[AT] FW: towing tractors with a pickup

[Grant Brians]

James, in California (not exactly the least urban state) there is a very 
specific section of the vehicle code that covers this and eliminates the 
tickets unnecessarily being written - it is called "Implements of 
Husbandry". The requirement is that the trailer or other farm machinery 
being transported on a road must have a SMV placard facing rearward. 
With this proviso, tractors, harvesters, trailers, tillage implements, 
farm trailers, etc. can be moved on the road and normal width and other 
limitations are almost all waived. Longtime members of the list will 
remember my story of towing the 15' 10" wide Mower-conditioner I bought 
back in 1982 being towed on US101 and the clueless CHP officers who had 
to call SACRAMENTO to confirm what was in the vehicle code. It was 
pretty hilarious to listen to the radio traffic that took place for them 
to learn what they should have learned before entering a car.
      I will note that since the section was written, in the 1990's 
there was a limitation added - no more than 25 miles at a time on an 
Interstate highway.
              Grant Brians - Hollister,California farmer of vegetables, 
edible flowers, herbs and other crops

On 3/29/2019 10:38 PM, James Peck wrote:
>
> A revenue hungry law enforcement official seeing the farm wagons going 
> down the road behind a pickup might deem it pulling an unlicensed 
> uninsured unbraked unlighted trailer on the public highway without an 
> approved ball hitch or safety chains. We are lucky enforcement is so lax.
>
> When we look at European photos, they tend to be moving harvested 
> crops on big two axle dually trailers where the tongue is supported by 
> the tractor drawbar.
>
> I saw a hay wagon once that had a decided wander to it. The frame was 
> stretched out to the last hole. It was loaded with Birds Foot Trefoil 
> hay and being pulled by another loaded wagon that wandered but less.. 
> Going down hill the wandering trailer wandered off to the more 
> downhill side and tipped over. I do not remember any broken bales.
>
> [Farmer] <snip>Today the scary towing going on is fertilizer dealer 
> employees pulling two full anhydrous nurse tank wagons behind a pickup 
> running 50 MPH. That and the guys (and a few women) towing two 300 
> bushel hopper wagons at near highway speeds behind a stock 1/2 ton 
> pickup.<snip>
>
>
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