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Muffie

Best Route Driving CO to DC at end of December?

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I offer no good driving options but isn't that going to be 1,600 miles of snow driving no matter how you look at it? Understand, I'm a total wuss when it come to that, but it seems like there simply must be a more enjoyable travel option here than driving at that time of year.
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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I'd keep an eye on the storms and then decide which route to use.
I've picked up loads in Oakland/San Jose going to NJ and been known to drop down to one of the more southern routes just to stay out of the mess.
I have a few reasons why I'm not bothered by extra miles in winter.
Here's 2....
Sitting in Nebraska snowed in at a truck stop because the highways shut down really starts to suck after about a day. The winds blowing 70 mph it's freezing cold and to get to the resteraunt you have to walk through 6 - 8 foot drifts of snow. Other then to let the dog out I just stay in my truck with all the comforts of home but I don't like sitting. I come out here to truck, not sit.
#2...
The road is a dangerous place...real dangerous. Go see how many people our highways kill every year. In winter it's worse.
The trucking industry sucks these days. The pay for new drivers is horrendous ( you could make far more money for way less hours flipping burgers). The big freight hauling companies ( I can provide you names if you like ) have huge turn over rates and find it nearly impossible to find new drivers.
This has forced these companies into getting new drivers trained as quickly as possible and sent out on their own. The problem is these companies suck all the way around and almost everyone uses them as a stepping stone for experience and then they leave for greener pastures.
Since they can't keep anyone in their seats because of pay and shitty equipment even their " trainers" are in actuality rookies themselves and have no business being trainers.
These companies are the cause of loads of accidents out here. The only reason these companies continue to get away with this is because they are self insured.
If the Feds really want to make the highways safer they'll quit creating laws against us that do nothing to promote safety and they'll go after the real offenders.

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Muffie

I have to move for work and have a six month old puppy. Don't want her to have to travel in the cargo hold of a plane, so we're driving. (She's already 50+ pounds, so no under the seat option for us.)



I applaud you for this. I follow a lot of the airline horror cases and it just breaks my heart.
Always be kinder than you feel.

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if the feds wanted to make highways safer, they would not let anyone 16 drive. then when they are 18, make them pay for driving lessons. works in germany.

sorry for the drift. having driven a truck for about 7 years, i would go 70 to 270. straight shot and good road. definitely check the weather reports, it can be a little bit of a bitch, but once you get out of kansas, it's not too bad. they usually clean the interstate off pretty quick too.
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Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes

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Thanks for the responses guys!

I generally like to think about these things a lot, but not actually commit to a plan until the last minute. Sounds like that's a good idea with the shifting weather.

Hoping I get a clear weather window (or that this stupid project falls through so I don't have to move in the first place) and will definitely be sure to watch out for all the yahoos on the road.

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You'd have to give me a little more....
We don't particularly like "lining up" out on the highway but sometimes we don't have a choice.
It could be that the rest area was packed ( happens a lot on 95). If your not stopped by, let's say 10pm, you just might not find parking at all.
So now there's no spots, but your tired and can't keep going...so you make a spot.
It won't be long the next guy comes into the rest area and again, tired, no spots and he " makes" a spot.
Before you know it, we are lined up on the highway.
You ( the general public) wakes up and heads to work and sees us parked all over the highway. The guys out on the road were the last to stop and therefore most likely the last to get up.
Personally, I can't sleep if I'm out on the road on the shoulder. It's incredibly dangerous and over the years I've seen some horrific accidents from exactly this. I make sure to time my trip so that this doesn't happen to me but timing isn't always completely under your control.
Recently the Feds changed our rules...AGAIN! They make laws and expect us to drive and sleep/take breaks to an exact schedule which doesn't work in this industry because of the gazillion different variables.
Their quick to make rules without stopping to think if they make any sense ( although they do spend TONS. Of money " studies")
One thing they didn't think all the way through was...where the hell all these trucks going to park to do all this sleeping and break taking. There just isn't enough parking out there, especially on the eastern corridor.
It actually gets a little worse yet....states looking to save money have even closed down many rest areas giving us even less places to sleep.

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Muffie

I know we have a few long-haul truckers on here as well as folks who've done a lot of long distance driving. Anyone have thoughts on what would be the best route to take from Colorado to DC in winter? I-70, I-80, or some other option?



Having gone to college in colorado, parents living in ohio, and in-laws in PA, I can comment, I think.

I've made the drive a lot, I would say watch the weather before you decide. 80 tends to get more snow, while 70 might get more ice, neither of which are nice options, tbh. However, I think in general, 70 is more heavily traveled, so they tend to take care of snow/ice issues faster/better.

The only issue I have with 70 is the PA turnpike. it is absolutely AWFUL in any sort of wet/bad weather, especially at night. This is avoidable, though.

My route to DC would be I-70 to St. Louis, then cut across I-64 to Charlottesville, VA, then pick up I-81N to Strasburg, VA, then I-66 into DC. That way you avoid the shitty PA turnpike.

