When you live in Boston and need to move something, you can try to save money by renting a moving truck. Here’s one thing you should know about this activity. When you are moving to Boston, especially when you’re a newcomer from another city as a student, or you are just moving in for a job, don’t get “storrowed”!
How to not get “storrowed”?
When you are driving a big truck within the city or outside Boston, you will use any GPS navigator: Google Maps, Waze, or Apple Maps. They always show the route for cars, but not for trucks. That’s why you need to know where to start. If you are driving from out of state, do not use Storrow Drive, or James Jackson Storrow Memorial Drive, because of the low clearance on the bridge, which is exactly 10 feet. Most trucks are over 10 feet in height. They range from 16 feet to 26 feet in size, like a tractor-trailer. The clearance of moving trucks starts from 11 feet up to 13 feet 6 inches.
In this case, none of the trucks will make it through the bridge. You will not only end up breaking your vehicle, which will cost you a lot of money, but you will break your possessions. Moreover, the police will have to tow your transportation facility away.
What happens if you hit the bridge with a truck?
The police will arrive on the scene. They will tow your vehicle. You will have to pay overhead costs for the occurring damage to the rental company. All rental truck moving companies impose a restriction on overhead damage. If you heat a corner of the truck, you’ll probably end up paying around $3000. If you hit an entire roof, you will pay around $10,000 to put the whole box into the truck. You cannot simply fix a roof if it’s ripped off, even slightly. The rental company will install a new box into the truck.
Some rental companies charge a fee for not using the truck if it’s getting repaired. So, please be aware of that fact.
Overhead damage is pretty common in Boston, especially on Storrow Drive. See pictures below
Of course, nobody wants to end up doing so. That’s why professional truck drivers prefer to use truck GPS units.
It’s common practice because it happens every single week. Besides, it’s going viral on Instagram, X, or other social media platforms. You can see tons of broken trucks all over the news when it has gone viral.
What can you do to avoid hitting the bridge if you rent a truck?
Follow my advice: use no parkways, and watch out for NO TRUCK signs! In my opinion, they didn’t make it clear at the entrance of Storrow Drive. In other words, there is no truck zone. I mean, you’ll digest the bad consequences of your driving.
Whichever is true, a responsible driver or company will have to spend a lot of money. The state police will move the damaged truck out. And besides, a driver is fully responsible for his driving over the bridge. For this very reason, the state police have full power and authority to issue a fine to the driver. Believe me, it’s a huge fine.
It’s safe to assume that if you need to move something, you can use a professional moving service in Boston. And you don’t have to worry about getting “storrowed”. That event most likely happened in August because of so many people moving in or out of the city. They used rental moving trucks. That’s why there was an increase in “storrowing”.
Please be aware of all the situations! Don’t use car GPSs while driving a truck.
