The case for tire chains: Colorado case study

If you've ever driven up and down the twisting mountainside highways and roads during a Colorado snowstorm, you'll be thankful that the state has tire chain laws. Carrying tire chains--wrapped tightly around vehicles' tires to beef up their grip on slick surfaces--is required in areas where inclement weather can hit at a moment's notice. And for good reason.

“Tire chains provide extra traction on slippery and typically snow-covered roads, which allows trucks to drive when just tires would spin, and, most importantly, increases traction to help stop,” explained Jamin Woody, director of Service Operations for McCandless Truck Center.

McCandless is an International Truck dealer and repair service provider in Wyoming, Nevada, and Colorado, all of which have specific chain requirements by law. Several states have tire chain laws, which vary for passenger and commercial vehicles. Non-compliance can result in a fine if caught by law enforcement. But if a blizzard catches you first, you or someone else on the road could pay with your life.

A closer look at Colorado's chain laws

Of the states that have specific guidelines on chain use, Colorado recently expanded its regulations in August 2024. According to the updated Colorado tire chain rules, all commercial motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 16,000 lbs. or more must carry chains or approved alternate traction devices (ATD) below Colorado Mountain Corridors from Sept. 1 to May 31.

Craig Hurst, manager of the Freight Mobility and Safety Branch, Colorado Dept. of Transportation (CDOT), said that Colorado expanded its chain regulations because of several incidents where spin outs caused large delays, largely due to drivers who aren’t familiar with how to drive in Colorado winter weather. But he also understands the pressure that drivers are under, as he served as operations manager for Conway Freight and XPO Logistics for eight years before joining CDOT.

“From the industry, I completely understand that we need to keep our wheels turning to make money, [and] to comply with hours of service laws,” Hurst said. But he believes that these rules help educate fleet management so that they can balance fleet productivity with driver safety. “They then have the opportunity to make a business decision,” he noted.

While this might sometimes require asking a driver to find somewhere to park, in Colorado, drivers just need to comply with specific chain requirements depending on the truck they're driving. For example, for Tandem Drive Axle Combinations, drivers must have four tire chains, four AutoSocks, four tire cables 0.415 diameter or greater, auto chains, or sanders. There can be other configurations as long as a driver has chains on the two outside tires of one drive axle, but that’s the general rule for this type of vehicle, with other stipulations for straight trucks or single drive axle combinations.

If fleets fail to follow these rules, the penalty can be steep. Colorado fines fleets up to $500 plus a $79 surcharge for those who do not comply with the state’s winter driving restrictions. And if a driver gets stuck and blocks a traveled roadway, the fine is even heftier at $1,000 plus a $157 surcharge.

But according to Woody, fleets don’t only run the risk of incurring the state’s regulatory wrath by not equipping their drivers with chains. Driving in poor weather without them can cause large maintenance costs too, even if the driver doesn’t have an accident.

“Using chains can also help prevent shock load caused damage to axles, differentials, u-joints, and drivelines which commonly occur when a wheel is spinning and suddenly gains traction,” Woody noted.

Tire chain resources

Fleets don’t need to incur any of these costs as long as they’re properly informed. In Colorado, CDOT has a website specifically for freight vehicles that can help them plan their routes during poor weather. It includes a list of the corridors that require chains, videos on truck safety and winter driving in Colorado, and chain-up tips and chain-up station locations.

Even outside of Colorado, lots of states have websites detailing the finer points of chain safety and use, and many OEMs, such as Kinedyne, also provide overviews on chain types and tools to have, from V-Bar tire chains to Square Link tire chains.

Tire chain maintenance

Regardless of whether a fleet uses manual or automatic tire chains, a good place for the enterprising maintenance department to start is to know how to inspect your driver’s tire chains before use, as broken chains can do more harm than good to a vehicle.

“Improperly installed or damaged tire chains can reduce anticipated traction, and cause the chains to not work properly or come off the tire, which results in the same dangers as not using chains at all,” stated McCandless Truck Center’s Woody.

Instead, fleet managers should verify that the chain size a driver has matches the vehicle’s and trailer’s tire sizes, and that they have enough chains to meet any regulations of the states they’re going to drive through.

Read more: Heavy-duty vehicle snow chains 101

“Cable chains are lighter than link chains, but are not permitted in many states, plus they fail sooner,” Woody advised. “Plan to carry extra chains in case one comes off.”

He also noted that many people prefer a tensioner of some kind, such as a tire chain bungee, which helps maintain chain tension. Those should also be inspected for cracks in the rubber or bent hooks. Meanwhile, if a fleet is using automatic tire chains, technicians should ensure they’re adjusted properly, well lubricated, and have no air leaks.

For both automatic tire chains and manual tire chains, fleets need to make sure the chains are not worn down.

“The metal of the chain will become thinner and thinner until the link breaks,” Woody explained. “Road salts can accelerate corrosion, so tire chains should be washed off after use, but wear is the primary reason they get replaced.”

To inspect them before use, lay your chains flat on the ground for inspection. Be sure to look for links that are bent or broken, and keep an eye on the chains that tend to wear the most, specifically those that cross the tread near both edges of the tire, Woody said. As well as this, techs should look for clasps that are worn or don’t close, as well as rust.

On the positive side, Woody noted that tire chain repair isn’t difficult, as most chain manufacturers sell repair links. Techs need only replace worn links one at a time by cutting the bad link with a tire chain repair plier, which they can also use to crimp in a replacement. They just need to be sure not to twist the chain incorrectly as they do so.