CHAINING...are you ready?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by otherhalftw, Oct 22, 2011.

  1. Hammer166

    Hammer166 Crusty Information Officer

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    https://www.facebook.com/MoDOTStatewide/posts/10152090332355857

    This was a link from a FB group that, based on the comments I normally see when chains and/or snow are mentioned, needs to change their name to CDL Lite. Here's a sample:



    Now, since we are talking about Interstates 44 & 70, I might indeed shut down to just avoid the mess sure to follow a heavy snow on a highly traveled road that's not in snow country, but if night time comes and it's chains or sit? Seeya!

    The funniest part is that you can almost map the responses based on where the person lives, by and large the "park it" crowd live in the East or SE and have never even attempted to put chains on much less driven on them enough to justify their "it's unsafe" declaration. As I told one of them on here somewhere a while back, they can sit in the truckstop and make themselves feel all self-righteous talking amongst themselves about how foolish we are to be out there chained up; but we all know the truth. You are either scared or lazy, and all the talk in the world doesn't change that.
     
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  3. Working Class Patriot

    Working Class Patriot Road Train Member

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    I would prefer they would "park it"....It's bad enough we have to deal with the 4-Wheelers who can't drive in snow...Why add to it?....

    Stay home boys and girls....Allow the professionals to drive in the Winter....See yas in the Spring....

    In the Rockies...That's after the 4th of July.....:biggrin_2559::biggrin_25523:
     
  4. joseph1135

    joseph1135 Papa Murphy

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    At least the people in the NE can drive in snow. We saw the people in the SE. 2 inches and they acted like it was the end of the world. Please. Keep them in the south. I'm still confused with the "unsafe to chain" mentality. Obviously they don't know what chains are for. Let them sit at the truck stop. I don't have to be hassled every 5 minutes to "show" them how to do it (aka, do it for me!) because watching the weather or learning didn't dawn on them till that moment.
     
  5. Big Don

    Big Don "Old Fart"

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    Hey, what's wrong with bein' lazy?:biggrin_25523:
     
  6. NavigatorWife

    NavigatorWife Road Train Member

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    There was a jackknifed truck on I-44 near Rolla this past Monday, guess icy and snow. They also reported an suv that landed off into a pond upside down. Snow and ice on the road.

    The weather in the south such as in Al in the Birmingham area is due to not having salt trucks, or plows readily available like northern states. At sleet and you have icing.

    Look at IN the past couple of rounds this past month, they have really failed in keeping the roads cleared and vehicles out of the ditches including trucks.

    Winter driving is not something to be scoffed at, esp when you have to worry about black ice.
     
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  7. otherhalftw

    otherhalftw R.I.P.

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    Those of us on this thread have years, nay decades, of winter driving experience. We know what is required of ourselves and our equipment, and when not to go if conditions are past the point of being able to maintain control. All the instances you described above are mostly due to driver error or attempting something that is beyond the individuals experience level. As to the AL ice storm...nobody out on the roads had the correct tires or the experience to be out in those conditions. At least they were smart enough to keep the children hunkered down at the schools....I have spoken to several truckers that chained up and made it through AL ... but they knew what they were doing. You can't blame the State or Counties for not having all the roads cleared when storms like these hit. Nobody is prepared with equipment or manpower to keep up with that extreme a level of storm. Atlanta...what(?) a storm like this every 3-5 years (if that), and you want them to put out millions for equipment to be used once or twice in a decade? Get real, every town, county, State is broke, or barely hanging on for all the BS entitlements the government has thrown at the lazy mooching public on the dole! IN always does a fairly decent job at maintaining the majority of the roadways...Interstates first, State roads second, and right on down the pecking list...but they are at least prepared for the winter storms. This year with the extreme cold, salt deliveries couldn't be accomplished due to the ice...and salt only goes so far, if it gets too cold, ice won't even do what it is intended, then they resort to sand, but that isn't stockpiled to such an extent since this event rarely happens. I don't care if it is 4 wheelers or truckers...98% of all winter driving accidents is caused by driver error...drivers today have no respect for conditions or other elements that can cause problems. No one bothers to learn how to drive in these conditions. Myself, Hammer, WCP, Striker, Joseph, and Big Don...we grew up on this stuff, we learned how to do it correctly and safely. Yes we have tried to teach others...that is what this thread is all about. The videos on the first page show how to apply chains, the links give an explanation of how to handle conditions, other posts talk about the correct way to drive, examples of what not to do. All the aforementioned drivers/teachers, scoff at the "big tough truckers" that claim if it's bad enough for chains then park it"....they aren't truckers, they are steering wheel holders! We are truck drivers, give us the load, it gets delivered, safely and on time, unless mother nature puts a wall in front of us, or the DOT closes the road....but even then, we probably have a backup route or two up our sleeves....we honor the tradition of trucking, we are old crusties, WE ARE TRUCKERS!
     
    Last edited: Feb 6, 2014
  8. Cranky Yankee

    Cranky Yankee Cranky old ######

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    well leaving green bay today and getting to Omaha I was blessed with dry bare roads
    but with the number of vehicles off the road I was glad I left later then planned
    Of course there just had to be one tipped over 18 that just had to take a ramp too fast for conditions
     
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  9. Hammer166

    Hammer166 Crusty Information Officer

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    Hmmmm, along that route, likely the 380 interchange?


    And bravo, Otter! :biggrin_25514::biggrin_25514::biggrin_25514:
     
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  10. Cranky Yankee

    Cranky Yankee Cranky old ######

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    good guess that is a likely spot
    380 always has more then its share of spinouts
    between 80 and waterloo
    but this was the 80 exchange west of des moines
     
  11. Working Class Patriot

    Working Class Patriot Road Train Member

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    So Otter...When are you gonna run up to to Big Bear and "Max-chain" Hwy 38?.....:biggrin_2559:
     
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