Qualifications required for Seasonal harvest work Carting etc

[Matt150406]

Hi folks.
I’m currently coming up on my 18th birthday and have just passed my car driving test. I was wondering now I have that under my belt what it would take to become qualified for seasonal tractor work during harvest perhaps carting. I have very little farm experience so am in the dark on this.Would it require gaining a sh!t load of tests or is it covered to a certain extend under the basic category f entitlement that you receive with your car license
Any help would be much appreciated
Thanks

 

[farmerste]

all you need is a grassmen polo, pair of shades and a mobile phone. Anything else is over qualified

 

[serf]

Cassettes sandwiches and collars turned up ...

 

[2wheels]

red bull?

 

[Wolds Beef]

Find a farm that will put you through the relevant test's by a training group or similar. You will then be useful to most farms and can double up with there permanent staff if need be.
WB

 

[Matt150406]

Find a farm that will put you through the relevant test's by a training group or similar. You will then be useful to most farms and can double up with there permanent staff if need be.
WB

Thanks for the reply WB. Do you have any tips on how to find farms that include the training?

 

[Matt150406]

all you need is a grassmen polo, pair of shades and a mobile phone. Anything else is over qualified

That’s great to know then looks like I may be busting out the polos this summer

 

[Wolds Beef]

No, not really. Ask around, try your local Ag college or even the NFU branch office. They be able to help. Good, keen farm staff that are willing to learn are in short supply, and only use your mobile phone when it is needed.!!
WB

 

[Still Farming]

Tractor training possibly through lantra course at local Ag college.
Not many going to let you loose on 200k worth of kit unless you can prove your safe, competent and worth employing possibly?

 

[Jackall]

You really need proper training. You will be driving to the equivalent of an artic. working on a cart team you will be under pressure to keep up with the team. Being 18 the peer pressure will be great. My advice is drive to your capabilities and hopefully your employer will appreciate quality over quantity. Too many trailer jockeys go flat out and end up in the mire and causing more problems than being a few minutes late

 

[Boomerang]

Hi folks.
I’m currently coming up on my 18th birthday and have just passed my car driving test. I was wondering now I have that under my belt what it would take to become qualified for seasonal tractor work during harvest perhaps carting. I have very little farm experience so am in the dark on this.Would it require gaining a sh!t load of tests or is it covered to a certain extend under the basic category f entitlement that you receive with your car license
Any help would be much appreciated
Thanks

Do you have any experience of driving tractors, ?
Reversing trailers ??
Or is this just something you like the look of doing ??
As has been mentioned expensive kit , often under time pressure is no place for the inexperienced.
Maybe try to find a small farm that needs help and willingness to show you the ropes if that's needed.

 

[Spencer]

Cassettes

Showing your age

 

[L P]

Hi folks.
I’m currently coming up on my 18th birthday and have just passed my car driving test. I was wondering now I have that under my belt what it would take to become qualified for seasonal tractor work during harvest perhaps carting. I have very little farm experience so am in the dark on this.Would it require gaining a sh!t load of tests or is it covered to a certain extend under the basic category f entitlement that you receive with your car license
Any help would be much appreciated
Thanks

There are no tests as such. With no experience you shouldn't aim to go straight to a harvest job carting grain, it would be unfair on you and employer. Besides, not many farmers want just a tractor driver, you need to show willing you'll do the crap jobs too. Better to start now on a smaller family farm and do some graft/learn the ropes.

 

[Matt150406]

Tractor training possibly through lantra course at local Ag college.
Not many going to let you loose on 200k worth of kit unless you can prove your safe, competent and worth employing possibly?

I’ll look into Lantra many thanks

 

[L P]

Tractor training possibly through lantra course at local Ag college.
Not many going to let you loose on 200k worth of kit unless you can prove your safe, competent and worth employing possibly?

Not aimed at you or the OP, but this sort of thread annoys me, we are all realising the shortage of upcoming farm labour, but, honestly, who is ever going to take on an 18 year old lad as an out and out tractor driver because he spent 4 days, probably including 4 hours driving a tractor who has gained a piece of paper to say he can safely go back and forth. Why can't folk be a bit more honest and just tell the OP that it wont happen without a good amount of experience, not a piece of paper. Tractor driving jobs hardly exist, there is work for experienced operators, there is work for the likes of the OP, where he starts at the bottom just like we all did.

