[lowrange]

You'd think it would just come up on Google, right? Better yet, go to WY DOT sight and type in 'tire chains' or 'chain laws' right?

I'd don't know why it has to be so hard. Anyone have a link?

It's been snowing in Wyoming already.

[BanditsCousin]

Carry enough for all 4 drives and 2 for the trailer, which you'll "criss cross" (for lack of better terms) on the trailer. Carry an "extra" set and you're 50 state legal, I believe.

[vavega]

http://www.tirechainsrequired.com/laws.html

wy chain law

[lowrange]

Originally Posted by vavega

http://www.tirechainsrequired.com/laws.html

wy chain law

Well, thanks. I don't know why I couldn't find that information when I went to the Wyoming site.

The other site, they sell chains, and the information is just ignorant:

"Nevada [ website ]
Nevada requires you to carry tire chains for at least two wheels of a drive axle and two braking wheels of a trailer. Call (775) 793-1313 for information on all northern Nevada roads.

North Dakota has no tire chain laws.

Oregon [ website ]
Oregon's tire chain law is specific and applies to all highways throughout the state. The law states that in addition to chaining the drive axle, tractors with one trailer must have tire chains on four tires of the primary drive axle, and if pulling two trailers, tire chains must be on four tires of the primary drive axle. When equipped with a secondary drive axle, chain two tires of the secondary drive axle. Questions about Oregon chain law can be directed to their Ports of Entry at the following phone numbers. These numbers are staffed most hours and most days."


They're supposed to be giving a quick summary of the important info, right? Question, does Nevada require chains in July? How about October? Simple, vital information and they don't provide. Yeah, there's a link so you can look state by state.

Same with Oregon, is there a carry law? Again, they make you look state by state.

Well, for lack of a decent summary of chain laws, at least we can get the information looking up each individual state. Personally, I don't want to buy chains, primarily because I don't want to use chains and carry the weight. I'm trying to see if I can get by without.

[vavega]

try this one

http://www.witruck.org/STATE_CHAIN_LAWS.pdf

you ungrateful, whiny....s....o......b

[lowrange]

Originally Posted by vavega

try this one

http://www.witruck.org/STATE_CHAIN_LAWS.pdf

you ungrateful, whiny....s....o......b

That was pretty sneaky of you, putting the color in white so only I can see it. You know, why help out an ungrateful, whiny sob? I wouldn't. Surely you have something better to do.

Anyway, thanks for the new link, I think. It appears only Washington and BC have carry laws.

I don't know what this means though (you probably shouldn't bother, vavega)

"CA- Required to be equipped with tire traction devices when entering a signed, restricted area."

Is that just for temporary closures? Anyone know how long a normal chain requirement lasts? A few hours? A few days? A week? More? TIA (not you, vavega, 'cause you really ought to be doing something else)

[Orangetxguy]

Originally Posted by lowrange

That was pretty sneaky of you, putting the color in white so only I can see it. You know, why help out an ungrateful, whiny sob? I wouldn't. Surely you have something better to do.

Anyway, thanks for the new link, I think. It appears only Washington and BC have carry laws.

I don't know what this means though (you probably shouldn't bother, vavega)

"CA- Required to be equipped with tire traction devices when entering a signed, restricted area."

Is that just for temporary closures? Anyone know how long a normal chain requirement lasts? A few hours? A few days? A week? More? TIA (not you, vavega, 'cause you really ought to be doing something else)

Carl...WA, OR, CA, ID, UT, NM, CO, and WY "ALL" have "Carry" laws. The carry law is just that...a law that say's you better be carrying tire chains on certain roads in certain states. Anymore..they all want to see them hanging, or they will make you pull them out of storage and show the LEO what you have. Tankers get a little leeway, because 99% of the time, we will stop and wait for the road to clear. But you still have to carry.

Miller provides a carry case that holds enough cable chain to meet the "Carry" standard. Miller does not want us chaining. Period. If the road is bad enough to require chians, it's bad enough to not be safe to travel.

When the "Chain Law" is in effect in any of those states, you need to have the appropriate number of tire chains, hung on your drive tires, your trailer tires...and in some cases a steer tire. I-70 in Colorado is a "Chain" roadway. All of wyoming and Montana is "Chain" road. WA & OR have the various highways that chains are required on "posted" with signs on the roadside.. CA requires "Carry" on I-80 across Donner, I-5 across Shasta, US97 out of OR, US 50 across Tahoe and US395 ( I think it's 395 anyway) across Mammoth.

For the most part...CA closes the road if "They" determine trucks need to have chains on...simpler for them to just close the road than it is to clear the road of accidents and stuck trucks and 4-wheelers.

If your going to carry steel chains instead of cable chain, you need to equip your truck to meet the harshest state requirement...which is a lot of chain. WA requires that when the chain law is in effect a truck will have all 4 wheels on one drive axle chained, plus the outside tires of the other drive axle chained, plus one axle of the trailer chained. They also require that you carry extra chains or repair equipment for chains. They will ticket if you don't install chains properly and throw a chain while climbing.

CA's DOT is CALTRANS. That is whom you look up to search for CA chain requirements.

Nevada is NDOT.
Oregon is ODOT
Idaho is IDOT

and on down the list...for each individual state.

Or you can just search "Montana Department of Transportation" or the state you want to learn about.


The Rand McNally Carrier Atlas has a pretty decent summary of the various chain regulations for each state.

I will tell you right now...You don't want to travel US 50 across Central Nevada in the winter season. It is bad beyond belief in a couple spots.

[BigDiesel]

Who chains ????

We do not.... I have a company reg. that states if it is bad enough to chain, it is time to shut down....

[lowrange]

I've only got a second, I can look a this more tonight.

As I understand it, carry laws require you to have chains from this date to that date and it doesn't matter if it's sunny and 60 degrees outside. Is that right? Be back later.

[Roadhog]

The companies I've driven for all have not wanted the drivers chaining up, and gave you "carry chains" to meet the legal requirements. But the chains they gave me were crappy old rusted up chains that didn't fit anything...stuffed in a couple milk crates, and jabbed them into the tool box.

I was smart enough to not accept that. I dumped the chains out at the terminal, and purchased all the proper chains. Thing is, we run all the western main roads in the winter, as we ship frozen fruit to Washington, Oregon and California...when the fresh produce market is down. I ran those roads a lot, and for the most part, routed myself around the storms, or scheduled myself ahead or well behind them, and only one time got a closed road in Cheyenne, Wyoming. What I did though was they had 80 closed off westbound to Laramie. I just snuck around the backside on 210..(parallels 80)...and it comes out right where they were closing off the eastbound, so Hah. I kinda felt smart/lucky that day.

A few times I did have to chain up. One time I was trying to beat a storm when I left Tacoma eastbound on 90. I barely made it up Snoqualmie. I was in 10" of slush, and there were trucks pulled off to the side unable to climb. I was begging my truck to not start spinning, and once I made it to the summit, I said to myself...no way I'm going down this thing barefoot.
I chained up and by the time I made it down the slope, they had everyone pulled off, and were closing the road.
I took off my chains, and beat cheeks the hell out of there, and was fine the rest of the trip out. I was glad I got the right chains, and I'll use them when I feel it is important, mandatory or not.

Point I guess I'm making is, watch that your "carry chains" are going to actually fit, if you ever feel you need them, or be prepared to park, and shovel yourself out of a snowdrift later.

Oh crap...it just dawned on me...it's almost winter again. @#^!~&% 2