2/13/2014

I’ve worked here for about a year and a half now and I tell you I used to hear people talking about spreading fertilizer and I honestly didn’t give it much thought… you buy the fertilizer, you spread the fertilizer…. Big deal, right? That was before I met Donny McGinnis and Glenn Hamilton, spreader truck drivers out of Sylacauga, AL and learned how wrong I was. Spreading fertilizer IS a big deal.

Here’s what I learned. When you’re spreading fertilizer, you need to balance at least six factors – coverage, consistency, rate, weather, cost and timeliness. You make a significant investment when you purchase fertilizer. You can get the most for your money by making sure it’s spread properly.

Coverage refers to proper distribution and making sure all areas are covered. If you’re not sure which areas were fertilized and which weren’t how can you be sure your turf is going to look great and grow consistently? Harrell’s spreader trucks are equipped with GPS so we avoid wasteful overlaps and unintentional skips when we spread your fertilizer. The computer screen in the cab of the truck allows the driver to monitor the progress of the spread for proper  overlap and maximum efficiency.

Harrell’s spreader trucks can hold 2-4 tons of fertilizer and spread roughly 25 acres per hour. 

When we’re talking about consistency it has more to do with the quality of the fertilizer you buy, than the spreader, but the two go hand-in-hand. Fertilizer is made up of tiny particles called prills. If you try to spread fertilizer made up of various sized prills, you’ll end up with larger prills landing in a different spot than the medium or the small - it’s just plain physics-  and this causes banding on your turf and ultimately, inconsistent growth. If you use Harrell’s fertilizer, which starts with selective raw materials and is screened to achieve a consistent size guide number (SGN), you can be confident that the the prill size is consistent and as a result, the spread is even. Then the spreader driver sets the rate of the spread for consistent coverage and beautiful turf.

Talking about rate, we have to contend with the rate the vehicle is traveling and the amount of fertilizer let out at one time -more physics, but serious concepts if you want to save money. The driver calibrates the spreader and maintains a consistent speed during the spread to apply  the amount of plant nutrients  per acre desired.

Many Harrell’s spreader trucks are equipped with GPS so we avoid wasteful overlaps and
unintentional skips when we spread your fertilizer. 

Harrell’s spreader trucks are massive. They can hold 2-4 tons of fertilizer, depending on bulk density and spread roughly 25 acres per hour. But don’t let their size scare you. Our trucks are designed as a low-impact, non-invasive tool for a labor-saving application of your fertilizer. The trucks are transported to your location on an 18-wheeler, so when the spreader truck gets there, you’ll know it. Our spreader trucks are outfitted with smooth tread flotation tires for minimal impact to your turf. Harrell’s employs several highly experienced spreader truck drivers. Our employees will fill the spreader truck from a killibrew or if you have bulk bags, they can load from those just as easily. The process of filling the spreader truck is quite a site and experienced drivers like Donny and Glenn have the procedure down to a science to minimize waste.

When I talked to Donny and Glenn I was curious about their work schedule. I mean clearly spreading fertilizer is quite a production and with my logistics oriented brain, I like to know about stuff like this. We talked in July, a pretty quiet time for a spreader truck driver, but in the spring and fall, these guys are out straight. They spend week after week on the road hauling an oversize load within the DOT rules and averaging 1-2 spreads a day during an 8-10 week period in the spring and a 6-8 week period in the fall. With the help of the Harrell’s dispatcher they’re able to serve customer needs in an efficient manner while still spreading hundreds of acres and travelling thousands of miles. Weather plays a bit of a part in this, as well. Turf needs a certain amount of firmness to handle the weight of the truck, but that doesn’t mean they can’t spread in the rain. Snow is another issue. A lot of our customers like to get their controlled-release fertilizer applied in the fall before the snow flies because they know it will sit all winter and start working when the temperatures rise, oftentimes sooner than the ground is firm enough for the spreader truck to pass through. This means the drivers are often dodging snow and rain to get the job done.

I very much enjoyed learning about our spreader trucks and seeing these beasts in action. Big truck, big job, big deal. I get it now. Please contact your Harrell’s representative if you have questions about our spreading service. This is just about everything I know about it- LOL- so I won’t be much help if you contact me.

The process of filling the spreader truck is quite a sight!