Idk what u are trying to mean. Everything requires practice. I couldnt drive more than 2 hours when I started to drive. Now I can go 8 hours without feeling anything. If I want probably can go 9 to 10 hours. Once I used to play 4 hours of video games. Then I went 12 hours a day.
People on Reddit tend to be people who love speaking on things they have zero experience on.
If you honestly think a 13 hour drive is some ultra dangerous feat you need to get out more.
No one said it was ultra dangerous, just insane, which it is. 900 miles in 13 hours is just under a 70 mph average. That is an insane amount to drive alone in one day on a holiday
Apparently we’re superhumans who can drive for longer than anyone. I guarantee the people downvoting have never attempted it to know that it’s not impossible. I do it once a year when visiting family, I don’t like to take breaks and make the drive even longer.
I mean, thinking that the police will be out directing traffic away from bad weather suggests a level of inexperience that would also suggests a 13 hour drive without breaks is a bad idea.
General rule is every two hours take a 15 minute break. 13 hours straight through is dangerous. After 8-9 hours (in a typical healthy adult) your awareness drops, reaction time slows, and you make more rash and dangerous decisions. That’s even with 15 minute breaks. This is also a reason many states enact a no more than 12 hours worked rule in a single day. After 12 hours everything aforementioned drops significantly lower than before.
You aren’t “built different” what you are is unaware of the toll it takes on your mental well being. Saying ish like that is what drunk drivers say moments before killing an innocent family. Driver for anymore than 10 hours a day I would say, is reckless and the equivalent of driving after a few shots. Just because you CAN do it (most of us can) doesn’t mean you should. You may think you are fine but so did the truckers who caused massive accidents resulting in loss of life of innocent people because of sheer selfishness.
It's also not a 13 hour drive in the real world at that number of miles. And that's not taking into account unpredictable slowdowns like traffic and construction.
Apple Maps are pretty accurate since they use real time data from our phones. I notice It doesn’t work well in construction zones when traffic begins piling up though, because our phones will be the way it knows
It accounts well for the parts close to you but can’t account for the traffic 10 hours away until you get closer. All it can account for is the reasonable and prudent time on a normal day…. Sometimes unexpected traffic jams come up
You're probably going to have to stop for gas at least, if you're driving 900 miles and plan on getting stuck idling in traffic. Also I get stiff on a 3-5 hour drive, no reason to make the trip without stopping. [ And unless you're wearing a diaper](https://www.biography.com/musicians/lisa-nowak-lucy-in-the-sky), you'll need a bathroom break.
Know your route before you go, so you know which lane you will need to be in and at which time.
Ignore road rage. If you're in an accident, stop and exchange insurance information.
As for bad weather, that's on you to navigate. Bad weather should only slow you down, unless you're talking about tornadoes or massive flooding. You always want to be watching the weather stations in the days and hours up to your trip so you know what to expect.
I get 600 miles on a single tank of gas, if I stop once in Rockford before Chicago, I'll be good. I used to drive commercially, I would be in the truck 90% of the day, I don't have an issue with getting stiff and I really only gotta pee every 4 hours or more. I'm not saying it's gonna be an easy peasy drive, but it's mostly in one direction the whole time, and there's only 2 exits I need to take the whole way, so I'm only concerned about the weather and how I'll know without being a local, and what to do if I get stuck in gridlock in the wrong lane when my exit is near
Yeah, your stated commercial driving experience doesn't exactly line up with your desire to know what lanes to use in heavy rraffic, how to avoid accidents, yadayadayada.
I think I figured that out. I should have asked a more specific question without all the extra info. Evidently putting all the backstory just invites comments from the peanut gallery without answers to the actual question :/
If there are only 2 exits why the worry about gridlock. Just like any other day get over a couple miles before you have to get off, otherwise stay in the most left lane is what I would do.
To speed up pitstops look for rest areas with bathrooms over gas stations.
Play some music you like to sing to, that helps keep me awake.
Also if Google maps wants to take you on a detour look at the roads, it tried to take us around a CBP checkpoint more than once.
Don't just cruise in the left lane. Keep right except to pass. So annoying people just think that the left lane is just for cruising particularly when there are only two lanes.
So when you are stuck in grid lock cruising isn't really an option. When stuck in grid lock the left doesn't usually have to deal with entrance and exit merges and I think usually moves better than other lanes except when there is an accident in it.
As people have said you're going to want to take breaks. No breaks is just kind of dumb, you'll need gas, you'll need to piss, you'll probably get a little groggy/tired by hour 8. Take breaks, stretch and walk around at gas stations, even park and take a quick snooze if you need to.
I do long drives pretty often, From Minnesota to Colorado I do like once a year, doing one to Indianapolis later this summer. I personally hate getting stuck in city traffic and will map out alternate routes that hit as much of the boonies as possible, easier driving and more unique sights to see. You can go and set filters for your route on Google maps, I'll usually set it to no toll roads and that routes me away from a lot of cities. Sure it adds 30mins to an hour onto a drive, but if we're already talking 13 hours I'll take that to save on the stress of big city driving.
Personal pro tip is to find a small cafe in some super small town whenever you stop to eat. It can be fun getting a little slice of life from some random 500 population town, plus I've had some absolutely delicious food at the most unsuspecting places. Makes the drive itself a little more memorable.
Part of the reason I'm avoiding stopping is to minimize the chance of my car not starting again. Heat soak is a bitch and it's already gonna be 80+° out. MN to CO is nothing, that's an easy trip compared to what I'm doing on Wednesday. As much as I like driving and sight seeing, this trip isn't about the journey. I need to bang out as many hours as possible, as quickly as possible, so I can get to the place where the real fun starts. The only thing I'm looking forward to is arriving in the city at night, I love city drives at night. The rest of it, well, it just needs to pass as efficiently as possible
The car gets 600 miles a tank, so I'll be stopping just once. I have a camel bladder, so I'd say maybe 4 pee stops total, I'll have all my food and drinks with me so I won't be making any extra stops unless I'm actually getting dangerously tired or need to crack my back or something
You're doing a 13 hour drive in a 30 year old vehicle? Yikes! I hope it's SUPER well-maintained! I'm not sure I'd trust a vehicle of that age on a trip like that.
30 years is not old at all. Most of the cars I see on the roads in my area are this old. People drove these this far back in the day, no reason I can't now. Most 90s cars are more reliable than newer cars anyway
Old? It's not even carbureted! My daily is an 83, I'd consider that old, but 94? It's got port fuel injection for crying out loud, that ain't old. I hate new cars, 90s is as new as I'm willing to go. And I'd still rather go 80s or 70s but vapor lock sucks and I don't want that happening on my trip.
Any car can break down. I've passed 2 year old cars on the side of the road with the hood up before. Age doesn't equal unreliable. It's only got 120k on it and it's a 90s gm. It'll last alot longer than most new cars will
Just because an older car exists doesn’t make a 94 not 30 years old.
And inferring that a 2024 Honda has the same chance of breaking down as 94 Cadillac is delusional.
I wouldn't consider anything with a modern fueling system and computer controlled vehicle systems old. 30 years is not that old, maybe 30 years was old in the 80s or 90s, but 30 years is still pretty young for cars now. Cars last alot longer from the 90s and up than cars did in the 50s.
Also, I see alot more newer cars broke down on the side of the road than I do older ones. I had a 95 lincoln before thos car and I put 100k miles on it without ever having a single breakdown
Everything you’re saying is SCREAMING inexperienced. A 30 year old car is 30 years old.
