Chaining Up & Training Up
Contributed by: Randy Johnson, RNO Terminal Manager
In preparation for winter, the Reno terminal held a Saturday Chaining Class. Of the nine students, four were fresh out of the Driver Training Program and five were more seasoned Drivers who wanted a refresher in chaining up. We had three trainers, Mike Frith, Oscar Beltran, and Paul Jones giving one on one instruction to these Drivers.
It’s always better to learn in good conditions than to be on a mountain in the middle of a storm.
Key tips to remember for chaining, from the Driver Trainer team:
- Roll forward for your tractor chains and backward for your trailer trains.
- Roll until the end of your chain is at the 10 o’clock position for your tractor and the 2 o’clock position for your trailer.
- When hooking chains, start with the middle hook, then inside, and finishing on the outside.
- Don’t forget to tighten your cams! Start from the bottom of the tire and work your way up.