Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
As per the title, even if on a part-time / opportunistic basis.
With the weather the way it is be hard to leave someone on permanent night shift.
Students normally got the job in places I worked. I did night shift ploughing. Full timers weren't keen on it.
Years ago when I worked on a big estate there was a day driver and a night driver for cultivations on the quadtrac
There was a chap in Arable Farmer magazine who reckoned his tractor driver had pulled a 26 hour shift on the Quadtrac.As per the title, even if on a part-time / opportunistic basis.
That's the thing, a lot of the time you wouldn't need anyone on a night shift. The absolute utopian ideal would be a very experienced self-employed person who would be keen to do night-shifts at quite short notice. Pay would obviously have to be very good to compensate for the fact that working nights basically is very unhealthy. I think with liquid fertiliser, lower wind speeds and fewer people in their gardens at night you could keep a sprayer busy in the autumn and spring not too infrequently. Drilling and cultivation at peak periods. Servicing combine and moving between blocks overnight.
I really don't like the idea of pushing people to work exceedingly long hours going late at night after having got up early and worked through the day. Some sort of shorter but more intense shift system could be a possible alternative. Probably unlikely to work though. Number of people wanting to go into agriculture is low enough without asking them to do it all at night!
There was a chap in Arable Farmer magazine who reckoned his tractor driver had pulled a 26 hour shift on the Quadtrac.
Why employ a night shift, just let your staff fall asleep at the wheel.
You need to gear up so you can cover the ground in the daytime.
What happens at 3 am if the tractor breaks down? Do they call you and drag you out of bed or sit there with nothing to do until the end of the shift?
Also can you properly service a combine in the dark in the middle of a field?
Dangerous game to move the combine on the road at night without an escort!
Never done it but in Australia some farms did 12 till 12 night shifts. At least that way you get decent period of time working in daylight. 3-4 in the morning was always killer for me. Used to hallucinate some nights. Once sun came up felt like could keep going for 3 or 4 hours We did 7-7.
If tractor breaks down then you go home or do something else. Would only work with very good people who can think for themselves and act autonomously.
Yes, I think you can service a combine in the dark. Very good lights make all these jobs a lot easier.
Arguably safer to move combine in the dark with less traffic. Would never do it without an escort, but would use two people maybe at beginning or end of the night when other people are around.
Not saying it would be easy, just doing a thought experiment. Lone working would be a big hurdle. Two people on night-shift would mitigate, but twice as difficult to find suitable people!
Could they keep the drier running through the night if wet.
Safety issue of someone working all night on their own as well.
Also will people with houses near your land be happy with tractors keeping them awake all night?? ( and don't forget sound travels a lot further at night when its quieter )
He was telling porkies, the guy did a 36 hr shift.There was a chap in Arable Farmer magazine who reckoned his tractor driver had pulled a 26 hour shift on the Quadtrac.
Why employ a night shift, just let your staff fall asleep at the wheel.
I'm sure there's thousands of people do it though. Nurses, factory workers etc.I think the fundamental problem is that, even if it's planned, working night-shifts just is very bad for humans.
I'm sure there's thousands of people do it though. Nurses, factory workers etc.
It's not natural though. I used to live on Mars bar's and orange lucozade. No appetite in dark. Not healthy not seeing or speaking to anyone else for 12 hours either.
Farm had a saab 9000 carlsson me and a kiwi chap used to rag round Essex back roads in middle of night!
I'm sure there's thousands of people do it though. Nurses, factory workers etc.
It's not natural though. I used to live on Mars bar's and orange lucozade. No appetite in dark. Not healthy not seeing or speaking to anyone else for 12 hours either.
Farm had a saab 9000 carlsson me and a kiwi chap used to rag round Essex back roads in middle of night!
Is that wise? Imagine if he'd had an accident, theyd have hurled the entire library at him.He was telling porkies, the guy did a 36 hr shift.