Driving In New York

Hi all,

In the midst of studying I also take time to read whats on the forum. I have come across a few drivers who do not like the idea of being sent to New York or the Northeast. While checking out trucking companies I found most also give a $ incentive if one drives to New York. What is the big deal here, besides the roads being narrow???

Hi all,

In the midst of studying I also take time to read whats on the forum. I have come across a few drivers who do not like the idea of being sent to New York or the Northeast. While checking out trucking companies I found most also give a $ incentive if one drives to New York. What is the big deal here, besides the roads being narrow???

Narrow roads, double parking, TRIPLE PARKING, parking in the middle of the street, etc. Did I forget something?

Dave

Honest I do have a problem with driving g in NY. Sure there are small streets and cars everywhere but the same can be said for very old city that was not built for trucks.

Thanks for your replies. Thought it was something to do with lack of truck routes, NY regulations or something more sinister.

Hi all,

In the midst of studying I also take time to read whats on the forum. I have come across a few drivers who do not like the idea of being sent to New York or the Northeast. While checking out trucking companies I found most also give a $ incentive if one drives to New York. What is the big deal here, besides the roads being narrow???

Narrow roads, double parking, TRIPLE PARKING, parking in the middle of the street, etc. Did I forget something?

Dave

Yeah you forgot the toll booth every 67 feet

Hi all,

In the midst of studying I also take time to read whats on the forum. I have come across a few drivers who do not like the idea of being sent to New York or the Northeast. While checking out trucking companies I found most also give a $ incentive if one drives to New York. What is the big deal here, besides the roads being narrow???

Narrow roads, double parking, TRIPLE PARKING, parking in the middle of the street, etc. Did I forget something?

Dave

Yeah you forgot the toll booth every 67 feet

I knew I forgot something.

Dave

I'm from Upstate New York outside of Buffalo but when it comes to NYC it's an absolute catastrophe in a truck. Go into Brooklyn, The Bronx, or Queens and it's a zoo. Every problem you can possibly imagine for a truck exists there. And anyone who tries to play off New York as just another city is absolutely full of cr*p or hasn't been to "the real New York" Burroughs. It's 10 times worse than any other city in the country. If it wasn't, trucking companies wouldn't set specific policies for it. They wouldn't have to pay you more to go there or promise not to send you there at all. You won't find those policies for any other city in the country, including Chicago, D.C., Atlanta, and L.A., because it really is that bad.

Of course it includes the things mentioned above like low bridges, narrow streets, tiny parking lots with no room to back up, backing in off busy streets, insane drivers, high tolls, terrible roads, rude people, restricted routes, no parking, and the like. You also have to watch out for thieves and cons. And for instance, New York used to have a policy of marking all of the bridges as being one foot lower than they actually are to account for snow buildup and road repaving. But then recently they changed that policy and decided they would mark the bridges the actual height they really were. But initially during the transition they didn't mark whether or not the height was the new "actual" height or if you were still looking at the height marked a foot lower. Then they decided they better mark that too. But only some of the bridges have been marked properly, others haven't. And of course some of them weren't updated properly after road repaving lowered the height or digging out from under a bridge raised the height. So you never really have any idea how tall a bridge is. They might as well just put random numbers. And NYC is loaded with low bridges, many of which are too low for trucks on one side but might be passable on the other side or in the middle. God and local drivers only know. But of course you'll rarely get any help from local drivers even with God on your side.

Here's a great story for ya. I had to back into a dock off a busy street one time (as usual in NY) and traffic was just zooming by me just inches away from my truck. I was creeping back and slowly making progress when suddenly I see blue lights flashing. I see a cop coming toward me and I thought, "You've gotta be kidding me. Is this cop actually going to block traffic for a moment and help me out????" Nope. God was just toying with me. The cop put on his lights, drove completely onto the sidewalk - all 4 wheels around the front of my truck, came off the sidewalk back onto the street, turned off his lights, and continued on his way. I sh*t you not. If you were lying dead on the sidewalk people would literally walk by you without even glancing in your direction. I sh*t you not again. That really does happen.

The major Burroughs of NYC are an absolute nightmare. Long Island, interestingly enough, is really no big deal at all. It's mostly just suburbs and you'd never know you were on Long Island by looking around. You could just as easily be outside of Columbus, Ohio. Of course getting out to the Island and back is often a nightmare.

I've been into New York several times and to be honest I wouldn't even take a job with a company that would send me there. It's the only city in the country I won't go to. I'll drop a load in Jersey City and let someone else take it across the George Washington Bridge - no problem. But the GW bridge is where I cross the line. There's plenty of money to be made everywhere else in the country. I see no reason to go into NYC. I didn't mind navigating any other major city in the country because normally the heavy traffic was the only real concern. But NYC is like the devil's obstacle course for trucks.

If you want to see New York, it's an awesome place to visit! Go to Manhattan on vacation. Do the big tour. Hit all the famous places. There's no city in the world like it. I really love it. We've gone at Christmas, New Year's, and the 4th of July. Rockefeller at Christmas, the Ball Drop in Times Square, and one of the biggest fireworks shows in the world on the 4th. It's truly astounding. Just make sure you fly in there and then walk, take cabs, or take the subway everywhere you go. Don't drive there whatever you do, even in a car. You'll pay $100/day for parking after you spend three hours looking for a spot. Then once you're parked you won't use your vehicle anyways. You'll walk or use public transportation everywhere you go.

Also, don't leave Manhattan unless you're with someone who is a native New Yorker - and I don't mean an Upstate New Yorker like myself. I mean, if you want to see Brooklyn or The Bronx you should be with someone from Brooklyn or The Bronx. But trust me, you don't want to see them. Manhattan is where it's at. Times Square, Grand Central Station, St Patrick's Cathedral, The Empire State Building, Macy's - it's all right there and it will astound you at every turn.

I've gone to Jersey City probably 100 times over the years and I used to stare at that Manhattan skyline for hours. It's amazing! But I won't go there in a truck ever again. Heck with that!

Mr. Positive (Brett) - Great, just when I thought I mustered up some courage towards driving in NY, you had to write that long, descriptive dissertation of DOOM. Hoping I don't have to venture into trucking hell, but if I do, I'll make the best of it. I feel a panic attack coming on...

Mr. Positive (Brett) - Great, just when I thought I mustered up some courage towards driving in NY, you had to write that long, descriptive dissertation of DOOM. Hoping I don't have to venture into trucking hell, but if I do, I'll make the best of it. I feel a panic attack coming on...

New Jersey can be just as bad, except no triple parking.

Dave

Mr. Positive (Brett) - Great, just when I thought I mustered up some courage towards driving in NY, you had to write that long, descriptive dissertation of DOOM. Hoping I don't have to venture into trucking hell, but if I do, I'll make the best of it. I feel a panic attack coming on...

The thing I always used to remind myself to help keep calm is that ultimately there is only one thing that truly matters in the end - one golden rule - don't hit anything. That's it. If you're late, if you get lost, if you wander in circles for an hour - no harm done in the end. It will quickly be forgotten as if it never happened, as long as you don't hit anything. And that's not that hard as long as you maintain your composure and take your time.