Wow - oh wow - that's all I can say to this one...

I had a delivery this morning in Beaver Falls, PA. I'd never been there before, so I called for directions (along with the fact that they only gave us the street they're on - not an actual address). The GPS was telling me to get off the PA turnpike onto Route 18 south, turn onto 24th street, and then turn onto the street the business was on.

Anyway, the first person I spoke with had me so confused I didn't know where the hell he was sending me. So, I had my dispatch call back to see if he could get better directions.

After dispatch got the directions, I compared them to what the GPS was giving me. Basically, the directions they gave me had me going around a section of town, so I figured there was a low-bridge or something. What made me think before even leaving (and looking at the map with their directions) is that they were turning me around and heading me out of town. Again, having never been there before, I figured they knew better - WRONG!!!!

So, this morning I head in about 6am. I follow their directions through a VERY residential section and come to not one, but 3 turns onto what I would call an alley, not a street. There was no chance whatsoever a 53' trailer was going to make those turns. In a car, sure. In fact, a bobtail would've had problems on a couple of the turns.

So, after driving all over this residential neighborhood for about 1/2 hour (and having to back about 10 blocks in total), I decide to just follow the directions my GPS was giving me. The worst that would happen is that I'd come to a low bridge.

Guess what - the GPS ran me directly into their location with no problems whatsoever. Sure - it doesn't always work out that way, but when it does, man, it's nice.

As for their directions, they're lucky they wasn't here when I initially pulled in. I was ready to take out the MagLite and give someone a couple knots on their head.

Most of the time I have had good directions from a shipper. Some time ago I called one and the person to whom I spoke could not give me directions, even though she had been working for the same company for many years. I don't understand how anyone can go to work every day and not have any idea how they got there.???!!!!!:roll:

I hardly ever call for directions because I learned early on pretty fast that more often than not you usually get a hold of someone who can’t speak English or otherwise a young girl who doesn’t know her east from her west and her north from her south much less her right hand from her left hand, and if you tell them you will be driving in on an 18-wheeler it just puts more pressure on them and sends them into panic or choke mode.

Here’s a little tip I use anytime I’m not sure of directions. I use the get bing map button to see if I can pull a birds eye view and then drag it over the entire route looking for low overheads or anything else that could present a problem, and if I can’t get a good enough view with the bing maps, I pull up google maps and use the street view feature. I’ll just drag and pull that little man through my route stopping about every 300 yards to take a peek. I’ll do a 360-degree look around, and then drag it about another 300 yards and look around again. That way I know beforehand if there are any obstructions I need to be concerned about.

A lot of times you can use the bing birds eye view to locate the facilities that you don’t have an address for, and then also pull up the google maps to get a street view and read the signs on the building to locate consignees and shippers. Once you have it located, right click the exact location on the map and then add it to your route as a stop or an end, and then route directly to it.

Then if you are smart, you will pushpin the exact locations of all your shippers and consignees and then save it in the event you ever have to go back.

I have some trucking specific software that has a section to put in directions. It is good for the next trip.

Well there's your mistake right there.:lol: The only time I call for directions is when I can get a fix on the location on my GPS, or when I cross reference my GPS directions with Google Maps, and it gives me a different location.

I always call and very rarely do i encounter a problem. I would rather call than trust a 300$ machine .

Just be glad that the bend by the collage was redone. You would have loved the old way to get to 24th:lol:. Talk about a fun road:lol:

When you came down 18 south, did you bear left at the light by Papa John's and then go to the next light and turn right on 24th or did you go straight at the light?

I'd rather trust a $300 machine than a $10 per hour lackey who can't even remember how they got to to work this morning.

I was trusting a $300 GPS unit AND a $1,000 laptop with $300 software on it (along with the exact same info that I got off of Google Maps). They definitely knew more than the numbnuts who gave the directions.

I stayed to the right at the route 18 split, then turned right on 24th. I wasn't sure if the turn off of 18 onto 24th actually existed at that moment.

It does exist. It just can be a little tricky to make the turn, depends on how the cars park.

When you made the right onto 24th, you passed on of my old customers. That area use to be mine on thursdays.