New York City.... ICK

I have hauled 60ft pipe into downtown and know guys that still do. You are suppesed to have permits but we never got any and never had any problems. To go anywhere downtown you need to get there in the middle of the night, we always tried to go in between 1am and 5am. NYC's reputation is way worse than it actually is, but driving with all those idiots will keep you on your toes

 

I couldn't have said all that any better myself.

My strategy was always to get in and out before they all woke up in that city, but sometimes I had no choice.
Last load I took was a big Cat loader off Long Island that was high, so I had to flatten the tires to get her down to 13'7" (the best I could do.)
Permits were an act of congress. It's Thursday at 1 p.m. by the time I was loaded, chained and dressed to go. I called for State and City permits. The city faxed me a diagram of a truck/trailer to fill in the dots and blanks. I faxed it back, but because of the weight (119K gross,) the city requires a "bridge letter" from the Throgs Neck Bridge, giving me the OK to use it. I got a state permit, but was awaiting a city and bridge letter yet.
To get going, I left the island and headed east on the LIE. You're supposed to stop at the Nassau county/NYC line off an exit and wait for the city permit, but the exit had no provisions for me being wide, so I mosied on to the approach of the Throgs Neck crossing, and parked in the "zebra stripes" as they refer to it.
I wasn't there 10 minutes, when a city cop told me I was way too early to be sitting there. You're supposed to show up just before 11:00 p.m. at night for a window of 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. escorted crossing. He kicks me off the side of the road, so I had to back up 200 feet, and get off Willis Point Boulevard and ditch the beast in a country club parking lot for the night.(Try backing up on the Clearview Expressway at 5:00 p.m. at 10'6" wide and see if that don't make you think twice about what you wish you were doing for a living then...)
The next morning, I bobtailed all over Queens looking for a fax machine to recieve my permits. This is Friday now, and if you don't get over the bridge tonight, you don't till Monday then.
I ended up at Metro Power, a Cummins dealer in the Bronx off the Bruckner Expressway. I went in and first told them I didn't have a yellow motor, so I felt welcomed. They said good, if you did have a yellow motor, you could get the #### outa heah...in that NYC brogue. (Had an ISX Cummins in an '08 389 Pete.)
They treated me like a king and let me use their fax, and I was all set by 10 a.m.
In all my experiences in that city I will say one thing...for the most part, the perception of most people being cynical, sarcastic, cold, etc., it's a misconception. I had nothing but good dealings with the majority of them, but I also treat people like I want to be treated. That helps.
I got the paperwork squared away, and at 11 p.m. Friday night I was escorted by Port Authority Police across the bridge, down through the Bronx, and over into Joisey. Got all the way to Hagerstown, Md. Saturday morning to exit 5A, and that's where I stayed till Monday because my permits were all for 119K, but weighed it and found I was 125K, so the permits were N/G...for Va.,NC,SC,Ga. and Fl.
Another day in paradise.
Eventually though, I did get to Miami on Wednesday...7 days from Long Island to Port of Everglades. Talk about having to have patience.

 

When I was with the van line I pulled art out of many museums. All the way from central park on down to canal st. and below. Also went into Javitz conv. ctr. all the time. Only problem I ever had in there was with Idling.

 

I am assuming if someone wants you to go to NYC, they must not really like you very much. It sounds like a hellhole. I have the dot maps, know 53 footers are only allowed on the 95 interstates and require an overdemensional permit to get off. 48 footers allowed one mile egress. Been through on way to road island several times. not sure about venturing into that city though. Seems the freight going there pays okay, but nothing pays leaving.

 

My son-in-law drives for McClane and delivers to all 5 boroughs with a 53' trailer 5 nights a week and loves it!

 

Zombie thread resurrection much?

 

yea, guess I don't know, have heard some horror stories, not sure if true, guess I will find out

 

I've been to NYC a few times.Very time consuming and of course I got lost.But what helped me tremendously was the NYC atlas I had.Reason I got lost is because I seen a low clearance sign and took th next exit.Took well over an hr to get thru that street.Word of advice when your driving right smack thru the city,stay in the center lane because you'll always see somebody parked in the middle of the street gettung unloaded or waiting for somebody.Finally got thru that street and found a place to park and got out my atlat,thank god I was'nt off course to where I was going.

 

NYC, nice city to visit, horrible to work in.