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Publication #ABE310

Safety Tips for Tractor Loading and Towing1

Carol J. Lehtola and Charles M. Brown2

Towing Equipment

  • Make sure that the tractor is properly counterweighted and that all attachments are secure and properly mounted.

  • Avoid operating attachments during road travel, and keep the power-takeoff lever in neutral.

  • Make sure that the tractor is large enough to handle its load and hitch the load only to the tractor's drawbar hitch points. The drawbar is designed for pulling heavy loads without the risk of a backward overturn. If the load is hitched any higher, the tractor can overturn quickly by rotating around the rear axle.

  • When towing equipment without brakes, keep speed under 20 miles per hour.

  • Towed equipment should have brakes if, when fully loaded, it weighs more than one and a half times the weight of the towing unit. Stopping distances increase with speed and as the weight of towed loads increases, as well as on hills and slopes.

  • When towing equipment with brakes, stay below 25 miles per hour.

  • Equipment that weighs more that 4.5 times the weight of the towing unit should not be towed.

Remember:

Figure 1. 

Front-End Loaders

Front-end loaders can make tractors unstable and subject to side overturns.

  • When using a tractor with a front-end loader, use wide wheel settings and add rear weights as needed.

  • Travel with the bucket in a low position and at low speeds, especially when turning or traveling on rough and slippery terrain.

  • Avoid fast starts and stops which can cause the loader to rock, possibly shifting weight or loads dangerously.

Loading and Unloading Tractors

When loading a tractor onto a trailer or truck, always load it on level, stable ground. Make sure that the truck or trailer cannot move by setting the brakes or blocking the wheels or both. Whenever possible, slowly back the tractor onto the truck or trailer. Check to see if anyone is behind the tractor or near the trailer during loading and unloading.

  • Make sure ramps are clear of mud, grease, or debris. Make sure they are secure.

  • Lock the brakes on the tractor and secure it to the trailer with chains and load binders.

  • Fasten chains and lock and wire load binders so that they can open.

  • If possible, someone nearby should guide the tractor operator with hand signals.

  • Check the owner's manual for specific recommendations.

For more information...

For more information about tractor safety, visit the Florida AgSafe Web site: http://www.flagsafe.ufl.edu

The following publications are available at your county Extension office and at the EDIS Web site, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. (IFAS Publication Numbers are in parentheses after the titles.)

Footnotes

1.

This document is ABE310,one of a series of the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. First published September 2001. Reviewed March 2009. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Carol J. Lehtola, associate professor, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, and Extension Agricultural Safety Specialist, and Charles M. Brown, coordinator for information and publication services, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer, Interim Dean.


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