Chains.... how many seasons do they last?

Ha!

 

Yeah, they get paid a little more.

 

The policies are for rookies. Yes, eventually they will "put on their big-boy pants". But ANY company who lets a greenhorn fresh out of school drive on grades like I-70, and makes them use chains in icy conditions deserves everything they get when the crap hits the fan. Do you remember that 24-year-old Cuban kid that killed 4 people on I-70 several years ago?

Hell, I would NEVER hire rookies to begin with if I had my own company. Not even just for the summer season. I was thinking of hiring a second driver to keep my truck moving when I felt like taking time off. The guy had about 6 years experience with a clean record. So I asked him, "Can you drive a 13-speed?"

He said, "NO, I've never driven a manual. But I can learn."

Nope. Sorry. I'm not going to let anyone use my truck or my company as a guinea pig.

 

My 3 railers are 145 lbs and singles around 60ish . We carry 2triples and 6 singles . Some job site deliveries in BC are nasty and require chains in summer.

 

the best part of buying new trucks is that I get to spec them with full lockers all around. That has eliminated a whole BUNCH of times we otherwise would have had to chain to get out of one of the farms or drag a trailer out of a snow drift.

@Long FLD are those studded snow chains, lol? Not sure they are legal everywhere?

 

Nobody looked that close at them. All WA would do is make sure you had chains on, everywhere we ran nobody was out checking chains.

Funny story about lockers, Cliff used to say all those would do is get you a little farther up the hill before you needed chains. Lol. We’d be at the bottom of Lost Trail headed for Salmon and throwing chains in the chain up area. Never failed a Rod Clarke truck would go by without stopping because they had lockers. Then we’d go by them at the first or second switchback when they’re spun out and throwing chains. I always figured it’s easier to chain on flat ground, but I’m not the brightest guy either.

 

Lockers are fine to get going, but lockers on the switchbacks on Lost Trail…… they want to go straight much more than I want to in that situation, lol.

 

Chains are very easy to put on as long as they fit. If you got new drives with lots of tread, they can be a pain in the ###. Dreaded them for the longest time but now in the oilfield I’m used to them and I’m paid by the hour

 

Now these chains weigh-up pretty quick, and the top of the tires they go on are about 5' tall.

 

Stop whining ……