Updated: March 26, 2025
Winter driving in Oregon can be hazardous, and truckers play a big role in how safely we get through the season of snow and ice.
Oregon has strict laws on how truckers should prepare for winter driving, and non-compliance can earn you fines and recorded reprimands from law enforcement. Make sure you’re prepared to chain up properly to avoid a hefty penalty and keep yourself and other drivers safe under winter conditions.
Why Traction Tires Won’t Cut It
There’s really no “deciding between” chains or traction tires – chains are required, regardless of whether you’re using traction tires or not. But why?
Traction tires are great for offering extra stability for slightly slippery roads or certain vehicles like passenger cars, but for commercial vehicles, they’re simply not enough.
Commercial and cargo vehicles require chains for extra-tough grip when the road and weather conditions are dangerous. The considerable weight of commercial vehicles makes them harder to stop, slow, and maneuver in icy conditions. Traction tires can help, but they don’t compete with chains’ deep bite into snowy, icy roads, and they can’t prevent jackknifing and skidding as well as chains.
How Your Truck’s Primary Drive Axle Affects Chain Law
In winter conditions, highway patrol and other officers enforce chain laws to keep everyone safe on icy roads, and they’re paying particular attention to truckers.
Your truck’s primary drive axle plays a crucial role in determining how chains must be applied. A single drive axle vehicle with one single wheel axle must have chains on at least one tire per side of the drive axle. A truck with one dual wheel axle must chain at least two tires on the primary drive axle.
If you’re pulling a trailer, the kingpin to fifth wheel connection must be properly managed, with chains placed on both the tractor and trailer axles as required. These rules help you maintain optimal traction, especially on steep inclines or declines where rear-wheel slippage could lead to dangerous skids.
Rear Wheel Drive Vehicles
For medium-duty vehicles and heavier trucks, the requirement extends to the rear axles that provide power to the drive wheels. The primary drive axle must always have chains when chain laws are in effect, regardless of whether the vehicle has a single or dual-wheel configuration. This is especially critical for trucks hauling heavy loads, as their momentum makes stopping more difficult on icy highways.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
If you don’t comply with Oregon’s chain laws, it’ll cost you – not only in fines but in damage to your professional reputation.
Fines for Non-Compliance
If chain laws are in effect, you must comply or face fines. Those can be up to $880 per citation for failing to carry chains, and $880 per citation if you haven’t installed chains when signs are posted.
Other Penalties
Any truck that blocks the highway because they haven’t installed their chains will receive additional fines. Why? Because it’s risky to pull over in icy and snowy conditions, and you could cause serious accidents and delays. If you’re stalled because of your own failure to prepare, you can expect to pay the penalty.
What’s more, you may be liable for any damage caused by your blocking the highway. If the Department of Transportation highway maintenance vehicles notice you’re not chained, they’ll report you to law enforcement, essentially stopping you from driving until you’re chained up.
Quick Guide to Oregon Chain Law
No one wants to stop and chain up when you’re motoring along at a good clip. But the time it takes to chain up is small compared to the delay, risk, and liability of an accident. Always follow these tips for safer, law-compliant driving in icy conditions.
Watch the Signs
Signs posted along Oregon’s highways tell truckers when to chain up, and it’s vital that you pay attention. When you’ve been instructed to apply chains, make sure you’re never driving without them.
But highway signage isn’t the only thing you should monitor. Weather conditions in Oregon are unpredictable at best, so savvy truckers should be ever-ready for the unexpected. Watch the weather closely and keep an eye on deteriorating conditions to see whether you need to chain up, even if the highway signs aren’t posted.
Always Carry Chains During Snowy Seasons
In Oregon, all vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (GVW) must carry chains whenever their use may be needed or required. If you fail to carry appropriate chains, you may receive a fine.
You never know who or what you’ll meet on the road. Smart truckers keep their chains on board if there’s the slightest chance of bad weather because they know it’s one of the best ways to ensure everyone gets home safe at the end of the drive.
For comprehensive training on trucker safety, check out our full suite of services and seminars.
Much of the information provided here is a reminder from the Oregon Department of Transportation. For all information on chain requirements, please visit the Oregon Chain Law page at tripcheck.org.
The information provided here is a reminder from the Oregon Department of Transportation.