"You'll never get that turned around here"

[wrongwayric]

Picture if you will a truck driver given bad directions in chicago. As i turn the last corner in my 13 ft 6 inch tall big rig i see a half block ahead of me a bridge with a sign saying 13 ft 0 inches clearance. I'm on a 2 and 1/2 lane road, heavy traffic and no cops in sight to block traffic or see what i'm about to pull off.

The only shot i have to get turned around and heading back the way i came is to pull up to the very front of the overpass, in the on coming traffic lane and blind side back into an alley with less than 4 inches clearance on either side of my trailer.  Sounds simple right?

Impressing even myself i managed to do it on the first try, even with all the po'd 4 wheelers honking and whineing at me.

Some days ya just get real lucky. Now if i could just get kills in the game that easy.

[uptown]

Yep, been there done that. I hated going to ChiTown.

[FLOTSOM]

 

i only drive 21 or 22 foot flat beds, sometimes with a second car on the stinger dragging behind it. but i do know about getting bad directions and having to make blind backing turns through traffic that wont move, into alleys, onto front lawns, between trees or parked cars, into tiny driveways ect.

although i am driving a smaller vehicle i can definitely relate to your pains!

i think one of the most impressive stunts i had ever seen a big rig pull off was watching a peterbuilt extended cab (thing was like a small apartment with a motor) pulling a 53' trailer come into an intersection and pull a u-turn by spinning his rear right where his tires sat. he only had to reverse once and only rolled the trailer back about 10'. i didn't think a person could j hook a cab that tightly without crushing the trailer corners, but he did it a couple of times quickly and efficiently with traffic still pressing around him.

i know my explanation does the driver no real credit, I'm sure I'm not describing it the best. so just imagine coming into a t intersection and having to pull a u-turn in it without being able to use the sidewalk or a parking lot.

i take my hat off to you guys that drive the big boys through the midst of the little people!

FLOTSOM

[442w30]

Picture if you will a truck driver given bad directions in chicago. As i turn the last corner in my 13 ft 6 inch tall big rig i see a half block ahead of me a bridge with a sign saying 13 ft 0 inches clearance. I'm on a 2 and 1/2 lane road, heavy traffic and no cops in sight to block traffic or see what i'm about to pull off.

The only shot i have to get turned around and heading back the way i came is to pull up to the very front of the overpass, in the on coming traffic lane and blind side back into an alley with less than 4 inches clearance on either side of my trailer.  Sounds simple right?

Impressing even myself i managed to do it on the first try, even with all the po'd 4 wheelers honking and whineing at me.

Some days ya just get real lucky. Now if i could just get kills in the game that easy.

wrongwayric earning the name! Great job getting out

[SunBat]

I've seen some truck drivers do some amazing things in tight spots like that.  I've always wanted to tell them how brilliant I think they are, but never get the chance.  Sounds like you pulled off an extra-fantastic trick.      Brilliant. 

[rpm]

Been there, done that. Never get directions from someone that's never driven in a truck in Chicago. There's a lot of "you can't get there from here".

[Buzzard7]

Downtown Chicago,Hunts point,Boston meat market. Come on guys thats what makes the job fun. Driving a long hood around with a 53'102" without ATC is what makes our job more stressful than a commercial pilot.
How about driving through a whiteout at night in Iowa? Only way to tell your behind someone is it looks like there is a hole in the snow coming down. Hoping the guy in front of you has a good view. Passing is out of the question with all the snow thats flying around.

[kotrenin]

Sounds like you ran into the overpass on Cicero avenue in between Elston and Lawrence avenues.  Many a trucker have been caught in that trap.  I don't know why the City doesn't put a sign earlier up the street to give you guys some warning.  Fox news did a story on it a bunch of years ago because some old lady who owned the house right there was getting her house damaged daily from trucks backing into the side of her house and then not fessing up to the damage.

[Steve]

Picture if you will a truck driver given bad directions in chicago. As i turn the last corner in my 13 ft 6 inch tall big rig i see a half block ahead of me a bridge with a sign saying 13 ft 0 inches clearance. I'm on a 2 and 1/2 lane road, heavy traffic and no cops in sight to block traffic or see what i'm about to pull off.

The only shot i have to get turned around and heading back the way i came is to pull up to the very front of the overpass, in the on coming traffic lane and blind side back into an alley with less than 4 inches clearance on either side of my trailer.  Sounds simple right?

Impressing even myself i managed to do it on the first try, even with all the po'd 4 wheelers honking and whineing at me.

Some days ya just get real lucky. Now if i could just get kills in the game that easy.

Sounds like you went thr wrong way, Ric.

[wrongwayric]

The problem with this route was not only did the customer direct me in that way, but also the federal/state road signs directed you that way. The failure to mention that the 13 ft bridge is before the interstate and marking out an alternate route for big trucks must never have occured to them edu ma cated college politicians and road designers.

[Nwbie]

If I were you I wouldn't believe the viaduct height signs in Chicago anyway
I have seen streets and sanitation guys lay asphalt under them things to fix potholes- I would say about 6 inches of covered asphalt before the last time those have been dug down to the original

North of Lake street Im not sure - but I think Halsted south to like 47th is about the last street ok for big rigs

[rpm]

I had one of those trips into Chicago. I was pulling a 53 x 102 and called the destination for directions. I had been to Chicago 2 times. Guy asks how I am coming in and I tell him. He asks if I'm taking the loop and I said sure. Loops around metro areas are always easier access.

He gives me turn by turn directions and tells me to take the last exit before O'Hare. No problem, I'll be there at 8am.

Most of you already see what is about to happen if you know Chicago. If not, pay attention...

Turns out "The Loop" around Chicago does'nt loop around Chicago. It goes right thru downtown and is one rough, crowded road especially at 7am on a weekday. I fight my way thru the rush hour traffic, cursing the guy that gave me directions all the way. OK, no biggie I make it thru the mess and things start to look better. Just start looking for the exit signs to O'Hare and get off this freeway.

Guess what? Unlike most towns the road does not run past the airport, it deadends into it with almost no warning. I'm screwed. I look for a service road exit before I wind up at a toll booth for parking and get off the road. Whew! Ooops, wait a minute... the service road runs into a tunnel. God, I hope it's 13' 6"! I squeeze into the tunnel with a couple inches to spare and wind up having to fight my way all the way around the airport to get back out.

I finally make it to my destination and I'm 20 minutes late for my appointment.

Where ya been?