Farm trucks, other machinery are major part of seasonal traffic

While there is always more traffic on area roads this time of year, it's not all due to winter visitors.

Maj. Leon Wilmot of the Yuma County Sheriff's Office said that a lot of those extra vehicles are farm trucks and other agriculture-related vehicles needed for the busy winter vegetable harvest.

“It is a seasonal thing. We do it every year. If you live here, you understand that Yuma County is agricultural.”

Wilmot explained the growth in traffic is typically from tractors and other farm machinery traveling on city and county roads to get to the various fields. Then there are farm trucks that deliver the freshly picked produce from around the county to the cooling plants where they are packed for shipping, and the commercial semi-trucks from other parts of the country that come to Yuma cooling plants to pick up products.

While the Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization doesn't track specific types of trucks in its traffic counts, its figures do indicate an increased amount of truck traffic this time of year.

Kurt Nolte, area agricultural agent for the University of Arizona, said while it is difficult to put a number of the amount of trucks in the area the time of year, it can be many as 900 per day. Nolte said there are 22 cooling plants in the Yuma area and about 40 trucks a day visiting each one.

With more big trucks and farm equipment on the roads, Wilmot encourages drivers to be more patient and careful, and to remember that these trucks are out there for a reason.

“It is better to be safe. Take your time and don't rush.”

One thing motorists need to keep in mind is that these big trucks, whether empty or loaded, handle much differently than normal cars. Also, they have a higher center of gravity, making them more prone to rollover accidents.

A fully loaded truck, he added, also needs more time and distance to accelerate and stop, and slower speeds are needed to turn safely.

Wilmot said that every motorist in Yuma has, at least once, found themselves driving behind some type of farm machinery. While the machinery can be slow, and sometimes annoying, it has the right to be on public roads, including the busier main streets in town.

“By state statute, agriculture vehicles have the right of way,” Wilmot said.

Wilmot also said most farmers would rather drive their machinery on the less-traveled roads, but that isn't always possible.

What will help, Wilmot said, is if motorists understand the difficulty farmers have when driving their machinery and make an effort to drive accordingly. He said in many areas of the county, given their size, it is impossible for modern farm machinery to travel down rural roads and not take up well over half the road.

Wilmot said it is also important for motorists to remember that when a piece of farm machinery is giving traffic room to pass it on the left, it also has to watch for signs, mailboxes, utility poles and other obstacles on the right side of the road. Therefore, they have very little room to maneuver.

So the next time you see farm machinery traveling on the road toward you, slow down. Wilmot said it is best to slow down, maintain a safe speed and be aware of the traffic that may be behind you.

While there aren't many accidents involving farm machinery and agriculture trucks in Yuma County, Wilmot said they do occasionally happen.

James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854. Find him on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.