Managing a Multi-Vehicle Pulling Team at an Event Weekend

Running more than one pulling vehicle from the same outfit at a single competition weekend has become a familiar setup in regional Australia. The paddocks around Geelong, the diesel-fume-scented showgrounds near Toowoomba, and the open-air venues of Wagin in Western Australia regularly host teams with two, three, or even five sled-pulling machines arriving together. Whether the lineup includes a turbocharged farm tractor, a vintage Pro Stock, or a freshly built Super Stock, the operational demands stack up fast. Drivers, crew, vehicles, spares, paperwork, and family all move in the same convoy.

The Australian pulling scene rewards teams that treat logistics like a small business. Long drives between venues, summer heat pushing engines past their comfort zone, and strict transport rules all add layers that a single-truck operator rarely has to think about. Crews that bring a second or third machine to a sanctioned meet learn quickly that good management is the difference between a smooth weekend and a chaotic one.

This piece pulls together practical guidance for anyone responsible for coordinating multiple entrants at one event. The notes apply whether the team is based near Warrnambool, working out of a workshop in the Lockyer Valley, or driving across the border from Wagga Wagga into a New South Wales fixture. The goal is fewer surprises on the day and better results when the sled finally hooks up.

Planning the Convoy Before You Leave Home

Before any truck or tractor is loaded, the team needs a written plan. List every vehicle that will travel, the driver for each, the crew member who handles that machine during hookup, and the contact number of the owner. In Australia, distances change the math: a run from Bendigo to a coastal show in northern New South Wales is easily nine hours on the highway. Event schedules, draw orders, and registration windows for the next sanctioned meet are posted at https://ottpa.net/, and team managers learn to refresh the page in the days leading up to departure.

Decide which trailers will be towed and which vehicles will drive under their own power. Some teams keep the modified tractors on low-loaders behind a prime mover because the road registration of a highly altered pulling vehicle is rarely practical on public roads. Others run a lighter pickup behind a truck. Whichever mix is used, check the height, width, and weight limits for each state the convoy will cross. The NHVR site and the relevant state road authority set out the rules for combinations, and permits take time to organise. A copy of the team's plan, contact sheet, insurance certificates, and registration papers belongs in every cab.

The week before departure, every vehicle needs a fluid check, a tyre inspection, a torque review on wheel studs, and a look over the fuel and cooling system. With summer temperatures across the Murray Basin regularly climbing into the high thirties, cooling performance is a genuine concern. Spare belts, hose clamps, fuel filters, and a basic tool kit should ride along, because dealers for specialty parts such as aftermarket injectors or compound turbos may not be located anywhere near the event venue.

Crew Roles and Communication on the Ground

A team with three sled machines will easily need nine to twelve people across the weekend. Split them clearly: drivers, hookup crew, mechanics, a runner, and someone to handle paperwork and result sheets. Hand out roles before the gates open, and make sure each person knows who they report to. At most regional meets the timing between classes is short, so hesitation at the sled costs runs and stresses the drivers.

Radio communication makes everything smoother. UHF radios on channel 18 or 40 are common at Australian field days and pulling events, and a pair of handhelds with spare batteries is cheap insurance. Brief the crew on a short list of call signs and phrases, then keep chatter to the essentials. Whoever is at the sled should call the next driver when the tractor ahead clears the track, so the lineup keeps moving. A small whiteboard at the pit, listing draw order and any driver changes, prevents the confusion that hits when one rig breaks and another has to step in.

Family and spectators also need a touchpoint. Designate a meeting spot away from the hot exhausts but in view of the scoreboard. Hydration matters in the Australian heat, particularly when events are held between November and March. Make sure coolers stay stocked, sunscreen is on hand, and there is shade for older crew members or younger kids. Teams that look after their own have fewer dropouts by the second day.

Keeping Multiple Vehicles Ready Between Runs

With three or four pulling vehicles in the lineup, maintenance windows between runs are tight. The first priority is heat. After each pull, check coolant levels and oil condition; an engine that has been working hard on a modified turbo will want a few minutes to settle. Run fans at idle for a few cycles before shutting down, especially if water injection or alcohol injection has been part of the fuel strategy. Keep logbooks for each vehicle so that small issues, a slight oil weep or a whistling intake, are caught before they become trackside failures.

