This past week my family and I drove across the country in order to start a new life. I drove a Uhaul that had a trailer attached with my car on top and my fiancee drove her personal car with our 5 year old son. The road at times was a struggle but it also taught us many useful travel lessons, below are just a few.
1. Don't fully rely on cell phones
People know that cell phones don't always work but not everyone fully understands the impact no cell service has while on the road. No cell service means no access to resources like roadside services or GPS, which can be detrimental when you don't know where you're going or find yourself in need.
Solution: We decided to invest in a Garmin navigator which works off of satellite so we always know where we're going. We also decided to invest in outdoor walkie talkies so that we can communicate with one another safely on the road. Both devices came in extreme handy as we were making our way through various weather conditions and environments.
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| Best way to communicate on the road |
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| Added a quick stop to our trip |
2. Prepare for issues in advance
Several issues can arise while driving one car, so you'd be safe to double that possibility while driving 2 cars. You have to think of as many "what if" scenarios as you can because there are many areas where you are literally in the middle of nowhere.
Solution: For the car we invested in a roadside emergency kit with useful gear like a rain poncho, flashlight, blanket, triangles, and rope. We also bought a self battery jumper with a built in air compressor and we threw in a first aid kit for piece of mind. Also want to add that you should always carry a little cash on you (for random tolls).
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| Adding some air at a rest stop |
3. Do not drive tired
We quickly realized that trying to push ourselves while on the road was a recipe for disaster. The road can prove to be a worthy adversary in itself so being fatigued is not an option.
Solution: Whenever we were fatigued we took advantage of the many rest areas that are provided on the road free of charge. We took naps, used the restroom, and saw to any vehicle issues while we were there. We also utilized all lodging options such as hotels, motels, and airbnbs.
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| Rest Stop |
4. There is such thing as road etiquette
As a truck/trailer there are a number of do's and don'ts one must understand not only to be safe but also to be courteous to the other drivers on the road.
Solution: Always drive in the far right lane. This is the slow lane which allows faster vehicles to easily pass you on the left. Use your hazards to signal to vehicles behind you that it is ok to pass you (this is if you are driving slower than the flow of traffic). Lastly, if you are a larger truck/trailer park horizontally in a parking lot instead of vertically so you don't obstruct the roadway.
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| Me parking horizontally in order to go to the bank |
5. Truck stops are your friend
Truck stops get a bad reputation for being seedy and dangerous but actually truck stops are a vital resource to travelers on the road. Every truck stop is a little different but all of them offer much more than gas. Love's for instance, has showers, eateries, a variety of travel essentials for sale (ex: GPS devices, hands free headsets, survival gear, etc.), and phones you can use (useful when there is no cell service).
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| Love's travel stop |
Our journey was not always easy but these lessons did make it a lot less stressful and probably is the reason we made it to our new home without any major issues. Now that my family and I have arrived it's time for us to embark on the next phase of this adventure we call life....
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