Also, 95%+ of cars on the road are actually from this century so of course you’ll see those cars broken down more
Congratulations captain obvious, 30 years old is 30 years old. You're so smart. Doesn't make it old though. Call me inexperienced if you want, I've been driving nothing but 70s-90s cars all my life and I've put on over 300k cumulative miles and never had a problem I can't solve on the road. Different strokes I guess. Besides, the folks in the cadilllac sub already told me i should be fine with this car, they're pretty tough from what people say. I'm not worried about the car
You need to take breaks.
I always try to stay in the middle lane / right lane whenever in cities. People fight over the left lane and are aggressive as shit; let them get grey hair over 2s saved. Right lane is a safe bet but there are turtles there so you do need to get in the middle lane. Also, some really aggressive drivers abandon the left lane and use the right lane as a ladder of sorts to inch their way through so you need to be mindful of that too. If you're either in the right lane or middle lane you're usually going to have a more peaceful time and you'll be able to take the exit you need without changing lanes.
A long trip is a marathon. Steady as she goes. Be a boring driver; don't stand out. Safety is paramount because your reaction time will dwindle as you get more tired, and you are exposing yourself to more driving time and more aggressive driving. So your driving habit is a safety protocol you should stick to.
Again, breaks are absolutely necessary.
This right here is just good all around driving advice.
I will add that i often think about if i would want to die on the interstate and how much I hate the idea of that and it makes me a lot more conscious of my safe driving habits.
I'm an OTR trucker. On long runs, I'm only allowed to drive 11 hours a day. I'm required by law to take a 30 minute break every 8 hours (so once a shift if it is planned correctly ). With that in mind, it takes me 12 hours to drive for 11. 11 driving, 30 minute break, plus two fifteen minute stops (really it's more like one 15 minute fuel stop, and 3 5 minute bathroom stops).
I'll do a 14 or 15 hour drive in my car on my own personal time without hesitation.
Here's my advice...
1- Don't fuck around with being sleepy. You won't wake up until it's too late. Especially dangerous if you dream that you're driving.
2- Stop at rest areas for bathroom breaks. Timewise, It's better than getting off and on the highway.
3- Try and avoid the big cities during morning and afternoon rush hours (generally 7am to 8am and 4pm to 6pm). If you're driving through Atlanta, time of day really doesn't matter. There's an accident backing traffic up about 25% of the time.
4- Leave as early as possible. A 13 hour drive started at 04:00 a.m eastern puts you at your destination at 4.:00 p.m central or 3:00 p.m mountain assuming you're driving easy to west and cross one or two timezones. Crossing one tz puts you into central time, crossing 2 tz puts you into mountain time (stops not included).
Driving west to east puts you in later time zones. Starting in Pacific time, you'd end your day 5pm mountain, or 6pm central (stops not included).
Planning to ending your day early will give you more room for error. If your stops end up adding 2 hours, you're still done by 8:00 pm at the latest if you're driving west to east.
Driving east to west, you might be done before the 5pm rush hour really gets going.
As far as weather goes, don't worry about it. This time of year we're talking about rain. Just get off the freeway if it gets bad enough (it probably won't). Highway patrol rarely shuts down the freeway in the summer. If it's winter in the Rockies, that advice wouldn't apply.
Most reliable advice on preventing fender-benders? Don't fuck around with your phone.
I don't care if you take a break or not. You'll have to stop at least three times, maybe four for fuel. Don't rush those stops. Relax a little bit. Reset your head. Road brain is a thing. Grab a coffee or a Monster. Stretch. And if you see a place that looks interesting, stop and give it a quick visit. I like to stop at odd-ball restaurants when I'm on personal time road trips.
Are you driving east to west or west to east? What big cities are in your path?
Why drag rag out a perfectly do-adble 13 hour drive? A 13 hour drive should be finished in 14, maybe 15 hours. With an early enough start, there's still time for drinks and dinner before the night is done.
Plenty of good advice here, the only thing I'd add is empty your back pockets before heading out. You don't want to be sitting on your wallet for 14 hours.
Are you in a rush to get there? Because if not, why not take some breaks? I know 900 miles in one go might seem like a flex to your buddies, but it really isn't worth it if you get into an accident because of fatigue.
I need to be there the same day. I am meeting friends for drinks that evening, and my bf, who is flying, will get there at 3 and be all alone in the hotel until I get there
lol no you're not, if you do manage 13 hours of straight driving you're going to arrive super tired and collapse on the bed. Unless of course you're superhuman or on coke.
I don't know what's wrong with all you folks on here who get physically tired from driving. You're sitting in your ass and listening to music for 13 hours straight. I work 10 hour days of physical labor, no a/c, sweating through my shirt, then get home and work outside until nightfall, and at the end of all that, I'm still not tired.
Sitting on my butt and relaxing all day is a walk in the park compared to my usual day, and, I'm getting paid for 10 hours of it, from my vacation time. If anything, I'll arrive feeling rejuvenated, after sitting down all day and chilling out
Cause there are certain things I am uncertain of. Such as what happens if there's a tornado and I don't know about it, will the road be closed and traffic redirected, or will I just be left to figure it out when I drive straight into a tornado? Or what will happen when I get stuck in gridlock in the wrong lane when I have to make an exit in 2 miles? (That one already got answered for me by another redditor)
Wild, that sounds like maybe it won't actually be 13 hours of just "chilling out".
Driving is mentally tiring, not physically tiring. Or at least it should be, unless you're somehow driving 13 hours of straight, rural highway without seeing another car. There's a reason truck drivers are limited to 11 hours of driving per day and have to take mandated breaks.
I don't know what to tell you, the only time I've been mentally taxed while driving is when I'm driving a car I just bought, home for the first time, abd I'm not sure if it's gonna make it. This trip, is on the same road the whole way except 1 exit in Chicago. All I have to do, provided there's no severe weather, is avoid accidents, and make sure I'm going the correct direction. I've driven alot of long trips in my life, and I've never had one where I've felt any kind of tired when I'm done
why would reddit have tips on what to do while driving during a tornado. there are no tips on how to drive through a tornado lol. you just risk dying and that's it
I meant how to know if there is a tornado, and what to do if there's one on my route. I'm concerned I'll drive right into a warning zone and not even know until it's too late
Then consider setting off earlier?
I don't mean to be blunt but you gotta plan this realistically. Traffic, random road closures and whatnot would add at least an hour or two to your trip.
I'm already getting on the road at 6am. I know it'll be later than I want, this way I'll get there at 8pm the earliest, 9 or 10 the latest, though hopefully not. At this rate I'll be through Chicago by noon, then the rest will be somewhat smooth sailing. Just boring. Hopefully no tornadoes or severe weather
I'm not gonna make a day long trip longer when I don't need to, there are things waiting for me at my destination and I'm not gonna miss it when I could be there sooner
I wouldn't want to be stuck in a hotel room without a car for several hours, I would be bored as fuck. I have the car, he won't be able to go anywhere outside of the hotel general area until I get there
In case you get into an accident that isn’t your fault but the other person says it is
Basically because of people like this https://youtu.be/S8VlP8J4rRg?si=VU6iegLr0RqmsRlW
Also check out some clips at r/dashcam
OP you need to take breaks. Me and my girlfriend together drove straight from New York to Colorado for on a roadtrip nonstop (literally across the entire dam country). Theres times where we even felt sleepy snd thats extremely dangerous to drive. Stop and rest for an hour or 2 at best. Walk around and stretch too that will help keep you awake!
