You spend countless hours out on the field. Land prep. Seeding. Fertilizing. Harvest. When you’re ready to get to work, the last thing you want to do is stand by your slip tank for hours refuelling your equipment.
Thankfully, Regan Bradford, president of Fifty North, found a creative solution: refurbished airport fuel trucks.
With a capacity anywhere between 4500L and 22000L, it’s easy to move your dyed diesel or gasoline wherever you need to, so you can refuel on the spot and get back to work.
Born and raised on a grain farm in Lancer, SK, Regan knows firsthand how important it is to make every second of the day count.
“Time is very valuable,” he says. “Fuel is very valuable. And when you’re in the busy season, you need to be efficient with your time.”
For Regan, one of the main barriers to efficiency is the slip tanks.
“Many years ago, we would bring a slip tank of fuel out to the tractor and that's how you would move 500 litres of fuel,” he explains. “But everything has grown; combines are bigger, tractors are bigger, and that 500 litres doesn’t get you very far anymore.”
He continues, “It’s still a problem I’ve identified on my own farm…standing there by the slip tank for what feels like forever, when you could be better suited doing other stuff in the morning instead of standing there moving fuel.”
Regan saw this struggle as an opportunity to support his local community in a drastic way. So, using his knowledge as a farmer and a commercial pilot, he found the solution: bigger fuel tanks, made mobile.
“We upcycle and refurbish old airport fuel trucks and repurpose them for farmers and construction workers in the prairies,” he says.
“These fuel trucks are made for moving large amounts of fuel. They’re made to be refilled and offloaded quickly. So now, instead of using them on the airport, we’re using them for combines, tractors, and other equipment – equipment that can go through just as much fuel as some airplanes do.”
One client, for example, was able to fill five combines and two-grain carts in just an hour with their fuel truck.
“That's a huge efficiency improvement,” says Regan. “You might be able to get out in the field an hour earlier by moving the fuel this way.”
All of Regan’s trucks are taken right from airports across the prairies. While many of them can be decades old, strict airport regulations ensure they’re kept in great condition.
“And, I mean, you don’t drive very much in the airport,” he laughs.
Once the trucks are in Regan’s possession, they’re repainted, old branding is removed, and any issues are fixed with locally sourced parts. All inspections are done locally as well.
Most of the trucks are Ford, International, or Freightliner, equipped with large filter units on the side, accurate capacity meters, and electric hose reels. Each truck comes with existing tank inspections and are capable of holding dyed diesel.
Currently, Regan has a couple of units ready to go pre-harvest, with the bulk of the inventory coming out late fall and early next spring. Units can be sold across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Viewing is available at Regan’s farm just north of Lancer.
Are you ready to boost your efficiency on the farm? Give Regan a call (or leave a message) to get started!
Ph: (306) 774-4009
Website: https://fiftynorth.ca/
Learn more: https://vimeo.com/956152275/220104c032