​Truck Wheels and Road Trip Tips

With so many people driving to airports and flying everywhere, you might think the classic road trip is, well, roadkill. That is, many people think road trips are a thing of the past. But this just isn’t true. While loading up the Hyundai with friends or family for a long journey does seem to be on the decline, that is just not the case. In fact, more Americans than ever are taking to the roads for family visits or vacations than ever before. The problem that the art of the road trip is all but lost on many of these people.

The stats say it all, more and more people are hitting the roads, there just is no denying the lure of the road trip. Stats aside, there is little doubt people hit the road for reasons other than getting from point A to point B. Road trips are part of our very being, they are embedded in our very makeup. Man was made to travel in big metal canisters and stop at really bad restaurants, like Applebee’s, to eat.

But to get the most out of your road trip, there are a few tips you need to follow.

Check Your Vehicle

Before you take off on a road trip, you need to do much more than check your wiper fluid and kick your truck wheels to make sure they have plenty of air. You need to take your Ford or Hyundai or whatever you drive to the good mechanic and have them give it a good look.

Even if you think your ride is in tip-top shape, it’s something you don't want to put to chance. All it takes is a weakened belt or cracked hose that should have been discovered before your trip to absolutely ruin your day. There is nothing worse than being stranded on the side of the highway in an unfamiliar state.

Which brings us to our next tip.

Get AAA

Sign up for AAA or some other roadside service or see if it is available through your insurance company. Having this will help you sleep better at night to be sure.

Look, you can have the best team of mechanics in the world look over your car inch by inch, but that won’t stop you from running over a nail and getting a flat tire or suffering a stall due to some other road hazard.

If you have ever traveled the United States before then you know that there is a lot of open space between Los Angeles and New York. If you do happen to get a flat, chances are it will be in the middle of nowhere, with no service station for miles.

But if you have roadside assistance, disaster and frustration can be avoided by a simple phone call.

Which brings us to another tip.

Bring a Map

Sure, we live in the golden age of technology and everybody owns a smartphone and has access to Google maps, that is all fine and well until we get no service. While Google maps is a great app and will get you to your destination, cell phone service isn't as reliable, regardless what the talking heads on the T-Mobile commercials say.

So when you have zero cell phone service driving through that vast wasteland most people refer to as Kansas, you can at least check your tangible maps to make sure you stay on course and get out of Kansas.

Stock Up on Sleep

Think about how much sleep you will be losing on your road trip and make up for it before you leave. You will want to be as fresh as possible for your road trip, which means you should be getting a full night’s sleep every night a week before your set sail, so to speak.

Find the World’s Largest Everything

If there is one thing you should Google before your road trip is where you can find the world's largest artichoke. Seriously, check out all of the crazy roadside exhibits that are on the route you are taking.

Music

This one's a biggie. Look, regardless who you take along on the road trip, there will be at least one argument over the music being played. Whether you are jamming out to the radio or some mixed CD someone brought, there will be a point when somebody will want to physically hurt somebody else unless a song is not stopped playing at this very moment.

The best thing to do is have a long meeting before the trip to exchange artists and songs that will not be tolerated. So if you are into Ed Sheeran or Nickelback, we are sorry but their CDs stay at home.

Also, it is critical that you do bring CDs, an iPod or some other way to play music because you cannot rely on the radio. As anybody knows, driving through most of the country you are subjected to very few radio stations when you are in the middle of nowhere, like Kansas. The only stations available in this abyss are country western and religious talk.

Ask Where to Eat

Sure, you can roll into anytown USA and have lunch or dinner at Applebee’s Perkins or Chili’s, but what fun is that? You can eat at those dives anywhere. If you are feeling adventurous, ask a local where to grab a bite to eat. Chances are it will be a memorable experience and they might even serve decent food.

Embrace the Convenience Store

Convenience stores are truly gems of the road. They offer so much and ask so little in return. Where else can you fill a seemingly bottomless cup of your favorite sugary beverages for under a dollar? These cups are so huge they are outlawed in some cities. Ok, one city at least.

Convenience stores offer classic candies, cheap eats spinning on heated rollers and clean bathrooms. Well, they have bathrooms and after driving 8 hours straight cleanliness can be overlooked.

Some stellar convenience stores around the nation include one with a five-legged cow, one that has a mix-your-own milkshake machine and one that serves sushi. Awesome!

Take Pictures

Road trips are almost better than vacations because there's never any high expectations. You are, after all, just driving to the place where you want to be. But because there is that air of mystery, you never know what might happen.

Be prepared and take pictures along the way. What you thought was something mildly amusing at the time will almost certainly turn out to be the highlight of your road trip and a great story you can tell your children and their children years down the road.