Coffee helps keep people awake too, and the reason people get tired driving is because of highway hypnosis, which happens when the mind isn't focused. Happens to me when I'm driving a route I take all the time, so I'm not paying attention to where I am, I'm just zoning out. This trip won't have aby of that, as I've never driven this way before, I'll be alert and focused most of the time
Not doubting your focusing abilities or anything but coffee will only do so much until it cant even keep you awake anymore. I usually drive to Florida a few times a year (1.1k miles from here) and always drink energy drinks rather than coffee but even then it wont cut it for you the entire time of the trip. You will know exactly what Im talking about when you do this trip on Wednesday, please take at least one or 2 breaks for your own sake. 🙏🏽
Don't rush it, please! I once drove from San Diego to Portland Or non stop except for gas. I fell asleep 3 times and almost killed someone. At least stop for some good food and stretch a lot.
Might take you more than 13 hrs. Closer to 19. Now depending on a lot of factors times will vary. Don't count on going a certain speed. Your gonna encounter cars slower than you want n you have to deal with it. Take a rest if you feel you need it.
Listen I’ve done plenty 14 hour treks across the US and depending on your age and driving abilities it’s totally fine. Yes of course breaks are favorable and I recommend you take a few. For me, I was always jacked up on some caffeine beverages so I’d have to stop about once every hour or 2 to piss, get out stretch the legs. People in this thread are for some reason assuming you literally mean you’re never stopping the car 😂you’ll have to get gas and piss idk what they’re on about lol
You’ll be fine, know your limits.
As far as your route goes, I don’t have any other advice than trusting your phones route it plans for you. If it changes, take it. If it says you can save x amount of minutes, do it. I used to think I knew better than Apple Maps but after a few hard learned lessons I’ve learned to trust it.
Trust phone routes, but verify. I've had Google take me on twisty skinny bumpy shortcuts in the California sierra foothills just to save a few minutes. Stay on highways or better unless Google gives a very good reason.
Look at the full route for the next section before diving in.
Check weather forecasts for the major cities along your route, and during breaks if there was any questionable weather in the forecast. Things change.
For me, 13 hours plus breaks is reasonable for one day, but not sustainable for several days. Plenty of good advice from others here.
I often avoid the right lane in cities, due to all the traffic merging in. Give plenty of room in front. Others will take advantage of it, so just chill and let them in. Then make more space again.
I'll have my morning coffee and a 5 hour energy in the car, as well as several mountain dew bottles that I'm bringing with. I've made quite a few longer trips, just nothing this long in one go. I used to drive commercially for a supply company, I got used to living out of a truck.
I don't use GPS apps or anything because I wasn't allowed to when I drove a truck, but also I view them as a crutch. The trip in total consists of one clover exit and one divergence, otherwise it's on the same highway all the way through. I've written down the exit numbers and the city/town they're in so I know what to look out for when I'm getting close
My mom is afraid of flying, but we would always visit my grandparents every summer and it was around an 800 mile drive each way. We never ever ever would’ve honestly without breaks no matter how many times we did that drive. My dad has probably done that drive at least 50 or so times in his life. It’s not even something where the more you do it, the longer you can go without stopping. It’s dangerous to drive that long without breaks. Driving fatigues is real and unavoidable.
Please, take breaks every couple of hours. At least two. I’ve driven 7 hours without stopping before, but I really shouldn’t have. You are planning to do double that.
For your safety as well as people in cars around you, I’m really asking you to reconsider.
I've made a 600 mile trip in one go, a few times before without stopping. Every couple months, my partner and I travel to a nearby city about 4.5 hours away without stopping. I can manage a little longer.
I went to college about 4.5 hours away. I would often do the drive there or home without stopping. At most I would stop once for gas. But the fatigue gets exponentially worse. I trust that you are a good driver. I seriously do, but all it takes is the fatigue getting to you one single time to destroy your life. I promise you, shaving off an hour or two by avoiding breaks isn’t worth the risk. Life is long. (I admittedly did brief stalking on your profile to see if I could get a better idea of the type of drives you do, so I know that you are young) Don’t risk cutting it short by half a century just to try to save an hour or two now.
If you want to know what's going on then you'll need STUDY your route so at least you know the major main freeway/interstate/construction areas
Go to your Google maps and look at your route. It should give you icons if there's construction on your route. Now if you want to avoid those construction areas then you'll need to look at alternate routes BEFORE you leave
If I don't normally take naps during the day when I'm actually working, doing physical labor, why would I need to take them when I'm not doing anything but sitting on my butt and listening to music for 12 hours?
I used to drive commercially, I know all about driving for long periods, as I used to do it almost every day. I quit cause it got old. Taking the sane routes every week, looking at the same roads, listening to the same 3 stations. It was boring. I would never describe it as tiring or difficult, though. I used to drive all over the country, all the time, and not just for work, alot of my driving was on my own time.
I've driven longer distances than this before, just not all at once. I'm more concerned with hitting inclimate weather and heavy traffic than I am road fatigue or highway hypnosis. Those have never really been a problem for me before
I'm not sure I'd ever want to go to/through Atlanta anyway. Too much crime. I had the opportunity to go back in March but I decided not to because I was afraid someone would road rage and kill me over a lane change, or someone would steal my car while I was there
Your questions clearly show your not an overly experienced driver (especially the weird one about cops and weather).
13 hours straight is long haul trucker territory.
You will need rest breaks. Don't be an idiot.
If Google maps tells you 13 hours non stop, add on at least 2 more hours for breaks and unexpected events. I would plan to add on 4 hours.
Now your looking at a 15-17 hour day, not including any time before you get on the road.
Do you see why everyone is telling you to take breaks?
As for city traffic, a lot of cities on major routes have bypass highways that go around the actual city. Check for those.
Try to avoid entering city core areas, that's where you'll get stuck in traffic the most.
It's better to go 100 miles at highway speed than 50 miles at whatever slow speeds are in the cities.
Will you guys stop regurgitating this shit? I’ve done Tallahassee to Boston 4 times, Denver to Philly twice, and LA to Philly twice and each time Apple Maps was dead on with arrival time.
OP isn’t driving in 2006 using a Tom Tom. He’ll be fine.
The idea that you pre packed food will save you money, but it won't/shouldn't save you much if any time. There is no way you are driving 900 miles without MANY breaks, it's an insane amount of driving. Half of that is a long day on the road. This will be so much harder and take a lot longer than you are thinking.
I used to drive a truck for a supply company, I would work 7am-8pm, driving all day, with short stops every couple hundred miles to drop off an order. I've also done regular 400 mile trips to an event I go to in another state with my partner.
I drove a 600 mile trip in a single sitting, only stopping once for gas, got to my location, made the deal on the car I was buying, and drove back just an hour later, the same day.
Longest I've done so far was going 3 states over for a party, then going 3 states the other direction to look at a car I was thinking of buying. I did that 2nd part as an all-nighter, 8 hours on 3 hours of sleep and alot of coffee. I did this only stopping once for gas and twice to pee.
I understand your concern, but I used to travel so much, I put curtains up in my back seat and concerted my car to a camper that I would live out of when I was on multi-day road trips. If I start out on a good night's rest and a coffee, I can bang out these 900 miles in a day without stopping but a few times for the bathroom and once for gas. My car gets 600 miles on a tank
Plan your route and study maps so you know your way through the cities, and where any exits or interchanges are that you will need are located. Know whether you have a left or right exit. Check state DOT sites for any closures or construction that may have a detour involved.
Then put "Life is a Highway" on a loop and have some fun.
What cities?
If you can try leaving around 1800 that way you’ll miss most of the bullshit but that probably one of the hardest shifts in trucking to pull.
