What we do

Who are custom harvesters?

-Custom harvesters provide a service to farmers harvesting and transporting grain, oilseed and forage crops. The harvesters range from small family operated businesses to large crews, working the Great Plain from Texas in the south to Canada in the north. The crews are typically assembled in mid May (spring) to bring in the seasons first wheat crop and then work their way northwards into cooler climates. The work continues until October to December, depending on weather conditions. Silage harvesting begins as early as March.

What sort of work is involved?

-Harvesters operate a range of equipment. Depending on the needs of the harvester you can be expected to operate any of these when called upon. Ideally you will be capable of driving tractors, headers and semi trailers. Previous experience is preferable, as is a familiarity with machinery, however training is provided for personnel employed by the harvesters and farmers. There is a strong emphasis on safety with a commitment to teamwork expected from individual employees.

Header operators need to adjust machines to take account of crop types and harvesting conditions. Maintenance schedules must be adhered to and repairs are often the responsibility of the operator. In most cases you will be expected to load and secure the header onto a low loader when moving from job to job.

Truck drivers cart grain to silos, contentlots or grain receivals from the harvest field and, if you are in a silage crew, you will cart to contentlots in the vicinity of the field. Truck configuration is either a tandem drive rigid body or semi trailer. The trailers can be up to 53 feet in length. You should know how to change a tyre and undertake basic maintenance such as brake adjustment. There is a certain amount of paperwork involved so you need to keep everything logged and accounted for. Each crew will have their own system but it is important that you understand written and verbal instructions. Sometime they have difficulty understanding us, especially over the radio, so be prepared to communicate clearly. To drive a truck for a custom harvester on a grain run you will require an international licence (endorsed for a truck) and be able to obtain a Commercial Drivers Licence (CDL) upon arrival in the US. The CDL requires you to provide a medical report along with a drug test and a driver's record. You will need to furnish these before departure.

Tractor drivers are kept busy hauling grain carts between the headers and trucks or moving forage material in bunkers. The tractors range in size up to 400 horsepower. Again, you are responsible for keeping the vehicle clean and maintained.

When you are employed by a harvester you are offered a position in a crew, not a position to drive a specific machine. We try to balance the crew with the right number of header and truck drivers, etc, however your employer will determine placements according to harvest needs and your skills.