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.

 

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??

 

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

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:

 

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
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!

 

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

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: :lol:

 

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

 

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?

 

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:

 

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.

 

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! ops: :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)