Narrow streets

[Stainless]

I found this video on You Tube of a driver really having to work for his days wage. I've been down some narrow streets before but nothing quite as bad as this....mind you it is in Britain. Now i know why they all drive COE's over there!

Check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqIlz...elated&search=

Anyone else find themselves in this situation or worse and wanna share their story?

[Ditch]

Drive in New Jersey. :wink:

[PackRatTDI]

Thats giving me flashbacks of a 3 drop load I made in the Bronx and Brooklynk.

[classicxl]

yea that would not be a good day

[wot i life]

I would have flown around there with a 45ft trailer.
Honestly :wink:

[Roadhog]

Given the size of our equipment...I'm certain we have it just as difficult at times as anyone. We have goat trails built long before todays tractors and trailers came along. Tree limbs, low wires, impossible turns to wiggle through, and drives to shoe horn yourself into.

I have some deliveries in Worchester, Philly, Boston, and picks in various parts of New Jersey that I dred everytime....but I've negotiated them before, so I learn how to get in and out. I've had deliveries in Baltimore and Washington D.C. I will never forget. One on top of a Mountain in New Hampshire quite memorable.
Both sides of the Country too. Took me an hour to get into a dock out in Santa Anna. One time I made a delivery to a Farmer in Utah. I had to climb this goat trail over 8,000ft. altitude...kicking Mule Deer out of my way...3rd gear most of the way. When I finally found his place...that is when it got interesting. Took me over an hour to finally inch my way up his drive to his Barn. Another 53' trailer load to unload by hand. I wanted to unload down at the road. No tip/bonus afterward, no glass of milk or piece of pie...either...dang Dirt Farmer growing rocks. :evil:

I'm also a Firefighter here in Northern Michigan. I can tell you even more stories of trying to get fire apperatus up to a fire.
Hills, snow, ice, long hilly drives...you can barely get a 4-wheel drive pickup into...let alone a Fire Pumper...and a dozen other various trucks.
We are busy this time of the year too. A 2-story house with flames through the roof Christmas evening, and a Barn fire yesterday. It's hard to get our Ambulance up to some homes here....some if they ever have a fire...all we can do is point from down at the road. We tell them that...but you won't see them improve their drives. :?

[bulldog2036]

Pittsburg, New Orleans, Queens to name a few.....crazy areas....

[clawHAMMER]

Many,many years ago I made a wrong turn in downtown Manhattan and ended up in the garment district completely disoriented and lost. I had absolutely no business with a big shiny large car and 48' trlr down there. No room to turn, clipping clothes strung from building to building and finally a low bridge. I had to back up and people were hanging out their windows watching me, not helping me, with stress, sweat & desperation trying to manuever the rig backwards and I didn't have a clue where to. I asked for help and of course "no speak English". I finally got some help after a couple people moved their cars for me so I could swing a turn (climbing way up on the sidewalk scraping awnings) and head down another street to the unknown. I finally worked my way out of there and afterwards felt like I had just driven a 1000 mile day I was so exhausted.

Another time on the backroads of PA late on a rainy night and I missed my turn and drove for an hour on the twisting, turning backroad until I could finally turn around. Then an hour back. I was tired from driving all day and just wanted to bump the dock and go to bed. Instead I drove around out in the bushes for hours looking for street signs that weren't there and no place to pull over. Pouring rain, useless directions, exhausted and frequently asking myself "why am I doing this for a living?". I finally stumbled upon the place just about daybreak and they tell me they weren't expecting my load until the following morning so go wait out in the parking lot and we'll get you when we're ready, probably in the afternoon. That was one time I was happy to go out in my truck and really didn't care if they unloaded me that day or not. I was whooped and going to bed and they woke me up to back in after lunch after I had some sleep and was ready to roll again.

[Rookie McRookerson]

I have a friend, and long time trucker (now retired), who has been mentoring me as I wait to go to driving school. He has given me a lot of information and suggestions. Sounds like the best advice I have gotten so far is to "stay west of the Mississippi."