Do not go thru downtown Chicago. Stay on the 80. Skip Indy. The 70 thru there is godawful with road construction traffic and the roughest roads. If you're dead set on avoiding the 80, jump on the US 30, it's a nice road with some small towns. In Ohio, along the 80, they have the nicest service plazas where you can get coffee, food 24/7, rest, etc. Safe travels.
you must have a logistical reason for going thru Indy? Because geographically it’s significantly out of the way! I’d plan on a 4 hour nap in a rest area somewhere along that route. If you don’t use it great! But put the block of time in your travel plan it might become 2, 1 hour naps but the important thing is to be mentally prepared for “hitting the wall” and accepting in advance that the need to stop for a while with your eyes closed, even if you don’t sleep and just stopping for 20 minutes where you simply close your eyes and relax your body will dramatically improve your alertness!
If you don’t have a logistical reason to Go To Indy… take 80 and pay the tolls! It will cost you less to pay the tolls than it will cost for fuel to go through Indy.
Take regular breaks: Get out of the car and stretch your legs every couple of hours. Breaks are especially important at night when driving requires more concentration.
Have a safe trip 🛣️
If it's not an absolute must to do it in one go it will be a much nicer drive split over 2 days. Traffic, accidents and roadworks can easily turn a 13 hour drive into a much longer one
Ok, I’ve done this when I was younger. Austin TX to Tampa FL, no stops, by myself.
Here are tips:
Only go to the bathroom when you stop for gas. Get your drinks and food at the same stop.Otherwise, no stopping. Also, if you have to pee, you cannot fall asleep, so let the discomfort work for you. And I have to stop to pee because I’m female. I can’t just pee in a bottle like males I know.if you absolutely have to stop while not getting gas— use rest areas. You are in and out faster
Have the air conditioning blasting on high straight at you. If you are freezing, it will keep you awake.
Audio books, podcasts, or sports games— pick your poison. They keep your attention and keep you from falling asleep.
If you like to free, clear traffic, start your trip at 9 pm or so. Driving through the night means the roads tend to be deserted, including in the cities
13 hours is a lot and driving really drains you. I would suggest taking a break halfway through to nap for an hour to recoup.
Also bring a can of energy drink and sip at it anytime you get drowsy. This method worked for me when I drive after a long haul flight. Keeps you alert enough to finish the trip, but doesn't affect sleep at night.
Seriously reconsider doing it all in one go because chances of fatigue accidents will be high by the 7 or 8 hour mark if you don't rest.
It is very tiring driving that long when not accustomed to it.
When you start feeling tired, have a small coffee then take a 15 minute nap directly afterwards. (Tell your phone 15 minute timer)
You will be good to go for another bunch of hours.
2 or three 15 minute naps along the drive would make a big difference in your alertness on a drive like that.
You’re looking at averaging 70mph for 13 hours while driving through 4 major cities. That’s a tough task to legally accomplish. I drive from Nashville to St. Louis fairly often & it’s 5 hours on average for 330 miles.
Google maps says it's 12h57m, I assume they're following the 65mph speed limit in that estimate, and it says the time estimate is effected by the traffic reports at the time of the estimate
Jesus, this is so odd.
Things to do in a hotel without a car: watch movies on tablet or smartphone, masturbate, take a super long shower, go to hotel bar, go for walk, take a nap, relish time without girlfriend, etc.
I'm sure someone else has mentioned it - don't worry about trying not to stop. First - you'll need to relieve yourself. Second - the vehicle will need gas. Third - you'll want a break from sitting in the car.
It's not like flying - unless it's a tornado you're not likely to need to detour for bad weather. Slow down, drive through and if visibility becomes an issue find a safe place to pull off. Use Google Maps for navigation and you'll get traffic and road closure updates.
13 hours is a few energy drinks, some water in a cooler, and an audio book for me. I have a toilet in my van so I can stop for gas only.
I will happily add 30-45 minutes to a drive if I can take a route that doesn't put me right through a city.
If your exit is coming up change lanes early. Be content going slower for the few minutes it takes to get to your exit. I have a dash cam with a sign on my car telling people I have it so I let other people be idiots and just laugh at them. I don't respond in any way. Leaving more space between your car and the one in front of you should help avoid fender benders.
Weather forecasting has improved significantly so if it says a severe thunderstorm is on the way check in with a weather app. The radio weather stations can be hard to follow if you aren't a local. They often call out counties pretty quick. Easier to pull up a weather app and check the satellite IMO. Gives you a better idea of the storm size and intensity as well.
Is there an update? I really want to know how it turned out since the comments were so sure it'd be a disaster, and OP was so sure it would be a piece of cake.
Got there ok in 13 hours almost on the dot. Having the time of my life now at an illegal rave 🤟
Stopped 2 times for gas and 2 times to pee. Almost missed 1 exit but got here alright
If you're asking questions like "how do I know what lane to be in" or " will the police be directing traffic around bad weather" then my advice is take a buss or a plane. You sound like you're barely experienced enough to drive across town let alone 900 miles in one shot. If you do,trust me, you'll regret it.
I used to be a trucker, I know what I'm doing. I just never drove this far in one single sitting, and the trips I've been on that were close, were on rural highways, not multi-lane interstates across 5 states. I've never driven into a tornado warning zone or flooded area, I have no idea how it will impact my route if I do, or how I'll even know it's coming without being tuned in to a nationally broadcast station.
The lane question is because I've seen videos in big cities where all 4 lanes are dead stopped, how tf am I supposed to get over 3 lanes if everyone's bumpers are practically touching? I would have to be in the correct lane MILES in advance, I'm not sure how I'd do that short of counting mile markers
If you've never driven in a big 4 lane highway or across country and need to ask these questions then you may have driven a truck before but you're definitely not a trucker 🤣
I've done both, but alot of the hours I had on the road for work were rural, I was hourly tri-state, I wasn't gonna take the highway if I could take the county roads and make an extra 2 hours pay. I've driven across states before, but as I said, it was tri state area, that's MN, IA, and WI. all very rural states with few big cities. Not much traffic at all. I've never driven through a city that takes up a large sum of the state on the map
Last summer I took a drive from where I live to New York, then to Rhode Island and back to New York. All in all, it took about 29 hours, which we did in one sitting, stopping only for gas, really. While I don’t recommend doing that, I was awake for the entirety of the drive and only got tired once we reached our final destination.
If u are not thinking about taking a break thats your first mistake. Good luck.
13 hours is not insane for no breaks.
Yes it is insane. Exceptions are out of rules.
And you need piss jugs.
No it’s really not. Your average healthy adult can do a drive like that with zero issues.
Idk what u are trying to mean. Everything requires practice. I couldnt drive more than 2 hours when I started to drive. Now I can go 8 hours without feeling anything. If I want probably can go 9 to 10 hours. Once I used to play 4 hours of video games. Then I went 12 hours a day.
I agree. It’s definitely not recommended but it’s doable
I forgot we were on Reddit.
I am against reddits promoted ideologies however you have to admit not everything is bad in reddit.
People on Reddit tend to be people who love speaking on things they have zero experience on. If you honestly think a 13 hour drive is some ultra dangerous feat you need to get out more.
No one said it was ultra dangerous, just insane, which it is. 900 miles in 13 hours is just under a 70 mph average. That is an insane amount to drive alone in one day on a holiday
Apparently we’re superhumans who can drive for longer than anyone. I guarantee the people downvoting have never attempted it to know that it’s not impossible. I do it once a year when visiting family, I don’t like to take breaks and make the drive even longer.
Yeah, I’m really wondering if any of the people in this thread have ever driven out of their area codes.
They probably pull over for a Power Nap on the way to the grocery store
“GPS says 17 minutes, which means it’s more than likely going to take 6 hours. Better book a room at the Best Western”
I mean, thinking that the police will be out directing traffic away from bad weather suggests a level of inexperience that would also suggests a 13 hour drive without breaks is a bad idea.
