Driving a truck in NYC

[Rob]

I am moving this weekend and will be driving a 17 foot Uhaul truck. I don't
normally drive a truck and am unsure of the routes to get out of the city to
southern NJ. Can someone provide me with some help? Do I need to take the
GW bridge? If so, what is the best way to get to the bridge in a truck from
lower Manhattan? Thanks.

Rob

[Michael G. Koerner]

Post by Rob
I am moving this weekend and will be driving a 17 foot Uhaul truck. I don't
normally drive a truck and am unsure of the routes to get out of the city to
southern NJ. Can someone provide me with some help? Do I need to take the
GW bridge? If so, what is the best way to get to the bridge in a truck from
lower Manhattan? Thanks.
Rob

Can't you use the Holland Tunnel? It is part of the I-system (I-78) and
only that few block street section in Jersey City prevents it from being
a full freeway connection to the NJTP and the rest of I-78. I would
contact the Port Authority just to make sure.

Since you are not saying exactly where in New Jersey you are going, I
would then head southbound on the Turnpike to wherever you are going.
If you are going to the Shore area, exit the Turnpike at interchange 9
(NJ 18) and take that east and then head south on the GSP (trucks are
allowed on it south of NJ 18) to wherever you might be going.

The only possible hangup that I can forsee is that cops might want to
take a look inside your truck before letting you into the tunnel.

Also, use the manual tollgate lanes on the Turnpike and GSP, since you
will likely not have a EZPass for that vehicle.

[Polkajig]

Post by Michael G. Koerner
Can't you use the Holland Tunnel? It is part of the I-system (I-78) and
only that few block street section in Jersey City prevents it from being
a full freeway connection to the NJTP and the rest of I-78. I would
contact the Port Authority just to make sure.

Uh, no. The truck is too large 2 go through the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels.
Rob must use the upper level of the Geroge Washington Bridge and proceed down
the NJTP down to South Jersey. It would be stupid for him to go into Brooklyn
and head south on the Gowanus/BQE onto the upper level of the Verrazano Bridge
and continuing on the Staten Island Expressway to the West Shore down to the
Outerbridge and onto Route 440 to the NJTP or US 9 if going south down to the
Shore.

Greg Pniewski
Bernardsville, NJ

[Michael G. Koerner]

Post by Polkajig

Post by Michael G. Koerner
Can't you use the Holland Tunnel? It is part of the I-system (I-78) and
only that few block street section in Jersey City prevents it from being
a full freeway connection to the NJTP and the rest of I-78. I would
contact the Port Authority just to make sure.

Uh, no. The truck is too large 2 go through the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels.
Rob must use the upper level of the Geroge Washington Bridge and proceed down
the NJTP down to South Jersey. It would be stupid for him to go into Brooklyn
and head south on the Gowanus/BQE onto the upper level of the Verrazano Bridge
and continuing on the Staten Island Expressway to the West Shore down to the
Outerbridge and onto Route 440 to the NJTP or US 9 if going south down to the
Shore.

He can use either of the tunnels if his rental truck is less than the
height limit tall, see other posts in this thread for the picky details.
You might be confusing his truck's length with its height.

[Larry Harvilla]

Post by Rob
I am moving this weekend and will be driving a 17 foot Uhaul truck. I don't
normally drive a truck and am unsure of the routes to get out of the city to
southern NJ. Can someone provide me with some help? Do I need to take the
GW bridge? If so, what is the best way to get to the bridge in a truck from
lower Manhattan? Thanks.
Rob

This was discussed in a thread I started a couple months ago. If you are
over 12'6" high, over 96" wide, and/or have more than three axles on your
U-Haul, you are prohibited from using the Holland Tunnel. Lower than 12'6",
96" or narrower, or with three or fewer axles, you should be OK. The
Lincoln Tunnel has a maximum vertical clearance of 13'0".

If you do decide to take the George, I would have to recommend *against*
using the Henry Hudson Parkway/West Side Highway. You're liable to run into
some low clearances on anything that says "parkway" in NYC. I would
recommend taking one of the wider numbered avenues, preferably one that is
one-way northbound (if one exists?). (All I know for sure is that at least
parts of Broadway are one-way southbound.)

