I don't think I stated that last one correct. I parked on an area that had about 4" of snow but did not know it had about 3" of Ice under it. So when my tires melted the snow and ice it sank to about 1/2-3/4" into the 3" of ice. Of course it was from the heat of the tires and set for about 20 minutes at most.
Reminds me of being in the oilfield as you always seem to get complacent when doing stuff for so long. They preached that everyday and it really stuck in my head but I just did not know it was Ice. Dumb mistake but I did get my little claw hooks in today so I will not have a problem anytime soon.
Best to park for about 5 to 10 mins and then pull forward 12 inches. That’s what my Dad always said anyway.
That's what I've always heard/done. Also leave the trailer aired up a while to keep the brakes from freezing to the drums, as I'm still waiting for the new ones with disc brakes. I ought to look into at least a tow strap. Easy enough and there's always someone around for a tug. Fortunately I'm based in a much more mild climate and don't go places where this is a problem much, or for long. Come to think of it, in 12 years only one truck has had it's chains mounted one time, and that was only to get out of a parking space.
I live in NW MN & just haul regionally, so I've had plenty of opportunity to learn tricks to dealing with ice. The "park for a bit, then move a bit" method works. Just depends a lot on the overall conditions, like what the snow/ice is like to begin with, how warm your tires are, what the ambient temp is, whether you're empty or loaded, and, if you are loaded, how much weight you've got on your drivers. It takes some trial and error to learn how long you can sit in 1 spot, and how many times you need to move/how much total time for your tires to cool before you can park for the night. If you have room for it, I'd suggest carrying some cat litter/floor dry (pretty much the same stuff) or turkey grit with you. If you're able to move back/forth at all, move as far as you can in the opposite way that you want to go, set the brakes, and spread some on the ice in the direction you want to go. If you can't move at all, it will often work to "sling" or throw the stuff along the ground so it gets under your tires as much as possible. Often times, your tires will grab the stuff and pull it under them, and you'll get just enough traction to get moving. It's much faster and easier than messing with chains, and the same applies to the claws, as well as being cheaper than those. EDIT TO ADD: Nowadays, I'm a fuel hauler, so I've always got floor dry with me in case of a spill. However, I still prefer turkey grit for the occasional ice stuck. I personally think it seems to work better and give more traction than the floor dry. Also, the floor dry tends to collect moisture from the air when it gets humid, causing it to clump up, or even freeze in a solid brick when it gets cold. I just bought a plastic tote at Dollar General and bolted it to my catwalk, and use a couple tarp straps from 1 handle to the other to hold the lid on.
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Unfortunately I do not think it would have helped at all. I was sunk in the ice and could not move an 1/2". The ice breaker I bought was the only thing that would have helped out fast. Now If I had a big torch that could melt all the ice and snow that would had been the easiest. HA HA . I do always carry cat of deicer so that is what helped the most. Normally I am very thoughtful on how to park on ice and snow. Just like everyone I am human to and messed up without thinking. Lessoned learned for sure to keep my head in the game at all times. Cant get complacent no matter how many days you do the same stuff.
