Cross-country Move is about 50 hours of driving from the East Coast to the West Coast or from the West Coast to the East Coast. Whichever way you go you have to know those five tips.
You have to drive a lot and driving causes stress.
Tip number one
After eight hours of driving take 15 to 20 minutes rest. You can also do this at the gas stations, to lose the fatigue you get while driving, you have to make breaks. Truck drivers are obligated to take a 30-minute break after an eight-hour drive. If you drive a truck or a small van across the country you should do this too.
Tip number two
If you want to save money on gas or diesel, try to find the gas stations in the most remote area. Since you know your route, you can easily find the cheapest gas and save money pulling over to the cheapest gas stations if you drive across the country.
Tip number three
Since you don’t know how long you are going to be driving or you think you know, but sometimes exhaustion comes with sleepiness. My recommendation is don’t book your hotel on the first day yet if you don’t know how long you can drive, I would recommend booking the hotel once you feel tired, approximately 30 minutes or an hour before your arrival. You should know how long you can drive and based on that you will book your hotel during your cross-country move.
Tip number four
If you are driving for a long time, you feel like you are falling asleep, it’s better to take a 5-10-minute break. Especially if you drive at night because, remember you have to drive for 5 to 7 days. Make sure to take a break even on the side of the road but it’s better to take an exit and rest for 10-15 minutes and then drive for another 30 minutes or an hour to get to your hotel safely.
Tip Number five
It’s exhausting to drive across the country. If you’re planning to visit a few places off the road you can do this too, but please keep in mind the bigger the truck is, the more fuel it consumes. Also, all national parkings accommodate trucks and vehicles, so please do your research in advance
Tip Number six
If you are moving cross-country during the winter, sometimes it can be very challenging. Especially if you’re driving the mountains in Denver Colorado. In this area, particularly commercial vehicles are required to carry chains at all times. Since you’re not a commercial vehicle but you want to make sure it will be safe you can also buy chains to put on tires at any retailer such as Walmart or you can buy them online ahead of time but I recommend getting them close to Denver. Since you only need them in the snowstorm or any major snow event.
Tip Number seven
Make sure to lock the truck at the gas stations and any places along the way. It sounds elementary, but sometimes people forget to look at the vehicle and remove all of the valuable items from the cabin. Make sure to do that.
Tip number eight
The fewer stops you make the quicker you get to the destination because even a small stop will usually take 15 to 20 minutes and if you take three stops while you’re driving for 15 to 20 minutes, you will lose an hour. But we do recommend taking breaks frequently. 4 to 5 hours is a good amount for a 10 to 15-minute break.
Tip number nine
After a long drive, make sure to get a good sleep. It’s crucial for drivers who drive long distances as well as driving cross country to have a good sleep. Commercial drivers are required to have an eight-hour sleep every day so you should do too.
Tip number 10
Download audiobooks or podcasts so you can listen while you drive. Sometimes you have to entertain yourself on the road and you can do so by listening to your favorite books. Music will get boring after 10 hours.
Tip number 11
Make sure you take with you a phone holder and a charger to the cab. You’re gonna use them all the time.
Tip number 12
When you drive the truck, make sure to put the lock on the back of the truck, so nobody can access your stuff during the night. Also, if possible, put AirTag in the truck for the night.
