Farm Truck?
This week’s popular question at Market was all about Tesla‘s new truck. I know a lot of our customers drive the fancy electric vehicles with the distinctive logo on the trunk door and the computerized everything on the dash, but when people started asking what I thought of all the fuss about the electric truck, I had to laugh.
I looked at Elon‘s version of truck and wondered where does the trailer hitch go? Can you hook a fifth wheel to it? What is the wheelbase and will it accommodate a fast lane switch while pulling a load without flipping, the whole shebang?
And all of that rolled steel to avoid dents. {insert maniacal laughter} Well, let’s just say that Mr. Musk has never driven vehicles around cattle, especially cattle with horns or tried to hitch up a fifth wheel with the tailgate still up. I guarantee that will put a dent in it. I do have to give a little credit for Tesla for going back to a steel body. Too many trucks today are made out of plastic, the only redeeming quality being that it can be fixed with duct tape.
How am I supposed to stack hay on that angled bed? I had a 1965 Chevy that I could stack 40 small square bales on and slowly drive it up a steep grade to where the cattle were overwintering, but I don't think I'd be able to get more than a dozen, if that, in the bed of that thing.
Did you see that fancy interior? If you want to make an interior for a farm truck, make the upholstery out of Kevlar. That way when the farmer gets in with sharp tools sticking out of their back pockets the seats are not eviscerated. Also, make that upholstery waterproof and stain proof. I can't recall how many times I have had to put a newborn animal or something that has been injured in the front seat to get it back to the farm. The mess just becomes a permanent part of the interior.
How long will the charge on that thing actually last and will I be able to plug in small tools and appliances and run them off the engine or battery? These are questions that will be at the top of a farmers list, especially ones who have to do a lot of remote fencing work. I had a 1982 Ford flatbed with dual batteries mounted on the bumper and an air compressor under the hood. As long as I had diesel in the tank, I could run an assortment of tools in remote areas without wired power. Seriously Elon, you need to talk to your brother who bills himself as a farmer. But given the kind of farming Kimball does, I’m sure your version of a truck would work out just fine for him.
A truck is an essential tool on any farm no matter what is being produced. Trucks transport things like seedlings and harvested produce from the fields to the packing houses. Trucks are needed to haul livestock to the processor, to other farms, to the auction barn. Trucks tow and assortment of equipment from place to place. Take a good look around at the market and see how many different types of trucks there are. While I love my van for its fuel economy and comfort on my weekly trips to market, I would not dare go pick up a load of chicken feed, salt, and minerals in it, out of fear of damaging the suspension. That would be akin to stuffing 15 adults in the back.
Throughout my years of farming, I have had an assortment of trucks of varying ages, sizes, makes, and models. I really have no preference as to brand, only that they can do the job that I need. A good truck lasts for years, one giving me 18 miles short of half a million miles before it finally put a rod through the block. There have been times when I have needed a dually extended crew cab with a long bed capable of towing 6 tons and five cowboys, and at other times, I can get away with a mini version of a pick-up truck, enough to take a half dozen small ruminants to the processor.
The wave of future vehicles may be electric, but let’s roll some common sense into them. Unfortunately, that seems to be the thing that our species lacking these days. Like putting solar panels on premium farmland, instead of the roofs of warehouses or ordering three items from Amazon, each costing less than five dollars, and they get delivered in three different packages each with its own shipping. Me? I would like to have a vehicle that is capable of getting me to market and back, including traffic on the highways, on a single charge or better yet have it be self-charging. I’m more excited about roads with inductive coupling installed below the surface that charges cars as they drive on the road. The first one in America was just installed in Detroit. As a farmer, I have become adept at harnessing the power of the sun in order to create food for others. Mr. Musk, are you paying attention?