If you are moving across the country and are tackling the experience by renting a truck and towing your vehicle behind it, get ready for an adventure of a lifetime! You don't want your cross-country move to resemble something out of a National Lampoon movie. Here are a few things that can help your move be a success.
Plan Your Route Without a GPS
With all of today's technological advancements, everyone has become extremely reliant on technology and devices such as GPS units. However, a woman in Canada followed the directions her GPS gave to her and ended up driving straight into Lake Huron. While you may chuckle at her expense, it could easily happen to anyone, especially when they are in unfamiliar surroundings, in darkness and/or in fog.
As much as you may love your GPS guiding you through each turn, it's important to know where you are going without your GPS. Use websites from the Department of Transportation to plan your route. Print the directions or write the directions out by hand. That way, you'll know when your GPS is giving you incorrect directions or there are detours that haven't been updated in the GPS system, especially since navigating around detours can be difficult when you are driving a large moving truck and hauling a vehicle behind it. And, you'll have a written backup in case your GPS cannot pick up a signal or gets broken.
Develop a Strategy to Avoid Rush Hour
As much as you want to get to your destination as quickly as possible, it's a good idea to take things slow and steady so you don't get burned out from being on the road. Break up the miles so you can get enough rest. Take a look at your route and maps and try to break up the miles based on the cities and heavily populated areas you'll need to drive through. Timing your way to avoid rush hour can save several hours of driving each day, particularly in areas that are known for heavy commuter traffic, such as in the greater Baltimore/D.C metro area.
If there are several large cities along your route, you may want to consider driving at night so you can avoid traffic. You can find hotels along the way that do not have specific check-in and check-out times. That way, you can catch up on your sleep in a comfortable bed.
Stay Hydrated to Stay Alert
Whether you decide to drive at night or through the day, it's important to stay hydrated so you can stay alert. In fact, research shows that dehydration can be as dangerous as drinking and driving. The study found that people who are dehydrated make the same amount of errors as people who drove with a blood alcohol level of 0.08%. Several of these errors can be dangerous when driving a large truck and towing a vehicle, such as land drifting and braking late.
Of course, you can keep bottled water with you in the cab of the truck to drink while you are driving. However, the main concern you may have with staying hydrated is that you will need to stop somewhere several times a day to use the restroom. Because of this and the fact that you need extra room to navigate your rental truck and vehicle for parking, it's a good idea that you plan to stop every few hours and not wait until nature calls. Take a look at your printed map and mark each location of the truck stops and other large gas stations that cater to large trucks and vehicles. You don't want to risk pulling in somewhere and not being able to park.
If you're looking for information on renting the truck for your trip, check out websites like http://www.elitetruckrental.com.
