Driving in big cities, is it mandatory?

I would think so. At least with NYC many companies will advertise no forced dispatch to NYC, my company is one of those. Many advertise for no Northeast as well, which cuts out a lot of the big cities/congestion.

If you did regional you might not ever have to go to big cities depending on where you were located. If you could get somewhere in the Midwest and stay West of Illinois, you probably would only have to go to mid sized cities like Omaha or Des Moines.

I suppose most companies though you will probably have to go through the cities every once in a while to pick up and deliver. It sucks, but it is what it is.

Perhaps you could find something local? If you go local you won't ever have to worry about going through big cities if you're living somewhere like Iowa or The Dakotas. Come to think of it, it might be better for you to try to find a local job if you live outside of the city centers that way you don't have to deal with the cities. But, there are definitely jobs in this industry for people who like to avoid the big cities.

 

I really like driving through the Dakotas, it's nice and open. It gets cold in the winter, but parking is a breeze. Truck stops always have available parking, but even if you don't park at a truck stop and want to park somewhere else, the locals cant care less.

When I was up in South Dakota last, I drove right after a blizzard. The roads were plowed, but not treated. My truck jackknifed a little bit trying to drive out of there. That was after I had a cold shower at a Pilot in the middle of the night.

Like Michigan, all my memories of Dakotas are just cold. Always painful cold, and wind. The wind is what does it. It makes you cold right down to your bones.

It's still a treat to go up there, though. Friendly people, open roads, parking, decent views.