New drivers in here: My first chain up experience

I read female driver, bra and chains......

 

So I'm told.

 

As for chains, I don't believe in chaining, it's against my religion.

 

He's male with a one track mind,lol.

 

Good going Brianne, keep it up! Stay safe.

 

I like your attitude. Welcome to the club, driver. Remember, safety above all. Can't make money if you're in a ditch. Honestly I wish there were more like you.

 

You are going to make a good driver. You have what it takes to get the job done, and safely.Passing on info you learn is part of the creed of hauling freight. Keep us posted on your progress in this industry. Good job, trucker.

 

Well done X-Country! Great attitude about throwing iron and gettin' 'er done.

I've traveled over Eisenhower and Vail quite a bit in the winter. Mountains make their own weather and it's certainly true on that passage. I've left Denver when it's in the 60's and been in a blizzard by Eisenhower many a time. Sometimes they don't put the chains required signs up when I wish they had, especially when exiting Eisenhower either eastbound or westbound.

This is a good observation about maintaining a steady speed that will keep the trailer from misbehaving. Whenever I've gone without chains it is more difficult to control everything if I try to take it too slow and then the recourse is to light coast a tad to straighten things out and then slowly bring the speed down to a comfort level.

A couple of weeks ago over a hundred truckers went down Cabbage in a snowstorm at 3 mph, a huge choo-choo train of trucks that created a hazard for everyone else. At 3 mph it meant they were down in the 1st to 3rd gear range the whole way, and IMHO that's so slow it's to the point of ridiculous. This was a contributing factor to trucks jackknifing when they came upon the "Slowbies", that and truckers going too fast so they wouldn't be able to stop safely.

Seems that every winter I kick myself for not vetting all my chains. Then it takes extra time the first time chaining up when I figure out I have defective chains. Best to check every chain out and make sure you have a good set, it makes it so much easier when you have to throw iron.

After a few more times throwing iron you'll get your system down to a science, but it always seems I start every winter taking more time to chain up the first time of the season, then finally getting the system down. Having good gloves and clothes makes a huge difference. A headlamp for chaining at night is essential. After a while you'll be able to throw on Colorado chains in about 15 minutes and maybe 5 minutes for unchaining.

There's nothing sweeter than cracking the windows and listening to a well tuned set of chains that have a nice constant hum.