ROOKIE DRIVER GETS LOST IN NY

[DIESEL BEAST]

This past Friday I had a split load both in Queens,NY.
My first load was delivererd in Ozone Park,NY (located in Queens but sits close to Brooklyn). I found this place with no problem. The only problem is that I had to untarp on the side of the street after parallel parking on a busy street. I was less than an arm's length from 4 wheelers and buses flying by me like it was nothing.

My next load was in Long Island City (Queens,NY). I had to get on I-678N but I took the first EXIT that I saw for I-678, one problem, this EXIT was 678s. This one mistake dumped me and my 18-wheeler at JFK Airport. I'm driving around near the terminals and didn't know whether to turn left or right. I flagged down one of NY's finest and he helped get me back to 678N.

For this 2nd load I never recieved directions for this place. The only thing that I knew was the name of the company and that they were located in Long Island City. I pulled over on the shoulder (of I-278) once I got close to my destination. I called the company and talked to one of their drivers for some directions. I told this guy exactly where I was located and to give me specific directions.

He tells me to turn right off of the exit. This right turn should have been illegal for a truck. I held up a bunch of angry New Yorkers during rush hour trying to complete this turn. My truck is blocking the intersection while the light turned green on 2 different ocassions. I had cars backing up and some even drove on the side walk to let me get through.

My delivery was on 21st street but I'm watching the street signs go up 39th, 40th, 41st....This guy sent me in the wrong direction, My Rand McNall couldn't give me in depth streets for NY. Some locals helped me get turned around and headed in the right direction.

While on Queens Blvd. I called the company back and asked how to get to 21st and once again they directed in the wrong direction. Its very frustrating trying to get turned around in New York City. Eventually, i found my destination.

Every fear that I had for NYC I lived and survived and it only makes me a better driver.

[jefster]

I feel your pain. My first load picking up in Chicago the directions led me to a 12'7" bridge. Thank god I was empty (flatbed) and was in a mid roof truck. I was able to drive under that bridge.

[inked out trucca]

driving in any big city with heavy traffic pushing you along and not giving you any time to figure out where you are or where your going sucks. its one of those times you just need to think of yourself and if u slow others up, o well. I deliver in queens and bronx and brooklyn alot but i have a day in advance to map quest it on birdeye and map out exactyl where i gotta go. when your just thrown out there it definalty sucks. but like u said if u can get turned around in nyc u can do it anywhere

[Phreddo]

good job getting out of there in one piece. I've only been over NYC on my way to long island and staten island.
If you got someplace to go and the 4 wheelers don't like it, they can just pound sand. the bad thing is that if you try to be nice, they walk all over you and get all up in your way. sometimes you just have to shoehorn your way in and put it in terms they can understand ie they're not going anywhere until you complete your turn

yeah, i got directions to a place in Chicago on one of my first runs that sent me down a street where i couldn't make the turn. I got halfway thru the turn before figuring that one out, and i had to stop with my ass hanging in the street, turn on my hazards, set my brake, call dispatch and 911 and tell them to come back me out. As long as you know that's what you have to do, the decision isn't hard if you get in the situation.

and I always have to say this, if you see you are going to hit something, STOP THE TRUCK.

[Mr. Ford95]

You did good for a rookie but looking over your route path to the 2nd destination, it should have been a right off the ramp, sure you didn't take a left?

You went 678 N to 278 S? Depending on which exit you took, should have been a right and it would have taken you over to 21st. Want a decent detailed map? It doesn't have truck routes listed but it's a national map that shows excellent detail for large cities, American Map 2008 Road Atlas. Some cities show the off ramps which can be a huge timesaver. Saved me in LA when I was trying to find an alternate route into San Pedro because the exit I needed was closed.

[TruckerChris]

was trying to find an alternate route into San Pedro because the exit I needed was closed.

oh man, that was has screwed me MANY times... And then even worse when the detours are poorly marked... :?

[married to the road]

I feel your pain. My first load picking up in Chicago the directions led me to a 12'7" bridge. Thank god I was empty (flatbed) and was in a mid roof truck. I was able to drive under that bridge.

