30 Trucks Fail To CHAIN UP On Snoqualmie Pass

I remember last year I had to take US-12 from Selah over to the I-5 because I-90 was closed. But it wasn't closed because of ice, snow, or accident. There was a freaking flood! I-90 is full of surprises. The drive on US-12 was pretty nice though. If any of you are ever ahead of schedule on your way up to the Seattle or Tacoma area, I recommend you take it. It's always good to mix things up and see the roads less traveled. I think this drive only added about two hours to the trip length.

 

Dang near everything that goes wrong in this business is because of this right here.

 

One nice thing about I-70 in Colorado is you can know when chains are required by the overhead street lights in the chain up area. If they are on, chain up. When they go out, you can go barefoot.

 

Everyone wants to assume that a drivers language barrier is the reason. No. It's poor trip planning and outright defiance. I hear guys say it all the time. "Chain law is in effect, but I'm running it barefoot." Those 30 drivers fouled up big time.

 

I think it's greed and financial. Risk versus reward. Most drivers aren't paid anything for their time but are expected to take the time to do things on the clock like sling chains uncompensated. If a bad storm is happening they don't get paid to wait it out. Safety takes a back seat to the customer's freight in trucking and it always has. If the freight makes it that's great, good job and pats on the back, but if somebody gets delayed or killed that's just unfortunate.

 

Only time i ever had to chain was on ice roads and I was paid hourly to run on those roads.
Do companies generally pay X’$ to chain unchain? It does not take long to hang jewellery but we are generally paid by the mile or is chaining one of those “ duties as required included in CPM”

 

Drivers don’t take the initiative to learn anything until they have to. They run the Northwest with no idea how to chain or even if they have the correct chains or if those chains are in good condition. They won’t take the chains out of the bag unless they absolutely have to, and when that time comes they’re in a tangled mess and they’re in the middle of a storm with no idea what to do. They could take the time to learn how to do it and inspect everything when they’re sitting somewhere taking a 34 in 60 degree weather but they choose not to. I can’t tell you how many times people had no clue what they were doing and offered money to put chains on their truck. Instead I’d stand out on the snow and tell them what to do. Paying me would do nothing other than show them they don’t need to learn.

As far as pay, I never expected anything. I figured running the PNW it was part of the job and it only takes 10 minutes to throw a set of three railers anyway. If the road was open we were expected to run. Shutting down could really kill your week because we ran regional.

 

Same with us. Unless they close the road, we go. Our drivers get paid by the hour, though. I don't think I'd have the nerve to ask a driver to chain for free.

 

Aka, "Stupid is......is stupid does".......

-- L

 

Rarely have I ever seen a truck with chains on off the road.

First, the added traction with a properly installed set of three railers is tremendous, and second, with chains on I never went much over 25 mph, so pretty dang safe.