Chain law checker by state for trucks

Semi truck chain laws by state

The checker covers the four western states with the most demanding truck chain rules, using each state's own transportation department pages:

• Colorado: on I-70 between Dotsero and Morrison, commercial vehicles must carry chains from September 1 through May 31. When chain law is posted, single-drive combinations chain four drive wheels at Level 1, and all commercial vehicles chain up at Level 2. Source
• California: no carry dates, but trucks over 6,500 lb must chain the drive axle whenever controls are posted, with no snow-tire exemption. Source
• Washington: vehicles over 10,000 lb carry chains on designated routes from November 1 to April 1, plus at least two spares at all times. Source
• Oregon: signs say when to carry or use chains, and for trucks over 10,000 lb traction tires don't count. Source

Other mountain states, including Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming, post their own chain controls. We haven't verified their rules for this tool yet, so check the state DOT or 511 before you go.

Worked example EXAMPLE

A tandem-drive tractor pulling a flatbed heads west on I-70 from Denver on December 15. The checker says chains must be on board: it is inside the September to May season on the corridor. If Level 2 goes up near the Eisenhower Tunnel, four drive wheels get chained at a chain station before the climb. The same truck in Oregon on the same day carries chains when signs say so and chains six tires: four on the primary drive axle and two on a trailer axle.

Truck tire chains: what to carry

• Chains sized for your tires. A set that fits a pickup won't fit drive duals. Check the size on the sidewall against the chain tag.
• Enough for the strictest state on your route. If you cross Oregon and Washington, carry what both require, plus Washington's two spares.
• Gloves, a headlamp, bungee tighteners and a kneeling pad. Chaining up in the dark on a cold shoulder is slower without them.
• Spare cross links and repair tools. A broken chain at the top of a pass is worse than no chain at the bottom.

Heavy duty truck tire chains: chaining up safely

Use the marked chain-up areas, never the travel lane. Practice once in the yard before the season, so the first time you fit chains isn't in a storm. Drive slowly with chains on, inside the chain maker's speed limit, and retighten after the first few hundred feet. Take them off when the road clears; driving on bare pavement wears chains and can damage tires.

Tire chains for trucks by rig

Car haulers have to chain without damaging hydraulic lines near the drive tires. Tankers and other high, top-heavy loads need extra care on icy grades because a sliding load shifts. Livestock haulers have animals aboard and can't just park and wait, so the timing of a crossing matters. Box trucks carry lighter loads and can lose traction on a grade quickly; chains matter as much on a 26 ft box as on a semi.

Chain-ups, hours and appointments

A chain-up takes time, and so does taking the chains off again. On a long mountain day that time comes out of the 14-hour window like any other on-duty work, and slow chained miles stretch the drive. Leave room for both when you plan, or a pickup that looked easy on a dry day can run you out of hours before the delivery. A load booked tight across a pass in January is a load set up to fail. Ask about appointment flexibility before you accept, and know where you can park safely if the hours run out short of the destination.

When the pass closes

Chains don't help when the road is shut. Closures on I-70, I-80 over Donner and I-90 over Snoqualmie can last hours or longer. Plan fuel, food and hours of service for a wait, and tell the receiver early when weather will make you late.

When you dispatch with us, we check pass conditions before we call you about a winter load and build the time into the plan. If the timing doesn't work, you can say no. See our dispatch for owner-operators or send an application.