Not Enough Chains Citation - Oregon

A few weeks back I was rolling through the weigh station on I-84 between Ontario and Baker City, OR. It was a beautiful blue sky day, and there were no chain laws in effect, although I guess that is irrelevant. I was pulled aside into the inspection area and asked by the officer to show her my chains. I went ahead and showed her the 4 sets I currently had, which I thought was the acceptable minimum (covering 1 drive axle, 1 trailer axle).

Apparently I was mistaken. Oregon requires a minimum of 6 sets, and she also informed me that Washington state, which I was headed for, requires 8 sets. I received a citation for $165 and was instructed to pick up more chains ASAP.

I'm just throwing it out there as a warning, some good information to relay. You should probably make sure you have 8 sets of chains on your rig.

What do you guys think about bringing it up with my carrier and trying to get reimbursed? Things like speeding, parking, etc., those are behavior violations. Is it not the responsibility of my employer to ensure that their trucks have the legally required safety equipment for the states they will travel in? Wondering if it would be worth the hassle, or if I should just eat it and move on with my life.

Hi scorchednuts, hopefully what you did bring up with your carrier is the citation you received; that is something you want to be transparent about and let them know before they find out some other way. As far as reimbursement, that's a hard "no." It is your responsibility to make sure the truck is outfitted with the chains, as well as other safety equipment like three triangles, for instance. The company I pulled for, Schneider, would not keep up with your truck to make sure it had enough chains to satisfy Washington's chain laws (or Colorado's), but if you needed them to travel out west or just to deal with winter conditions, all you had to do was ask, and you would receive. Best to ask early, end-of-summer, to beat the rush. All the oc's accumulated piles of rusty chains in the spring when everyone turned them back in. So yeah, sorry but you're gonna have to eat that one. Expensive lesson; they happen. Stay safe out there!

Chain Laws by state

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As Pete B said you are going to have to eat that one. It is YOUR responsibility, especially traveling out west, to know what each state requires for chains. Colorado is 6, Donner/CA is 6, OR is 6, WA is 8. In fact, if you travel in CA, you should have been checked in back in September to October when they give you a card for chain up configurations for different type vehicles. It's the same time frame for Colorado. I've never been checked in WY, but I carry six year round because I don't go into WA. Most states require the outside drive tires to be chained on both axles and one set on the trailer.

You will have to buy some chains on the road and for that the company may issue an advance or give you a check number to buy them from a truck stop.

Hard lesson to learn, but now you know.

Laura

I always carry a minimum of 10 chains. Why? Suppose I do chain in WA, but one breaks or is lost....now I have nine. Then I'm on the return leg from the shipper , and the same thing happens again. Shortly afterwards I get inspected at a scale, but I pass because I have the minimum required.

Two is one and one is none. Keep a spare (or two) of everything.

PackRat said:

“Two is one and one is none. Keep a spare (or two) of everything”.

Hence, the term PackRat.

This is why I have debated carrying a full set of auto socks, because they would lay flat under my mattress, and not add the extra weight......

I always carry a minimum of 10 chains. Why? Suppose I do chain in WA, but one breaks or is lost....now I have nine. Then I'm on the return leg from the shipper , and the same thing happens again. Shortly afterwards I get inspected at a scale, but I pass because I have the minimum required.

Two is one and one is none. Keep a spare (or two) of everything.

Chain Laws by state

(Are pictures disabled? I wanted to post an image of the list)

Thanks for the link Errol. I carry six and didn’t even know about Washington being eight because this is the first year I’ve really been in Washington at all