Worst cities

[Big Al]

I agree no one likes to go to Pittsburgh,not in any size truck, many one ways,many narrow streets and no truck stops close by. If that is home you don't have much choice though.

Pittsburg has been decent to us and we usually go to the other side of the Airport to the U S Air Force Reserve Base and get a room at a reasonable price during the week. Weekends are tough because they're active for the Reserve's

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Wow. That's a helluva bichy resting face.

 

[ATeam]

What are the worst cities for a straight truck ? I wish there was a list I have a few Washington, D.C. Baltimore for starters...anywhere in Delaware too I'm thinking unless ya want to dead 150 miles into northern jersey

Any list of good cities or bad cities will be problematic for an individual straight truck. Using load boards or other data sources, it would be possible to develop a list of which cities are active and which are not, but for you individually, such a list would not be something to rely on alone.

City A may be very active but if you there on a Friday, you might get skunked because the city is slow on most Fridays. Or, on a particular Friday, it might happen that only one load comes out of town but you delivered two hours too late to be able to grab it. Or, it might be a Saturday when the list shows that virtually no fright comes out but, wonder of all wonders, an emergency develops and a first-time customer needs a truck and you happen to be the only one in town.

Another thing to consider is your truck's reach. If you are a solo driver with no credentials and equipment beyond a CDL (no HAZMAT endorsement, no lift gate, no security clearance, no pallet jack, etc.), you will not likely be called upon from far away because there are lots of trucks like yours between where you are in City A and City B far away. But if you have credentials and equipment that are less common than the common straight truck, you may very well be called upon, even though you are in a "bad" city on the list or in a city that is so very bad that it is not even on the list.

A "good city" list might have a couple of shippers that ship hundreds of loads out, but only in certain seasons. It would look good on the list but if you are there at the wrong time, you may be there for a long time.

There is some science to determining what the "good cities" are and determining when to sit and when to deadhead out on your own dime, but there is a fair amount of art to it too.

 

[tknight]

Crapshoot....... It will never change
Just did a 75 hd to Harrisburg for a 25 mile run got paid all miles @2.75 bought me a new GPS so I was an early b day present ,better than sitting for a few more hrs now trapped in Harrisburg pa at the ya for the weekend maybe /maybe not

 

[pearlpro]

I agree with the Crapshoot agenda.....its called Hotshot for a reason, yes there are some regular customers, Loads Manufacturing bases and Distribution centers, But I myself have been to many a small rural town, Burgs, Villes and etc.....I enjoy these places and have gotten some great loads and rates out of them.....that list is a good starting point for the MAIN centers, But this Biz isnt a guarantee of a load, but some load, A LOAD that pays the rate to move, drive and deliver.

Thats said on another Grim note, If you deliver in St Louis DO NOT park your truck and leave it unattended on the riverfront, you will return to a crime scene, the smash and grabs are out of control as well as the shootings, St Louis downtown is a great place to visit during the day, but after dark do not hang around there unless your armed. The Delta Queen had luggage stole at gunpoint recently, as well as another tour boat and many, I repeat MANY tourists whove parked there car on the riverfront have suffered the smashes windows breakins, robbery at gunpoint....

I live here, and LOCALS do not got there unless they are in a group.....I dont recommend parking and sleeping anywhere near Downtown...