Michel’s Industries displayed a new easy-to-install camera system for grain farmers so truckers can remain in the truck while loading.
The camera is located at the end of a spring-loaded arm that rises when the tarp is unrolled so the camera can see the whole trailer.
“There’s an advantage of mounting a camera up there so you can see the load when you’re loading,” said Brad Michel, general manager of Michel Industries in St. Gregor, Sask.
“Otherwise you’ve got to stand up top and watch it and run up and down the ladder.”
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“Then all of a sudden, you’re over filling and spilling. You move, but you didn’t move far enough or moved too far,” he said while attending Canada’s Farm Show in Regina last month.
The camera-arm is installed inside the tarp side edge near the front of the trailer. The arm is designed to fit the curve of the tarp as it gets pushed down when the tarp is closed. When the tarp is opened before filling, the spring automatically pushes the arm back up as the tarp relieves pressure.
The design was originally invented by Roland Wohlgemuth, a farmer near Swan River, Man. Michel said they’ve worked with him to improve the design and to try to get the camera-arm on the market.
“Everything is wireless so all you need is to get power to the camera, so what we’ll do is just tie into the clearance lights normally,” said Michel. “Then all you have to do is make sure your clearance lights are on and it’ll hook up to the monitor right away.”
Because the arm elevates when the tarp is opened, the elevation allows truckers to see the whole trailer without leaving the cab.
“It’s a safety thing more than anything,” said Michel. “It’s not really easy to run up and down the trailer and if you’ve got snow and ice on the ladder, I can be dangerous. I’d say that’s the main benefit for sure.”
