Next Up; The Big Red Beast

The next piece of equipment that needs a bit of work is the Big Red Beast, my name for the old dump bed farm truck.

This old relic has seen a lot of use even before we bought it many years ago. It no longer is road-worthy and is only used to haul hay, rock and firewood from one part of the farm to another. Even with the small amount of use, something is always breaking.

The red cab sits on top of the engine. There is no kind of insulation and the driver sits in the metal cab in intensive heat. There has never been any air conditioning in the truck, but over the years the vent system fans corroded. To top that, most of the windows cannot be opened except for the driver side window which has to stay open so one can reach outside to open the door since the latch on the inside does not work.

When the truck was in better condition, I was able to drive it, barely. The controls for the gas, clutch and air brake are all very tempestuous and the only way I could push the clutch in was to pull the steering wheel for leverage while I stood to force the clutch to the floorboard. All I could manage was be 1st gear and reverse when I was lucky.

Things have deteriorated a lot since then, I am no longer able to even start the darn thing. Mike is the only one strong enough and has enough dexterity to maneuver all quirks, levers, and hinky fixes with finesse and brute strength.

I am relegated to stacking bales as they are dumped into the back of the truck by the field elevator.

I think, in fact I am certain I am getting the better job with all the fresh air I can suck in while hefting the bales into stacks in the back rather than cooking myself inside the Big Red Beast.