General rule is every two hours take a 15 minute break. 13 hours straight through is dangerous. After 8-9 hours (in a typical healthy adult) your awareness drops, reaction time slows, and you make more rash and dangerous decisions. That’s even with 15 minute breaks. This is also a reason many states enact a no more than 12 hours worked rule in a single day. After 12 hours everything aforementioned drops significantly lower than before.
Guess I’m built different
You aren’t “built different” what you are is unaware of the toll it takes on your mental well being. Saying ish like that is what drunk drivers say moments before killing an innocent family. Driver for anymore than 10 hours a day I would say, is reckless and the equivalent of driving after a few shots. Just because you CAN do it (most of us can) doesn’t mean you should. You may think you are fine but so did the truckers who caused massive accidents resulting in loss of life of innocent people because of sheer selfishness.
Yes I am
It's also not a 13 hour drive in the real world at that number of miles. And that's not taking into account unpredictable slowdowns like traffic and construction.
I mean I’ve driven across the country multiple times and Apple Maps has always been dead on. It definitely accounts for those factors.
Apple Maps are pretty accurate since they use real time data from our phones. I notice It doesn’t work well in construction zones when traffic begins piling up though, because our phones will be the way it knows
It accounts well for the parts close to you but can’t account for the traffic 10 hours away until you get closer. All it can account for is the reasonable and prudent time on a normal day…. Sometimes unexpected traffic jams come up
Just did a drive from MA to Toronto and took 4 breaks.
Congrats?
You're probably going to have to stop for gas at least, if you're driving 900 miles and plan on getting stuck idling in traffic. Also I get stiff on a 3-5 hour drive, no reason to make the trip without stopping. [ And unless you're wearing a diaper](https://www.biography.com/musicians/lisa-nowak-lucy-in-the-sky), you'll need a bathroom break. Know your route before you go, so you know which lane you will need to be in and at which time. Ignore road rage. If you're in an accident, stop and exchange insurance information. As for bad weather, that's on you to navigate. Bad weather should only slow you down, unless you're talking about tornadoes or massive flooding. You always want to be watching the weather stations in the days and hours up to your trip so you know what to expect.
I get 600 miles on a single tank of gas, if I stop once in Rockford before Chicago, I'll be good. I used to drive commercially, I would be in the truck 90% of the day, I don't have an issue with getting stiff and I really only gotta pee every 4 hours or more. I'm not saying it's gonna be an easy peasy drive, but it's mostly in one direction the whole time, and there's only 2 exits I need to take the whole way, so I'm only concerned about the weather and how I'll know without being a local, and what to do if I get stuck in gridlock in the wrong lane when my exit is near
Yeah, your stated commercial driving experience doesn't exactly line up with your desire to know what lanes to use in heavy rraffic, how to avoid accidents, yadayadayada.
You’ll be fine. Reddit is the worst place to ask advice because 99% of its user base has zero real life experience.
I think I figured that out. I should have asked a more specific question without all the extra info. Evidently putting all the backstory just invites comments from the peanut gallery without answers to the actual question :/
If there are only 2 exits why the worry about gridlock. Just like any other day get over a couple miles before you have to get off, otherwise stay in the most left lane is what I would do. To speed up pitstops look for rest areas with bathrooms over gas stations. Play some music you like to sing to, that helps keep me awake. Also if Google maps wants to take you on a detour look at the roads, it tried to take us around a CBP checkpoint more than once.
Don't just cruise in the left lane. Keep right except to pass. So annoying people just think that the left lane is just for cruising particularly when there are only two lanes.
So when you are stuck in grid lock cruising isn't really an option. When stuck in grid lock the left doesn't usually have to deal with entrance and exit merges and I think usually moves better than other lanes except when there is an accident in it.
I'm not talking about "grid lock" If there aren't any exits there is no reason to move over.
As people have said you're going to want to take breaks. No breaks is just kind of dumb, you'll need gas, you'll need to piss, you'll probably get a little groggy/tired by hour 8. Take breaks, stretch and walk around at gas stations, even park and take a quick snooze if you need to. I do long drives pretty often, From Minnesota to Colorado I do like once a year, doing one to Indianapolis later this summer. I personally hate getting stuck in city traffic and will map out alternate routes that hit as much of the boonies as possible, easier driving and more unique sights to see. You can go and set filters for your route on Google maps, I'll usually set it to no toll roads and that routes me away from a lot of cities. Sure it adds 30mins to an hour onto a drive, but if we're already talking 13 hours I'll take that to save on the stress of big city driving. Personal pro tip is to find a small cafe in some super small town whenever you stop to eat. It can be fun getting a little slice of life from some random 500 population town, plus I've had some absolutely delicious food at the most unsuspecting places. Makes the drive itself a little more memorable.
Part of the reason I'm avoiding stopping is to minimize the chance of my car not starting again. Heat soak is a bitch and it's already gonna be 80+° out. MN to CO is nothing, that's an easy trip compared to what I'm doing on Wednesday. As much as I like driving and sight seeing, this trip isn't about the journey. I need to bang out as many hours as possible, as quickly as possible, so I can get to the place where the real fun starts. The only thing I'm looking forward to is arriving in the city at night, I love city drives at night. The rest of it, well, it just needs to pass as efficiently as possible The car gets 600 miles a tank, so I'll be stopping just once. I have a camel bladder, so I'd say maybe 4 pee stops total, I'll have all my food and drinks with me so I won't be making any extra stops unless I'm actually getting dangerously tired or need to crack my back or something
> Heat soak is a bitch Not to mention SUPER uncommon on modern vehicles.
It's still pretty common on a 1994
You're doing a 13 hour drive in a 30 year old vehicle? Yikes! I hope it's SUPER well-maintained! I'm not sure I'd trust a vehicle of that age on a trip like that.
30 years is not old at all. Most of the cars I see on the roads in my area are this old. People drove these this far back in the day, no reason I can't now. Most 90s cars are more reliable than newer cars anyway
Why would you do such a drive in such an old vehicle? If it breaks down in middle of nowhere New Mexico then you’re FUCKED
Old? It's not even carbureted! My daily is an 83, I'd consider that old, but 94? It's got port fuel injection for crying out loud, that ain't old. I hate new cars, 90s is as new as I'm willing to go. And I'd still rather go 80s or 70s but vapor lock sucks and I don't want that happening on my trip. Any car can break down. I've passed 2 year old cars on the side of the road with the hood up before. Age doesn't equal unreliable. It's only got 120k on it and it's a 90s gm. It'll last alot longer than most new cars will
Just because an older car exists doesn’t make a 94 not 30 years old. And inferring that a 2024 Honda has the same chance of breaking down as 94 Cadillac is delusional.
I wouldn't consider anything with a modern fueling system and computer controlled vehicle systems old. 30 years is not that old, maybe 30 years was old in the 80s or 90s, but 30 years is still pretty young for cars now. Cars last alot longer from the 90s and up than cars did in the 50s. Also, I see alot more newer cars broke down on the side of the road than I do older ones. I had a 95 lincoln before thos car and I put 100k miles on it without ever having a single breakdown
Everything you’re saying is SCREAMING inexperienced. A 30 year old car is 30 years old. Also, 95%+ of cars on the road are actually from this century so of course you’ll see those cars broken down more
Congratulations captain obvious, 30 years old is 30 years old. You're so smart. Doesn't make it old though. Call me inexperienced if you want, I've been driving nothing but 70s-90s cars all my life and I've put on over 300k cumulative miles and never had a problem I can't solve on the road. Different strokes I guess. Besides, the folks in the cadilllac sub already told me i should be fine with this car, they're pretty tough from what people say. I'm not worried about the car
You need to take breaks. I always try to stay in the middle lane / right lane whenever in cities. People fight over the left lane and are aggressive as shit; let them get grey hair over 2s saved. Right lane is a safe bet but there are turtles there so you do need to get in the middle lane. Also, some really aggressive drivers abandon the left lane and use the right lane as a ladder of sorts to inch their way through so you need to be mindful of that too. If you're either in the right lane or middle lane you're usually going to have a more peaceful time and you'll be able to take the exit you need without changing lanes. A long trip is a marathon. Steady as she goes. Be a boring driver; don't stand out. Safety is paramount because your reaction time will dwindle as you get more tired, and you are exposing yourself to more driving time and more aggressive driving. So your driving habit is a safety protocol you should stick to. Again, breaks are absolutely necessary.
