Driving a Box Truck North from NC to Providence

[LisaW]

We would welcome any thoughts and advice on the best routing for our trip - our first with a truck.  Next Saturday we will be driving from Wilmington, NC to Providence.  We will have a 12 ft. Penske rental truck as well as an automobile.  We are aware that trucks can not drive on the Garden State Parkway.   In the past, we've found the TappanZee Bridge to be a better option than the GW.  The usual resources we use for mapping (google, AAA) do not have a truck option.  Please help us out.  It's likely we'll have to take 2 days for the drive as there are 3 of us with 2 vehicles.   Thanks.

[Zeffy]

For New Jersey, you could opt to take the Turnpike, which does allow trucks the entire length. If you're planning on taking I-95 most of the way watch out for the gap in New Jersey, where you will need to take I-295 SOUTH to I-195 EAST to Exit 7 to get back on the Turnpike. Yes, this way is convoluted, but if you're looking for a direct route I would recommend it. If you want to get directly on the Turnpike and bypass Philadelphia, you can take I-295 / US 40 into New Jersey instead of taking I-95 through Philadelphia.

Here's what I got from Google Maps, and from what I can tell it's probably the best route, and I'm fairly certain there would be no truck restrictions in NY (that I can remember), but in any case there are other members here who can probably help with the other states.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Wilmington/Providence/@40.4095173,-74.8740654,8z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x89a9f5a20debaed5:0x5e66493884093032!2m2!1d-77.9447102!2d34.2257255!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e444e0437e735d:0x69df7c4d48b3b627!2m2!1d-71.4128343!2d41.8239891!3e0

[cpzilliacus]

We would welcome any thoughts and advice on the best routing for our trip - our first with a truck.  Next Saturday we will be driving from Wilmington, NC to Providence.  We will have a 12 ft. Penske rental truck as well as an automobile.  We are aware that trucks can not drive on the Garden State Parkway.   In the past, we've found the TappanZee Bridge to be a better option than the GW.  The usual resources we use for mapping (google, AAA) do not have a truck option.  Please help us out.  It's likely we'll have to take 2 days for the drive as there are 3 of us with 2 vehicles.   Thanks.

If at all possible, have E-ZPass transponders for all vehicles, which will save you time.

Going through Petersburg and Richmond, use I-295, a much better road than I-95, but watch out for predatory speed limit enforcement on I-295 in the vicinity of Hopewell. 

If you are taking I-95 from North Carolina to Delaware, be aware that some programs will route you through the District of Columbia on I-395, I-695, D.C. 295 and Md. 201 to the Baltimore Washington Parkway (or, even worse, if the mapping files are not current, by way of roads that no longer exist in D.C.).  Going though D.C. is almost always a bad alternative - regardless of what the GPS says - stay on I-95 (Capital Beltway) around Washington. 

In addition to the Garden State Parkway, trucks over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight are not permitted on the federal part of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (sometimes marked as Md. 295). 

Going through Baltimore, unless the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel is running all traffic in one tube late at night (dynamic message signs will display "2 WAY OPERATION"), I-895 has less traffic (and the toll is the same) as I-95 (Fort McHenry Tunnel).

The Verizon Wireless VZNavigator program (available for most Verizon smartphones) does have a truck opinion

[cpzilliacus]

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Wilmington/Providence/@40.4095173,-74.8740654,8z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x89a9f5a20debaed5:0x5e66493884093032!2m2!1d-77.9447102!2d34.2257255!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e444e0437e735d:0x69df7c4d48b3b627!2m2!1d-71.4128343!2d41.8239891!3e0

FTFY:

