European Farmers

[LittleWatt]

In the US pickups are a major part of the lifestyle. We do everything with our trucks. I see as many large pickups hauling hay and straw bales on gooseneck trailers as I see commercial trucks. Not to the same scale of course. In fact there is so much pickup work being done, I’m hearing about new licenses coming down the pipeline specifically targeting these middle-ground jobs that were once accomplished by commercial vehicles.

My questions: what’s the likelihood of seeing large American diesel pickups doing agricultural jobs? Is it more likely you see commercial trucks or tractors and grain carts hauling crops? Has there been an increase in American pickups in the recent years?

I don’t care much about realism but I do enjoy accuracy. I typically research the areas for most common tractor brands, crops, animals, etc.

With that in mind, would it be more accurate for say a tractor and grain cart, a commercial truck, some sort of combination moving agricultural products?

[Siloam]

Im from the Netherlands and i must say we have the occasional American pickup. Most carting is usually done by tractor. Most farms are very small in comparison to us farms so if trucks are involved, most of the time they are a company being contracted by farmers

[Ekan]

Not where I live. Its done by semitrucks but most comman tractors with trailer. I think US cars/pickups are not very common in Euro at all thanks to the big size, our roads are more narrow here.

[LittleWatt]

Thanks. I usually cart grain with a pickup and turntable trailer. It’s not at all reasonable because even our big pickups are not that powerful or sturdy. I mostly do it because it’s way faster as the game doesn’t recognize vehicle strength or capability. It just limits to weight and power. Plus pickups are way easier to navigate the maps and use significantly less fuel. I’ll make some changes, though.

More commercial trucks, tractors and trailers, less pickups.

[Arrancar88]

American pickups or pickups in general became more common in recent years, but they are still rare. For example our vet got one and when my sister came home on Ford Ranger, people were literally stopping on street to check it out and saying "what a huge car" lol.
Tipper trucks are most common here when it comes to hauling crops from field fo farm silo, followed by tractors with trailers(getting more common in recent years). Semi-trucks are used only for long distances, like from farm to mill.
Carpathian Countryside(my sister literally worked on the main farm there) or Zielonka are good maps for this region. Most common tipper trucks here are Škoda Liaz and Tatra 815, both can be found on modhub. When it comes to tractors, most bigger farms tend to have like 80% of tractors from same brand. Farm nearby have mostly Fendt(700 and 900 series) and Carpathian Countryside farm irl had John Deere tractors(up to 450 hp).

[Massey44]

Where I live its all carted off the field by tractors with trailers and taken to their grain shed. Local farmer uses a large Brougan 20ft trailer, same as the one on ModHub. Only when they're having it taken away to sell do they bring the cab over trucks in, typically Scania ones here. Fields are quite big in my area and its largely flat land, access is good for at least 6M equipment because a great deal of hedgerow was cut down in the 80s and 90s when a lot of local farmers expanded their land. It certainly isn't anywhere near as tight as a lot of UK mod maps are and fields often extend to the main road with no hedgerows or fences but you'd never see a semi here. Local farmer uses Massey Ferguson 7700 S and 8700 S, leases a JD 6R on occasion and sometimes a New Holland T6. Local dealership used to be independent but became a John Deere one a few years back and the local farmer owns the Hesston bailer he used to lease from them now because it has the old dealership info on it.

[b101uk]

American pickups like American cars and American trucks get hit by reciprocal trade tariffs.

As the US Gov has the bright idea to protect domestic manufactures from European vehicle imports, so introduced trade tariffs that put large tax on European vehicle imports to the US, so Europe etc did the same to US vehicle imports to Europe with only industrial (inc ag) vehicles escaping this.

then to get around aspects of the US Gov silliness, European vehicle manufactures just started buying US vehicle manufactures and setting up factories in the US, with only the likes of Packard (Peterbilt and Kenworth) managing to buy DAF, while CAT got Perkins\RR diesels. (simplified but to get the picture, it killed off the last remaining truck, car and pickup imports to the EU on price due to import tariffs [tax])

but for the most part there has been very little interest in US trucks, cars or pickups, with the Ford Ranger (Mazda Fifth gen B series onward) being the only success in pickup terms, but really the Ford Ranger is just a Mazda we had just by a different name with slightly different origin that avoids any tariffs due to being made in different places.

[don_apple]

In Germany it is quite uncommon to see any type of American pickup trucks used in farming, or even grain carts. Most transporting of agricultural products by farmers is usually done using tractors and trailers.

Commercial trucks are typically only used to transport agricultural products by larger companies which either buy them from the farmers and the resell them to others or use them to manufacture other products.

