Nebraska Safety Center

Nebraska Agricultural Transportation Perspective

Gratitude from the Nebraska Safety Center goes out to all our support groups and transportation partners!  Our team efforts this past couple years has been unparalleled and has opened the door to safety programs, workshops and educational opportunities across Nebraska.  We hope the web blog has been informational and inspirational for farmers, over-the-road truck drivers and organizations alike, promoting safety awareness and providing information for available resources and contacts.  While several resources for Agricultural Transportation Safety come to mind,  consider the ATV Safety Institute, UNL Extension, Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Nebraska Trucking Association, Nebraska State Patrol-Carrier Enforcement Division, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for additional information and technical assistance.

Livestock Transportation Safety

  Livestock, and beef cattle in particular, is big business in Nebraska.  Transport of the breeding herd between pastures, feeder calves to feedlots and fat cattle to market involve many livestock trailers and lots of miles.  Cattle trucks and trailers have a high center of gravity, and the load can shift abruptly especially on sharp curves such as on and off ramps.  Livestock can move around in a trailer, causing unsafe handling.  When less than a full load, false bulkheads should be used to keep cattle bunched together.  A rollover, as shown in the photo at left, results in a damaged tractor trailer, loss of livestock, and potential injury or fatality to pedestrians and other vehicle occupants.  Slow down and increase your following distance when transporting live cargo!

Hay Truck Rollover

Another devastating truck rollover!  This time a loaded hay truck on a country gravel road.  Whereas the tractor and trailer were properly inspected and the driver was fit and well rested, driving skills are thoroughly tested with top-heavy loads.  Load securement (tie down straps over each round-bale sequence or at 10' minimum intervals are recommended) is especially important on soft loads that can shift or settle during transit.  Also narrow country roads make for difficult passing and soft shoulders or an unmarked culvert can upset the load damaging both tractor and trailer.  Do your part hauling hay by driving cautiously, securing your load adequately, and re-checking the load and truck (including tires) after 25 miles of road travel or after a few miles of county gravel roads before entering a paved state highway. 

Grain Truck Mishap; Preventable or Not?

  Upset Grain Truck!  Mechanical problem, driver error, or other vehicle involvement?  You decide.. These incidents happen all too often on Nebraska roadways.  While uncontrollable, outside factors can contribute to farm accidents, an alert, safe and conscientious driver coupled with an inspected, serviced and road-ready truck may have prevented this mishap.  Personal injury, down time and a totalled truck make for a bad day.  Do your part by transporting farm crops and livestock with the utmost care, and share inspection needs and safety awareness with your farm friends and neighbors!

Legal Limits and Load Securement

Legal limits exist, whether a farm-plated truck or trailer carrying farm and ranch agricultural products locally, or a commercial vehicle hired to transport goods and services within Nebraska or between states via interstate highways.  Whereas weight limits are dictated by the number of axles, maximum legal dimensions for width (8'6"), height (14'6") and length (single vehicles, 40'; truck/trailer combinations, 65') are enforced. Special permits are required and obtainable for oversize loads.  Check general regulations for truck transport, load securement, warning devices and special permits in the Nebraska Truck Information Guide or call Carrier Enforcement to be properly advised of your legal limits and responsibilities.  Thorough pre-trip inspections not only include motor, wheels, brakes, lights, mirrors, 5th wheel and air/electrical connections, but load securement.  The following pictures show dangerous and inadequate load containment: 

                                                                

Vehicle Inspections: your responsibility!

  Detailed inspections are a must.  Axles, leafsprings, trailer frame(s) and 5th wheels are often overlooked during a pre- or post-trip inspection.  If it is broke, don't drive it until you fix it!  Not only are you facing a fat ticket, you can be disabled beside the road for hours with a loaded trailer, and even worse, you might total your truck in a serious traffic mishap.  Remember to do your part and keep our roads safe by keeping your vehicle inspected and safe.     

Vehicle Inspection: Your Responsibility

Safety is the most important reason you inspect your vehicle.  A proactive, pre-trip inspection could save you from a costly breakdown on the road ahead, or even worse, a crash caused by the defect.  By law, you are required to do a post-trip inspection at the end of the trip, day, or tour of duty on each vehicle you operated.  Appropriate repairs following the inspection report provide safety for yourself and for other road users.  Some of the following blogs will address critical items to be inspected, starting here with tires, wheels and rims.    Don't forget to replace tires before tread depth is reduced to 4/32 inch (front tires) and 2/32 inch (drive and trailer wheels).  Lookout for lodged debris, notched or bald spot tires, and underinflated tires.  Notice below, the cracked rims and missing lug nuts.  Know your vehicle and don't compromise safety by foregoing proper inspection and hurrying to another destination.   

Anhydrous explosion!

  Could this anhydrous tank explosion been more costly?  Ammonia gas is toxic and can cause serious burns and death if inhaled, but it can be safe when compressed and stored in an appropriate liquid storage container.  Apparently a bad weld seam gave way sending this tank through a farmyard and through this Farmall tractor.  Fortunately no person was injured but the damaged car and seriously disabled tractor accident could have been avoided by vigilent tank inspection, proper service and careful loading techniques.  To minimize injuries and costlly accidents on Nebraska farms, please practice stringent safety procedures in all your farming operations!

Another FUI Incident!

What was this harvest machine operator thinking?  How far should you back before stopping and asking yourself "something isn't right"?  FUI incidents happen all too frequent on the farm with devastating consequences. Perhaps there was no driver in this pickup and no one was seriously injured, but this is not a reasonable durability/toughness test for pickup truck or machine!  Whether in a farmyard or in the harvest field, become expert at using side and rearview mirrors.  Better yet, get out and look around for children playing, parked vehicles, fences and power poles positioned in your blind spots.  Most important, operate farm vehicles with optimized mental and physical faculties, and avoid "farming under the influence" of drugs and alcohol. 

FUI; a costly mistake!

  We have all heard of DUI drivers taken off public roadways, but perhaps FUI operators should be pulled from their farm machinery.  FUI is the acronym for 'Farming under the Influence'.  Farmers have been known to take out powerlines, bury their tractor in a mud bogs, weld on gas and anhydrous ammonia tanks, collide with farmyard machinery, and drive into ditches, ravines and closed cattle gates when intoxicated, medicated and/or sleep deprived.  Regardless of the influencing factor, many unnecessary farm accidents occur each year resulting in damaged equipment, economic strife, personal injury and fatalities (often times the operator, hired employees and farm family members).  Vigilence from family, friends and neighbors fortunately can result in warnings and assistance that can circumvent an unexpected tragedy.  As a good neighbor, keep a watchful eye for your farm friends who might be FUI!