the tires roll and get above 15 mph, the bb’s go in orbit and settle where the imbalance is. In a strobe light demonstration you can see the bb’s in clusters where extra weight is needed to balance the wheel. A balanced tire can be 10 degrees cooler on the side wall because of less flexing. Cooler tires wear off less rubber than hot tires, giving you 25 to 50 % longer tire life. That adds up to quite a savings if you have 6 to 18 tires. And Centramatic’s can prevent cupping on your steer tires.

The test truck was a 1997 Ford F250 crew cab diesel. With diesels being so popular in the 3/4 ton trucks and larger, the extra weight from a diesel engine keeps your front tires working. The tires had 10,424 miles on them. And as most of these 10 ply E rated 16 inch tires do after a few miles, you can feel the vibration in the steering wheel and notice the extra effort it takes to steer through the gravel ribbons in the road. And that’s how this truck felt with 10,000 miles on the tires. We added the Centramatic balancers and you guessed it, the vibrations gone and it steered better. That vibration at the steering wheel does get irritating doesn’t it?

Beside reducing your tire heat and increasing tire life, according to Centramatic, the design also helps reduce brake heat and brake dust that transfers to the tires and wheels. These “On Board” balancers will keep your tires balanced automatically as your drive on your truck and trailer. It’s hard to keep a tire balanced on the rough roads that a lot of trucks live on. So just after a few months of driving, your tires don’t fill new anymore.

Pot holes, gravel ruts and washboards constantly beat on your tires. The heavy duty tires on your trucks and trailers have a deep thick sidewall that takes the first impact from the road surface. These thick tires are dramatically harder to keep balanced than a car tire considering the weight they carry and abuse dished out. I know several folks who just gave up trying to keep the trailer tires balanced. Just a hand full of trailer manufactures balance tires on new trailers. I guess the horses and boats don’t complain much in the trailer. But trailer tires will last longer if you keep them balanced. Having your tires automatically balance as your drive makes economic sense and a balanced tire could increase fuel economy.

How long do you think those lead weights will keep that heavy 10 ply tire bouncing down those ruts and pot holes in balance? Come on guess! Centramatic has been in business in Ft. Worth since 1985 and holds over 10 patents in balancers. They come with a 5-year unlimited mile warranty, and they offer a no-risk money back guarantee. These balancer discs will also protect your tires from brake dust and brake heat. Whether you are driving highways or those rough gravel roads. You will be able to tell the difference in handling and driving fatigue.

For more info go to www.Centramatic.com

The 2008-09 Dodge Durango

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 04:14:20 GMT

I use to start a SUV review with horsepower and torque for towing, but now I need to open with EPA Fuel Economy Estimates of 13 mpg city and 18 mpg highway for the 2008 Dodge Durango. I drove the Durango Adventurer 4x4 for a week on the plains, in the Rockies and towed a two horse trailer. The Hemi with Multi Displacement had plenty of power. Rear backup camera is handy for the trailer and the remote start is an excellent option for the winter in Colorado. The Durango is a nice size with three rows of seats for 8 passengers, enough power for a three horse trailer, but I would use a weight distributing hitch.

Dodge has announced details for the 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI® Hybrids as it’s first.

Chrysler and Dodge SUVs boast 40 percent fuel economy improvement in city
25 percent overall fuel economy improvement
2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid starts at $45,340
Customers to receive estimated tax credit of $1,800
Rated for towing 6,000 lbs. with an electrically variable transmission, featuring characteristics of an automatic transmission and two mode hybrid drive.

The Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid is coupled with the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine. Total output, when combined with the advanced two-mode hybrid system, is 385 horsepower and 380 lb.-ft. of torque. In hybrid form, the HEMI continues to have fuel-saving MDS technology, which allows the engine to alternate between four-cylinder mode when less power is needed and V-8 mode when you want more power. The two-mode system provides assistance from electric motors, allowing the HEMI V-8 to remain in four-cylinder mode more often than without a hybrid powertrain, improving overall fuel economy.

Dodge Durango rides on a hydroformed frame with an independent front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering. Dodge Durango’s rear suspension has coil springs and a solid rear axle with a Watt’s 4-link system.

Other safety and security features include standard Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Program with Electronic Roll Mitigation and Trailer Sway Control, side-curtain air bags for all three rows, ParkSense® Rear Park Assist System, Tire Pressure Monitoring system, Sentry Key® engine immobilizer, and ParkView™ Rear Back-up Camera System.

Built at the Newark Assembly Plant in Delaware, the new 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid will go on sale this August.

Author H. Kent Sundling writes for AgWeb.com via a special agreement with MrTruck.com.

Need A Welder For Your Farm Truck? Check Out This One.

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 04:14:20 GMT

On my flatbed one ton farm truck, I have it loaded with an air compressor, generator, torch, fuel tank, vice and all the tool boxes that would fit. But I didn’t have a welder. GOWELD has wire feed that runs off your diesel trucks batteries and fits in it’s own tool box.

We welded on a horse trailer on the side of the road to test GOWELD. It worked better with 100% argon gas verses the 25% we tried first. We did break the wire a few times while we got the settings dialed in. We used separate batteries, but you could use the batteries in your truck. You just need to disconnect the truck cables and attach cables to GOWELD in series not parallel. Comes with several tips.

A very versatile welder. Welds weld metal up to 1/2 inch thick with 2 batteries or 1 inch with 3 batteries. Lights on the side of the hand held unit tells you if the batteries are hooked up right or low on power, green for charged and red for low charge. Deep cycle batteries will give you the longest weld time. Which can be 20 minutes between battery charges. Duty Cycle is 50%. We welded aluminum, but GOWELD will work with steel, stainless and hardfacing, reverse or straight polarity. The handle holds a 2 lb spool of wire to handle .023 to .045 diameter size. Priced like a typical shop welder. Welds well.

The military has GOWELD and plasma cutters in many of their Humvees, tanks and armored personal carriers. GOWELD is very portable, the wire spool is in the handle. Just clamp the cables to your trucks batteries, run the hose to a tank of Argon gas or use coated wire and you’re ready to weld anywhere. You can even buy a adapter to plug the GOWELD into 110 volt and use it in your shop or garage. Imagine what it would cost to have your broke down trailer towed to a welding shop and pay whatever they charge. Or welding farm machinery in the field. GOWELD could be a valuable tool to a horse trailer dealer, farmer and rancher. I use to use a welding truck when working on irrigation sprinklers or welding feed bunk railing, this could save some money on repairs, just toss the case in your pickup truck.

The GOWELD is a nice, compact unit. The lid opens for loading wire. It’s all in the gun, the chassis has the motor, drive assembly, trigger, micro switch, gas valve, circuit board and wire spool, large knobs for voltage and the wire speed ranges from 50-1000 ipm.

For more info go to www.GOWELD.com

Author H. Kent Sundling writes for AgWeb.com via a special agreement with MrTruck.com.

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