Driving tractor 20 miles on road

[Robert_in_NY]

A lot of people on here keep saying to worry about the cars behind you. I disagree unless you are on a road that doesn't have any passing spots. A tractor going 10-20 miles per hour can be passed rather easily. I have had police pass me in no passing zones also. The only vehicles I pull over for are tractor trailers since most of my equipment is 10-12' wide it makes pulling over often rather difficult. If I am just running a tractor I stay on the shoulder of Rt 20 which is wide enough for me to be completely off the road. If I am on the side roads then there is plenty of room for people to pass me.

Now I will tell you why I refuse to pull over for cars. When I first started running the roads a lot I would try and pull over for all the cars when I had a chance. But after you pull over and run your equipment down the rough shoulder trying to avoid tearing up your equipment and peoples property and then the car behind you is too scared to go around you, you kind of lose interest in them. So now I just stay in my lane and if someone wants to follow me then so be it. I do not worry about them anymore. But tractor trailers are a different story since it is harder for them to pass so I will pull over for them.

And people are going to flip you the bird if you pull over or not so don't worry about it. Just smile and wave

 

[RoyJackson]

You guys are worrying too much how to fix or replace the tractor, not the safety aspect of this trip.

 

[toolaholic]

Once in a while I move My 16,000 BHL about 10 miles. When someone warms My neck ,I reach back and snap their windshield wiper with My bucket!

 

[Robert_in_NY]

You guys are worrying too much how to fix or replace the tractor, not the safety aspect of this trip.

Anytime you are on a road with any thing you have to worry about the safety aspect. Putting the tractor on a trailer doesn't remove the risk, if anything it might increase it depending on how well it is secured and how well the trailer and truck are maintained and if they are suited to handle the load.

 

[JSharp]

As long this post is, he could have been there several times already. Just drive it. Flashers on and enjoy.

Exactly.

Doesn't anyone here live in an area where there they have agriculture? Around here in the spring and fall the rural roads are filled with tractors. Add to that combines and catch carts in the fall, plus dozens of tractors and trucks pulling wagons to the elevators.

And it's not small equipment in this area. No one raises an eyebrow about any of this...

 

[porky69]

When I used to custom harvest the crew I worked for would road 10 or 12 of our combines (we ran up to 28) from Byers, Colorado (east of Denver) to North of Fort Benton, Montana (NE of Great Falls)- approx 850 miles- every summer to get to our next stop. We would put Over Size Load Signs ,Slow Moving Vehicle Signs ad put beacons on and have an escort vehicle at the front and rear of the convoy. Talk about a sight to see.

We never had any mechanical failures of the combines.

We had it figured to be cheaper to drive half of the combines and haul the rest (we had trailers to haul a total of 6 per round trip) than buy enough trailers to haul everything at once plus if we started roading at the same time we loaded the first batch the last hauled combine arrived at the same time as the last roaded unit- give or take a few hours.

 

[AndyMA]

The only 2 states I know for sure about are Mass and Conn. In Mass you can't even cross the road whether you are a farmer or not unless the tractor is registered, inspected, insured and you are a registered driver. In Conn for true farms (not hobby farms) none of the above is required.

Andy

 

[EddieWalker]

Something that nobody else is mentioning is what it's like to drive a tractor out on the road. This is only for open cab tractors, but it's terrible being out there. Every car that passes you will kick up small sandlike debri at least. It's like being sandblasted when they drive by. On busy roads, it's non stop.

The few times I've done it, I wore sunglasses, gloves, a hat and wished for a face mask!!!! If your roads are so clean that you don't need these things, great, take them off, but if you don't have them, your will suffer.

Otherwise, go for it. It's not very dificult and if you pay attention, it will be pretty simple.

Eddie

 

[Rara Avis]

Eddie...this is going to occur in Vermont...The Green Mountain State...we keep our roads nice and clean...

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Eddie...this is going to occur in Vermont...The Green Mountain State...we keep our roads nice and clean...

The roads in NY are fairly clean also. I wear glasses anytime I am on the road because there is always stray particles of dust as well as bugs flying around. But even when tractor trailers pass me doing 60mph I don't experience Eddies situation. The only thing I can think of is we get more rain up here to keep the roads cleaner then Texas does.

Now when the town just stones a road then it is a different story. But most of the stones hitting me then are coming from my own front wheels