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Wilmington&daddr=37.3043162,-77.3371249+to:38.8221549,-76.8868725+to:39.0338959,-76.9419669+to:39.2287465,-76.6316349+to:40.5391161,-74.3856792+to:40.5775145,-74.5703534+to:Providence&hl=en&ll=41.647775,-71.474304&spn=0.309393,0.617294&sll=40.569111,-74.30603&sspn=0.314518,0.617294&geocode=FT0-CgIdeqha-ynVrusNovWpiTEyMAmEOElmXg%3BFfw3OQId3O1j-yntzqqfgwexiTEp9SluYfs6Aw%3BFQphUAIdqMxq-ylFd2A8JLy3iTEnZNVFUgWajA%3BFSecUwIdcvVp-yn9FJx8YMS3iTFFUD8WHpD7tg%3BFUqVVgIdrrFu-ykhgKMGyALIiTFIl8KCTHb8Qg%3BFeyTagId8faQ-yn5SHzW4LfDiTHMVwMtHSYjSQ%3BFeopawIdjyWO-ymheXsslb_DiTF2YxkcPgfF5A%3BFfUufgIdnlO--yldc35D4ETkiTEntrNITXzfaQ&mra=dpe&mrsp=5&sz=11&via=1,2,3,4,5,6&t=m&z=11

[corco]

Is a 12 foot Penske considered a truck? It's a van chassis with only two axles. When I've driven that type of vehicle, I've never driven the "truck" speed limit and that hasn't been a problem for me.

Plenty of people have pickups that would have a higher GVWR than a 12 foot Penske

If it's the bigger Penske on an International chassis, that's probably a truck, but an Econoline based 12 foot van at least in my experience isn't a truck, though maybe the GSP thinks differently.

[cpzilliacus]

Is a 12 foot Penske considered a truck? It's a van chassis with only two axles. When I've driven that type of vehicle, I've never driven the "truck" speed limit and that hasn't been a problem for me.

Plenty of people have pickups that would have a higher GVWR than a 12 foot Penske

Depends on the gross vehicle weight.  If it is over 10,000 pounds, then it becomes a commercial vehicle as far as Maryland is concerned (and as far as the U.S. Park Police are concerned on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, though the driver of a rental truck is not likely to get treated as harshly by the USPP as someone driving  a tractor trailer on the Parkway, which happens somewhat frequently due to (mis)use of GPS).

If it's the bigger Penske on an International chassis, that's probably a truck, but an Econoline based 12 foot van at least in my experience isn't a truck, though maybe the GSP thinks differently.

In theory, no trucks on the GSP over 7,000 pounds GVW north of Exit 105 (south of Exit 105, trucks, including tractor-trailer combinations, are permitted).   I have driven my truck on it many times north of Exit 129 (N.J. Turnpike) (registered GVW 10,000, VIN plate GVW 8,600) and never had any problems. 

[1995hoo]

I would be cautious about using an E-ZPass registered for a car in a truck. Some toll facilities treat rental trucks differently than others. I got charged a higher toll when I drove a Penske truck over the Verrazano than my brother did in his Honda Civic the same day, which leads me to conclude that there would potentially be trouble using my regular E-ZPass (which I didn't have back then).

If you want to avoid the GW Bridge, one possibility in Jersey might be to take I-280 to I-287 up to the Thruway. It's a bit out of the way, sure, but it's less out of the way than I-287 the whole way and it avoids the Parkway issue.

When I drove that Penske truck from Brooklyn to Virginia I used I-295 in New Jersey just because it had less traffic than the Turnpike. Nowadays I probably wouldn't do that due to the construction at the interchange with I-76.

BTW, I do not remember which size truck I was driving because it was about thirteen years ago.

[hbelkins]

Depending on how familiar the driver of the truck will be with driving said size of truck, I wonder if it might not be better to take some flavor of US 17 to the Hampton Roads area, and then across the CBBT and up US 13 and DE 1 to get to the Delaware Memorial Bridge? This would avoid I-95 and the Richmond/Fredericksburg/DC/Baltimore area.

[cpzilliacus]

Depending on how familiar the driver of the truck will be with driving said size of truck, I wonder if it might not be better to take some flavor of US 17 to the Hampton Roads area, and then across the CBBT and up US 13 and DE 1 to get to the Delaware Memorial Bridge? This would avoid I-95 and the Richmond/Fredericksburg/DC/Baltimore area.

I thought about suggesting that to LisaW, but then figured no, because of the many signalized intersections along that route (and I realize that a fair number can be avoided in the Hampton Roads area) - and some drivers might not find the CBBT as enjoyable as many of the regulars in this forum. 

[LisaW]

Thanks to you all!   I will look at each map and consider all suggestions.  I so appreciate your help!

