Life as a precision technician during the winter months may yield fewer calls from distressed customers over the course of a week, but the unpredictable nature of the job can still call for a demanding day with hundreds of miles on the road.

Anticipating for unplanned service calls and embracing on-the-go solutions proved to be two essential qualities for Lanty “Spud” Armstrong, precision farming manager for Ag Technologies in Rochester, Ind., during our 10-hour ride-a-long adventure with several twists and turns along the way.

Prior to his current role, which he has held for the past 8 years, Spud worked as a service technician at New Holland Rochester for 6 years; a dealership that shares on the same lot as Ag Technologies (a standalone precision-focused spin-off business of the New Holland store). In that time, he mastered the mechanical background of equipment while also building strong customer relationships which he maintains today.

“Networking is so important for this job, and my wife gets mad at me because I’m always running into someone and getting into a conversation,” he says with a laugh.

Our 11^th installation of the Day in the Cab series highlights several “offseason,” yet essential jobs to tackle, including a malfunctioning sprayer as farmers rush to finish fall burndown and the installation of an RTK base station as New Holland aims to expand its data prescription offerings.