Machine and tractor fleet: organization, use, management, maintenance

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Organization of a machine and tractor fleet is a very complex process that is associated with a certain amount of risk. However, an enterprising businessman sees not production problems, but excitement, which can also bring good profits. Of course, when implementing such a business, one should take into account a huge number of different nuances, which we will be happy to talk about in our article. Also here you will learn a lot about how to manage your machine park.

Business relevance and a bit of history

For the proper operation of the machine and tractor fleet, it is first necessary to determine the relevance of this type of business. In recent years, the agricultural sector has received serious investment from the state, which means that farmers will need the services of tractor and combine operators forland cultivation and harvesting. It will be almost impossible to cope with large volumes of work without equipment, so opening a mechanical park is a pretty good idea.

It's hard to admit, but in the 90s the country underwent not the most favorable changes - it was literally taken apart and robbed piece by piece. First of all, this affected agriculture. Most of the mechanical parks at the beginning of the new millennium were empty, although in the USSR they were filled to overflowing with various equipment. The situation began to change after 2012, when the government took up the revival of agriculture in earnest. Therefore, you can be sure that by implementing such a business in your locality, you are not only helping to restore the country to its former greatness, but also investing your funds in a profitable enterprise.

Why write a business plan?

Before you start operating the machine and tractor fleet, you must first build it. And before starting construction, it is recommended to draw up a competent business plan that will take into account all aspects of your business. Why do you need to do this? Firstly, to determine the approximate profitability of the enterprise, as well as its payback period. Secondly, if a business plan with clearly defined goals and objectives is always in front of the eyes of an entrepreneur, this will motivate the owner to develop even in the most difficult moments. And thirdly, such a document will attractattract the attention of investors, without whose funds you are unlikely to be able to organize large-scale production. So it is imperative to draw up a business plan, because the revenue from the enterprise directly depends on it.

Market Analysis

The work of the machine and tractor fleet is inextricably linked with agriculture, therefore it is recommended to organize a business of this kind in rural areas, where your services will be in the most demand. However, the construction of a mechanical park will not be equally effective in all settlements. For example, if in some village there is already a similar enterprise with a fairly good assortment of cars, then it is better to refrain from building in this area. However, there are a huge number of regions where it would be very appropriate to implement the idea. It is also worth considering the recent actions of the government in the field of agriculture. For example, quite recently, land plots have been distributed to residents of the Far East, and on a fairly large scale, which means that very soon farmers will need agricultural equipment that you provide them.

Selection of a site for construction

Maintenance of the machine and tractor fleet is almost impossible without a large scale, since the equipment needs a huge amount of free space for storage and unimpeded movement around the territory. This statement is especially relevant if you plan to open a mechanical park with modern equipment, for example, John Deere tractors. This technique is quite large even without an attached plow or discs.

Also, do not forget that several different buildings will have to be built in the park:

• sheds for agricultural machinery;
• car garages;
• repair box;
• gatehouses, etc.

All this should be taken into account when choosing a site for purchase. However, the most important thing is a convenient entrance. Ideally, the mechanical park should be located near the fields so that the technicians do not have to travel long distances to work.

What cars should be stored in garages?

Of course, it would be extremely unprofitable to build garages for all agricultural machinery, but it is still recommended to store some tractors and machines in garages, especially in the winter season. As a rule, we are talking about complex agricultural machinery (forage harvesters and grain harvesters), as well as vehicles that are highly recommended not to be stored in the cold in winter (security or administration vehicles). All agricultural implements can be stored in an open area, while tractors and trucks can be stored under special sheds. Also, do not forget about a separate room that will act as a warehouse, since various metal parts are best stored in a place where they will be well protected from corrosion.

Machine maintenance

According to the law, machine maintenancethe tractor fleet should be carried out at special stations, however, some organizations also provide services for the departure of a mobile technical park to mechanical parks. If you want the scheduled technical inspection to take place on your territory, then for this you will have to additionally equip a special box in which machine operators can place their equipment to perform simple operations. You can also purchase all the equipment yourself to pay only for the call of the master, however, for a small fleet, such actions are unlikely to be profitable.

Composition of the mechanical park

Management of the machine and tractor fleet involves the purchase of all necessary equipment, as well as equipment that is useful for business implementation. To begin with, you can purchase only a few tractors and combines, and then gradually begin to expand the volumes. In the table below you will find the approximate number and name of machine brands that will be useful for business implementation.

