Snow chains in Switzerland

Can anyone confirm if snow chains are required by law for Switzerland, am heading there next weekend only going about 50km into Switzerland from Basle, thanks.

From top of this forum:
Switzerland

  1. No, (Obligation to carry) however their use is compulsory on certain sections of road when signposted ‘Chaines a Neige Obligatoires.’ No time period specified as Alpine regions can have summer snowfall.
  2. Chains must, when used, be fitted to at least two drive wheels on the same axle.
  3. Fine for disregarding a sign to use chains CHF 100.

Cant see anything truck specific elsewhere on line but car rules seem the same as above. I cant find any law that says they are required everywhere in Swiss, but some places say they are required where signs say they are required.
So: some alpine roads have signs saying they are needed, but not everywhere.

I`ve never even heard of anyone getting a fine for not having them. (and doing a runner beating the police to the frontier before they could phone ahead etc etc :smiley:)

Franglais:
From top of this forum:
Switzerland

  1. No, (Obligation to carry) however their use is compulsory on certain sections of road when signposted ‘Chaines a Neige Obligatoires.’ No time period specified as Alpine regions can have summer snowfall.
  2. Chains must, when used, be fitted to at least two drive wheels on the same axle.
  3. Fine for disregarding a sign to use chains CHF 100.

Cant see anything truck specific elsewhere on line but car rules seem the same as above. I cant find any law that says they are required everywhere in Swiss, but some places say they are required where signs say they are required.
So: some alpine roads have signs saying they are needed, but not everywhere.

I`ve never even heard of anyone getting a fine for not having them. (and doing a runner beating the police to the frontier before they could phone ahead etc etc :smiley:)

Is this speaking form experience? :smiley: :smiley:

We do Swiss all the time, 50 weeks a year. And I’ve been with this company for over 14 years.
We only run on standard tyres and never have chains.
As far as I know, no-one has ever had a fine for not having snow chains.

I’m pretty sure I would’ve heard because we mainly catch the same boat homeward bound. It would’ve been a talking point.

Simon:
We do Swiss all the time, 50 weeks a year. And I’ve been with this company for over 14 years.
We only run on standard tyres and never have chains.
As far as I know, no-one has ever had a fine for not having snow chains.

I’m pretty sure I would’ve heard because we mainly catch the same boat homeward bound. It would’ve been a talking point.

Thanks just heading to Oesingen and the drop is just off the motorway so shouldn’t be a problem just didn’t want to get caught out

Mazzer2:
Thanks just heading to Oesingen and the drop is just off the motorway so shouldn’t be a problem just didn’t want to get caught out

Oensingen from Basel has a long climb to the high bit, then a tunnel, then a long drop back down which is fairly steep in places.
How did the trip go?

Simon:

Mazzer2:
Thanks just heading to Oesingen and the drop is just off the motorway so shouldn’t be a problem just didn’t want to get caught out

Oensingen from Basel has a long climb to the high bit, then a tunnel, then a long drop back down which is fairly steep in places.
How did the trip go?

No problems at all it was the weather was warm averaged about plus 10 the whole time, heading back there this week should be a bit quicker at the border now that the lorry is registered but all in about 30 minutes to get through most of which was spent going back and forth to the lorry to get everything for registering.
The drop is on the edge of the town but will be a pleasant stroll up to it in the summer if it becomes a regular drop.
Could do with a backload out of Switzerland, loaded out of Memmingen but a nice drive through Switzerland and then across the border at Bregenz

Mazzer2:
Could do with a backload out of Switzerland, loaded out of Memmingen but a nice drive through Switzerland and then across the border at Bregenz

Ring Martin Smith at Smiths of Scotter, 01427 622000.
They used to load regularly out of Swiss with steel profiles for windows etc, they load it on flat trailers but it’ll go in a Euroliner.

Grumpy_old_trucker:

Mazzer2:
Could do with a backload out of Switzerland, loaded out of Memmingen but a nice drive through Switzerland and then across the border at Bregenz

Ring Martin Smith at Smiths of Scotter, 01427 622000.
They used to load regularly out of Swiss with steel profiles for windows etc, they load it on flat trailers but it’ll go in a Euroliner.

Thanks for that do you know if it will go in a fridge?

Mazzer2:
Thanks for that do you know if it will go in a fridge?

No, unfortunately not a fridge load and it loads at Stabio just north of Chiasso a fair old trek from Oesingen.
However we used to tip and load from Paul Leimgruber at Pratteln not far from where your tipping, they’ll load a fridge and agents on site for customs formalities.
+41 613373737, they speak perfect English and perhaps some of the most helpful people I’ve come across in Swiss.

Grumpy_old_trucker:

Mazzer2:
Thanks for that do you know if it will go in a fridge?

No, unfortunately not a fridge load and it loads at Stabio just north of Chiasso a fair old trek from Oesingen.
However we used to tip and load from Paul Leimgruber at Pratteln not far from where your tipping, they’ll load a fridge and agents on site for customs formalities.
+41 613373737, they speak perfect English and perhaps some of the most helpful people I’ve come across in Swiss.

Thanks hopefully will prove useful

Mazzer2:
No problems at all it was the weather was warm averaged about plus 10 the whole time, heading back there this week should be a bit quicker at the border now that the lorry is registered but all in about 30 minutes to get through most of which was spent going back and forth to the lorry to get everything for registering.
The drop is on the edge of the town but will be a pleasant stroll up to it in the summer if it becomes a regular drop.
Could do with a backload out of Switzerland, loaded out of Memmingen but a nice drive through Switzerland and then across the border at Bregenz

Inbound we use the St Louis border 99% of the time and having been doing it for a good few years, so we know the score there.
From handbrake on to handbrake off is usually around 15 minutes. Another 5 minutes if a truck needs a new orange card.
I don’t know who we get our backloads through. Obviously I know the companies we regularly load out from, but not where the boss gets them from.
Who does your clearance in Swiss? We use Nord Transport and Globsped mainly. I know we get some backloads through them.
If you’re going to be there every week/every other week on a regular basis, your agent can probably sort a back load for you.

I haven’t been to Swiss yet this year, still waiting for my new trucks V5 for one thing, so I don’t know anything about the customs paperwork required.
Obviously a T1 or T2 - export Swiss import UK as has always been the case, but do we need a transit doc’ for EU now as well? We used to need a transit T form for Italy to UK if we were transiting through Swiss. I’m guessing the EU now needs something similar.

For the last trip I went direct from Ireland and so had a T2 form this time I have to do a collection in England so will be using a T1 to get me into the UK and then I assume a T1 and T2 from there will find out tomorrow

So now in France having loaded in Belfast which comes under EU regs so have a T2, on filling out in England had to go to Channel Ports for clearance and was given a T1. I would get your covid test done en-route to Dover or Folkestone, once cleared at Stop 24 straight onto the train, had to show negative covid test result to security, on coming off, as you come to the end of the chicanes there is a board as you approach your VRN comes up and you then follow whichever colour it tells you, luckily tonight got a green light :smiley: