Harper Feeders
FEED TRUCK DRIVER / FEED LOADER OPERATOR
Full-time, year-round • Sheep & Cattle Operations • $25/Hour
Most people can learn to operate a feed truck.
That’s not really what we’re hiring for.
We’re looking for someone we can trust to feed livestock correctly, consistently and on time—every day.
Right ration.
Right amount.
Right pen.
Again tomorrow.
At Harper Feeders, we’re feeding approximately 65,000 lambs and 3,000 head of cattle.
At that scale, little mistakes don’t stay little.
The wrong ration matters.
The wrong weight matters.
A mechanical problem ignored for three days matters.
So yes, we need someone who can operate equipment.
But more than that:
We need someone who pays attention.
THE OPERATION
We’re Harper Feeders, a fourth-generation family feedlot in Eaton, Colorado.
Four generations have built this place around a few things that haven’t changed much: animals handled right, producers dealt with straight, our word kept, and the work done correctly whether somebody is watching or not.
Now the fourth generation is taking the reins and building the crew that will carry Harper Feeders forward.
Feeding is a big part of that.
Every animal in this yard depends on the feeding crew doing its job right every day.
THE JOB
Depending on your experience and where you’re strongest, you may drive a feed truck, operate the feed loader, or be cross-trained to do both.
Feed Truck
You’ll take the prescribed ration and deliver it to the correct pens, accurately and on time.
You’ll be responsible for:
- Delivering the correct ration and amount to each pen
- Distributing feed consistently throughout the bunk
- Following feeding routes, schedules and delivery order
- Monitoring scale weights
- Maintaining accurate feeding records
- Inspecting and caring for your truck
- Communicating feeding, livestock or equipment concerns
You aren’t responsible for making every feed call.
You are responsible for executing it correctly.
Feed Loader
Every correct load starts with the loader.
You’ll be responsible for:
- Loading feed trucks accurately and efficiently
- Following ration and ingredient requirements
- Hitting target load weights
- Watching feed quality and ingredient condition
- Keeping ingredients and the feed area organized
- Inspecting and caring for the loader
- Communicating shortages or mechanical issues early
- Keeping trucks moving without sacrificing accuracy
We don’t want accuracy or efficiency.
We want both.
THE PERSON WE’RE LOOKING FOR
We can teach you our trucks.
We can teach you the loader.
We can teach you our feeding system, routes, ration numbers, pens, scales and procedures.
What is much harder to teach is ownership.
The right person notices when the scale number doesn’t make sense.
They hear when the truck sounds different.
They notice the ration doesn’t look right.
They see the water running over or the gate that shouldn’t be open.
And they say something.
You don’t have to fix every problem yourself.
You do have to care enough to notice it.
Mistakes will happen, too.
If you put the wrong feed in a pen, we need to hear it from you—not discover it three hours later.
If you damage something, tell us.
If you don’t know, ask.
If something seems wrong, stop and check.
We aren’t looking for someone who never makes a mistake.
We’re looking for someone we can trust when they do.
That’s a much harder person to find.
CONSISTENCY IS THE JOB
There’s repetition here.
Same truck.
Same loader.
Same route.
Same pens.
Day after day.
Some people hate that.
The right person understands that doing a repetitive job exceptionally well takes discipline.
Can you hit the 20th load as accurately as the first?
Can you still notice something different in a pen you’ve driven past 500 times?
Can you take care of a piece of equipment even when nobody reminds you?
Can you finish the last route with the same attention you started the first one?
That’s what separates somebody who can operate a feed truck from somebody we want on our feeding crew.
SHEEP AND CATTLE
You’ll be feeding both.
Approximately 65,000 lambs and 3,000 cattle.
Different rations.
Different pens.
Different feeding programs.
There’s very little room for assuming you remember what’s supposed to go where.
Check it.
We’d rather have you take ten extra seconds to verify something than spend hours fixing an avoidable mistake.
You don’t need extensive sheep or cattle experience to apply.
We’ll teach you our system.
But you do need to understand that what goes into that bunk affects animal health, performance and the success of the entire operation.
WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR
Feedlot, agricultural and equipment experience are all helpful.
But we’re willing to train the right person.
We’re looking for someone who:
- Shows up consistently and on time
- Pays attention to details
- Follows established procedures
- Works independently without cutting corners
- Takes care of equipment
- Communicates problems and mistakes
- Can handle repetitive work without becoming careless
- Works safely around livestock and heavy equipment
- Is teachable
- Takes pride in getting the job right
You don’t need to know everything on your first day.
You need to be dependable, teachable and paying attention.
We’ll work with the rest.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
Six months from now, we want to be able to hand you your responsibilities and know they’re handled.
The correct feed went out.
The equipment was checked.
Problems were communicated.
The job got done.
We don’t have to wonder.
We just know:
You’ve got it.
That’s the goal.
Not perfection.
Trust.
THE BASICS
Full-time, year-round
Pay: $25/hour
Schedule: Early mornings are part of the position. The typical schedule is six days on and one day off. Weekend and holiday work will occur based on scheduling. Livestock are fed 365 days a year.
Benefits: Company-sponsored health insurance after 60 days. 401(k) eligibility after one year of employment.
Additional Compensation: Merit-based bonus opportunities.
Housing: Employer-provided housing may be available. Availability and terms will be discussed with selected candidates
Applications accepted through September 30, 2026. The application deadline may be extended if the position has not been filled.
Experience operating feed trucks, loaders, tractors or other agricultural/heavy equipment is preferred but not required.
Valid driver’s license required.
This position involves working around livestock, feed trucks, loaders and other moving equipment; repeatedly entering and exiting equipment; working around feed and dust; and working outside throughout the year in typical Colorado weather.
Applicants must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
HOW TO APPLY
You don’t need a polished résumé to get our attention.
Text message our phone number with your name, the position you’re interested in, and answer these three questions:
- What equipment have you operated?
- Tell us about a time you noticed something was wrong with a machine before it actually broke. What did you notice?
- You realize you’ve put the wrong feed in a pen and nobody else has noticed yet. What do you do?
That third answer will probably tell us more about you than a résumé will.
If your answers catch our attention, we’ll call you.
If you’d also like to send a résumé, forward it to the email listed.
ONE LAST THING
Thousands of animals are depending on our feeding crew.
They don’t know whether it’s Monday.
They don’t know whether it’s Christmas.
They don’t care if you’re tired or the weather is miserable.
They know whether the feed showed up.
Right ration.
Right amount.
Right place.
On time.
Again tomorrow.
If there’s something satisfying to you about getting that right every single day, we’d like to meet you.
Text us to start the conversation.
Harper Feeders is an equal opportunity employer.
Email
[email protected]
Phone
970-381-2730 (txt msg)
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