Farm Equipment Road Safety

As the farming season gets into full swing, transporting farm equipment from one field to the next can happen almost every day. No matter how experienced you are with your equipment, it’s key to practice safe driving habits on public roads. Help keep yourself and those you’re sharing the road with safer by following these road safety tips for farm equipment.

Prepare Your Farm Equipment for the Road

Safety on the road begins before your wheels even touch the highway. Make sure to complete the following before heading out onto county roads:

Train your equipment operators

Operators must be licensed drivers and obey the laws when driving farm machinery on public roads. This includes stopping at stop signs, yielding at intersections, obeying speed limits and wearing seat belts.

Perform a full tractor-trailer inspection

Check fluids, brakes, hoses, tires, clean your lights, steering, signals and windshields to make sure everything is working properly.

Mount a fire extinguisher

Install and maintain a 20-lb. “ABC” portable fire extinguisher on trucks, tractors, combines and other equipment. Know each fire extinguisher’s location. Be sure it’s UL-listed, fully charged and regularly inspected.

Be consistent when transporting farm equipment

Prepare your equipment for transport by raising hydraulic wings and locking them in place, relocating hitch points, removing headers and doing whatever is necessary to make your equipment narrower on the road. If towing equipment, make sure to secure it by using safety chains and tow bars.

Get to Know the Road You’ll Be Driving On

Whether it’s a road you travel often or new terrain, be aware of the road conditions. Here are some things to be mindful of when surveying your route:

Slow down on gravel roads, hills, curves and turns

Watch for things like potholes, irrigation ditches, sharp curves or soft shoulder aprons — anything that could potentially cause a problem.

Always be mindful of the time of day

Your best bet is to avoid roadways during high traffic periods, like rush hour.

Install a weather app on your phone

Stay up-to-date on incoming weather with an app that will deliver you alerts and weather advisories. Keep your eye on the forecast to know when bad weather is approaching.

Aim to drive by daylight only

Driving at night or in low light conditions, even with the right lighting, should be avoided when possible. Remember to use flashers when on roadways.

Be consistent at crossroads

Before entering the roadway, stop and look in both directions. Intersections always present an increased risk of an accident.

Use extra caution at railroad crossings

Look, listen and prepare to stop. Turn off fans, radio and roll down the windows. Verify it's safe to cross before you pull into the railroad crossing if one is approaching at a distance, be certain that you have enough  time to cross safely. It can be very difficult to judge the speed of an oncoming train.

Maintain spatial awareness

Know the width and height of your mobile farm equipment. Managing the space around your large farm equipment can be especially important when crossing over bridges and entering an approach into a farm field where powerlines are present.  

Stay aware when making turns

Watch out for passing vehicles when making left turns, especially into fields. Install wide-view mirrors so you can see traffic that’s following you.

Set alarms to allow for travel time

Plan ahead and know when to get the day started and when to call it quits so you can hit the road at ideal times. Be aware of drowsiness from long work hours.

Increase Farm Equipment Visibility

One of the best ways to stay safe and avoid farm equipment accidents on the road is to be seen. Outfit your equipment with appropriate lighting and reflectors, and make sure you know how and when to use them. Using flashing amber lights will help increase motorist awareness. Turning off your rear spotlights can help, too, since these are often mistaken for headlights.

Review these American Society of Agricultural Engineers recommendations:

Use your headlights

Have two white headlights installed on the front of your equipment, as far apart as possible, and at the same level.

Verify flashers are operating correctly

Mount two flashing amber lights at least 42 inches high in both the front and rear of the farm vehicle.

Inspect taillights

Place at least one red taillight on the rear left. If you use two red lights, mount the other one as far right as possible.

Verify position of reflectors

Mount two red reflectors that are visible from the rear. If towed or mounted equipment obscures the rear lights, mount two flashing amber lights on the equipment as far apart as possible.

Upgrade tractors as needed

Modify antiquated machines to conform to state lighting laws.

Properly mount a slow-moving vehicle sign

Your tractor or farm equipment is most likely going 25 mph or slower when you’re on the road — while other cars are traveling much faster. A visible, clean and properly mounted slow-moving vehicle sign is required on farm equipment to caution other drivers to slow down. From thirty minutes after sunset to thirty minutes before sunrise, slow-moving vehicles must have lights and reflectors.

Use a pilot car escort

If you’re driving or hauling wide equipment, such as a combine, consider using vehicles to lead the way or follow behind you. They should be equipped with flashing lights and signs that warn of an oversized load. Check with your local authorities for other requirements for pilot vehicles.

How to Drive Farm Equipment on Hills

If you’re going down a steep hill, use the same gear that you used to go up the hill. You’ll be able to maintain better control of the machine and the load. If hauling a large trailer or equipment, hook up separate braking systems for extra protection, since your tractor or truck may not have the power to stop a free-coasting trailer. On that note, never let a tractor “freewheel” when traveling down a hill.

Safety Practices for Driving Farm Equipment on the Road

There are always safety precautions to undertake when you hit the road with your large farm equipment. Make sure to follow these guidelines to better protect yourself and other drivers on the road:

Give them room to pass

A farm vehicle is required to follow the rules of the road in the same way a regular driver must follow the rules of the road — including not obstructing traffic. In other words, you’re technically not allowed to interfere with the normal flow of traffic. So if there is a line of vehicles behind you, you’ll need to pull over (when it’s safe to do so) and let them pass.

Lock brake pedals when on public roadways

For road travel, lock your brake pedals together to ensure adequate braking on both wheels — sudden braking on one wheel could cause you to skid and lose control, turn into oncoming traffic or run into the ditch.

Keep it slow

Go at a speed that gives you full control at all times. And when turning or rounding curves, make sure to slow your vehicle down even more — especially when carrying heavy load.

One seat, one rider

If there is one seat with one seat belt in the cabin, that means there should only be one person on the equipment. An extra rider can easily be thrown off and injured by the equipment or oncoming traffic.

Keep these tips top of mind for safe traveling on the roads this spring. Take a look at our tips for safety on the farm to ensure you’re putting safe practices into place during your day to day routine. And, don’t forget to proactively protect your equipment with the right farm insurance — connect with an agent today (Opens in a new tab) to make sure you’re properly covered.