Type of agricultural machinery	Stamps	Quantity	Year of issue
Tractor	T-25A	1	2001
	T-16M	2	2002
	DT-75M	5	2000
Car	GAZ-5201	4	2001
	ZIL-4502	2	2002
	"Niva"	1	2000
Combine	E-281	4	2003
	"Yenisei-1200"	1	2001
	E-302	1	2002

Also, we should not forget about other equipment: seeders, potato planters, mowers, watering machines and so on. The purchase of such equipment will cost a tidy sum, so it is so important to draw up a competent business plan and attract investors.

Staff

To manage the work of the machine and tractor fleet, it will be necessary to recruit a sufficiently large staff. It is best, of course, to accept only qualified specialists who have several years of work experience behind them, however, the services of such personnel can be quite expensive, so for a novice entrepreneur, the best option would be to hire two or three newcomers for one master who will train all their wisdom. The staff of a mechanical fleet usually consists of several tractor drivers, combiners, grain truck drivers, mechanics, security guards, a watchman, an accountant and an administrator, whose role can be played by the entrepreneur himself.

Employee salaries

No employee in any enterprise will work for nothing. All people need to feed their families for something, and if you do not pay your tractor drivers and mechanics high enough wages, they simply will not work for you. As a rule, the average salary of a tractor driver in the village is 25 thousand rubles,however, if you want to attract real professionals, then this amount should be increased to 35 or even 40 thousand.

As mentioned earlier, the best option is to hire one professional tractor driver, who will be subordinate to several students who have recently graduated from vocational schools. Such actions will allow you to establish the process of training qualified personnel at your enterprise, as well as save a significant amount of money on staff salaries. The same goes for combine operators, truck drivers and mechanics. But for the position of an accountant, it is best to appoint a truly experienced and responsible performer who will know all his duties and will not make mistakes in calculations.

Repair of broken tractors

The repair of the machine and tractor fleet is a topic that requires special attention, since in addition to the salary, mechanics will also have to constantly purchase expensive engine parts. Of course, it is best to do this directly from the agricultural machinery manufacturers and always have in stock a few parts that most often need to be replaced. However, if you manage to hire several professionals in their field, they will be able to fix even the most hopeless equipment that is subject to disposal without any problems. If you have several such employees in mind, then it is not worth saving on their wages, since you will be able to get much more profit if you do not buy a new part whenminor damage.

What services does ICC provide?

The use of the machine and tractor fleet is most often resorted to by individual entrepreneurs and farmers who have at their disposal a fairly large amount of land. The range of services offered can be very diverse: cultivating the soil, sowing seeds, watering and fertilizing plants, harvesting, and so on. If you decide to organize a mechanical park, then you will have to constantly cooperate with local farmers so as not to spend too many resources on trips to other villages. As for business advertising, it is practically not needed, since few of the local population will not notice the construction of a machine and tractor complex in their village.

Business profitability and payback periods

It should be understood that the construction of a mechanical park requires quite large financial investments from the entrepreneur. As a rule, for the implementation of even a small enterprise, it will be necessary to invest about 30 million rubles, since the purchase of agricultural machinery is not a cheap pleasure. However, with proper management, full payback will occur in about 5-6 years. Of course, all the figures are rather arbitrary and depend on many factors, but one thing is certain: the machine and tractor fleet is a fairly profitable financial investment that will bring its owner a stable monthly income with the right management.

Video and conclusion

We hope that the information from our article has helped you better understand what it means to open a mechanical park in a particular locality. If you still have some questions or if the information provided is not enough for you, then we recommend watching a short video in which the chief engineer of the park talks about some of the intricacies of working at such an enterprise. Perhaps this information will be useful to you or you will be inspired by the scale of the business you see.

As you can see, it is rather difficult to open a machine and tractor fleet. In addition to huge financial investments, such an enterprise also requires a competent approach to managing agricultural activities. It is necessary to constantly look for new customers and replenish your fleet with the latest models of equipment. Therefore, such a business is more suitable for a professional businessman than a novice entrepreneur. However, do not despair. The state finances the development of agricultural business in sparsely populated regions in every possible way, so you can count on material assistance in the form of subsidies and various grants at an early stage of development.