Honestly, the travel across the flat part of the country isn't going to be as affected by winter weather as the Appalachian stretch is.
Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

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I figured that's what was going on. It happens every night of the year...your just not out here that time of day usually ( obviously).
In virginia it's actually illegal to sleep on the ramps and there's those days when DOT will come out to the rest area and write tickets to everyone who's out there.
Blow outs can throw huge chunks of rubber...we call the big hunk of tread that you see laying on the road " gators" when we warn each other on the radio that it's laying there. Driving over them can do lots of damage.
I seen a guy in a trans am hit a chunk of rubber on 81 just outside of Knoxville years ago. I saw it before he hit it. Not sure if he saw it and thought he could just drive over the top of it or if he didn't see it. Well he hit this slab of rubber and destroyed the front of the car and sent him careening into the woods.
Blow outs is another real good reason to stay away from trucks on the road.
Personally I only buy virgin tires, not " caps". Costs more money up front but you usually don't have this problem. Virgin tires and thoroughly inspecting your truck every day can go a long way in preventing this.
Btw...I LOVE what I do. Wouldn't want to do anything else but I'm not happy what's happened to the industry as a whole.

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swisschris62


Blow outs can throw huge chunks of rubber...we call the big hunk of tread that you see laying on the road " gators" when we warn each other on the radio that it's laying there. Driving over them can do lots of damage.



I called them "road gators". I'm not that clever so I had to hear it somewhere. :P:P
Always be kinder than you feel.

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if you're referring to doubles and triples, then yes. but usually shorter trailers. except on the ny turnpike (i think, it's been a while) where they do it with full sized trailers.

honestly, i forgot about the pa turnpike. if you want to miss that, take 70 to 64 in st louis, then go to 79 to 68 to 70 in wv. again, check the weather, but it's generally not too bad on the road there (i live in wv and travel all over the state). shorter distance than 64 to 81.

edit to correct that 68 to 70 is in md, sorry.
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Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes

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sfzombie13

if you're referring to doubles and triples, then yes. but usually shorter trailers. except on the ny turnpike (i think, it's been a while) where they do it with full sized trailers.

honestly, i forgot about the pa turnpike. if you want to miss that, take 70 to 64 in st louis, then go to 79 to 68 to 70 in wv. again, check the weather, but it's generally not too bad on the road there (i live in wv and travel all over the state). shorter distance than 64 to 81.



The PA Turnpike SUCKS. I spent many years traveling between Atlantic City out to Ebensburg to visit my in-laws. In the winter with snow/ice/rain... just sucks. Almost bought the farm one year on Christmas Eve when skidding on ice.

ETA: I looked at Amtrak recently to see about taking the PHL-MIA route to I wouldn't have to drive. It took something like 28 hours and was insanely expensive compared to air travel. I think it was $1200 round trip to get a little bedroom with a marine looking toilet and shower. No thanks.....
Always be kinder than you feel.

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shropshire

Do they have trains in America?



Yes.
I have a friend in IN who comes out here to CO twice a years to go up to the Granby/Grand Lake area to service wooden boats. He sometimes takes the train, and sometimes flies.
"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

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quade

I offer no good driving options but isn't that going to be 1,600 miles of snow driving no matter how you look at?...



No. They do a pretty good job of keeping the interstate open and clear. The roads will be clear and dry within a day or two of a major storm.

70 all the way to 270 is how I'd go. 70 in PA from the OH line to the turnpike is a bit screwy. Lots of curves, hills and some slow stretches. The turnpike isn't bad, and 70 from the pike into MD is kind of hilly & curvy. But so are all the other options. 70 to 79 to 68 skips the turnpike, but has lots of hills & curves. Dropping down to 64 out of St Louis then up 81 to 95 might be an option if there's a big storm, but it will add a fair amount of distance. 80 takes you way north, adds distance and the IN & OH toll roads. You could bend back south on the PA turnpike, but that means running all 3 toll roads and doesn't do much to make it easier through the Appalachians.

Watch the weather, and if it gets bad, find a place to hole up for a day or two. Once you are east of Kansas, it's pretty rare for the road to be closed for more than a day.

If you pay attention to the weather patterns, most big storms run west to east. And the 5 day forecast is reasonably good for this sort of trip planning.

Can you easily slide your trip a day or two in either direction to accommodate the weather? If you can do that, and pay attention to what's happening, you should be fine.
"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

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JohnMitchell

Yep, practically no one thinks of taking the train in our country. In Europe it's our preferred method of travel. Over here, not so much. [:/]



Cheers John.. just seems like a sensible move, what with the season and all.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

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shropshire

***Yep, practically no one thinks of taking the train in our country. In Europe it's our preferred method of travel. Over here, not so much. [:/]



Cheers John.. just seems like a sensible move, what with the season and all.

Oh, I agree. V and I occasionally take the train to Portland, Oregon for weekend trips. Fun to leave the car behind and Portland has such great public transportation. Train travel, especially commuting, is starting to catch on over here on the West coast. We're still decades behind Europe.

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shropshire

***Yep, practically no one thinks of taking the train in our country. In Europe it's our preferred method of travel. Over here, not so much. [:/]



Cheers John.. just seems like a sensible move, what with the season and all.

Well, to be fair, some years back, Tom, Rebecca, and Tangerine Dream made a serious effort to get 'Muricans interested in the train:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDlTGhe3YoE&t=2m

B|
"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

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