Colorado has joined the CMV ban idiocy

[Hammer166]

Trailers and towed vehicles to be restricted from I-70 west of Golden, other critical locations starting Friday at 4 p.m. — Colorado Department of Transportation

www.codot.gov

Don't get me wrong, there's a whole boatload of trucks that don't belong up on I-70 (mostly with Cali plates and/or a >3,xxx,xxx USDOT #) , especially in the winter time, but I have a problem with an all-out ban on trucks. But it's opening weekend for the skiers, and that probably drove this as much as anything.

And as much as CDOT has trouble with guys not chaining when they should, I must have seen 50 trucks today chaining up for chain laws that had dropped an hour or two prior.

 

[Rigjockey]

The ban kinda works for a company that I worked for. They would have chains for loads going to or through CO to be in compliance. We were told to just park it if chaining up was in effect.
I am sure the CMV ban would be a piss-off for experienced Colorado drivers though.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I am offended. I have a 3,xxx,xxx DOT number.

I'm way too lazy to drive all the way to Colorado though. Let alone chain up.

 

[Duck]

Trailers and towed vehicles to be restricted from I-70 west of Golden, other critical locations starting Friday at 4 p.m. — Colorado Department of Transportation

www.codot.gov

Don't get me wrong, there's a whole boatload of trucks that don't belong up on I-70 (mostly with Cali plates and/or a >3,xxx,xxx USDOT #) , especially in the winter time, but I have a problem with an all-out ban on trucks. But it's opening weekend for the skiers, and that probably drove this as much as anything.

And as much as CDOT has trouble with guys not chaining when they should, I must have seen 50 trucks today chaining up for chain laws that had dropped an hour or two prior.

It's just for a few hours due to a snow storm though ain't it?

The Chesapeake Bay bridge/tunnel has a complicated, intermittent CMV ban based on the wind. At so many mph, they ban empty van trailers. Higher wind speed, they ban loaded ones and tankers. At some speed they ban all trucks. It's about not having to fish trucks out of the bay.

 

[Hammer166]

It's just for a few hours due to a snow storm though ain't it?

The Chesapeake Bay bridge/tunnel has a complicated, intermittent CMV ban based on the wind. At so many mph, they ban empty van trailers. Higher wind speed, they ban loaded ones and tankers. At some speed they ban all trucks. It's about not having to fish trucks out of the bay.

Here's the thing: The roads were wet at the start of the ban, they're just wet at the end of the ban. So while they may have been slick last night, they weren't dangerous. At least not if they actually did chain enforcement. This was to get the trucks off the roads for the Friday night ski exodus. And that is bullshit, if it's not safe for a professional, it ain't safe for amateurs.

And sadly, I think part of what is so aggravating about this is they're not wrong. The skill level of professional drivers sucks nowadays, and I'm tired of the modern trend of treating everyone like the least common denominator.

 

[389 Hood]

But those of us with a driving skill level are slowly going by the wayside. What do you figure the percentage rate is between drivers with 5 or less years experience and those with 20 plus year of experience? Maybe 70/30?

And with these new trucks out there beep and farting and ghost braking at signs, guardrails, bridge supports, etc... it's no wonder they don't want these rookies on the road when it's even questionable. So rather than picking and choosing who they allow on the roads, they just get rid of everyone.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Here's the thing: The roads were wet at the start of the ban, they're just wet at the end of the ban. So while they may have been slick last night, they weren't dangerous. At least not if they actually did chain enforcement. This was to get the trucks off the roads for the Friday night ski exodus. And that is bullshit, if it's not safe for a professional, it ain't safe for amateurs.

And sadly, I think part of what is so aggravating about this is they're not wrong. The skill level of professional drivers sucks nowadays, and I'm tired of the modern trend of treating everyone like the least common denominator.

Cars get around better than trucks do in snow, especially empty/bobtail trucks. Most cars these days are AWD and if not, FWD which isn't too bad either with the weight of the engine helping.

They're also easier to fish out with a regular tow truck which are far more abundant and less costly than the rotators and heavy boom trucks required for semis.

It's basically a lot less messy when SHTF if you make trucks park and stay parked.

I agree with not wanting to be treated like a bottom of the barrel truck driver, but I've seen the messes.

And I'm gonna be frank, when it's shitty out, I don't have any desire to be in it. Whether it's my own grip issues or trusting other morons to not bounce off me and wreck my day, equipment, and record. It's just not worth it to be out during that particular stretch of hours.

 

[Hammer166]

Cars get around better than trucks do in snow, especially empty/bobtail trucks. Most cars these days are AWD and if not, FWD which isn't too bad either with the weight of the engine helping.