[LittleWatt]

American pickups or pickups in general became more common in recent years, but they are still rare. For example our vet got one and when my sister came home on Ford Ranger, people were literally stopping on street to check it out and saying "what a huge car" lol.
Tipper trucks are most common here when it comes to hauling crops from field fo farm silo, followed by tractors with trailers(getting more common in recent years). Semi-trucks are used only for long distances, like from farm to mill.
Carpathian Countryside(my sister literally worked on the main farm there) or Zielonka are good maps for this region. Most common tipper trucks here are Škoda Liaz and Tatra 815, both can be found on modhub. When it comes to tractors, most bigger farms tend to have like 80% of tractors from same brand. Farm nearby have mostly Fendt(700 and 900 series) and Carpathian Countryside farm irl had John Deere tractors(up to 450 hp).

As a reference, the Ford Ranger of old 1993 and earlier are considered compact or mini trucks in the States. The new model is more a midsize machine, but still small. Our trucks are incredibly powerful and capable compared to even 20 years ago. If I recall correctly, not only is the Ford F150 the best selling pickup, it’s the best selling vehicle. Not all that relevant, really, I know.

I don’t know if Zielonka is a Polish map, but assuming it is, I did a lot of research on the agricultural market in Poland. Some interesting bits of information. I thought a Fendt 900 would be too big, in fact I haven’t gone into the large tractor section. But if they are around, I’m happy to use a 939 to haul grain carts. Especially the high yield veggie crops.

[LittleWatt]

American pickups like American cars and American trucks get hit by reciprocal trade tariffs.

As the US Gov has the bright idea to protect domestic manufactures from European vehicle imports, so introduced trade tariffs that put large tax on European vehicle imports to the US, so Europe etc did the same to US vehicle imports to Europe with only industrial (inc ag) vehicles escaping this.

then to get around aspects of the US Gov silliness, European vehicle manufactures just started buying US vehicle manufactures and setting up factories in the US, with only the likes of Packard (Peterbilt and Kenworth) managing to buy DAF, while CAT got Perkins\RR diesels. (simplified but to get the picture, it killed off the last remaining truck, car and pickup imports to the EU on price due to import tariffs [tax])

but for the most part there has been very little interest in US trucks, cars or pickups, with the Ford Ranger (Mazda Fifth gen B series onward) being the only success in pickup terms, but really the Ford Ranger is just a Mazda we had just by a different name with slightly different origin that avoids any tariffs due to being made in different places.

So, this all means it’s not common? Sorry, it feels more like a political statement than any reference to farming trends in Europe.

[LittleWatt]

In Germany it is quite uncommon to see any type of American pickup trucks used in farming, or even grain carts. Most transporting of agricultural products by farmers is usually done using tractors and trailers.

Commercial trucks are typically only used to transport agricultural products by larger companies which either buy them from the farmers and the resell them to others or use them to manufacture other products.

To be fair, I don’t think any US pickups could actually haul any grain carts of any size. I know they are used to haul bales, and some places use pickups to pull tedders. We have modified flatbeds to carry single bales to the field and unravel them. I’ve personally loaded hay carts, small 75 pound bales, by using a Chevy half-ton (1500 designation) in first gear and the 4WD in Granny gear. We let it idle up the field and loaded bales from both sides.

[b101uk]

So, this all means it’s not common? Sorry, it feels more like a political statement than any reference to farming trends in Europe.

It is hard to avoid the political aspect of trade tariffs either imposed by the US or in retaliation to the US, when it comes to why US pickup, cars or trucks are not as common as they once were, due to being priced out of the market in terms of import tax.

while the Ford Ranger (Mazda) is one of the few pickup that sell well in Europe that have a quasi US connection, even though its mostly a Mazda connection.

given the question was:

My questions: what’s the likelihood of seeing large American diesel pickups doing agricultural jobs? Is it more likely you see commercial trucks or tractors and grain carts hauling crops? Has there been an increase in American pickups in the recent years?

or in short you are not going to see large American diesel pickups doing agricultural jobs in Europe, and if you did it would be an exception, given you could get a Unimog or Fastrac, or ex military AWD lorry.

[LittleWatt]

Nobody else used a political angle.

[Siloam]

Yea could we stay on topic. We got mostle some Dodge pickups driving around. But mostly by non farmers, theyre used to do some haul work, but like said before, when it comes to farming mostly tractors. Find it very interesting to read all comments of the other countries really paints a picture and gives you something to compare wit. Thx guys!

[Hoffa82]

It's the same here in Sweden, you see some big American pickups sometimes, but they are mostly privately owned by enthusiasts, very few commercial ones since they're not very effective in either our infrastructure or economy.
When I was doing forestry further up north some years ago, Subaru was the weapon of choice if one needed 4x4, but that has maybe changed.
The last American vehicle we had was a Jeep Cherokee in the mid 90's when the fuel was still cheap.

Edit: The last non-ag vehicle I meant, since we have John Deere equipment....forgot about those