any advice on northeast driving

[jimbo63]

hello all well i did finally find a job i can live with for know.its out of my home state of maine five days out northeast the only downside of the job is the company is about forty miles from my house and i cant take my truck home due to they like to keep them at the shop so they can service them on drivers days off and im sure the cost of fuel could have alot to do with it.but i have a job passed road test waiting on results from drug test.im looking for any advice on driving the northeast as far as places to park for your ten hours off. is it difficult to find parking in the northeast i live here but most of my driving was west and any advice on best times to avoid rush hour traffic. im looking for any information that will make driving the northeast a little easier on me especially around nyc and the borroughs.i had a topic posted here a while back about my concerns about 53 ft trailers and where they can and cant go in nyc and the boroughs i have a little better understanding of this know.and the company says when i go to the borroughs and nyc theyll send me in a 48 fter. so imjust looking for any other information that will make my northeast position a little less stressful.my biggest worry is heading towards one of the tunnels where trucks arent supposed to go through.and ending up passed the last exit before the tunnel with no way out.i do not want a ticket for going through one of them tunnels by mistake.thanks again for any advice on the north east. jimbo 63

[Drew10]

I run northeast from time to time out of Pennsylvania....I dislike it very much, but understand that sometimes its the way the loads fall.
When possible I try to make it an out and back without a break. The NE is the most truck unfriendly place, especially as far as parking.
If you must utilize truckstop for a 10hr break, you really got to get there early. I try and utilize the truckstops for fuel and showers only, and time it for the off peak times, late morning to early afternoon. Late afternoon the fuel Islands will be backed up and so will the showers.
Virtually all the time I go into the NE Im able to drive straight up to my 1st stop or consignee and take my 10 there, much easier than the truckstops.
Find a system that works for you, for your breaks, away from the truckstops, unless you can run nights and take your 10 during the day. Not sure where your "running" is going to be but try to avoid I95 west of New Haven/Bridgeport as much as possible. Ill run I84 almost exclusively even if its a little out of route...as it generally saves time. (Altought I84 can be really crazy sometimes) Driving in the NE is borderline Insanity.

[jimbo63]

im gonna be running from maine to maryland and may be ocassionally into virginia.are you talking about taking 84 all the way into new york you dont grab 91 just before hartford to 95. i have done alot of traveling down to hartford area and 84 can get crazy depending on the time but ive also been 95 and that can be a total nightmare.thanks for the input.jimbo63

[Drew10]

are you talking about taking 84 all the way into new york you dont grab 91 just before hartford to 95

Well in you case, you probably dont have much choice but to do it from 84/91/95. There really is no good way to get through or around CT. I avoid I95 like the Plaque. Like I said especially west of NewHaven/Hartford.
If you know in advance that 95 is going to be a nightmare you could run 84 into NY and take 684 down to Westchester or the Thruway down to 287 or continue down to the GW.

[ibamars]

Heres a few ideas for some of your NE Driving.

1. If you got to go into the city (NYC), get in early. When I say early I mean 5AM. You gotta beat the traffic!!! Listen to traffic reports. If forgot the station down there but thers only dedicated to NYC traffic. XM or Sirius also has updates.

2. Looking for places to park in the NE can be tough. But not impossible. Pilot on I 95 at 40. You gotta get there early. There is some parking in the truck stop next door though. The TA futher out is near impossible as well for parking. I used to park at Wally Worlds, Kmarts, Targets or anywhere there was room. You gotta have a good map or GPS to tell you where these are.

3. The GWB in NYC. well go over early if you can or really late. Only a few times have I made it over the GWB during the afternoon in a timely fashion.

4. 53 ft trailers are illegal in the burroughs. If your company is gonna give you a 48ft trailer, even better. I have only heard a few instances of drivers being ticketed for a 53 Ft trailer. Mostly in Manhattan though.

5. Truckers use "Expressways" not "Parkways" Remember that!!!!

Just be patient. Expect to be cutoff. Pushed over and any other thing you can think of that will piss you off from drivers. The NE is frustrating, however, timing is everything to make it easier. When driving through NYC turn on your CB and you can hear the Midnightmidnightmidnightmidnihght Cowboy!!!!!!!!! You will see. From the GWB usually thru 1/4 of NJ on I -95.

Patience will get you thru!!!!!!