Werner doesn't allow drivers to carry chains?

Friday morning, stopped for breakfast at a restaurant in Cameo, Colo. Noticed about 15 Werner trucks sitting parked. Couple of drivers were in eating breakfast, they were waiting for a pallet load of chains to arrive from Denver or SLC.

When I asked why they didn't have chains to begin with, I was told that it's Werner's policy that drivers don't carry chains, but rather obtain them from "chain banks" setup in various locations, and then drop them off for reuse at another "chain bank". In this case, they would pick them up at the truck stop in Cameo, then drop them off at the terminal in Denver or vice versa. Apparently, no one told the company that they were out of chains in Cameo, so all these trucks were waiting.

This guy claimed to have been with the company for 23 yrs, and driving for 27 yrs. When I suggested that maybe he should buy them himself, and carry them all the time, he said that if they found out, he could be fired.

I asked what about if he was going E. on US 50 over Monarch Pass, a route I know Werner runs constantly. He said, they could pick up chains in Montrose and drop them in Colorado Springs or some place.

Ok, so if I decide to go OTR, guess I can knock Werner off my list for being an unsafe company.

 

Yep - several outfits do that with the chain banks, and that isn't all... I do know of a couple of tanker outfits that do the same thing with hoses. I can see both sides, as outfitting all of the trucks with chains is expensive and extra weight, but it seems silly to have to wait for them to make it over a pass.

 

A friend of mine drove for heartland express, pretty much the same thing, chain banks, other drivers swapping chains. He said they don't put chains on their trucks.

 

I've also heard that even after they pick the chains up, lots of drivers won't use them. They will wait out the chain up conditions ...............

 

I'm with Roehl, chains are not issued nor do i have any experience with them (newer driver). I'm sure if they were required for what I needed to do Roehl would have a solution.

 

I don't really think you can mark them off for being unsafe for this... It could be the complete other reason.. They may not want some noobie out there chaining up and tearing the truck up.. A lot of large companies do this now.. I don't really agree with it.. but they do it.

 

you're right I think, I would like to have some more experience before I gotta go in a chain up area. i've moved a lot of freight already and have had no need for them. I'm not a wuss but not stupid either and if I can avoid those situations until I have more experience and or training I think its just a better way to do it.

 

JB did it back in the 80's. If they got too many on one side or the other they would pay us per bag to haul them back. You shoulda seen how many bags of chains I could fit in one of them cabovers.

 

When I was with Werner, they told us if its bad enough to chain up, we had no business driving in it.

 

I thought you had to carry chains to run in some of the western states? I haven't looked real close because I always carry a set.