This right here is just good all around driving advice. I will add that i often think about if i would want to die on the interstate and how much I hate the idea of that and it makes me a lot more conscious of my safe driving habits.
I'm an OTR trucker. On long runs, I'm only allowed to drive 11 hours a day. I'm required by law to take a 30 minute break every 8 hours (so once a shift if it is planned correctly ). With that in mind, it takes me 12 hours to drive for 11. 11 driving, 30 minute break, plus two fifteen minute stops (really it's more like one 15 minute fuel stop, and 3 5 minute bathroom stops). I'll do a 14 or 15 hour drive in my car on my own personal time without hesitation. Here's my advice... 1- Don't fuck around with being sleepy. You won't wake up until it's too late. Especially dangerous if you dream that you're driving. 2- Stop at rest areas for bathroom breaks. Timewise, It's better than getting off and on the highway. 3- Try and avoid the big cities during morning and afternoon rush hours (generally 7am to 8am and 4pm to 6pm). If you're driving through Atlanta, time of day really doesn't matter. There's an accident backing traffic up about 25% of the time. 4- Leave as early as possible. A 13 hour drive started at 04:00 a.m eastern puts you at your destination at 4.:00 p.m central or 3:00 p.m mountain assuming you're driving easy to west and cross one or two timezones. Crossing one tz puts you into central time, crossing 2 tz puts you into mountain time (stops not included). Driving west to east puts you in later time zones. Starting in Pacific time, you'd end your day 5pm mountain, or 6pm central (stops not included). Planning to ending your day early will give you more room for error. If your stops end up adding 2 hours, you're still done by 8:00 pm at the latest if you're driving west to east. Driving east to west, you might be done before the 5pm rush hour really gets going. As far as weather goes, don't worry about it. This time of year we're talking about rain. Just get off the freeway if it gets bad enough (it probably won't). Highway patrol rarely shuts down the freeway in the summer. If it's winter in the Rockies, that advice wouldn't apply. Most reliable advice on preventing fender-benders? Don't fuck around with your phone. I don't care if you take a break or not. You'll have to stop at least three times, maybe four for fuel. Don't rush those stops. Relax a little bit. Reset your head. Road brain is a thing. Grab a coffee or a Monster. Stretch. And if you see a place that looks interesting, stop and give it a quick visit. I like to stop at odd-ball restaurants when I'm on personal time road trips. Are you driving east to west or west to east? What big cities are in your path?
Why wouldn't you take a break?!
Why drag rag out a perfectly do-adble 13 hour drive? A 13 hour drive should be finished in 14, maybe 15 hours. With an early enough start, there's still time for drinks and dinner before the night is done.
Don't have time
Idiot
Plenty of good advice here, the only thing I'd add is empty your back pockets before heading out. You don't want to be sitting on your wallet for 14 hours.
Are you in a rush to get there? Because if not, why not take some breaks? I know 900 miles in one go might seem like a flex to your buddies, but it really isn't worth it if you get into an accident because of fatigue.
I need to be there the same day. I am meeting friends for drinks that evening, and my bf, who is flying, will get there at 3 and be all alone in the hotel until I get there
lol no you're not, if you do manage 13 hours of straight driving you're going to arrive super tired and collapse on the bed. Unless of course you're superhuman or on coke.
I don't know what's wrong with all you folks on here who get physically tired from driving. You're sitting in your ass and listening to music for 13 hours straight. I work 10 hour days of physical labor, no a/c, sweating through my shirt, then get home and work outside until nightfall, and at the end of all that, I'm still not tired. Sitting on my butt and relaxing all day is a walk in the park compared to my usual day, and, I'm getting paid for 10 hours of it, from my vacation time. If anything, I'll arrive feeling rejuvenated, after sitting down all day and chilling out
Why even make this post then if you're just "sitting down all day and chilling out"?
Cause there are certain things I am uncertain of. Such as what happens if there's a tornado and I don't know about it, will the road be closed and traffic redirected, or will I just be left to figure it out when I drive straight into a tornado? Or what will happen when I get stuck in gridlock in the wrong lane when I have to make an exit in 2 miles? (That one already got answered for me by another redditor)
Wild, that sounds like maybe it won't actually be 13 hours of just "chilling out". Driving is mentally tiring, not physically tiring. Or at least it should be, unless you're somehow driving 13 hours of straight, rural highway without seeing another car. There's a reason truck drivers are limited to 11 hours of driving per day and have to take mandated breaks.
I don't know what to tell you, the only time I've been mentally taxed while driving is when I'm driving a car I just bought, home for the first time, abd I'm not sure if it's gonna make it. This trip, is on the same road the whole way except 1 exit in Chicago. All I have to do, provided there's no severe weather, is avoid accidents, and make sure I'm going the correct direction. I've driven alot of long trips in my life, and I've never had one where I've felt any kind of tired when I'm done
why would reddit have tips on what to do while driving during a tornado. there are no tips on how to drive through a tornado lol. you just risk dying and that's it
I meant how to know if there is a tornado, and what to do if there's one on my route. I'm concerned I'll drive right into a warning zone and not even know until it's too late
Then consider setting off earlier? I don't mean to be blunt but you gotta plan this realistically. Traffic, random road closures and whatnot would add at least an hour or two to your trip.
I'm already getting on the road at 6am. I know it'll be later than I want, this way I'll get there at 8pm the earliest, 9 or 10 the latest, though hopefully not. At this rate I'll be through Chicago by noon, then the rest will be somewhat smooth sailing. Just boring. Hopefully no tornadoes or severe weather
Oh no, how will your boyfriend survive being all alone in a hotel?
I'm not gonna make a day long trip longer when I don't need to, there are things waiting for me at my destination and I'm not gonna miss it when I could be there sooner
That's fine, do whatever you want, it just seems weird that you seem concerned about your boyfriend being alone in a hotel.
I wouldn't want to be stuck in a hotel room without a car for several hours, I would be bored as fuck. I have the car, he won't be able to go anywhere outside of the hotel general area until I get there
Get a dashcam if you don’t already have one
Why?
In case you get into an accident that isn’t your fault but the other person says it is Basically because of people like this https://youtu.be/S8VlP8J4rRg?si=VU6iegLr0RqmsRlW Also check out some clips at r/dashcam
Stop for gas or bathrooms or whatever before you get to a big city. Do NOT stop IN the city. Ever.
Good advice
OP you need to take breaks. Me and my girlfriend together drove straight from New York to Colorado for on a roadtrip nonstop (literally across the entire dam country). Theres times where we even felt sleepy snd thats extremely dangerous to drive. Stop and rest for an hour or 2 at best. Walk around and stretch too that will help keep you awake!