[Duke87]

Taking 287 all the way around through NJ adds too much distance to be worth it. Don't fault you for wanting to use the Tappan Zee, but your best options for doing that don't allow trucks.

That said, you do want to avoid the Cross Bronx, so once you get over the GW, take I-87 north to I-287 east back to I-95.

Also note that trucks are required to use the outer roadway of the NJ Turnpike, and the upper level of the George Washington Bridge.

Is a 12 foot Penske considered a truck?

Parkway restrictions in NY and CT (probably also NJ) depend on registration type. If the vehicle has a commercial plates (as any form of rental truck will), it is not welcome on parkways, period. And, also with said parkways in mind, the physical limitation is more vehicle height than vehicle weight. A rental truck may not fit under some of the overpasses on those roads.

[hbelkins]

Depending on how familiar the driver of the truck will be with driving said size of truck, I wonder if it might not be better to take some flavor of US 17 to the Hampton Roads area, and then across the CBBT and up US 13 and DE 1 to get to the Delaware Memorial Bridge? This would avoid I-95 and the Richmond/Fredericksburg/DC/Baltimore area.

I thought about suggesting that to LisaW, but then figured no, because of the many signalized intersections along that route (and I realize that a fair number can be avoided in the Hampton Roads area) - and some drivers might not find the CBBT as enjoyable as many of the regulars in this forum.

There aren't that many -- and if I'm driving a big, unfamiliar vehicle, I'd rather drive that route than have to deal with all the traffic at highway speeds on I-95.

[jeffandnicole]

It is truly amazing at the amount of mis-information that goes around about the truck restriction on the Parkway.  Simply by looking at the Parkways' toll rate schedule: http://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/documents/Parkway%20toll%20rates%20as%20of%20Jan%202012.pdf , one will note at the bottom that the restriction applies to trucks registered at 10,000 lbs or more - 6 tires or 3 axles.

The normal 12' Penske truck is 2 axles, 4 wheels.  And most likely, doesn't weigh 10,000 lbs either. Call to confirm your exact truck's specs, just in case.  But other than something unusual, the truck you want to rent IS permitted on the full length of the Parkway.

Note: Trucks that are on the Parkway north of Interchange 105 would be charged normal truck rates at the toll plazas if they go thru them.  It's up to the police to stop them, not the toll collectors.

As for EZ Pass: My experience is - use a normal EZ Pass.  Since it's just 2 axles, the EZ Pass transponder may just charge the car rate.  If the system flags the vehicle, EZ Pass would most likely make the internal adjustment to a small truck toll. 

A 12' truck isn't much larger than a large SUV.  I wouldn't fear driving such a truck on any roadway I've never been on...assuming you're comfortable with such roads (I-95 thru NYC can be a bit hairy for anyone who's never driven on it!).

[hbelkins]

With an SUV, you usually have a rear window, side windows and a rearview mirror mounted on the windshield for visibility. With a box truck, you don't have the rear window and have to rely on the side-mounted mirrors for merging into traffic and for lane changes.

[PHLBOS]

With an SUV, you usually have a rear window, side windows and a rearview mirror mounted on the windshield for visibility. With a box truck, you don't have the rear window and have to rely on the side-mounted mirrors for merging into traffic and for lane changes.

Not to mention the fact that there's no SUV in the market that I'm aware of that has a 12' height; as an example a 4x4 version of the Ford Expedition has a height of just over 78 inches (6.5 feet). 

As Duke87 mentioned earlier, truck prohibitions on certain highways aren't just because of vehicle weights but rather vehicle heights; due to low overpass clearances.

IIRC, some of the arched overpasses along the GSP have 13' clearances (over the far left & right lanes).  That's cutting it a tad close for a box truck w/a 12' clearance.

[MikeTheActuary]

If traffic were enough of a concern to prompt someone to choose the CBBT over navigating through the Washington area...wouldn't that someone be wise to consider avoiding the New York metro area as well?

On my longer distance drives, if I can't time my passage through New York appropriately to minimize traffic, and/or if I'm looking for a lower-stress drive, I'll use 84 and 81 to keep my distance from metro New York.