Having a shorter roof sure does come in handy somtimes, doesn't it! I was on the phone with a shipper in Harrisburg, PA, and he told me to take exit 66 (front st), after I took it, he said "well, I think trucks can go through there", I came up on a over pass marked like 12'6'' and slowed down to 5-10 miles an hour going under it.

Also, Going through NY state on a back road off 287, I came up on a arched bridge marked 11'8'' on the shoulder and 13'6'' in the left lane ( I am close to 12'6''), but the right lane-which I was in-wasnt marked, went under there pretty slow too.

[jefster]

hey married, you got that right. Thats one good reason for me to say no thanks to van driving.

[Windwalker]

I remember my first time in NYC. Dispatch thought I did such a good job, they wanted me to do exactly the same run the following week. Even the seasoned NYC drivers that said they knew their way around did not manage to get 5 off in one day.

I smiled and told them that I also proved I could stay on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week when I was in the Navy. Now, ask me if I want to do either one ever again.

It's not just NYC where you can get bad directions, and get lost. I once was going north in Ogden, UT, and my directions said to turn right. I went past a military base, and shortly after that, I needed a MOUNTAIN GOAT, not a truck. I called the customer and was told I had not gone far enough... :?: The second time I called them, someone else let me know that the directions should have told me to turn left and go west, not right and go east... :!:

And, take my word for it... You don't have to be a new driver to get lost in NYC. :arrow:

[vavega]

this post has bothered me since it first went up.

without being too critical, this is all i want to know.......

how does not being prepared for your job, relying on others for information, and taking extra time to do the job, make you a better driver? :? :shock:

[inmate1577]

I'll tell you how it makes him a better driver. Because he was given bad dispatch directions and he was smart enough to actually call the company for directions, granted they were not the greatest, but eventually it got him out and his load delivered instead driving all around NYC and potentially causing some damage.

Personally, whenever I get a load dispatch, I call the company or destination and get better directions.

He did good.

[Jimbpard]

this post has bothered me since it first went up.

without being too critical, this is all i want to know.......

how does not being prepared for your job, relying on others for information, and taking extra time to do the job, make you a better driver? :? :shock:

It makes him a better driver because next time he will make sure to double/triple check directions, map details so hopefully he dont end up in that situation again.
I take it your the type that dont learn from your mistakes??

[Rev.Vassago]

I'll tell you how it makes him a better driver. Because he was given bad dispatch directions and he was smart enough to actually call the company for directions, granted they were not the greatest, but eventually it got him out and his load delivered instead driving all around NYC and potentially causing some damage.

True, but the time to figure this out was long before he got there. The original poster said:

I pulled over on the shoulder (of I-278) once I got close to my destination.

That is too late to be looking for directions.

This is one of the reasons I like GPS and my internet connection. I can cross reference my GPS against any number of maps to confirm with absolute certainty that my directions are correct before I ever move the truck. Plus, if an exit is closed, I can automatically reroute.

There is a time and a place for my paper atlas, though. The place is stuffed into some cabinet I never go into, and the time is 2002. :wink:

[vavega]

I'll tell you how it makes him a better driver. Because he was given bad dispatch directions and he was smart enough to actually call the company for directions, granted they were not the greatest, but eventually it got him out and his load delivered instead driving all around NYC and potentially causing some damage.

Personally, whenever I get a load dispatch, I call the company or destination and get better directions.

