20 year driver, newbie to snow chains!

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Jaybird8955, Nov 24, 2017.

  1. STexan

    STexan Road Train Member

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    I love running on snowpack too but if the lights are flashing at the base and there is a cop up beyond with their lights flashing checking for chairs, you chain or you sit in everyone's way for most of the day looking like a puss and I'm not going to be that guy.

    I also don't want to be the guy who tries making it over without chains, gets half way up and ends up closing the pass while he figures out that ice and 6% grade [from a necessary stop] makes for difficult travel.
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2017
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  3. TripleSix

    TripleSix God of Roads

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    Hey friend, I am only responding because I think you're a pretty good hand, okay? Don't do that.

    "Do what?"

    Refuse to do something and then throw 'supertrucker' around. If a person chooses not to chain, that's their choice...that's cool. If a person can't chain, that's bad. If a person can't chain, but calls those who can 'supertruckers', that person is a sidewalk sissy. That's what they do. They cant drive and they call people who can drive "supertrucker." They can't drive at night, they make fun of the people that do. They cant drive in the rain and they make fun of those that do. It would be like the guy who cant walk and chew gum calling people who can walk and chew gum names because they do this every day. Or the shortbus window lickers making fun of the other kids calling them nerds. So, don't do what the sidewalk sissies do.

    There's alot of things I dont normally do in trucking. But there's nothing I cant do, nowhere I wont go IF you have pockets deep enough. Remember, the goal is to be good at what you do. Choose not to chain, that's cool. Know how to chain in order to be the complete driver.

    Luck in battle.
     
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  4. IluvCATS

    IluvCATS Road Train Member

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    Practicing seems like smart advice. You know what’s funny? I’m sitting here in a sunny clean spacious Arizona location doing a 34. Relaxing. My inner voice says to go practice putting on chains today. I’ve got them just sitting in my box. But... I cannot seem to motivate. Ridiculous. I’m a puzzle to myself. I deserve to get stranded.
     
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  5. STexan

    STexan Road Train Member

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    If you were issued new chains, still in the bag, that's a good start. However, if you were issued chains that are all rusty, at the very least you should go through them, one by one, and see
    • What you have and how many
    • Their general condition
    • Have any broken cross links
    • The twist cams operate normally and aren't bent
    • You have a "tightening key" (or whatever they call them)
    • They're not twisted in on themselves (they should lay out flat and even, one end to the other,without the main rails being in "a twist" at some point)
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2017
  6. Jaybird8955

    Jaybird8955 Bobtail Member

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  7. STexan

    STexan Road Train Member

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    Also, do some homework before the snow starts to fly. Have a mental image of the process [and how it should work]. Know the steps and the goal.

    In the summer and fall, pay attention to where all the signs are and where the chain on and off areas are. Sometimes these are not strictly adhered to but it's a good to have an idea what to look for.
     
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  8. Jaybird8955

    Jaybird8955 Bobtail Member

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    I’ve been authorized to buy them at a truck stop. Heading to Cali. Sacramento area and then backup load to Salt Lake City. Thinking I need to have them onboard at the very least! LOL...
     
  9. Jaybird8955

    Jaybird8955 Bobtail Member

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    Thanks for the input everyone. Time to nut up and do something new.
     
  10. STexan

    STexan Road Train Member

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    Wyoming will generally close the roads before allowing trucks to run with chains. As far as interstate travel is concerned, you can probably count on one and a half hands the passes where a long time career OTR driver will do 90% of their chaining.
     
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  11. STexan

    STexan Road Train Member

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    And don't forget to do early homework regarding weather forecasts. Many bad areas along with certain destinations can be deviated around with sufficient early suspicions, without too much OOR miles.

    Keep an eye/ear open looking for the major winter weather events news discussions. There's usually at least 3 every season that impact significant or key geographic areas and you can generally expect these to cause problems to one degree or another [if your timing is bad]
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2017
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