Question:
After getting directions from the shipper to get to their facility in Memphis, I headed over there.
Since I record conversations with shippers & receivers, I was listening to my tape recorder and following the directions I was given.
Here's my directions........(from I-55 heading n/b)
Take Exit 12A and go east on Crump Blvd.
At the second stop light, turn left onto Main St.
Follow Main St. until you get to G.E. Patterson Ave.
Turn left onto G.E. Patterson (there's a 13' 9" bridge right there! My truck rides at 13' 9" I dumped the air bags and get down to 13' 7"), and go 1 block to Front St.
Turn right on Front St. We're the second business on the right side.
*******************************
As I pull up past their driveway, I survey the situation and figure out where I need to get my truck into. I parked and hopped out to go check in.
As I walk around the front of my truck, I look around to see if there's any way out of there, other than the way I came in. There isn't.
Standing there on the corner of Front St. and Butler Ave, I see the following........
1. Left turn......who knows where that goes, but it doesn't look promising. It 'T's' 300' away.
2. Straight ahead.....there's a bridge with 12' 8" clearance about 300' in front of me.
3. Right turn.....there's a bridge with 11' 2" clearance about 200' away.
Now I'm thinking to myself that this is NO PLACE for a long wheel base road tractor and a 53' high cube dry van to be.
When I checked in, the guy says, "Ya gotta blindside into our lot and then back into the building right here to our loading dock." (basically a 'S' turn......backing up. )
Well, thank God for motorized mirrors! I made it back in there with no problem. Took me about 5 minutes.......not bad if I say so myself. I had to dump the air bags to keep from hitting the top of their door that they wanted me in.
After getting loaded, I asked the guy, "What's the easiest way outta here?"
He says to backtrack the route I took in to there.
I do.......as I turn left onto G.E. Patterson and get 3/4 of the way around the corner, there's this sign that says, "Clearance 12' 8". (too late to stop now, I'm commited)
Sure enough, the bridge that I went under to get into the place, had a different height on the other lane! (Trolley power wires running under the bridge)
I waited until there was no traffic and a green light and I went for it. I went under the bridge on the side of the road I used to come into the area.
Yep, wrong way on the wrong side of the street! I was getting out of there, one way or another!
I don't know about you, but I really hate dragging a 53' van into 'downtown' areas. Those areas just aren't meant for trucks that size.
Gimme a 48' van for those areas or keep me outta downtown.

Answer:

I'll take 'B' - "...keep me outta downtown."

Answer:
About the best thing to do when you find yourself delivering or picking up in the "big" city is to stop and slide you trailer tandems all the way forward. (Just make sure you are past the scale house before doing this if you are loaded and sliding might make you over axle weight).
Other than that just take it easy and constantly assess and reasses your situation
The situation Hoss described is not all that uncommon. You can find yourself "trapped" because of low clearences trying to get back out of somewhere. Been a few times I have had to use the wrong side of the road to get under a bridge because of differences on each side of the lane. If need be do not be afraid to get assistance in a case like this. I had to flag down a cop one time in Chicago due to heavy traffic making it totally unsafe to just "go for it".
Answer:

So far, in the last 6 months I've had to call information THREE times to get the NON-emergency number for local Police Departments and ask them to send a officer out to assist with traffic.
Usually the officer will start to smile and chuckle when you explain your predicament to him or her.
Better to ask for help than to spend an hour or more doing accident reports, etc........
Oops, I was gonna mention sliding the tandems all the way foreward, but I forgot about it when I was finishing the original post.

Answer:
It happens all the time. Luckily you could get to the other side. I am wondering how other trucks that get in there also get out.
I've had to use every inch of space a few times to get in and out of some place not designed for trucks. I've had to move the truck back and forth to position it so I could go. I've also had to back up quite a ways to find some place to turn around so I could get out of the area and try another route. I hate to admit it but I've even had to ease a stop sign under my tandems so I could move. No choice because of no where else to go. Some of these places are designed for small box trucks or no trucks at all yet they expect a big truck to go right in.
Like I told a trainee one time. "This isn't the first truck in here and wont be the last, lets go" .

Answer:

Ah yes... M.S. Streets & Trips shows the railroad tracks running parallel to Main St. I can see a few other options, but they might even be worse
I always get nervous when the map shows railroad tracks in the old downtown sections of old cities. And when it comes to city surface streets, the Motor Carriers Road Atlas often does not list low clearances
I found a 13-5 on US-130 NB in Pennsauken NJ the other day, I posted about in another thread (rr tracks that run parallel along the south side of the Betsy Ross bridge). Given NJ I might have cleared it, but they had an alternate route posted (sort of... ). It wasn't listed in the MCRA either

Answer:

Not too bad when I did it with a Intl cabover with a setback axle.
Of course, that cabover did nothing for low clearances...
Answer:
I have had a few times I wished I had not made the last turn. There have been a time or 2 I wished the truck following me had not made the same turn. Following me can get you lost.

Answer:

I went under that bridge as I didn't see the sign for the other route. Barely made it under..I crept along slowly. I wouldn't do it again though.
Answer:
One place i didn't care much for was Blommer Chocolates in Chicago. They are on Grand Ave. downtown. It wasn't to bad when I went in but when traffic is heavy it can be a pain backing into their dock from the street.
Answer:
You want me to back it in to were?
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What about the traffic? What traffic. It is only a 1 way road. Two lanes,
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YOU need to carry it into here. We had a little trouble on this one, But labor ready is in business for a reason.
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This was a delivery I was on about 2 months ago for some flower arangment meterial in Central Philly.
Getting to this place took off my Passenger mirror. Any one that has been to central Philly knows what I mean. We were down on 2nd street.lol202 N Main Street
Summerfield Il 62289
TRUCK PARKING AVAILABLE!

Answer:
I went into Lynn, MA earlier this week. I had to make several tight turns on narrow streets before getting to the consignee. Well, the "loading dock" is an angle dock that put me out into a narrow residential street. Getting out was also a treat since it was then late morning and there was more traffic to deal with. I didn't buy any stop signs along the way, but I did leave my calling card on a few sidewalks.
What got me the most is when a car would back away or move over for my turn, but then the guy behind him would then move up! I need to install a tractor beam on my rig so I can move them myself!

Answer:
umm, hey hoss why are you pulling a high cube trailer in TN? As far as downtown big city USA have you been to the ghetto in pittsburg? very tight and then i had the nerve to block an alley/side street while miss soccer mom was trying to get little johnny from the bus stop.
Anyone been to rent-a-center in haverhill mass?very fun when you have a 53' and make a tight turn between the back of the building and a river wall.