They're also easier to fish out with a regular tow truck which are far more abundant and less costly than the rotators and heavy boom trucks required for semis.

It's basically a lot less messy when SHTF if you make trucks park and stay parked.

I agree with not wanting to be treated like a bottom of the barrel truck driver, but I've seen the messes.

And I'm gonna be frank, when it's shitty out, I don't have any desire to be in it. Whether it's my own grip issues or trusting other morons to not bounce off me and wreck my day, equipment, and record. It's just not worth it to be out during that particular stretch of hours.

See, the problem isn't that trucks aren't capable in snow. The problem is an empty fleet truck with highway ribs shouldn't be on anything worse than wet roads. Even my empty, low to the ground carhauler will go places you couldn't take anything but a full size pickup or suv. And chained up? They're not tanks, but they'll do far more than you think.

And 4 wheelers on all-season tires aren't all that capable. They do okay on proper winter tires, but they don't have the clearance needed to handle anything over a few inches deep. The folks who live in the mountains tend towards proper winter tires far more than those who live along the Front Range. Those fools tend towards aggressive looking tires that are okay in deep snow but absolutely suck on anything packed down because they have zero siping. That last part is why most trucks suck on slick roads, no sipes.

 

[Electric Chicken]

See, the problem isn't that trucks aren't capable in snow. The problem is an empty fleet truck with highway ribs shouldn't be on anything worse than wet roads. Even my empty, low to the ground carhauler will go places you couldn't take anything but a full size pickup or suv. And chained up? They're not tanks, but they'll do far more than you think.

And 4 wheelers on all-season tires aren't all that capable. They do okay on proper winter tires, but they don't have the clearance needed to handle anything over a few inches deep. The folks who live in the mountains tend towards proper winter tires far more than those who live along the Front Range. Those fools tend towards aggressive looking tires that are okay in deep snow but absolutely suck on anything packed down because they have zero siping. That last part is why most trucks suck on slick roads, no sipes.

There are exceptions to everything but the fact of the matter is MOST trucks are out there on highway treads with varying amounts of traction-helping weight and during a shit storm, it's easier to enforce NO trucks than NO trucks except these particular trucks.

And you're ignoring the fact that cleanup of wrecked semis is a bigger clusterfuck than simply dragging a 4k pound car out of a ditch with a standard tow truck.

 

[389 Hood]

And I'm also going to say the mountains out west are a lot different to the hills of the east. In both grade and design.

 

[Hammer166]

And I'm also going to say the mountains out west are a lot different to the hills of the east. In both grade and design.

Yep. We also get a large variety of snow types within the same storm. They vary based on elevation, wind direction, windward or leeward side of a ridge, sun exposure, etc. We also generally don't get the multi-truck fiascos up in the mountains, it tends to be one idiot losing traction and blocking traffic, usually while it's snowing a couple inches per hour.

But I'm back quiet so I can learn.

 

[Duck]

In a blizzard, regardless of what type of snow is on the road, I'd rather be in a heavy loaded truck with a manual transmission & whatever tires Van Wyk inc runs on their drives than in a car or pickup.

However, the only 4wd vehicle I've ever owned is my ATV, until this diesel pickup. It's a 4x4 dually with tires that look like they'd be perfect in snow but like Hammer said, I don't know about hard pack. I ain't looked closely enough to see if there's any siping. But I haven't driven it in snow yet so I don't know how it's gonna handle. Hopefully it's not gonna be like a bobtail.

 

[389 Hood]

Put a half dozen bales of hay in the bed. Bags of stone or concrete do too.

Damn, a Florida boy educating some of you on snow driving. Whoda thunk it?

 

[Electric Chicken]

Put a half dozen bales of hay in the bed. Bags of stone or concrete do too.

Damn, a Florida boy educating some of you on snow driving. Whoda thunk it?

Or rock salt. Since you tend to need that stuff in winter anyway. I have a bunch of bags in the garage.

 

[Shreck]

Put a half dozen bales of hay in the bed. Bags of stone or concrete do too.

Damn, a Florida boy educating some of you on snow driving. Whoda thunk it?

I always used bag of bags of sand when I was driving a two wheel drive pickup back and forth to work in Clearfield Pa.

 

[Duck]

Put a half dozen bales of hay in the bed. Bags of stone or concrete do too.

Damn, a Florida boy educating some of you on snow driving. Whoda thunk it?

When my 2wd F-150 was my daily driver and I wasn't using the bed in the winter, I used to load it up with snow, using my tractor's loader.

With that thing loaded with snow, I had more issues with the V8 not being heavy enough in the front. But it wouldn't get stuck anywhere.

The best part about using snow as ballast is you don't have to take it out. When it warms up and the snow melts, it melts out of the truck too.