Kubota tractors are the little engines that can––and ones that MAF utilizes at its airstrips around the world.

Recently, one of the MAF programs located in Chad requested a Kubota to help tow their planes. Raising the money to purchase one is the easy part. Getting it prepped to ship? That’s why MAF needs people like Paul Pfluger.

Pfluger, who also serves as an MAF Advocate, took on this project that may seem simple yet is anything but that.

After the Kubota dealer generously donated the specialized pallet required to ship the small tractor, it was up to Pfluger to ensure the vehicle’s safety on the long boat ride to Africa.

“You don’t want a 1,400-pound machine knocking around in a box at a shipyard,” Pfluger said. “If you’ve ever been around one of those places, they don’t exactly handle the cargo like it’s delicate. So, it has to be tight and secure so it can withstand anything.”

Pfluger’s project included creating customized tie-down slots and blocks to hold the wheels in place. Then there’s also the fitted crate he built to make sure there’s no room for it to even roll within the box itself should it hit a large bump or the ship go over a sizable swell at sea.

Last but not least, Pfluger needed to make sure the crate was airtight to prevent any unwanted hitchhikers, like wharf rats, gnawing their way through the wood and making the Kubota their new home.

“I love making things like this,” Pfluger said. “And thinking about how this tractor is going to help MAF continue its mission around the world is even more exciting.”