theres loads paying 15 bucks a mile headed to the northwest currently. since you dont work for cheap these loads are perfect for you. time to grab that iron and go to work driver... oh wait i forgot.... ur scared of throwing a couple chains .. nevermind. we will have to call a driver that isnt afraid of a little work
I tell all my trainees "chains are to get you out of trouble, not to get you into it". I recommend that they sit out any chain restriction until they at least have a winter under their belt. I do this mainly because I'm training guys who will almost never get west of Omaha. Heck, I don't even carry chains with me. If you need chains where I run, ya done messed up. The problem with this advice is that people hear the words without taking in the meaning. They pass it on until chaining up becomes a Cardinal Sin. It's the same thing as blind side backing. You avoid blind side backing when you can because it's a little harder and generally takes longer than getting flipped around to the sight side. There's nothing wrong with it when you need to, but "we recommend against it where possible" quickly becomes "my company doesn't allow us to blind side" in the driver's mind.
Do you teach them how to put the chains on? I know so many guys who run with them loose and do a pile of damage to the truck, the tires and also the tires.
I talk about it briefly, then refer them to YouTube. I only have them for 6 days, so spending an hour on something they won't use for years isn't a good use of time.
ICEY ROADS: Icy conditions shut down stretch of Maine highway for cleanup Snow spinouts force closure of I-84 west in Oregon, nearby truck stops full 261 crashes reported in 18 hours during weekend snowstorm in the midwest No Ice On Road, Just Truck Brakes FAILED: 5 dead, 15 injured after big rig brake failure MEAT and SALT Cover Road: Semi stopped on shoulder sparks three rig, chain reaction crash
YouTube shows some things to avoid but it’s not the answer. I think every trucking company should be having the guys come into the yard and showing them hands on. And not just once, every fall.
I would be pissed if I had to do that. In 12 years of driving I've gotten west of Kansas once. I have never carried chains on the truck. Blowing a half day of my time getting instructed on a skill I don't use is a surefire way to make me cranky. I have no problem with your thought process for guys that use chains, but most of my guys will never need them.
