Has anybody ever seen a Fed Ex, UPS or King Soopers ever chain?

There exempt from chaining, but they sure do slide real good.

 

No one is ever exempt from chaining up in a chain control area.

 

I ran a sleeper team for Ups Parcel (Buster Brown), from Ky to numerous points out west for several years crossing the Rockies on I-70 twice a week. The chain laws did apply to us! I am not sure of the exact wording in the law, but I know that all trucks had to carry chains on I 70 during the snow months. Roughly sept-may, give or take. I had a Coloroado State Trooper stop one night, after I was chained up and tell me that since I was in a tandem tractor, I didn't need to chain up. I left them on until I crossed the mountains since they were on anyway. Most of the day cabs that I saw for Ups that crossed the Rockies every night were tandems and all had chains hanging to use when needed. In my Consolidated Freightways days most of their rigs were single axle yet they still crossed the Rockies every night, with chains when the chain law was in effect.

 

I saw a couple of UPS trucks taking their chains off after Meacham a few days ago. They set a good example for folks like me.

 

There are multiple chain stations along each pass, I will see them hold out till the last one so they can run faster for longer. On the other hand I have seen them not make it to the last one. Nothing like watching as 8 wheel burn out.

 

I pulled King Soopers back in the Winter of 2012. I ran Denver up to Steamboat, Vail, Aspen, ect. I had "sanders" on my truck. Sanders are an approved traction device. I just filled up the hoppers that were hung from the frame in front of the drives with graphite grit before I left the yard in Denver. I had a switch on my dash that I could toggle if I needed traction and the sanders would dump in front of my drives. The sanders were good for a few inches of snow, but nothing deeper than 4 inches or so. I did carry chains and used them when I came out of Steamboat over Rabbit Ears. I didn't have to throw iron when the chain law was in effect, but if I got stuck and blocked the road, the $1000+ fine for blocking the road still applied. So in short, I didn't have to chain because I had sanders, BUT if I got stuck, I was still responsible. Still needed to carry chains just like everyone else.

 

I see someone else is enjoying 70 today..headed eastbound or west?

 

yes it applies to them, and they will use them as needed, they might have gone to a different chain station to put them on