Fleet


	Issue 83 Prairie Grains


	Prairie Grains is the official publication of the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, North Dakota Grain Growers Association, Montana Grain Growers Association and South Dakota Wheat, Inc.




	The Largest Fleet of Combines in North America In managing 250 John Deere and Case IH combines, MachinaryLink uses the kind of information technology and attention to logistics you’d envision in an air-traffic control tower. MachineryLink, Inc., started with three combines in 2000, and today leases and maintains North America’s largest private fleet of combines in use by nearly 1,000 farmers in 33 states and Canada. Headquartered in Kansas City, MO, MachineryLink has operational centers near Pratt, Kans. and North Sioux City, S.D., with a staff of nearly 100, including regional sales managers, field service representatives, and operations, logistics, and transportation personnel. The company’s product is its service: farmers get the benefits of improved asset management with guaranteed scheduled delivery, service and access to newer technology at a reasonable cost compared to equipment ownership or custom harvesting options. MachineryLink has a fleet of 250 combines, Class 6 and Class 7 John Deere and Case IH models, synchronizing them around harvest dates and the weather throughout the country and into Canada. The company pledges to make good on the promise of a specified late-model combine, delivered on-time in certified field-ready condition, all at a cost of $9.50 to $13.00 acre, depending on the model and contract terms. The company estimates that its combine leasing programs are saving producers about 20-40% on their annual combine costs. During the busy summer season, the company adds to its capacity by setting up temporary yards in various locations throughout the country, following the harvest season as it progresses. Critically important is the support of 300 local equipment dealers for parts and service support, who perform winter service for much of the fleet. In managing 250 combines, MachinaryLink uses the kind of information technology and attention to logistics you’d envision in an air-traffic control tower. Using GPS tracking and remote monitoring, the company is able to locate, track and monitor utilization of equipment all from one location. Wireless technology monitors location and engine usage on every machine, and transmits the information directly to the company’s nerve center in Kansas City. During harvest, service teams are available by phone 24/7 to communicate with customers regarding delivery, service, and dispatching local dealer service technicians with parts or to trouble-shoot any problems that arise. If a producer’s crop is ready to harvest sooner or later than forecast, MachineryLink can recalibrate the information and determine the location of the closest combine and adjust dispatch plans accordingly. When harvest is complete on one farm, the equipment is checked out and loaded on either a MachineryLink trailer or a contract trucker and returned to a staging yard for lube service, repairs, cleaning and setup for the next customer. The GPS technology works in tandem with a transportation management system to help manage scheduling, dispatch, delivery and pickup of hundreds of combines, trucks, and service crews. A feature being evaluated for the future is adding Internet visibility to customer service and account records. More details about the company’s combine leasing and renting program can be found online at www.machinerylink.com – under ‘News and Information’ there is an equipment cost comparison cost calculator, an Excel spreadsheet to compare leasing versus owning a combine.