Z Crew: First Trip of the Season Headed South

headshot2Manley, NE (Home): Yes, you read the title correctly! Wednesday morning Dad and I will be taking the first trip south. Dad will pull the combine with the semi and I’ll be hauling down the header behind the pickup to Garden City, Kansas.

Mom is going to stay home and pack the trailer house. Mom and Dad hope to be in the field cutting within the next few weeks. We aren’t entirely sure on the condition of the wheat we will be cutting. Garden City has had severe weather over the last week so send prayers we arrive safely! I’ll report on our trip as soon as we return.

Z Crew: Header vs car
I’m not going to lie, I’m once again nervous to get behind the wheel of the huge dually pickup. The header itself makes my tiny car look like a toy!

Z Crew: Greasing trucks
Dad works harder than anyone else I know to get ready for the harvest season. You can usually find him with a grease gun in hand.

Z Crew: Cleaning supplies
My job this evening was to wash the semi. It’s a big job but I do pretty good work.

Z Crew: Loading the combine
Next to driving the huge pickup pulling the header, this is one of the most nerve-wracking parts of getting ready to move. Loading the combine onto the trailer is a difficult task but with Dad’s years of experience and my eye for details we got it on straight the first try!

Z Crew: Tire clearance
I set my phone down next to the front combine tire to show how close the tires have to be to the neck of the trailer. It’s a tight fit!

Z Crew: Flags
While Dad chains down the combine I have a couple miscellaneous jobs to do like put up flags on the trailer and the “Oversize Load” signs on the semi.

Z Crew: Chains and boomers
Above, Dad chains down the combine to the trailer to prevent the machine from bouncing off during the move.

Z Crew: Loaded and ready to go
After an afternoon of cleaning and loading and almost a year of anticipation we’re finally ready to hit the road in the morning.

Z Crew: Time to clean up
There is just something about harvest time that makes me step back and take in the beauty of the country we live in. I am so blessed to be part of a family involved in agriculture.

Z Crew: Home to KS
We should arrive to our destination tomorrow evening. I couldn’t be more excited for this season to finally be underway.

The Z Crew can be reached at zcrew@allaboardharvest.com. All Aboard Wheat Harvest™ is sponsored by High Plains Journal and New Holland Agriculture.

No Comments

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.