Fuel management differs from the workshop. Diesel sold at regional showgrounds may not always be the same quality as the supplier back home. Carry a known-quality drum if results depend on consistency, and treat water and sediment removal as a habit. Petrol-powered trucks that run methanol need a controlled mixing station, well clear of any ignition source, with PPE for the mixing crew. The same goes for nitrous oxide bottles on modified street-stock classes, which must be stored upright and away from heat.

Spare parts inventory is a hidden expense on multi-vehicle teams. Standardise fasteners and hose sizes as much as possible across the fleet so that what works on one truck can rescue another in a pinch. A small cache of wheel studs, drive belts, ignition components, and a borrowed laptop for diagnostic software saves hours on the second day. The crew should know where every spare lives; nothing is more frustrating than losing fifteen minutes looking for a specific coil pack while the sled waits.

Compliance With Australian Rules and Track Requirements

Australian pulling events may look like a freewheeling weekend, but they sit on top of a stack of paperwork. Insurance certificates, vehicle logbooks, and class compliance documentation must travel with each machine. Many regional clubs run their classes off modified NTPA or ITPA rule frameworks, so the team captain should keep current rulebooks for every state the team enters. Inspectors at the gate may check weights, hitch dimensions, RPM limits, and safety gear, including wheelie bars, kill switches, and driver restraints.

Drivers need current licences appropriate to the combination. In most states a Heavy Combination (HC) licence covers the typical truck and trailer rig used to haul a tractor, though some lighter combinations only need a Car licence. If the team enters a class that includes a road-driven vehicle participating on the track, ensure drivers carry a current Australian state or territory licence and any required medical clearances. Burning fuels for a heater or for any demonstration must meet the work health and safety obligations of the host state.

Some venues require the chief steward to sign off on specific safety items before a vehicle competes. Fire extinguishers mounted within reach of the driver, properly rated helmets, and flame-resistant clothing are common items on the checklist. At events that include a children's class or junior exhibition runs, the rules tighten further. The team manager should bring extra copies of every certificate so that a missing paper doesn't hold up a run.

Tracking Results and Improving for the Next Outing

The weekend ends, the convoy rolls out, and most teams never look at their data again. That's a mistake. Pulling vehicles running back-to-back at the same meet give a manager a rich dataset within forty-eight hours. Note the distance pulled, the engine RPM at the end of the run, ambient temperature, track condition, and any tuning changes made between hookups. A simple spreadsheet, sorted by vehicle, will show patterns that no single driver could spot on their own.

Compare drivers' results across identical classes. Two trucks in the same Modified bracket can be tuned differently, and the data often reveals whether the spread comes from the tune, the hookup, the driver, or the track. When the same machine runs at the same venue on consecutive days, weather, surface moisture, and tractor wear all affect performance. Logging those variables makes the next event - whether it's a regional fixture in Goulburn or a state title in Mildura - much easier to plan for.

Build relationships with the organisers and inspectors throughout the weekend. They see every run and can flag small issues, such as an over-inflated tyre or a borderline RPM reading, before they cost points. The teams that finish with strong results are usually the ones that talked to stewards, reviewed their own paperwork, and went home with notes. Those notes shape the next convoy plan.

A quick comparison of how four common crew setups handle a multi-vehicle weekend:

Role Setup	Crew Size	Strengths	Weak Spots
Driver-only rotation	4–5	Low overhead, direct accountability	No slack for breakdowns, slow hookups
Driver + dedicated pit crew	8–10	Fast turnaround, on-site repairs possible	Costs more, needs more transport seats
Split-team with specialists	12+	Covers specialist roles (mixing, fuel, electrics)	Hard to coordinate, more vehicles to feed and water
Family-led outfit with kids	6–8	Good culture, cheaper to run	Can struggle with specialists, fatigue on day two

Recommendations for team managers overseeing three or more vehicles at one event:

• Lock in the convoy plan at least one week out, and share it with every driver and crew member by phone or printout.
• Run a UHF radio on a clear channel and keep chatter short so the hookup crew hears instructions clearly.
• Carry spare parts that fit more than one vehicle, especially fasteners, hoses, and electrical bits suited to common platforms.
• Treat fuel, oil, and coolant checks as a five-minute routine after every run, particularly in the Australian summer.
• Log every run in a simple shared sheet, including weather, RPM, and any tuning changes, so the team has data to work with by Sunday afternoon.

Pullers coordinating multiple rigs across a weekend can use the practical advice at multi-vehicle planning notes to tighten the workflow before the next meeting. Both resources are worth a look before the next convoy hits the road.