[Mike Tantillo]

Post by Larry Harvilla

Post by Rob
I am moving this weekend and will be driving a 17 foot Uhaul truck. I

don't

Post by Rob
normally drive a truck and am unsure of the routes to get out of the city

to

Post by Rob
southern NJ. Can someone provide me with some help? Do I need to take

the

Post by Rob
GW bridge? If so, what is the best way to get to the bridge in a truck

from

Post by Rob
lower Manhattan? Thanks.
Rob

This was discussed in a thread I started a couple months ago. If you are
over 12'6" high, over 96" wide, and/or have more than three axles on your
U-Haul, you are prohibited from using the Holland Tunnel. Lower than 12'6",
96" or narrower, or with three or fewer axles, you should be OK. The
Lincoln Tunnel has a maximum vertical clearance of 13'0".

correct.

Post by Larry Harvilla
If you do decide to take the George, I would have to recommend *against*
using the Henry Hudson Parkway/West Side Highway. You're liable to run into
some low clearances on anything that says "parkway" in NYC. I would
recommend taking one of the wider numbered avenues, preferably one that is
one-way northbound (if one exists?). (All I know for sure is that at least
parts of Broadway are one-way southbound.)

You won't be allowed on the parkway in a truck, period. My advice
would be to take West Side Highway up from lower Manhattan to 10th Ave
("Exit 4"), 10th eventually becomes Amsterdam Ave, and you can take
that all the way uptown to the I-95 south ramp on the right. But i'd
try the lincoln if you can use it to avoid having to go all the way
uptown.

[Bill Mitchell]

Post by Rob
I am moving this weekend and will be driving a 17 foot Uhaul truck. I don't
normally drive a truck and am unsure of the routes to get out of the city to
southern NJ. Can someone provide me with some help? Do I need to take the
GW bridge? If so, what is the best way to get to the bridge in a truck from
lower Manhattan? Thanks.

In NYC you must use truck routes as a network, entering the truck
routes at the closest place to your start. You can only use a "No
Commercial Traffic" street in your case if you live on it (you could
if you had a delivery on one, but you ain't making deliveries). NYC's
full bag of truck regulations are online at the NYC.GOV website. You
can't just use any old street even if you see trucks on it.

If you're under 12'-6" high you can use the Holland Tunnel, you MUST
enter via Canal Street. Otherwise, you can use the Lincoln Tunnel if
under 13' high. You can enter via 41st street off 9th or 10th Aves.,
providing it is not between 4-7pm, or 40th street off 12th Ave (West
Side Hwy). You can also use the truck route, 11th Ave. northbound
north of 34th Street to W40th, 24/7. Be prepared to allow the PA cops
to inspect the load you are carrying.

If you insist on going up to the GWB, from the west side use 10th Ave
(Amsterdam Ave. above W60th) all the way up to the ramp to 95 north
near W180th, or, B'Way above W72nd to W179th where you make a left and
follow W179th right on to the upper level of the GWB. BTW, you MUST
use the upper level of the GWB if you use the GWB. If you are on the
east side, use 3rd Ave to W116th street, left to Adam Clayton Powell
Jr. Blvd, right to W145th street, left to either Amsterdam Ave or
B'Way to the GWB.

It would have helped a whole lot if I knew where your trip is
starting. ending. even from what neighborhood would do.


And where in south Jersey? You can use the GSP south of exit 105 if
you need to. Not many other truck restrictions provided you stick to
State Highways, and county routes within the county you are going to
(some NJ counties have 10 ton truck limits unless you have a
destination within the county, that probably will not apply to you).

Remember to keep a sharp eye out for ANY height restrictions like low
bridges, especially anywhere near the NE Corridor AmTrak RR tracks. If
you hit something that's low, YOU will pay for it. Also the infamous
Trucks over 4 tons excluded signs or the plain No TRUCKS signs.

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