He did good.

he didn't "do good", he did adequate. he wasn't given "bad dispatch directions" he had no address, and even if he had the address, no decent map of the area to help get him there. so basically his only choice was to call the company for help. it's all well and good to call a company for directions until you get someone on the other end who a. doesn't speak english, b. only drives a car, not a truck and doesn't know the meaning of the terms low bridge or tonnage bridge, or c. can't give directions even if they do drive to work every day. you make an assumption everytime you call that they can tell you better than what you can figure out on your own and that isn't always right.

you all can stop nodding your heads, saying been there, done that :P

all i'm saying is why let someone else do part of your job for you when it's your job and you're supposed to be a professional? sorry i'm smarter than that. plus a bit of a control freak, i want to know what i'm getting into before i get there. :wink:

by jimpard

It makes him a better driver because next time he will make sure to double/triple check directions, map details so hopefully he dont end up in that situation again.
I take it your the type that dont learn from your mistakes??

how can double/triple check directions when he's already hung up the phone? or map details when he's driving around the city with a rand mcnally which shows absolutely nothing to get him to a customer? learning from his mistakes would be if he got address's before he goes up there, gets some mapping software or at the very least buys a 5 boroughs and maps his directions out so he doesn't have to waste cell phone minutes or time parked on the shoulder of the BQE. which btw he should never have been on. :shock:

coming from queens to LI city, he should have gone north on the van wyck to west on the LIE and gotten off at exit 15, then ran borden ave. to 11th to jackson and then to 21st. a lot faster and more direct than going down the BQE to mcguiness and then back up. but then again he wouldn't know that because he doesn't have a decent map of the area. :P :?

i learn from my mistakes, i've just never done one that big. :P :wink: tomorrow one of my stops is restaurant depot in south plainfield. i've never been there and don't have an address. now do you really think i'm going to wait until tomorrow and park myself alongside 287 during rush hour to call them? no. i just googled the co. name and town, got the address and mapped it out. so now i know i can drive straight there. he's as smart as i am, he can do the same :wink: then he'd be a better driver!

[BigWheels]

You mean ya'll don't get in the general vacinity of where you going, park it, and start yellin' for directions?

Seriously, let's cut a break for newbies as we've all done some direction brain farts.

What? He's not a newbie? Ohhh.... :shock:

[Windwalker]

You mean ya'll don't get in the general vacinity of where you going, park it, and start yellin' for directions?

Seriously, let's cut a break for newbies as we've all done some direction brain farts.

What? He's not a newbie? Ohhh.... :shock:

No... We take that tire we threw the tread off of about 200 miles ago, light it on fire, and SEND UP SMOKE SIGNALS...

[Mr. Ford95]

Tough crowd, it was a rookie driver per the headline of the thread. He got lost, got found and got back out safely, not bad for a first trip into the large metropolis of NYC.

Guess you have never been lost vavega, right? Particulary when you were a newbie?

[vavega]

no where does he say it was his first trip to NYC, only that he's a rookie driver. and as a rookie, you'd think that he'd better prepare himself to take on the big, bad, city instead of going in there commando. :shock: :P

all i wanted to know was how that whole experience made him a better driver.

i can't say that i've been lost lost, unless you want to count missing a turn due to inattention, no signs, no room, or stupidity. it's just been a matter of getting myself turned around and back on track. :wink:

[DIESEL BEAST]

To all of those who came to my defense thanks and I appreciate it. My directions for a load have always been posted in my qualcomm and on the bill itself. The evening before my trip I did my trip planning for Ozone Park and Long Island City using my map. I DID MY PART. But one should know that you will need an exit, L or R turn on this street, street address, etc.
I arrived to my yard at 1:30am to get ready for my trip. After looking at my qualcomm and getting the bill I noticed that I only had directions for my first load in Ozone Park,NY.
Keep in mind that its 1:30am. Next, I called the overnight dispatcher and told him of my situation and he said that he did not have any directions for the load in Long Island City. I called the company in LI City hoping to get directions and they did not even have an answering machine.
I told my self that I would get my Ozone Park delivery and then make my way to the Long Island City limit and call them again for directions and by this time someone would answer and give me directions. Also, while parked on the shoulder of of the interstate I was actually about 10 minutes away from the destination.

Currently I do not have a GPS or anything like that. I will admit that I should've had a NYC street map. But I feel that I did the best to my ability.

[vavega]

you did do your best, why didn't you tell us all that? if you had i wouldn't have come down so hard on you! :P :wink: so please accept my apology.

if you do get a NYC map, get the 5 boroughs one from hagstom.
it's the best and worth every cent. 8)