A star picket driver is designed to drive start pickets into the ground. A standard star picket driver is effectively a piece of pipe open one end only. It will usually have 2 handles so the operator can operate the device with both hands by lifting it up and pounding the star picket into the ground with downward force.The side load picket driver is loaded from the side instead of from the bottom. The side load start picket driver is closed at the top end and open at the bottom end and has a slot down the full-length on one side of the star picket driver so that the star picket can be loaded from the side instead of the open end. There are two handles, welded to each side of the star picket driver for the operator to grip the driver and pound the star picket into the ground.The operator grips the handles, lifts the star picket driver and then with force drives it downwards causing the closed end of the star picket driver to impact on the end of the star picket which in turn pushes the star picket into the ground.A standard star picket driver is designed to slip over the top of a start picket, which can be an awkward process as the operator has to hold the picket driver in one hand and the star picket in the other and guide the picket into the bottom of the driver. This maneuver requires the operator to hold either the driver or the picket away from his body to get the picket into the hole in the bottom of the driver.Usually, the operator will raise the driver with one hand at an angle around shoulder height and then guide the star picket into the bottom of the driver with the other hand. Considering that a star picket is 1800 mm long on average and the picket drivers are 800 mm long, it can be difficult for those who aren't so tall or strong in the arms.With the side load picket driver, the picket driver is held in one hand, closer to the body, and the star picket is simply layed into the slot on the side of the driver. Once the picket has been layed into the slot, the operator need only twist the picket 180 degrees and it becomes locked into the side load star picket driver due to the specially designed shape of the tube. The side load star picket driver and picket can then be stood in position and the picket can be driven into the ground. The ergonomic design of the side load star picket driver allows anyone to load and use the driver without the strain on the arms and shoulders.The action of loading the picket into a side load star picket driver is not only easier but it is also quicker due to it being less difficult.The main problem with the existing star picket drivers is that once the star picket has been driven in the ground the star picket driver needs to be lifted off the top of the star picket. The star pickets commonly stand 1200 mm high once they have been driven in. Lifting a picket driver up and over the top of each picket becomes very tiresome over the course of a day and can cause injury especially to the shoulders.The side load star picket driver is designed so that once the star picket has been driven into the ground, there is no need to lift the picket driver up and over the picket, the operator simply turns the picket driver 180 degrees and pulls the picket driver directly away from the star picket. This is where the slot in the side of the picket driver really comes into play and eliminates the need to lift the side load star picket driver upward, with arms above shoulder height, eliminating potential shoulder injury.The advantage becomes obvious to a person familiar in the art when you consider that some people are shorter than others and maybe not as strong. The awkward loading procedure of a standard picket driver and especially the removal of the driver from the picket once it is driven into the ground is eliminated with the use of the side load star picket driver.People familiar with using a picket driver will see the obvious safety benefit of the side load star picket driver by not having to lift the driver off the top of the picket, drastically reducing stress on the shoulder joint and reducing the overall strain of using a picket driver.