CHAINING...are you ready?

Off highway haulers (Canadian Oilfields) sometimes need to chain their steers during mud season, but they are driving in places these trucks just weren't designed to go.

 

we've been running loads of bird balls (do a google search) to a frac pit on the top of a mtn. outside Parachute, Colo. twice a week for the last three weeks. Minimum chains at the main gate are 4 singles, one steer and one drag, no exceptions. If temps are below 40 deg. and they even suspect snow/ice in shaded areas they require all that. Preferred chains is 4 3-railers, one steer and one drag, NO AUTO CHAINS PERMITTED.

Now, as for the "I'll park before I'll chain" crowd. Must be nice to be independently wealthy and you can afford to sit it out. Before you jump down my throat. The past three winters, on at least 4 occasions each winter, Colorado has put the chain in effect from the 221 to the 178 on I-70 and left it up for 4 straight days. Sure, you can park in the chain up areas and wait it out, but, on the 3rd day, CSP will come by and give you a choice. If your WB, they will tell you to put your chains on and head west or turn around and go back to Denver and take a different route. If your EB and you go past Dotsero without chains and try this stunt, they will give you a $500 ticket, send you back to Dotsero to wait it out, or send you back to Utah and tell you make a choice, South to I-40 or North to I-80. Oh, and Wyoming now has a specific chain law with fines on I-80.

Personally, if I ran a trucking company, I would take the approach that BlackW900 said, if the road is open, you better be on it. Your not being paid to sit, now if the road is closed because of weather, then you can sit.

As for it being unsafe with chains, really, then I guess that means that anyone who lives in the mtn's or snow ski's has more balls then you do driver, and maybe, just maybe you need to get a job as a greeter at Wal-Mart.

I've run chains on I-70, US 40, US 160 and US 550. If you think putting chains on to run Donner, Vail, Eisenhower, etc. it bad, go play on Red Mtn., Coal Bank, Molas, Wolf Creek, Monarch, Lizard Head and then talk to me about it. There are no specific chain up areas on most of those roads, you chain up in traffic.

 

I'll second that.

 

I have done a lot of on and off road hauling and have had many times where I made the decision to chain up a steering tire because it was the safest thing to day. I don't need anyone telling me when I have to do it. Every situation is different.

 

Well put striker...many probably aren't qualified for the Wal-Mart job though!

 

I know that you're not that stupid....Although many others on this forum apparently are.

They can't afford to sit....They're just weak sissies that are not prepared to do their job! But! It's not their fault....The trucking industry just needs to understand that the poor little darlings are doing their best and that's all they can do...No matter how bad their best is!

Because of poorly trained idiots that can't drive a truck and have no business even trying to....(FedEx Ground to name one)

That sums up my feelings on the matter perfectly...

So does that....

Been there.....Done that, Every one of them!

Then we hear the steeringwheel holders saying, "But.....But....I'm scared to do that, I might get hitted by a car or something!"

 

I dont mind driving in the snow. infact I am a lil sick and kinda like it. But ever since I got my current truck a few years ago I have had such a problem with chains on it. It has very little clearence between the tire and suspension. And every time I put chains on this truck they always seem to be hitting it no mater how tight I make them. It has goten to the point that it takes all of the fun out of driving in the snow.

Well I broke my current set of chains this last winter (thanks oregon for having us chain up for 30 miles of pavement). So I will be needing to buy a new set. I am thinking about going cables. since that would solve the clearance issue for me.

So what are the rules for cables on trucks?

 

Some places don't allow them...I would elaborate further but I honestly don't know because the thought of running cables never appealed to me.

 

Depends on the state... Colorado will allow cables on three of four of your outside drive tires... you have to have chains on the 4th, for example.

 

Yea I would still run chains on my single outside drive. But the inside there is no room for chains. Before I got my 3 axle trailer I used to run cables on my trailer. But that was becouse there was only an ince of clearance around the tire. (Bedbugger).

What I am thinking of doing is just picking up anouther set of single chains and a set of single cables. So the forward drives will have single chains on the outside. the rear drives will have single chains on the outside and single cables on the inside.