Spring is just around the corner and here in Ohio, we will be back into the fields soon. With all the different liquid products we handle, our operation applies every day, assuming that the field conditions are fit for them, and it is legal to do so. Those application days are extremely limited in the winter months, so most of our crew’s time is spent in the shop doing routine maintenance or upgrades on the equipment.

In my November 2024 column titled “Safety starts on the inside,” I shared that the first step of safety is protecting the human. The next step is equipment.

Under the guidance and supervision of my father and brother, all our equipment is moved into the shop for preventative maintenance and necessary repairs. These months are also utilized to make equipment modifications, if needed.

Ward off problems

Preventative maintenance is crucial for any successful operation. Spending time now to do repairs prevents most breakdowns when it’s time to run. These little things can prevent big headaches later.

As with many aspects of life, “the basics” are a good foundation for equipment fixes and preventing problems. These include checking fluids, inspecting tires and rims, making sure bearings are tight, checking brakes to ensure tolerance and that they are not overly worn, and walking around the equipment for inspection of every inch are vitally important. These steps should be done on a daily basis, but during winter downtime, this maintenance can be done in a thorough and precise manner.

All pieces of equipment in our shop are also greased and lubricated properly, above and beyond what needs to be inspected on a daily or weekly basis. Grease is a relatively inexpensive investment to prevent many issues and repairs.

Another basic step includes painting rims. Paint helps extend the longevity of rims. A lot of our equipment also has reflective tape on it, and the tape needs to be reflective and not overly worn. It is critical that lights on equipment are functioning properly. It is imperative that agricultural equipment is lit up as much as possible to be seen by other drivers. This is especially true when other motorists are not familiar with the size and scope of the equipment that can take up more than half of the roadway.

Stay visible

You can never have enough lights. Just ask my brother, who I am convinced keeps several light suppliers in business. Our equipment looks like UFOs, and we prefer it that way.

When moving large equipment, know your state’s requirements for agricultural equipment to be on the roadway. Some counties or townships have additional requirements for local roads. These regulations could include equipment width, lighting, markings, or even escort requirements.

I’m going to make the assumption that slow moving vehicle (SMV) signs are required in your state. In Ohio, agricultural vehicles going faster than 25 miles per hour (mph) but slower than 55 mph are also required to have a Speed Identification Symbol (SIS). These signs need to be visible and reflective, not dull or covered in debris.

Like many operations these days, our company does a lot of our own equipment modifications. “Farmer ingenuity” is responsible for a lot of innovations that have moved this industry forward. My brother is always coming up with plans to make things safer, bigger, and faster. Most of these ideas take a lot of planning and time to construct and implement, so they are reserved for the wintertime. The goal of these projects is often to make situations easier and safer for the humans doing the work.

What is something you can do to make your life a little easier? Little things aren’t “little” when they are foundational pieces to the operation. Before we all get busy this spring, what change are you going to make for your operation to be safer for all?