David Morrison, RN (COURTESY OF DAVID MORRISON)
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Last month, we discussed how to prepare for a long-distance drive to a travel assignment. This month, we'll take a look at
a few ways to make that trip a little more tolerable.
Calculate mileage
The first thing you need to do is establish the day on which you would like to arrive. Most travel companies arrange for housing
to be ready on the Friday before a Monday start date; however, I usually try for a Saturday morning arrival.
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Once you have a target date, see how many miles you are from the destination. Last month, I spoke of being realistic with
your expectations. Your first long-distance trip will be a bit of a learning experience as far as how many hours you are able
to tolerate driving per day. It's no picnic, but I can tolerate 1,000 miles a day in my truck. At 65 mph, that works out to
more than 15 hours of driving time—something most people are not willing to endure. Until you are aware of your driving habits,
try to shoot for 500 to 600 miles a day. And at 65 mph, that is still eight to nine hours behind the wheel, which can still
be a bit daunting.
After you add up the total mileage, you can then figure out when you must leave. For example, a trip from Columbus, Ohio,
to Phoenix is approximately 1,900 miles. Figuring 500 miles a day, you are right around four days of driving. Always throw in an extra day, which means you would need to leave Ohio sometime on Monday to get to Phoenix by Saturday. That same
trip has taken me only two days to complete in the past, but that's me, and I log some insane driving times when traveling
to an assignment.
Be safe
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Another thing I prefer is traveling at night. Working 12-hour nights for more than a decade makes this a logical option, but
the lack of traffic on the road also makes it a practical one. Certain aspects of night travel, however, need to be taken
into consideration.
Safety is the primary concern. Being a man, I don't give this much thought, but it is a major consideration if you're a woman.
You can take steps to make the trip safer, whether you are male or female—such as carrying a charged cell phone with you at
all times, having a roadside assistance plan (e.g., AAA), and staying on interstates and major roadways.
Another consideration is fueling up at night. Look for large truck stops with activity at all hours of the night. You will
also have to consider what shape your car is in when contemplating night travel. It's pretty difficult to find a mechanic
at 2 a.m., should you encounter any auto problems.
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