road tripHave a road trip in your future? Jenny and I are planning a road trip from Moncton, New Brunswick to Oxbow, Saskatchewan. It will be our first road trip west of Ontario. We won’t be going until we get a car which is in the plans for 2012.

I found this article, written by an expert trucker, who knows how to have a successful road trip.

1. Tune-Up Your Vehicle Before Your Road Trip

My truck driving friend Ken refers to this as the “Pre-Trip Inspection”.  It your opportunity to locate any possible problems before you hit the road. It can be considerably more costly if things break down on the road.

Here really are a few important things you should check before leaving:

  • fluid amounts
  • fan-belt and hoses
  • lights and turn signals
  • spark-plug and electrical wiring
  • windshield wipers
  • air-conditioner/heater
  • tire pressure and tread wear
  • and spare-tire stress

It’s also useful to carry a few more supplies with you immediately after you leave – just in situation.

2. Bring meals, water, and snacks so you don’t need to stop

Qualified truckers carry meals, drinks, and generally possess a microwave within their truck for uncomplicated cooking.  Preparing your own meals saves a ton of cash whilst on the road, and is not as difficult while you believe. Getting food on hand saves each money and time when preserving sustenance.  Head to the grocery shop just before you leave and stock up – it is actually a lot more affordable that convenience retailers.

3. Ask for any and all discounts

We like to stop at information booths were we often find useful coupon books with discounts on a variety of things that will save us money. The more money we can save allows us to stay longer or to spend it on things we enjoy.

One discount we always look for is lodging with free breakfasts, every bit we save counts and helps pay for the ridiculous fuel costs today. When there are three or four of us those little things add up quickly.

We will also try to use lodging that offers free nights after 2 or 3 stays. It really added up the savings when we were heading to Florida.

Some places we like to get discounts.

  • dining establishments
  • theme parks
  • museums

Find Senior Discounts Online

We just became senior citizens and take full advantage of any and all senior discounts. The Internet is just the place to find locations we can get discounts, before we plan our route. Just a little time online can save hundreds on our travels.

Government Discounts

My wife Jenny works for the government and you can be sure we will take advantage of any discounts she can get.

Register In Advance Can Save Money

Just like airfare prices one can get a better deal if they plan their stay in advance. Add those saving to the saving you get by staying where you get a free breakfast and you can see you will have more spending money. It works for us.

Get A GPS

I have travelled using maps and I have traveled using GPS and when I use GPS I am less stressed, get lost less frequently and manage to arrive at places on time.

One road trip we took had me so stress that I actually thought about just coming back home. We had to stop in a parking lot, in a strange place, and ask how to get back on track which was even more stressful.

4. Bring A Wireless Laptop Along

The first time we brought our wireless notebook with us it was so cool. We were so surprised to find so many places we could access the Internet while still driving. I was accessing while I was driving, that was my wife’s task.

Enjoying a road trip and saving dollars simultaneously isn’t going to need to be a demanding or time consuming activity.  Following a few easy guidelines from these working expert Trucking Jobs could be the ideal method to have a frugal, but fulfilling, road trip.

Related posts:

  1. 7 Recommendations For A Memorable Road Trip

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