[Mr. Ford95]

That is no lie Rookie. The East is full of traffic jams and headaches. Just one look at an Interstate map and you can see that. Not many in the West but tons in the East.

[Collard Greens]

Whewwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JoeyB]

Sounds like the best advice I have gotten so far is to "stay west of the Mississippi."

Nonsense. Get in there and do it. Do you want to be a rookie for your whole career? A driver tells me "I don't do New York', I think to myself "Then your no driver". Doing the "hard stuff" (and I call it that for your benefit because it really isn't all that hard) is how you earn the respect of your peers, your managers, and YOURSELF.

Forget the NYC stories. They have no relevance to the tens of thousands of rigs that cross the Hudson every day, deliver their freight, and emerge complete and unscathed. You can go anywhere you want to.

[Cueball]

I drive for a small private fleet out of IA. I run NE every other week, (run WI and IL on opposite weeks). I leave with 12-22 drops on truck First stop is usually Erie PA or Buffalo, NY then work my way into VT, NH, RI, CT, MA, NJ, and ME, and usually finish in Long Island. Some places are interesting buut once you get used to them its not to bad. I look at every trip out there as a test of abilities. :? Its usually not to bad though, traffic does suck on some days but, what do you do??? I just sit back and "enjoy" the ride!! 8)

[choperbob]

indoor docks on skinney streets with heavy traffic, road construction, it is all part of the job. i usually figuer that if another driver got it in, well so can i. i ofter ask the guys around the dock how other drivers got it in, sometimes i let another driver go first and watch him. some times you got to back down 1 way street then do 90 degree back then do a blind side to get around a corner in the alley. Get Out And Look. it is possible if you take your time. but still i hate the east coast. give me big lots, well lit docks, no other drivers around, and well greased rails to slide against, better yet give me pull thru docks, shucks i am going over to flatbedding anyway.

[VitoCorleone99]

My directions this morning said to turn right on 143rd street in Seattle so, amid the dense fog, I turned right on 143rd place, one block too early. As soon as I made the turn I had the good old "Oh ****" reaction. I drove a block or so and reached a dead end. I checked my map and figured out what I had done, so then I got to back it out between cars on both sides and then jacknife it back down an alley to my blindside in order to get back to the main road. Big fun way west of the Mississippi.

[street_95]

washington st. trenton NJ................not cool

[Useless]

washington st. trenton NJ................not cool

Aw, Come on, now!!

It's so easy, even a Cave Man could do it!! :P :P

[street_95]

washington st. trenton NJ................not cool

Aw, Come on, now!!

It's so easy, even a Cave Man could do it!! :P :P

oh i got it there alright....business establishments are not ment to be in resdidential areas where your dragging your 53ft arse, and also NJ folks drivways are the street to complicate some more.

[Useless]

washington st. trenton NJ................not cool

Aw, Come on, now!!

It's so easy, even a Cave Man could do it!! :P :P

oh i got it there alright....business establishments are not ment to be in resdidential areas where your dragging your 53ft arse, and also NJ folks drivways are the street.

I'm sure you did, and I'm equally sure that it wasn't easy!!!

I was just cuttin' up a bit!!

When a lot of those places were built, who would have ever imagined that someday, we would have T/T's 80ft. in length??

[street_95]

washington st. trenton NJ................not cool

Aw, Come on, now!!

It's so easy, even a Cave Man could do it!! :P :P

oh i got it there alright....business establishments are not ment to be in resdidential areas where your dragging your 53ft arse, and also NJ folks drivways are the street.

I'm sure you did, and I'm equally sure that it wasn't easy!!!

I was just cuttin' up a bit!!

When a lot of those places were built, who would have ever imagined that someday, we would have T/T's 80ft. in length??

streets were made to fit horse and buggy......lol, yea i know your having a lil fun....i tend to get quite a few laughs outta this site.....WHEN IM NOT BANNED..haha