It is almost always longer to go that way, and 81 can be a bit of a slog (and I'll admit that I haven't traveled 81 recently enough to know what joys PennDOT currently has in store for the wayward traveler there), but New York City and the southern half of the Connecticut Turnpike can drive up some drivers' blood pressure.

Or, if you are unfamiliar with metro New York and want to stick to the more direct path....remember that there's no shame in camping out at a service area for a couple of hours for traffic to improve, and that a skilled navigator armed with a good map showing real-time traffic information is worth his/her weight in gold.

(That last statement is true for any long-distance trip on 95 through the megalopolis.)

[LisaW]

I really appreciate the continued discussion.  We are weighing all the options and it's so helpful that you all are continuing to offer advice.   We have done  truck drives before to/from NC and VA, but always on an "inland" route.  This is our first trek from Wilmington.   Thanks everyone!

[PHLBOS]

Another option would be to:

1.  Once in the Greater Baltimore area take I-695 West (Baltimore Beltway) from I-95 (and bypass the harbor toll crossings) to pick I-83 North.

2.  Take that to I-81 North near Harrisburg.

3.  Then pick up I-78 East and follow that to I-287 North.

4.  Follow I-287 North to the NYS Thruway (I-87 South/I-287 East) and take the Tappan Zee Bridge.

5.  After crossing the Hudson (via the Tappan Zee) and follow I-287 East (it splits off from the Thruway & I-87) and follow to I-95 North.

[jeffandnicole]

Not to mention the fact that there's no SUV in the market that I'm aware of that has a 12' height; as an example a 4x4 version of the Ford Expedition has a height of just over 78 inches (6.5 feet)...IIRC, some of the arched overpasses along the GSP have 13' clearances (over the far left & right lanes).  That's cutting it a tad close for a box truck w/a 12' clearance.

The 12' Penske truck isn't 12' high...it refers to the length of the interior.  The actual height of this particular truck isn't more than 10 feet.

As for the GSP, there are no height restrictions pertaining to vehicles, which means the minimum height is 13' 6".  Large buses use the GSP all the time and there isn't a problem.

This truck is perfectly fine on the GSP.

(If you want an example of cutting it close: The shoulder lane in the Aljo curve on 295 South in NJ is rated 13' 7".  And it's open to all trucks, many of which have a 13' 6" clearance.  Let me tell you...THAT is cutting it close!!!)

[SteveG1988]

If you wanted a different route, avoiding the cities, US301 could work, adds distance but avoids the cities

[froggie]

Regarding earlier discussion on the CBBT and Delmarva, that routing works best of one's originating from Hampton Roads, or northeastern NC east of roughly US 258.  Otherwise (and including from Wilmington), the I-95 corridor is generally better, even if busier.

Regarding the Cross Bronx, I'd do a traffic check to make that call.  I've had a fair number of occasions where there wasn't an issue (or just a minimal issue) taking the Cross Bronx.

[SteveG1988]

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/trucks_nycarea_parkways.pdf

"Some bridges on the parkway system have posted vertical clearances as low as 6'11" ."

[cpzilliacus]

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/trucks_nycarea_parkways.pdf

"Some bridges on the parkway system have posted vertical clearances as low as 6'11" ."

But in this case, presumably they would be transiting New York State City by way of I-95, I-87 and I-287 (or some combination of same), which would not include any travel on any part of the Parkway network.

[Duke87]

"Some bridges on the parkway system have posted vertical clearances as low as 6'11" ."

But in this case, presumably they would be transiting New York State City by way of I-95, I-87 and I-287 (or some combination of same), which would not include any travel on any part of the Parkway network.

Yes, but the point is to stress that parkways may NOT be used as an alternate route for ANY reason. Even back in the days before GPS navigation, you would still see trucks getting stuck on them, driven by people unfamiliar with the road who ignored the no trucks sign thinking all they were doing was risking a ticket. Especially when there was nasty traffic or a closure on I-95.

In general, make sure you ask the rental place what the exact height of the truck is, and remember to pay attention to those bridge clearance signs you're probably used to ignoring.

[Alps]

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/trucks_nycarea_parkways.pdf

"Some bridges on the parkway system have posted vertical clearances as low as 6'11" ."

I would imagine that height is only posted above shoulders or far-right lanes squeezed under old arch underpasses.