Taking the time to plan your long haul trip before leaving is crucial for all truck drivers.
Professional truckers must know the importance of planning a long haul road trip, as it’s not only profitable but also essential for the health and stress levels of the driver. Before leaving on a trip, truckers must first do a lot of planning for their long journey. They have to plan around the electronic logbook, hours of service regulations, the trucking company and of course, the demands of the customer.
Consequences of Not Planning
If a truck driver doesn’t take the time to plan for a trip, there can be many negative outcomes. Some of these consequences include:
- Running out of gas or overfueling before scaling, which can cause an overweight issue
- Not finding a convenient truck stop for food or a rest area to stop at night
- Not knowing where essential services like repair shops are located along your route
- Danger of ending up in an unsafe area
- Increasing drive time and mileage by taking a wrong route, causing wasting time and money for the driver, and the potential of a late delivery
Tips On How To Plan
- Before heading off on your trip, it’s important to look at the total distance that you’ll be driving. Some say that when accounting for all of the stops and breaks, traffic and possible weather problems, truckers should calculate the trip at 38mph. This can vary based on the route, as some cities have much more traffic than others.
- Take a look at the difference of gas station prices in each state you will be traveling through, as it can be a big variation and finding the cheapest stations will save you a good amount of money overall.
- The east coast of the U.S. has some very unsafe areas, so be sure to do research and plan on specific truck stops to stop at each night. The truck stops and rest areas are also limited in this area, with limited parking spaces. To avoid this, try to plan your trip around landing in a safe spot for the night around 6 pm.
- Weather can hit at any place in the U.S. at any time. Always have backup supplies in your truck for any emergency situations, and always check the weather reports before leaving for your trip.
- Distracted driving is especially dangerous for a truck driver, so be prepared to be hands-free the entire drive by using a GPS and making music playlists or downloading podcasts to play automatically. Any time spent with your eyes off the road or hands off the wheel could result in a life threatening situation.
For All Your Trucking Needs
Evan Transportation provides trucking and transportation services for clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. All of our drivers and staff are offered competitive salaries, benefits, and are guaranteed to be home every day. Interested in finding out more? Visit us online or give us a call at 443-673-3365. For even more information, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google+.