 

[Pilatus]

Hi folks.
I’m currently coming up on my 18th birthday and have just passed my car driving test. I was wondering now I have that under my belt what it would take to become qualified for seasonal tractor work during harvest perhaps carting. I have very little farm experience so am in the dark on this.Would it require gaining a sh!t load of tests or is it covered to a certain extend under the basic category f entitlement that you receive with your car license
Any help would be much appreciated
Thanks

Well done you for asking sensible questions.
Apologies for those that reply with useless replies, to someone that may be wishing to take one of the first steps into an agricultural career.

 

[Pilatus]

Not aimed at you or the OP, but this sort of thread annoys me, we are all realising the shortage of upcoming farm labour, but, honestly, who is ever going to take on an 18 year old lad as an out and out tractor driver because he spent 4 days, probably including 4 hours driving a tractor who has gained a piece of paper to say he can safely go back and forth. Why can't folk be a bit more honest and just tell the OP that it wont happen without a good amount of experience, not a piece of paper. Tractor driving jobs hardly exist, there is work for experienced operators, there is work for the likes of the OP, where he starts at the bottom just like we all did.

To be fair he did say “any help would be appreciated” so let’s not be too harsh.

 

[L P]

Well done you for asking sensible questions.
Apologies for those that reply with useless replies, to someone that may be wishing to take one of the first steps into an agricultural career.

I'm not being harsh, I'm being realistic...
Agree lantra course would be a first step, it's not going to be a jump up to the likelihood of walking into a harvest on a tractor and 14 tonne trailer unless the OP is extraordinarily adept... more chance of it happening if he's willing to labour and learn for a month or so prior to harvest. Good luck to the lad, I'm all up for encouraging new blood and have taken 3 lads straight out of school and given them the chance to become very good farmers over the years. With the greatest respect I would not have put any of them on a tractor unsupervised for a summer with their first real experience being a week before harvest.... so the greatest help I can offer is the advice I've already given

 

[Jsmith2211]

I'm not being harsh, I'm being realistic...
Agree lantra course would be a first step, it's not going to be a jump up to the likelihood of walking into a harvest on a tractor and 14 tonne trailer unless the OP is extraordinarily adept... more chance of it happening if he's willing to labour and learn for a month or so prior to harvest. Good luck to the lad, I'm all up for encouraging new blood and have taken 3 lads straight out of school and given them the chance to become very good farmers over the years. With the greatest respect I would not have put any of them on a tractor unsupervised for a summer with their first real experience being a week before harvest.... so the greatest help I can offer is the advice I've already given

The lantra tests are a bit of a joke. Not done the tractor one but done the sprayer one and its drive an MF 1740 with a 6M hardi up and down a field job done now you can drive 36M of bateman... I've employed people who've not driven a tractor to do raking for me when i'm flat out with hay before, you just have to think ahead. In my case I got them to come down when I was doing silage and didn't really need the help (and there wasnt a rush) and showed them the ropes. Best way to learn is by doing the job. Also if you can do it like that then you're there supervising but they also get the independance and dont feel like you're breathing down their neck. Having said that, its one thing to let someone loose with a 575 and single rotor rake in a field, quite another to put someone on 180hp with 14t behind on the public highway! Definitely have to start small, find someone willing to show you the ropes and train you up. Probably have to be prepaired to do some of the shitter jobs first with the odd bit of driving before you get into a full time driving job. Yes experience is what everyone wants, but theres sod all people about who are experienced and want to work. Being keen to do the job is 75% of it honestly, and if you are reliable, show up when you say you will etc people will be willing to train you up.

 

[onesiedale]

Hi folks.
I’m currently coming up on my 18th birthday and have just passed my car driving test. I was wondering now I have that under my belt what it would take to become qualified for seasonal tractor work during harvest perhaps carting. I have very little farm experience so am in the dark on this.Would it require gaining a sh!t load of tests or is it covered to a certain extend under the basic category f entitlement that you receive with your car license
Any help would be much appreciated
Thanks

Put your location down, and simply ask the question on here.
Someone will surely know of someone who wants to hire a keen youngster.
You're going to have to be realistic in your expectations, and as said above, show keen on the bigger picture for farm work.
The best experience is always learning on the job.