Grain Cart to Trailer

The truck I usually run is outfitted with two triple axle trailers, two hoppers per trailer, and I can haul one hundred thousand pounds of grain legally. Twenty-five thousand pounds per hopper. My truck is also outfitted with automatic tarps and traps. As soon as the combine harvest the corn from the corn plant, the combine will auger the grain into a grain cart usually. As soon as the grain cart is full, the operator of the grain cart will dump the legal weight into each hopper of your trailers. As soon as the grain cart fills the trailers, it’s time to tarp your trailers.

Step 1: Tarp Your Grain

There will be a button on the front of each trailer that says open and close. At this time the operator would obviously want to tarp his load since he is loaded with corn.

Step 2: Hauling

Hop into the truck and release your trailer and tractor brakes by pushing in the two knobs (red and yellow). As soon as your brakes release, it’s time to put the truck in gear. Push the clutch in, assuming the truck has a manual transmission, and throw it in low gear. As soon as the driver reaches the road he can start shifting gears to get to the speed limit.

Step 3: Weigh

My boss requires us to weigh every load so he knows exactly when the grain bin is full. So the first stop after leaving the field is the scale. Pull onto the scale and wait until you see a thumbs up from the employee weighing trucks. After they print the weight, it’s time to drive where we unload.

Step 4: Pull Over the Drive-over

As soon as the driver arrives at the bin site, he can lift the tag/pusher axle by hitting a toggle switch in the cab. The reason I do this is so I do not get stuck while pulling over the drive-over. Pull the truck over the drive-over and stop as soon as the first hopper gets to the drive-over. SET THE TRACTOR BRAKES on the truck by pulling out the yellow knob. Every time the driver leaves the driver’s seat of the truck, the brake knobs should be set so the truck doesn’t roll away.

Step 5: Unloading

Get out of the truck and get in the tractor that runs unload auger and drive-over. Start the tractor, turn the PTO on to run the unload auger, start the drive-over by pulling up on the knob on the drive-over, idle the tractor up right before you start to open the hopper, and now it’s time to open the front hopper on the truck. I open my hoppers by hitting the button that says open and close. Do not open it too fast. Watch the drive-over and auger to make sure you are not over working them to cause spilled grain. After that hopper is empty, slow the tractor down because it is not healthy for that auger to be running fast with no grain in it.

Step 6: Pull Forward to Next Hopper

Pull your truck forward until it gets to the back hopper on the front trailer. Repeat the unloading process. After the second hopper is empty, slow the tractor down and TURN OFF the drive-over. As soon as the drive-over is off, pull forward and repeat the same process as the first hopper on the lead trailer. As soon as that hopper is empty, slow the tractor down, and then pull forward to the final hopper. Repeat the process. After the final hopper is empty, wait thirty seconds in order for the grain in the auger to travel all the way up and go into the bin. Turn the PTO off, turn the drive-over off, and then shut the tractor off.

Step 7: Final Step: Grain in Bin, Weigh Empty

After unloading all hoppers, close all traps by hitting the close button on each hopper. Get in the truck, release brakes, and go back to the scale to weigh empty. Wait for the thumbs up and the head back to the field and repeat the process.