Question on NYC runs.

I gotta agree with Pittsburg! Especially at night when every one is parked on the sides of the roads. This makes right turns very tight!

 

I worry about Atlanta, mainly because the roads there were designed by snakes who did not have a compass. I believe these snakes originally came from New Jersey... the roads are squirrely there too.

 

Well I don't drive a truck...yet...but the best advice you're going to get here is to buy the most detailed city map available, and spend quality time planning your route.

I've had a lifelong fascination with maps and geography; I can and do spend hours reading them. I've been a backpacker for decades, and probably spend more time reading maps before some of my trips than I do traveling on the trail. I'm rarely lost, although sometimes I may be off course for a bit. I use a GPS; not to plot my route, but to get coordinates that I can check against a map to figure out where I am.

My skills were put to the test when I went and lived in Budapest, Hungary for a year. Even with the bizarro alphabet and language, I could find my place anywhere I needed to drive; just because I could read a map. Stopping and asking for directions wasn't an option, as a good percentage of the people there don't speak any English!

If you don't know where you are, don't be afraid to stop and look at your map.

And from what I've read, keep your truck off of the parkways; that will lead to big trouble.

 

Only problem: you weren't dragging a 53' wagon everywhere you went. Makes a BIG difference, no pun intended but it will still fly if necessary.

 

NYC wasnt so bad, deliverd produce to Hunts Point in the 70s and I hate the SOB who sits and honks the horn while you try to back in with 3 in clearance on ea side. Detroit is terrible due to the drivers not the roads and Chicago is a nightmare due to the EL, no one seems to know its there or is 11 ft high and it runs right past Cubs stadium but people will still tell you just come south under the EL.

 

I second Pittsburgh as least favorite...always hate going in there.

Never had a serious problem in NYC. Made a few wrong turns over the years but always kept my head and got through it. In fact, the last couple of trips there have been quite easy.

 

traffic on the 495 sucks. traffic sucks in and around NYC no matter what. remember, trucks are not allowed on parkways. interstate and expressways and designated truck routes only.

i just got back from long island and the surface streets are a mess with snow piled everywhere. i could just kill my dispatcher for sending me there. i was ther last week with no snow and to me, it was a pain in the ### no matter what.

dont miss a turn. i did that the first time and it took more than 2 hours to snake my way downtown to find the GW Bridge. the second time wasnt too bad after i kind of knew where i was going and what to expect.

i still hate that place. too many people and not enough roads and dont even get me going on how rude they are up there.

 

Well, yeah, I made note of that. My post was about navigation, as that seems to be one of the main complaints I've read here about going to NYC. If you have problems with basic driving skills, I can see where it'd be that much worse.

Control what you can, and deal with the rest, that's kind of how I look at it.

 

If I can impart one word of wisdom to you,,,,

HAGSTROMS!!!

They make the BEST surface maps of NYC.
The atlases are about 13x10 and come in paper or laminated.
Yellow roads are bus routes so you should be good for a truck.
But you also want a NYC DOT CMV map you can get from the NYC.gov website.

Best bet is to never try to cross major subway lines, and you should be fine.

Also if you can get into town at night and find a place to sleep, it beats running in in the morning with the 9-5 crowd. If you're over 13' you'll have to take the George or go in though Staten Island. I-87 is often pretty light because there are 2-3 parkways that run the same route, don't have a toll, and don't allow trucks. So you should have an easy time getting in there. (I recomend Stew Leonards just south of the tolls for some grub & groceries too. It ain't cheap, but it's good stuff and there's a dead-end "bulb" past the parking lot you used to be able to put a truck in for a few hours.)

You can still drive through Times Square but they closed off Broadway to vehicle traffic above and below it. I don't know that it did anything +/- with the traffic but it's much nicer for pedestrians. Probably better to see it on foot, if you're driving you'll be too busy watching the road to enjoy the view.

Also if you can find a spot (shame on you Jakebreak for giving away valuable locations like that! At least you didn't mention mine!) near a subway you can get a Metro-card and sight see.

And there are even truck lots in NY, you have to call ahead & pay, but I think there's one in Harlem and Hunt's Point.

(as of 12/14/10, I drive a local run into 43rd street every night.)

 

ROFLMAO!!! No, most of the docks in NYC were made for freaking horse and buggies! Or 45 foot long truck and trailer combos! Some of those afore mentioned under the building docks if they are 40' from the dock to the street/curb line it's a freaking miracle! Most of that stuff was built when 6 wheelers were the norm or city cab (as we know them now) and a 30' trailer and all of them with Armstrong steering!

I've even been under some that the docks you had to do a 90* back into but you had to drop the trailer and get back under it at 90* push it back a little more and drop it again and get under it straight! Then do it all again when you were finished! Not to mention have to dolly down and pull out so another driver could have the all same fun as you just had!

Yep, you'll get some backing practice along with other fun things to learn about NYC driving!

I really do Love NY!