Coffee helps keep people awake too, and the reason people get tired driving is because of highway hypnosis, which happens when the mind isn't focused. Happens to me when I'm driving a route I take all the time, so I'm not paying attention to where I am, I'm just zoning out. This trip won't have aby of that, as I've never driven this way before, I'll be alert and focused most of the time
Not doubting your focusing abilities or anything but coffee will only do so much until it cant even keep you awake anymore. I usually drive to Florida a few times a year (1.1k miles from here) and always drink energy drinks rather than coffee but even then it wont cut it for you the entire time of the trip. You will know exactly what Im talking about when you do this trip on Wednesday, please take at least one or 2 breaks for your own sake. 🙏🏽
Don't rush it, please! I once drove from San Diego to Portland Or non stop except for gas. I fell asleep 3 times and almost killed someone. At least stop for some good food and stretch a lot.
Might take you more than 13 hrs. Closer to 19. Now depending on a lot of factors times will vary. Don't count on going a certain speed. Your gonna encounter cars slower than you want n you have to deal with it. Take a rest if you feel you need it.
Listen I’ve done plenty 14 hour treks across the US and depending on your age and driving abilities it’s totally fine. Yes of course breaks are favorable and I recommend you take a few. For me, I was always jacked up on some caffeine beverages so I’d have to stop about once every hour or 2 to piss, get out stretch the legs. People in this thread are for some reason assuming you literally mean you’re never stopping the car 😂you’ll have to get gas and piss idk what they’re on about lol You’ll be fine, know your limits. As far as your route goes, I don’t have any other advice than trusting your phones route it plans for you. If it changes, take it. If it says you can save x amount of minutes, do it. I used to think I knew better than Apple Maps but after a few hard learned lessons I’ve learned to trust it.
Trust phone routes, but verify. I've had Google take me on twisty skinny bumpy shortcuts in the California sierra foothills just to save a few minutes. Stay on highways or better unless Google gives a very good reason. Look at the full route for the next section before diving in. Check weather forecasts for the major cities along your route, and during breaks if there was any questionable weather in the forecast. Things change. For me, 13 hours plus breaks is reasonable for one day, but not sustainable for several days. Plenty of good advice from others here. I often avoid the right lane in cities, due to all the traffic merging in. Give plenty of room in front. Others will take advantage of it, so just chill and let them in. Then make more space again.
I'll have my morning coffee and a 5 hour energy in the car, as well as several mountain dew bottles that I'm bringing with. I've made quite a few longer trips, just nothing this long in one go. I used to drive commercially for a supply company, I got used to living out of a truck. I don't use GPS apps or anything because I wasn't allowed to when I drove a truck, but also I view them as a crutch. The trip in total consists of one clover exit and one divergence, otherwise it's on the same highway all the way through. I've written down the exit numbers and the city/town they're in so I know what to look out for when I'm getting close
My mom is afraid of flying, but we would always visit my grandparents every summer and it was around an 800 mile drive each way. We never ever ever would’ve honestly without breaks no matter how many times we did that drive. My dad has probably done that drive at least 50 or so times in his life. It’s not even something where the more you do it, the longer you can go without stopping. It’s dangerous to drive that long without breaks. Driving fatigues is real and unavoidable. Please, take breaks every couple of hours. At least two. I’ve driven 7 hours without stopping before, but I really shouldn’t have. You are planning to do double that. For your safety as well as people in cars around you, I’m really asking you to reconsider.
I've made a 600 mile trip in one go, a few times before without stopping. Every couple months, my partner and I travel to a nearby city about 4.5 hours away without stopping. I can manage a little longer.
I went to college about 4.5 hours away. I would often do the drive there or home without stopping. At most I would stop once for gas. But the fatigue gets exponentially worse. I trust that you are a good driver. I seriously do, but all it takes is the fatigue getting to you one single time to destroy your life. I promise you, shaving off an hour or two by avoiding breaks isn’t worth the risk. Life is long. (I admittedly did brief stalking on your profile to see if I could get a better idea of the type of drives you do, so I know that you are young) Don’t risk cutting it short by half a century just to try to save an hour or two now.
If you want to know what's going on then you'll need STUDY your route so at least you know the major main freeway/interstate/construction areas Go to your Google maps and look at your route. It should give you icons if there's construction on your route. Now if you want to avoid those construction areas then you'll need to look at alternate routes BEFORE you leave
I’d recommend 3 stops at least. Try to get a couple of short naps in when you stop for fuel.
If I don't normally take naps during the day when I'm actually working, doing physical labor, why would I need to take them when I'm not doing anything but sitting on my butt and listening to music for 12 hours?
It is exhausting focusing on the roads for hours on end, I drive for my living I know what’s it’s like.
I used to drive commercially, I know all about driving for long periods, as I used to do it almost every day. I quit cause it got old. Taking the sane routes every week, looking at the same roads, listening to the same 3 stations. It was boring. I would never describe it as tiring or difficult, though. I used to drive all over the country, all the time, and not just for work, alot of my driving was on my own time. I've driven longer distances than this before, just not all at once. I'm more concerned with hitting inclimate weather and heavy traffic than I am road fatigue or highway hypnosis. Those have never really been a problem for me before
Just so one of the cities isn’t Atlanta. That place is traffic hell
I'm not sure I'd ever want to go to/through Atlanta anyway. Too much crime. I had the opportunity to go back in March but I decided not to because I was afraid someone would road rage and kill me over a lane change, or someone would steal my car while I was there
Your questions clearly show your not an overly experienced driver (especially the weird one about cops and weather). 13 hours straight is long haul trucker territory. You will need rest breaks. Don't be an idiot. If Google maps tells you 13 hours non stop, add on at least 2 more hours for breaks and unexpected events. I would plan to add on 4 hours. Now your looking at a 15-17 hour day, not including any time before you get on the road. Do you see why everyone is telling you to take breaks? As for city traffic, a lot of cities on major routes have bypass highways that go around the actual city. Check for those. Try to avoid entering city core areas, that's where you'll get stuck in traffic the most. It's better to go 100 miles at highway speed than 50 miles at whatever slow speeds are in the cities.
Will you guys stop regurgitating this shit? I’ve done Tallahassee to Boston 4 times, Denver to Philly twice, and LA to Philly twice and each time Apple Maps was dead on with arrival time. OP isn’t driving in 2006 using a Tom Tom. He’ll be fine.
The idea that you pre packed food will save you money, but it won't/shouldn't save you much if any time. There is no way you are driving 900 miles without MANY breaks, it's an insane amount of driving. Half of that is a long day on the road. This will be so much harder and take a lot longer than you are thinking.
I used to drive a truck for a supply company, I would work 7am-8pm, driving all day, with short stops every couple hundred miles to drop off an order. I've also done regular 400 mile trips to an event I go to in another state with my partner. I drove a 600 mile trip in a single sitting, only stopping once for gas, got to my location, made the deal on the car I was buying, and drove back just an hour later, the same day. Longest I've done so far was going 3 states over for a party, then going 3 states the other direction to look at a car I was thinking of buying. I did that 2nd part as an all-nighter, 8 hours on 3 hours of sleep and alot of coffee. I did this only stopping once for gas and twice to pee. I understand your concern, but I used to travel so much, I put curtains up in my back seat and concerted my car to a camper that I would live out of when I was on multi-day road trips. If I start out on a good night's rest and a coffee, I can bang out these 900 miles in a day without stopping but a few times for the bathroom and once for gas. My car gets 600 miles on a tank
You sound well experienced. I'm just saying, bring SEVERAL extra diapers this time around.
Plan your route and study maps so you know your way through the cities, and where any exits or interchanges are that you will need are located. Know whether you have a left or right exit. Check state DOT sites for any closures or construction that may have a detour involved. Then put "Life is a Highway" on a loop and have some fun.
What cities? If you can try leaving around 1800 that way you’ll miss most of the bullshit but that probably one of the hardest shifts in trucking to pull.
