CHAINS on wheels...

If you have to use them you want them to be in excellent working condition. It is a good idea to buy them new and do your best to avoid using them. I got lucky with mine, I paid $150 I think for 6 singles. The neighbour had brain cancer, saw my truck in the driveway, sold me his chains. He claimed he had to use them once. I have used them once in winter of 11-12 and have not had to use them since. The only mountain passes I do in winter is mainly along 90 and 84 to 80. Never Donner pass. Donner pass appears to be one of the worst. It seems their snow holds more moisture and it's more often right around freezing so you get freeze/thaw often which = smooth icy road. No thank you.

I hope he is getting paid well to go to Sacramento. The rates home from California really suck right now.

Max chains I think are 2x 3 railers and 2 drag chains.

 

If the are "screening for maximum" for Donner, they want to see at least 3 sets of single tire chains (6 tire chains)
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/ChainRequire.pdf

 

I live in Sac, like the others say, 6 single rails for max.

 

The reason donner is so bad is because the top is the last to get plowed.

I don't know why they can't plow the whole darn road at the same time.

I chained up quit a bit last year. 80% of the chain ups were only the top.

 

I chain to get out of trouble, not too get in to trouble. Slid too many times in chains. Only work at company's now who trust my judgment about what's safe.

 

I've never bought cheap chains as I expect to use mine (and have--too much), but if I were, I would probably check Kijiji. I would also recommend getting chain pliers and spare cross chains, links, etc.

Here is a link to chain law information: https://www.thetruckersreport.com/chain-law-information/

 

With a lot of places in the west, they put up chain requirements where they're really not necessary as long as everybody "drives right". Having to put on chains is not necessarily a means to "drive into trouble". It's merely a means to play their silly games and have a decent check for that week. Donner and Snoqualamie are the two best examples in the CONUS area. To sit for 9 hours to avoid chaining, miss an unload appointment [and subsequent load appointment] to lose another 24-36 hours just does not make sense.

Transiting across Donner, Nevada, Parleys, and Wyoming (almost keeping pace with a west to bound weather disturbance) and having to chain/unchain a dozen times? Nope. Not going to play that game. They don't pay me enough to operate like that.

But to be fair, chains are not often necessary for transit over as long as the transit over goes off without a hitch ... but if something goes wrong and you're forced to stop on a steep part of the grade, then you'll quickly understand why they wanted you to put them on near the bottom.

 

I'm sitting out this winter. My day's of running on iron are over.

 

Or to get over the top. Snowqualmie is famous for trucks not wanting to chain. And they get stuck and block the highway.

As for a decent paycheck.

4 loads going to Portland. 1 truck chains up in oregon, delivers, reloads and heads to Tucson. Delivers. Pickup in Phoenix and heads to Denver. Reloads and comes home for the weekend.

The other 3 trucks. Hanging out at the rest area waiting for Oregon to stop snowing. They delivered the following monday. Earning ZERO dollars for the week and not coming home for their weekly hometime.