I have always chained up the front because the skirting and tool boxes on my flatbed do not allow enough room plus it allows you to steer. I have only chained up on offroad conditions and have had no problems with the front pulling thru deep snow ~2'.

 

Try chaining a class 8 pulling a semi and pup combination. Requires a set of 3 rails on the main drive tires, a set of singles on secondary drives and a set of singles on each trailer . Been there done that with never enough pairs of gloves. Tons of fun.

 

With the rears and the front chained the second gen truck is amazing, however it remains to be seen just how good the fourth gen is being able to chain only the rears.

 

I’ve been told both ways and try to look at it from this way.

I look at the way the trailer is standing (nose down, nose up, or everything level) if its nose down then I chain the front. Nose up and I chain the rear. Everything level and I still chain the rear. My thinking on this is that a little more weight is on the down side and will offer a little more traction.

The above is depending on if both axles have brakes …always choose the one that have the brakes. You could be surprised by the number of trailers that only have one axle with brakes on them.

This is spooky a Texan giving a Canadian advice about driving on ice.

 

I have never used chains, never even had to at the chain ups when the LEO saw the snow flake on the tires and the Canuck tags. He just asked if I had driven in this stuff before and I said yes and right now I am at the limit of what I want to do...any worse and I will no longer be on the road...by choice. I have come up a few mtns where the chain up is mandatory and turned around and got off the road.

Thanks for the advice from the south eh.

For many years all I drove was 2 wheel drive dually trucks. Traveled through several ice storms across I-40 from Flagstaff east and then north on 25 and 35 like that with a 53ft wedge in tow. Pucker

 

O too remember those days when I chain up the 7 axle Truck Trailer I use to drive and agree you never seem to have enough warm dry gloves when chaining up.