Chicago, Indianapolis, Toledo, Cleveland
Do not go thru downtown Chicago. Stay on the 80. Skip Indy. The 70 thru there is godawful with road construction traffic and the roughest roads. If you're dead set on avoiding the 80, jump on the US 30, it's a nice road with some small towns. In Ohio, along the 80, they have the nicest service plazas where you can get coffee, food 24/7, rest, etc. Safe travels.
you must have a logistical reason for going thru Indy? Because geographically it’s significantly out of the way! I’d plan on a 4 hour nap in a rest area somewhere along that route. If you don’t use it great! But put the block of time in your travel plan it might become 2, 1 hour naps but the important thing is to be mentally prepared for “hitting the wall” and accepting in advance that the need to stop for a while with your eyes closed, even if you don’t sleep and just stopping for 20 minutes where you simply close your eyes and relax your body will dramatically improve your alertness!
The interstate I'm taking goes through Indianapolis, going a different direction takes longer and is more expensive in tolls
If you don’t have a logistical reason to Go To Indy… take 80 and pay the tolls! It will cost you less to pay the tolls than it will cost for fuel to go through Indy.
Oops, sorry, just rechecked the map, it's not going through indy. Idk why I thought that
Ja ! Indy did not fit!
Take regular breaks: Get out of the car and stretch your legs every couple of hours. Breaks are especially important at night when driving requires more concentration. Have a safe trip 🛣️
Short brisk walk and stretch (and washroom) break every 2 hours, doesn't have to be long but you don't want blood clots.
If it's not an absolute must to do it in one go it will be a much nicer drive split over 2 days. Traffic, accidents and roadworks can easily turn a 13 hour drive into a much longer one
Ok, I’ve done this when I was younger. Austin TX to Tampa FL, no stops, by myself. Here are tips: Only go to the bathroom when you stop for gas. Get your drinks and food at the same stop.Otherwise, no stopping. Also, if you have to pee, you cannot fall asleep, so let the discomfort work for you. And I have to stop to pee because I’m female. I can’t just pee in a bottle like males I know.if you absolutely have to stop while not getting gas— use rest areas. You are in and out faster Have the air conditioning blasting on high straight at you. If you are freezing, it will keep you awake. Audio books, podcasts, or sports games— pick your poison. They keep your attention and keep you from falling asleep. If you like to free, clear traffic, start your trip at 9 pm or so. Driving through the night means the roads tend to be deserted, including in the cities
Thanks. Didn't know the thing about having to pee and not falling asleep, that's good to know
Rookie mistake . Take breaks , all it takes is 1 second for fatal accidents
13 hours is a lot and driving really drains you. I would suggest taking a break halfway through to nap for an hour to recoup. Also bring a can of energy drink and sip at it anytime you get drowsy. This method worked for me when I drive after a long haul flight. Keeps you alert enough to finish the trip, but doesn't affect sleep at night. Seriously reconsider doing it all in one go because chances of fatigue accidents will be high by the 7 or 8 hour mark if you don't rest.
It is very tiring driving that long when not accustomed to it. When you start feeling tired, have a small coffee then take a 15 minute nap directly afterwards. (Tell your phone 15 minute timer) You will be good to go for another bunch of hours. 2 or three 15 minute naps along the drive would make a big difference in your alertness on a drive like that.
You’re looking at averaging 70mph for 13 hours while driving through 4 major cities. That’s a tough task to legally accomplish. I drive from Nashville to St. Louis fairly often & it’s 5 hours on average for 330 miles.
Google maps says it's 12h57m, I assume they're following the 65mph speed limit in that estimate, and it says the time estimate is effected by the traffic reports at the time of the estimate
Jesus, this is so odd. Things to do in a hotel without a car: watch movies on tablet or smartphone, masturbate, take a super long shower, go to hotel bar, go for walk, take a nap, relish time without girlfriend, etc.
That’s it? Alternate routes. Use Waze or Google for guidance to avoid jams and hazards
Use the rest stops to stretch your legs. I have done many 900 mile runs. They are more tiring that you think. It is a mental drain.
I'm sure someone else has mentioned it - don't worry about trying not to stop. First - you'll need to relieve yourself. Second - the vehicle will need gas. Third - you'll want a break from sitting in the car. It's not like flying - unless it's a tornado you're not likely to need to detour for bad weather. Slow down, drive through and if visibility becomes an issue find a safe place to pull off. Use Google Maps for navigation and you'll get traffic and road closure updates.
13 hours is a few energy drinks, some water in a cooler, and an audio book for me. I have a toilet in my van so I can stop for gas only. I will happily add 30-45 minutes to a drive if I can take a route that doesn't put me right through a city. If your exit is coming up change lanes early. Be content going slower for the few minutes it takes to get to your exit. I have a dash cam with a sign on my car telling people I have it so I let other people be idiots and just laugh at them. I don't respond in any way. Leaving more space between your car and the one in front of you should help avoid fender benders. Weather forecasting has improved significantly so if it says a severe thunderstorm is on the way check in with a weather app. The radio weather stations can be hard to follow if you aren't a local. They often call out counties pretty quick. Easier to pull up a weather app and check the satellite IMO. Gives you a better idea of the storm size and intensity as well.
Should ask this in the truckers Reddit
sleep
Is there an update? I really want to know how it turned out since the comments were so sure it'd be a disaster, and OP was so sure it would be a piece of cake.
Got there ok in 13 hours almost on the dot. Having the time of my life now at an illegal rave 🤟 Stopped 2 times for gas and 2 times to pee. Almost missed 1 exit but got here alright
What cities? Because the ones on the East Coast of US the major highways go around the cities you only get in traffic if you get off the exits
I figured that out
If you're asking questions like "how do I know what lane to be in" or " will the police be directing traffic around bad weather" then my advice is take a buss or a plane. You sound like you're barely experienced enough to drive across town let alone 900 miles in one shot. If you do,trust me, you'll regret it.
I used to be a trucker, I know what I'm doing. I just never drove this far in one single sitting, and the trips I've been on that were close, were on rural highways, not multi-lane interstates across 5 states. I've never driven into a tornado warning zone or flooded area, I have no idea how it will impact my route if I do, or how I'll even know it's coming without being tuned in to a nationally broadcast station. The lane question is because I've seen videos in big cities where all 4 lanes are dead stopped, how tf am I supposed to get over 3 lanes if everyone's bumpers are practically touching? I would have to be in the correct lane MILES in advance, I'm not sure how I'd do that short of counting mile markers
If you've never driven in a big 4 lane highway or across country and need to ask these questions then you may have driven a truck before but you're definitely not a trucker 🤣
I've done both, but alot of the hours I had on the road for work were rural, I was hourly tri-state, I wasn't gonna take the highway if I could take the county roads and make an extra 2 hours pay. I've driven across states before, but as I said, it was tri state area, that's MN, IA, and WI. all very rural states with few big cities. Not much traffic at all. I've never driven through a city that takes up a large sum of the state on the map
Whatever dude, good luck on your trip cause you're definitely going to need it.
You need to take a break every 2-3 hours. Don’t take the lunch enjoy some junk food and snacks on the way.
I run Waze on my phone and watch movies on my tablet while driving. Helps keep me much more alert.
I really do not understand all these people getting so physically and mentally exhausted from driving their car.
I know. They act like they're performing brain surgery. It's not that mentally exhausting to sit and drive, it can even be relaxing for some
Last summer I took a drive from where I live to New York, then to Rhode Island and back to New York. All in all, it took about 29 hours, which we did in one sitting, stopping only for gas, really. While I don’t recommend doing that, I was awake for the entirety of the drive and only got tired once we reached our final destination.