New York, New York
Thought I would add another experience to my blog, New York City, Long Island. What a trip? Every time I went into New York City I would get turned around, but I survived. Towards the end of my driving time with Schneider I went into New York City quite a bit, more than I wanted to. The problem with New York City is that you could easily get onto a road where your rig would not fit under a bridge. Most of the traffic going into and out of New York City goes in/out via the George Washington Bridge and all of the trucks have to use the upper level. I lucked out though because I never did find a bridge that my truck would not fit under, but it was more of a miracle I think than luck. I had never even driven a car into New York City and there I was in a Semi, driving into and through New York City.
A couple of times I had to drive out onto Long Island to deliver. One of the times they were doing maintenance on the interstate and I had to drive on the side road. Luckily the side road was more of an access road and I did not run into any over passes that I could not get under.
The loads I had taken into Long Island were always floor loaded, so they were not on pallets. I had to move the boxes from the floor onto pallets and then wheel the pallets out into the warehouse. The ramp I had to back into was at an incline, so the bed of the truck was at an angle. Even though the stock was on the floor it was shrink wrapped in plastic. Without thinking, I was cutting the plastic to get to the boxes, and one time the boxes started falling on me and knocked my glasses off, and almost knocked me out. After that, I always stood to the side of the boxes when I cut the plastic off and was very careful about how I was pulling the boxes off each other.
Another time I was driving along the interstate and somehow got trapped into and exit that took me into the John F. Kennedy Airport terminal roads. I was thinking great! How am I going to get through here. Luckily though I was able to stay in the outside lanes and maneuver my way past the terminals and back out onto the interstate in the direction I needed to go. I am sure that everyone was wondering why a big orange truck was making its way to the terminals. I was worried that I would get pulled over, but it never happened.
I do remember driving a 13 foot 6 inch trailer under a 12 foot 9 inch overpass though, quite a few times. The first time I noticed the sign I almost stopped and then realized all of the other trucks were getting under the bridge with no problem and that my trainer had taken me under the bridge a couple of times when I was riding with him. I finally realized the inches in New York must be longer than the ones in the rest of the country.
Back to the George Washington Bridge, narrow lanes and heavily traveled. I had to keep watching my rear view mirrors to make sure my trailer was staying between the lines on the road. Once when going over the bridge into New York, a tanker truck got so close to me that his mirror hit mine and almost broke it, but it did not, it just pushed it way forward. I had to reach out the window and pull it back so I could see the the back of my trailer and keep it within the lines. Other drivers I had spoken to had said they lost a lot of mirrors going over the George Washington Bridge.
A couple of times I had to drive out onto Long Island to deliver. One of the times they were doing maintenance on the interstate and I had to drive on the side road. Luckily the side road was more of an access road and I did not run into any over passes that I could not get under.
The loads I had taken into Long Island were always floor loaded, so they were not on pallets. I had to move the boxes from the floor onto pallets and then wheel the pallets out into the warehouse. The ramp I had to back into was at an incline, so the bed of the truck was at an angle. Even though the stock was on the floor it was shrink wrapped in plastic. Without thinking, I was cutting the plastic to get to the boxes, and one time the boxes started falling on me and knocked my glasses off, and almost knocked me out. After that, I always stood to the side of the boxes when I cut the plastic off and was very careful about how I was pulling the boxes off each other.
Another time I was driving along the interstate and somehow got trapped into and exit that took me into the John F. Kennedy Airport terminal roads. I was thinking great! How am I going to get through here. Luckily though I was able to stay in the outside lanes and maneuver my way past the terminals and back out onto the interstate in the direction I needed to go. I am sure that everyone was wondering why a big orange truck was making its way to the terminals. I was worried that I would get pulled over, but it never happened.
I do remember driving a 13 foot 6 inch trailer under a 12 foot 9 inch overpass though, quite a few times. The first time I noticed the sign I almost stopped and then realized all of the other trucks were getting under the bridge with no problem and that my trainer had taken me under the bridge a couple of times when I was riding with him. I finally realized the inches in New York must be longer than the ones in the rest of the country.
Back to the George Washington Bridge, narrow lanes and heavily traveled. I had to keep watching my rear view mirrors to make sure my trailer was staying between the lines on the road. Once when going over the bridge into New York, a tanker truck got so close to me that his mirror hit mine and almost broke it, but it did not, it just pushed it way forward. I had to reach out the window and pull it back so I could see the the back of my trailer and keep it within the lines. Other drivers I had spoken to had said they lost a lot of mirrors going over the George Washington Bridge.
posted by RickSmith | 3:16 PM
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