With farmers across Scotland in the midst of this year’s harvest, arable farmer Jamie
Smart discusses what farmers and contractors need to know when loading and transporting hay and straw bales on the roads. Emily Smith writes
As well as managing his own farm in Linlithgow, Jamie Smart works as the transport advisor for NFU Scotland’s Agriculture Vehicle and Transportation helpline. He also helps to run the Union’s transport road shows in conjunction with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and Police Scotland in order to raise awareness of what farmers should and should not be doing when using agricultural vehicles on the roads.
Jamie said: “I think we as farmers sometimes forget we are sharing these roads with the public and we need to abide by the rules.
“These rules apply whether you are going 100 yards or 100 miles down the road. The basics apply to everything.”
While the basics apply to all loads of bales being transported, the following rules and regulations Jamie discusses are more specific to tractors travelling at 25mph or less.
Basic checks of tractor and trailer
Jamie notes that first step farmers must take before transporting bales is to carry out a walk around their vehicle and trailer, ensuring that both are in a road-worthy condition. He said: “I always advise that it’s worth keeping a note of those checks and checklists are freely available.”
When examining a vehicle, checks should be carried out on brakes, lights, wipers, mirrors, tyres and any hydraulic or brake hoses.
Attention should also be paid to how clean windows are and if visibility is affected by mud and dust.
When assessing trailers, note that couplings to the trailer are secure, check the suspension and ensure that there is nothing hanging off of the trailer. The maximum clearance is 10mm for the tip of the hook and the minimum thickness of the eye must not be less than 30mm.
The handbrake must also be fully operational and Jamie stresses the importance of this, as neglecting to check the handbrake is one of the most common pitfalls for farmers.
If the trailer and load obscure the beacons of the tractor, then additional ones should be in place. While it is not essential, Jamie also urges farmers to consider having the same number plates on tractors and trailers.
“The number plates on agricultural vehicles and on any trailers must be registered to agricultural vehicles in the same business, but they don’t have to match that particular vehicle, but my advice is to have them matching,” said Jamie.
“Quite often we are just so busy we get in and go without making any checks. But if you get into a system, it becomes second nature.”
Loading the trailer
When loading bales onto a trailer, there are six questions that should be considered.
Can the load move forward or backwards?Can the load move to the side?Is the load unstable or likely to become unstable?Is the securing equipment in good order?Is anything likely to fall off, including loose hay and straw?Is the load held on by friction alone?“If the answer to any of those questions is yes, your load may be unstable,” said Jamie. When running the loader, the tines should be either covered or removed. Jamie notes that while a lot of farmers will run with the loader up in the air, which is usually fine, it is not best practice and they could find themselves penalised for this.
Securing the bales
Good-quality ropes and straps are needed for securing bales and the trailer lashing points must also be strong enough to take the strain of the load. If using straps on a trailer, D-link ends are preferable to hooks, although not essential. Straps must never be tied together and every bale must be secured with straps either running front to back and side to side or farmers can cross strap the front and back bales.
Out on the road
Most circumstances and road conditions will differ each time a farmer is transporting bales and so Jamie encourages everyone to drive according to each particular load.
When towing a load of bales, farmers must bear in mind that the trailer will have a high centre of gravity and they need to be aware of low bridges and overhanging branches.
Jamie recommends measuring loads if unsure of their height and for those travelling further or on unknown roads, he notes it may be worthwhile carrying out a reconnaissance run beforehand. The maximum gross weight for tractors and trailer is 31t, while the maximum weight of the trailer itself is 18.29t. The maximum length of the tractor and trailer must not exceed 18.75m. For farmers or contractors with employees, they must ensure that all members of staff have received proper training and are provided with the right equipment for the job.
With farmers across Scotland in the midst of this year’s harvest, arable farmer Jamie
Smart discusses what farmers and contractors need to know when loading and transporting hay and straw bales on the roads. Emily Smith writes
As well as managing his own farm in Linlithgow, Jamie Smart works as the transport advisor for NFU Scotland’s Agriculture Vehicle and Transportation helpline. He also helps to run the Union’s transport road shows in conjunction with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and Police Scotland in order to raise awareness of what farmers should and should not be doing when using agricultural vehicles on the roads.
Jamie said: “I think we as farmers sometimes forget we are sharing these roads with the public and we need to abide by the rules.
“These rules apply whether you are going 100 yards or 100 miles down the road. The basics apply to everything.”
While the basics apply to all loads of bales being transported, the following rules and regulations Jamie discusses are more specific to tractors travelling at 25mph or less.
Basic checks of tractor and trailer
Jamie notes that first step farmers must take before transporting bales is to carry out a walk around their vehicle and trailer, ensuring that both are in a road-worthy condition. He said: “I always advise that it’s worth keeping a note of those checks and checklists are freely available.”
When examining a vehicle, checks should be carried out on brakes, lights, wipers, mirrors, tyres and any hydraulic or brake hoses.
Attention should also be paid to how clean windows are and if visibility is affected by mud and dust.
When assessing trailers, note that couplings to the trailer are secure, check the suspension and ensure that there is nothing hanging off of the trailer. The maximum clearance is 10mm for the tip of the hook and the minimum thickness of the eye must not be less than 30mm.
The handbrake must also be fully operational and Jamie stresses the importance of this, as neglecting to check the handbrake is one of the most common pitfalls for farmers.
If the trailer and load obscure the beacons of the tractor, then additional ones should be in place. While it is not essential, Jamie also urges farmers to consider having the same number plates on tractors and trailers.
“The number plates on agricultural vehicles and on any trailers must be registered to agricultural vehicles in the same business, but they don’t have to match that particular vehicle, but my advice is to have them matching,” said Jamie.
“Quite often we are just so busy we get in and go without making any checks. But if you get into a system, it becomes second nature.”
Loading the trailer
When loading bales onto a trailer, there are six questions that should be considered.
Can the load move forward or backwards?Can the load move to the side?Is the load unstable or likely to become unstable?Is the securing equipment in good order?Is anything likely to fall off, including loose hay and straw?Is the load held on by friction alone?“If the answer to any of those questions is yes, your load may be unstable,” said Jamie. When running the loader, the tines should be either covered or removed. Jamie notes that while a lot of farmers will run with the loader up in the air, which is usually fine, it is not best practice and they could find themselves penalised for this.
Securing the bales
Good-quality ropes and straps are needed for securing bales and the trailer lashing points must also be strong enough to take the strain of the load. If using straps on a trailer, D-link ends are preferable to hooks, although not essential. Straps must never be tied together and every bale must be secured with straps either running front to back and side to side or farmers can cross strap the front and back bales.
Out on the road
Most circumstances and road conditions will differ each time a farmer is transporting bales and so Jamie encourages everyone to drive according to each particular load.
When towing a load of bales, farmers must bear in mind that the trailer will have a high centre of gravity and they need to be aware of low bridges and overhanging branches.
Jamie recommends measuring loads if unsure of their height and for those travelling further or on unknown roads, he notes it may be worthwhile carrying out a reconnaissance run beforehand. The maximum gross weight for tractors and trailer is 31t, while the maximum weight of the trailer itself is 18.29t. The maximum length of the tractor and trailer must not exceed 18.75m. For farmers or contractors with employees, they must ensure that all members of staff have received proper training and are provided with the right equipment for the job.
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