Will Swift in Syracuse NY send me straight to NYC?

I have never worked for Swift, but a lot of dry van companies don't get many west coast runs, because a lot of those loads go on the rail. I hauled containers here in Ohio, and the majority of our loads from the rail were going to or from California/Oregon. Reefers have more opportunities to go out west.

And btw, it's technically illegal to take a 53' trailer off of the highway within the boroughs of NYC (although it's not uncommon for it to happen). I wonder what Swift's response would be when you ask them if they'll pay the fine if you get a ticket for an over-length trailer. In writing over the Qualcomm of course. https://www.dot.ny.gov/about-nysdot/faq/are-53-foot-long-trailers-allowed-in-nyc

Do you already have a CDL?

 

with being close to NYC, you will probably be sent into NYC. Even as a regional driver. Dont worry, i used to make $200 extra just to go into nyc so ask swift if they have some sort of nyc paid

 

You will never go into Manhattan with a 53' trailer. Well technically if you are on the Cross Bronx you are in Manhattan for a minuite. Anyway Brooklyn isn't that bad and neither is Long Island if you pay attention to what you are doing.

You will probably have more problems in Philly or Baltimore or DC or just about anywhere on I-95. That's the biggest drawback to living on the east coast. You will pretty much only drive on the east coast. Good luck to you in your new career.

 

I doubt it, they didn't send me till after a year just about, and when I accepted I started getting loads there. Granted I'm a west coaster. All company drivers have the right to refuse NYC dispatch unless they changed the policy.

Stay on roads you fit, take every inch of space making a turn, and trip plan very well. Don't miss your turns, make shure you know which direction you want to approach from. It's not as scary as people make it out. However the traffic can be terrible.

 

Unless you are on some dedicated account, you won't go into the city itself. Like Bubba Mark said, you'll cross the George Washington Bridge to the Cross Bronx Expressway which is all I-95 and either head north to Connecticut or east to Long Island. Long Island isn't too bad, just pay attention, read the signs and focus on where you are going. The most "city" I ever got was a delivery in Queens, which is on Long Island. That was a challenge, but nothing that can't be safely done with patience.

The thing to remember is that, unless you are Northeast Regional, you probably won't see that area except when you go home. And the longer you stay out (meaning not going home every two weeks), the better your chances of getting out west. But think about this also...Swift, in their infinite wisdom, pays two cents per mile less for every load that goes west of the Mississippi. Apparently they think the miles are longer out west so you don't need as much cpm. In truth, you can get 2500-3000 miles per week in the east just as easily as you can in the west. Just go where they send you, be on time and always be safe.

 

I think most Werners loads are in the east cost.I had to do a lot of NYC Baltimore and Philly when I was at Werner.If you feel nervous about going to NYC you better tell dispatch before they get you a preassigned load.I think new drivers should go with a trainer a few times to NYC first.The worst thing I could have ever said to my dispatcher was go easy on me untill I feel comfortable.I was to the point I hated her because she sent me to the worst places for a newbie and even while in training I never went anywhere close to these cities.

 

Unless it changed since July it's only $0.01 less

 

It's been two cents since long before I started in 2010, but maybe they changed it to one cent in July. I don't know for sure, I'd been on the GLR account for a couple years and it's not subject to the cpm difference.

I've always thought that was one of the dumbest of all their policies. Their argument is that with all the big cities east of the Mississippi, with traffic congestion it is harder to get more miles so they will give an incentive to get drivers to drive in the east. That is complete and utter bull. The miles are the same and you can just as easily get 3000 miles...if the planners will give it to you. If there is an area that needs an incentive to go to, it's the northeast. And it needs to be more than just one or two cents.