An apparatus for gathering bales from a surface, the apparatus comprising: a loading assembly for lifting a bale off the surface and onto the apparatus, the loading assembly comprising: a first arm having a first roller； a second arm having a second roller, wherein the first and second rollers are capable of rotating during operation to lift a bale from the surface； and a forward-looking sensor mounted on the apparatus to sense the bale prior to the apparatus contacting the bale, the sensor being a laser, camera or an acoustic sensor.
