1. coastalSC

    coastalSC Bobtail Member

    2
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    Mar 27, 2020
    0
    So what tips do you guys have for long distance driving since you are the experts..have to complete a 1300 mile drive soon from Iowa to SC coast. tips, suggestions?
     
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  3. Valuable Asset

    Valuable Asset Light Load Member

    98
    293
    Feb 28, 2020
    0
    You will need a piss bottle, flip flops and an insulated 459oz mug for soda.
     
  4. MBAngel

    MBAngel Medium Load Member

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    950
    Apr 1, 2018
    Tucson, Arizona
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    Lol, seriously...
    Audible books or libby app for your library, or even youtube has audible books. Bluetooth for your stereo or a one eared headset. Maybe an audio connector if needed.
    Google play music list.
    Stop and rest when you need to. Fatigue kills.
    Sugary snacks make me sleepy.
    Map out your route and know it because some exits are tricky or under construction.
    Trucker path app can tell you truck stops coming up, or rest areas.
    We giggle because 1300 miles is one day for us as a team.
     
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  5. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

    34,017
    42,098
    Mar 5, 2016
    White County, Arkansas
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    You have a storm above Peoria today into tonight. All that moves east and south. Ours light off tonight into sat then moves east towards the coast.

    Being aware of the weather hour by hour.

    You fuel every 200 miles. Even though your fuel tank is 2/3 or 1/2 full, fuel every 200 miles anyway. Do it with cash. Not credit cards. Our gas stations have thieves that will lift your bank card, particularly the veterans USAA, Navy Federal etc issued card.1500 mile run (1300 + 20% slush) means 7 or 8 fillups at 200 miles apart. Call it 7 gallons per times 60 gallons at 1.60 a gallon (And falling.) about a hundred dollars one way in gasoline. You maintain a 50 dollar cash reserve against a 200 dollar roundtrip gas expense. Just in case. Just like your half tanks to full every 200 miles is just in case.

    Travel is not recommended, if you are going into a shutdown state. Where you stop you are going to plan on staying. Or even get trapped there wherever there is.

    This is probably a 400 mile day trip 8 hours. You find a hotel prebooked reserved for the night each of the 4 nights you will be on the road. Maybe three nights but somewhere in there is a completed trip. Pacing yourself as you might not have the stamina. White Line Fever is a real possibility.

    During the trip, grab your coffee, pastries and a bite and GO. be loaded and rolling by 7 am. You expect to be finished while there is still daylight around 4. Thats quite enough. Get your dinner, GO TO BED. (No caffinee etc. No technology (LED screens reset your body clock or take it away entirely) Lights out by 8PM get moving by 5:30 with intent wheels rolling by 7 AM.

    Pretrip your vehicle. You do not know if its ready in the morning if someone messed with it in the night. Or it might be losing fluids or perhaps the belt is going bad. And so on.

    Sip your fluids, tea, water, gatorade etc.

    IF you start getting that white line fever, take that quart of electrolyte fluids marketed for children as a form of water but it has electrolytes inside that fluid that our bodies will convert in a hell of a hurry and its going to buy you about a hour and change before you have to stop for the night.

    Leave off the radio yammering in your ear. There is no need to have bodies bleeding all over the 495 split at 95 while road ragers fight each other in 4 states. Thats not your problem.

    Iowa probably 29 down to 40 east to black mountain then work your way below charlotte into SC.
     
  6. TripleSix

    TripleSix God of Roads

    17,737
    124,497
    Apr 10, 2009
    Copied in Hell
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    Are you planning to run straight through (1300 miles driving in 1 day)? If so, get rested and on the day you are to drive, start early. 2am early. You have the longer days in your favor now and that will help you a great deal.
    Start early/end early is much easier to do than start late/end late. You don’t want to be trying to push yourself at 4am and you’ve been up all day and night. That is a recipe for disaster.

    Luck in battle.
     
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  7. LoboSolo

    LoboSolo Heavy Load Member

    737
    4,253
    Jun 21, 2013
    Highway 20
    0
    1. Get your vehicle checked and serviced. Fresh oil & filter, tires all good, spare tire good, coolant, battery, brakes. Carry 2 quarts of oil & a gallon of coolant just in case.
    2. Pack your car a day in advance, not just before you leave. Gives you a day to think of what you forgot. Pack a cooler. No energy drinks.
    3. Have a weather app on your phone. Anytime you stop, look at it for whats ahead that can screw you up.
    4. Agree, get lots of rest the day before, and leave about 3 a.m. That way, if you're leaving Des Moines, you'll go thru St. Louis AFTER the rush hour, so less traffic.
    5. I'd run interstates as much as possible from Iowa to St. Louis to Nashville to Knoxville to Columbia, SC and then to wherever you're headed.
    6. If you're doing it in 1 shot, stop every 200 miles. Walk around for 15 minutes. Every 400 miles, grab a short nap and then take a walk. Plan your trip to hit the tough spots (like going over a mountain or thru a major city) in daylight, and at the start of the next 200 miles, not the end.
    7. If you hit a wall while you're driving and you're just beat, STOP. Find a motel and get at least 8 hours of sleep. Don't keep going. Someone will die.
     
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  8. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

    34,017
    42,098
    Mar 5, 2016
    White County, Arkansas
    0
    While driving don't get caught up in me first or road rage or any of that.

    You would find me loping along 200 feet behind a steady eddie 18 wheeler going on 500 miles if need be. Eddie would forget me in that mirror by then because I don't do anything but stay where I am behind him in convoy.

    Ration your awake time. Don't get up at 3 am then leave at noon. You are going to be wasted come 6PM. Once you are awake after a good night rest you have about 16 hours of useful time. Get going yer late already.
     
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  9. VA CDL Holder

    VA CDL Holder Medium Load Member

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    1,004
    Jun 14, 2011
    0
    The passing lane is for passing, not cruising next to me and obstructing the flow of faster traffic. Use Google Maps for navigation or a dedicated Garmin GPS. When pulling into the rest areas, stay out of the truck parking spots.
     
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