Driving in big cities, is it mandatory?

In the couple years I've been driving, what I have found is that most of my companies customers have delivery points within a mile or two of a freeway or highway. Its my guess that drivers who drive on city streets most would be local drivers, or ltl drivers. When you drive loads for companies that service places like FedEx, ups, walmart, and other big shippers, you deliver to large drop yards, with roads to and from them that have wide turns and decent room for us big kids. I've actually had more issues with space inside the yards, when there are too many trailers for the space they own. I think the furthest I've had to drive on "city" streets is 5 miles, with few turns.
Once you're used to these big beasts, you start to feel more comfortable with driving on truck approved routes.

 

Big cities aren,t all that bad if you plan carefully before going into them. I always if I could got my directions straight from the receiver. Cutting out the middle man lessened chances that the directions would be messed up. I always double and triple checked my directions with city maps, road atlas, other drivers, any other way I could. If you are driving what is sometimes called a large car, You are probably better off avoiding NYC, Some of their facilities were built back when trucks were much shorter.It,s do,able but talk about a real pain in the ***. I don,t think I ever got accurate directions going into NYC but managed to get the loads there anyway. LA seemed like a Sunday drive after doing NYC and Philly. Wash,DC, is another one you need to plan carefully to enter with any vehicle. Used to live in that area and got lost many times trying to navigate that sewer.

 

Indian River is food grade; no hazmat.
You'll learn about tankers during orientation. It's an easy job; even I did it.
You will be properly trained before hitting the road as a solo driver.

 

You have only 3 or 4 mos. experience?
Prime Inc. probably hire you for food grade tankers.

 

You would have to select a run that does not go through large centers...My run is 450 miles with only 3 towns to travel through,,,the largest being a population of 5000.

 

I remember one load I had to Boston. I was at almost gross weight. Couldn't find the place, so called and the guys at the delivery point told me I'm right at their warehouse and asked if I can see a small bridge.
I said yes, and they said, ok cross that bridge and you'll see us. I asked if the bridge is safe to cross with this heavy weight. They laughed and said, yes, trucks deliver to us all the time and use that bridge.
I got there and they told me that's an antique historical bridge and in reality, no trucks allowed.
Fortunately, I got away with it.

 

Anticipation of death is worse than Death itself.

Took a big load to Pennsylvania. Load was, tall, heavy and wide. I81 was under construction and I was too tall to fit under the bridges. Permit had me exit at Greencastle, and told me that I had to contact the Chambersburg PD, before entering that small town. I call the local PD and they told me to come on through. Typical PA town, where all the buildings and houses are built 4ft off the curb and a 2 lane is actually a lane and a half wide with cars parked on both sides of the road and a pole of some sort on every corner"

Im going northbound and the southbound cars could not get by me. There’s a right turn and an immediate left you have to make smack in the middle of town. I make the turns, get straightened out and meet a superload. We can’t pass each other on that tiny road. His front pilot car pulls in front of me and holds a stop sign out the window. I tell the pilot car that he is a Damascus and to stick his sign in his arse. The driver and I get together to talk and I tell him how stupid his front car is and we both laugh. Whole town is blocked and here comes the ChambersburgPD. He’s Damascus too.

He gets out of the car swearing and kicking, “Hey! You two are not supposed to be here at the same time!!!!” Great...he’s even dumber than the pilot car. This is going to be a long process. I sit on my trailer and just let Barney Fife blow off steam. Barney turns beet red and starts frothing while yelling at us.

“Drivers, do something!!!!”
Sure. What do you want me to do?
I can’t go backwards. I can’t go forward. There’s no possible way he can get by me until YOU get these cars moved off the sides of the road.

Long story short, if you are thinking that you won’t run into tight binds away from the big metro areas, you must be a yard dog.

 

No, not from me. What I will do, however, is tell you to come back to this thread in a year or two after you start burning diesel. I suspect you will give yourself a lot of flack. Several years ago I spent a while trying to convince a little lady to accept a dedicated run that involved being in Chicago two times a week. Today?? Every time I see her (which is not that much anymore) her first words are "moose, don't start". Trust me!!! Once you start doing it you will see it's not all that big a deal, just have to remember to not do the don't and always remember to do the do's.

 

Agricultural equipment and farm implements.
Vast majority will go to rural areas but you have to go 2 lane and dirt roads..is that a deal breaker?