snow chains

No one is a big fan of chaining up but it is a necessary skill and will be needed at some point.

Once you get it figured out it only takes a few minutes...So, No big deal.

 

I'm gonna try and get my dad to help me with it when i get in for hometime. i think all my sets are singles though except 1

 

Yea, I am sorry I don't think any load is so important it can't be rescheduled if I am in a safe location and would have to chain up to leave the location.

 

Must be nice, I've only been driving tractor-trailers since 2007 and I lost count of how many times I've had to chain up.

 

Phil, told dad tonight I needed him to help me with putting chains on so I could get a general idea of it before I need it. He said he has never thrown chains and he drove off and on for 50 years.

 

Yeah, I drive mostly in Oregon and they activate the chain law as soon as the first flake hits the road. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but it seems true sometimes. I have run chains on bare pavement for miles but then turn a corner and run into heavy snow on the road surface. I guess the chain law serves its purpose.

 

for those of you that *have* chained up.. when do you determine that you need them? obviously if there's a sign flashing at you to chain up.. you chain up. On those occasions when there's no one to tell you.. you can't possibly wait till you're going uphill and loose traction. At the same time, you don't want to put them on if you don't need to. Another question, if you do wait to long and find yourself not moving uphill anymore, do you just stop right there, get out in the road and put on the chains? and if you do will you be able to get started again? from a dead stop on a hill? sorry if this sounds stupid... but having never done it.. I would like to find out now rather than when I'm faced with the situation.

Thanks

 

if i begin to slip and slide no matter how slow and steady i am, that tells me it's time to pull off the road and put on the chains. i chain up not because of some billy big rigger mentality. i chain up because i don't want to be apart of the 348583800238283020 truck drag race once the roads become mostly drivable.

 

Not everyone lives/works in that "frozen wasteland."
Just kidding Phil, my son lives up the road a piece from you.

First off this is NOT a stupid question.

After you have some winter driving miles under your seat, you will have a much better idea, but until then, take a look around you. If you see that other trucks are running chains, then that SHOULD tell you something.

Don't be afraid to get on that CB and ask about road conditions ahead. This is probably your best tool in anticipating when it is time to think about either chaining up, or shutting down for the time being.

Waiting till you are on an upgrade and can't move to chain up is VERY uncool. It will get you a LOT of single finger salutes from other drivers that you are blocking, and is likely to cost you several hundred dollars in fines. Not to mention the danger involved to you and other motorists.

Yes, you probably will be able to get moving once you get the chains on, even on an upgrade. In fact, a lot of the chain up areas are on an incline.

Once again, and I can't stress this too much, don't be afraid to talk to the older hands about the road conditions, and whether chains are needed or not.