Floating a big-rig
 

Really, I did. Fleet mgr sent me to Port Townsend, WA. and told me to take the ferry from Edmond to Kingston. First thing came to mind was how much this gonna cost? Thank god he gave me the company account number, it was $115. Then a wait in line to board the ferry. Driving on was real tight. I kept watching the passenger side mirror that was inches from the wall. Had to stay in the truck because the cars had to squeeze in so close, that if I opened my door, I'd have hit car roof. Wish I had my camera, you'd have to see it to believe it.

had to do that many times...your right, it costs and its TIGHT.....you need to always carry a camera of some kind..never know when your going to see something thats unusual.

If your not a large driver, then climb out of the window like the Dukes of Hazzard. 8)

..never know when your going to see something thats unusual.


Which is about every day on the Road :P

Re: Floating a big-rig
 

Lunker,

Where were you coming from to be dispatched to Port Townsend? I am curious as how much money and time your company saved by taking the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry. I am thinking that depending on where you were coming from, the ferry saved 80 miles(via going over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge). How long was the wait and transit time for the ferry?

BTW, once I made a deliver to Bremerton, WA and I was dispatched to Everett, WA to drop the MT. The deadhead miles were 45 miles(HHG). When I determined that these miles required me taking ferry, I talked to my team leader about driving around Puget Sound. I was paid the extra 45-50 miles I drove that day. I guess this was one time when I was paid practical miles!

To everyone else, what would it take to justify taking a ferry as to driving around(Provided that there was a option)? The ferry here cost $115 to save ~80 miles. Was any time saved considering the wait boarding/unboarding the ferry? The traffic and road conditions in the Puget Sound area does not allow a truck to ran 60-65mph. Those 80 miles would possibly take a minimum of 2 hours.

Actually....several trucking companies up that way, send trucks across the ferry. It not only saves about 120 miles, but on any given day, the drive time from Mount Lake Terrace to the narrows can be anywhere from 2 hours on the fast side, to up to 6 hours. I have seen times when the drive from Mount Lake to the West Seattle bridge, took 2 hours.


Luckily for me..those drives are something I don't have to worry about anymore.

I used to pull double flats from Tacoma to north of Seattle. I left the yard around 3-4 in the afternoon, so you can imagine the wait trying to get through Seattle. Thank god I had KISW to keep me rockin

I was coming south on I-5 from Blaine. I wouldn't have made the pick-up time if I had to go thru the traffic in Seattle and Tacoma. When I called the shipper, she said the Port Townsend ferry recently started letting big-rigs aboard, but I wasn't going to take a chance they didn't and have to back track.

Blaine, WA to Port Townsend, WA via Keystone Ferry = 96 miles
Blaine, WA to Port Townsend, WA via Edmonds Ferry = 146 miles
Blaine, WA to Port Townsend, WA via Tacoma Narrows Bridge = 221 miles

I am not saying that you did the wrong thing. Actually, you did want your FM and shipper wanted, so all well and good. I would like to know how long the wait to board the ferry and transit was? Obviously, the Puget Sound traffic can be very bad, so the drive around delay can be painful. But, at the same time during commuter hours, does not the ferry wait get longer? Do them give prefer loading to commercial vehicles?

I have never driven a big truck on the ferry. I have been on the Washington State Ferries a few times with my POV. I was in New Orleans with the Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina. I crossed the Mississippi River twice a day on the Belle Chasse Ferry delivering hot food and supplies to the people in the St Bernard Parish. That ferry could take dump trucks and delivery vans.

The wait was only about 45 minutes from the time I got to the line for the gates until I drove onto the ferry. As for commuter hours being a problem, doesn't seem to be that much traffic going that way in the afternoon.