Trucker given ticket for no snow chains?

Yup, September 1st better have your chains in your truck....

 

Back to the OP's comment, I know guys with AUTO Chains who get nailed every winter because the troopers can't see the chains spinning and the get stopped.

Now, as for using them, there's a bit of discretion here as well, and a bit of overreaction on the part of State Patrol. When Level 1 is up, that's chains required for all SINGLE DRIVE COMBO COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, that also means chains or adequate snow tires for all others. When Level 2 is up, that's CHAINS FOR ALL COMMERCIAL VEHICLES. Single drives are required to use 3-railers unless they are running super singles. When Level 2 is up, your supposed to run one chain on each outboard tire of both drive axles, or 3-railers on your primary drive axle and a single on your other axle. Normally, you can get by with a set of singles on your primary drive axle and they won't say a thing.

Hence where the discretion comes into play. You have to know the weather as well and look up on the mtn. side as far as you can see before you decide to put on one set or two sets. You also need to look at the condition of the trucks coming off the Mtn. There are many variables at work here.

DISCLAIMER: IF YOUR NOT A NATIVE OR LONG TIME DRIVER OF COLORADO'S MTN'S, OR CAN'T AT LEAST PARTIALLY READ THE WEATHER AND THE CONDITION OF TRUCKS GOING THE OTHER WAY, PLEASE DON'T HEED MY ADVICE, PUT YOUR #### REQUIRED CHAINS ON.

 

yep, the electronic billboards are already lit up accoringly.

 

That's one reason many companies stay east of the Rockies. My last one wouldn't go past Denver.

 

It's not the companies that are the problem, it's the drivers, and now it's the idiots we've elected.

 

In 10 years of driving, I never had to chain any vehicle. I always carried the required amount of chains though. Usually, I'm looking for a parking haven before the weather gets bad enough for me to be outside cursing about the cold trying to chain doubles and slicing up my fingers in the process. It's bad enough messing with DEF.

 

This is just B/S.... We got stopped by a trooper who just thought he was going to write another ticket. He wanted to know if we had the required amount of chain. I asked if he was expecting a blizzard, imagine that I was not surprised when he asked to see them.

Then the joy on my face when I showed him 7 brand new set in my storage compartment.

 

I've got autochains. January of last year I was going east up the hill to Eisenhower. Only had a couple thousand in the box, but was doing fine......until I got a half mile from the tunnel and the traffic was stopped. Five minutes later it started moving, and I didn't. Didn't have enough weight to force the chains into the snow.

While waiting for a pull up to the parking area, a friendly trooper came along, and had the proberbial sh** eating grin as he approached me with ticket book in hand. I told him I had autochains, and that they wouldn't grip well enough to get going up the hill. He shined his light on them and said, "Yes, you have them. Yes, they are engaged. And yes, you are stuck. Guess I don't get to write you that $1,000 ticket after all. Have a good evening driver.". He turned around, got into that big old truck of his and left.

I have never had them stop me on the way up the hill because they didn't think I had chains. I have heard of it happening, but once they verified that the driver had them, and they were engaged, they let the driver go. Auto chains and auto sanding systems are both legal in Colorado, and the troopers are getting more used to trucks using them, so they aren't quite as anxious to pull you over as they used to be.

 

When I drove for a company out of Denver way long ago they had us carry chains year round, all axles for the tractor and the trailer was to be chained up.

In the winter we hauled back roof jacks for a mine in Colorado from the Baltimore port, Rabbit Ears Pass was nasty sometimes going up to the mine and the only way we would make it when it snowed was chains.