05 Jun Laura: It’s going down

Kansas—Literally, it’s going down. There are caravans of machines headed south to Texas, at this very moment, on May 23. The combines and supporting equipment will join other pieces of the fleet that were previously delivered.  

This time of year is a weird mixture of excitement, anticipation, stress and nerves. We are well aware of the risks associated with travel and have trained crew accordingly. However, we still pray that our crew and everyone else on the highway makes sound choices while on the road. We want everyone on the highways to get to their destinations safely. 

There is a lot of planning and preparation to get to the pictures above. Here are just a few examples, but certainly not even close to an exhaustive list, that need to be tended in the weeks leading up to departure. 
• Going through every piece of equipment;  
• Preventative repairs that can be made at headquarters is always easier than on the road;  
• Harvest safety training in Colby; 
• Truck driving training;  
• Update registrations and insurance in all vehicles;  
• Drug tests;  
• CDL tests and corresponding endorsements; 
• Vehicle paperwork;  
• Picking up and preparing any new equipment; and  
• Determining which crew will be going to what jobs, with what equipment and the hypothetical timing thereof.  

Our home-home personal lives continue during all the prep as well. The kiddos finished up a great school year and all the end of year activities that go along with it. Ryan and I were busy honoring our extra commitments as well. I recently heard my church friend, Marie, call it “Maycember” because the activity levels of the month rival that of the holiday season, and I don’t think she could be any more accurate. Yes, things are crazy busy, but it is all worth it in the end because we’re counting down to harvest in days not months. It won’t be long now. 

Laura Haffner can be reached at laura@allaboardharvest.com.

All Aboard Wheat Harvest is brought to you by Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc., High Plains Journal, New Holland, ITC Holdings Corp, U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc., and Kramer Seed Farms.