Travel Safety Tips from a Big Rig Trucker

I've been on the road for over a year now. There's not a day that I don't see yellow and white stripes shooting by at seventy miles-per-hour on old and new asphalt. Dirt roads, city streets, highways, and interstates, I've seen them all.

As a big rig trucker, an over-the-road pickup truck driver, and now a passenger van people-toting roadie, I will tell you everything you need to know to travel safely through the great expanse of the U.S. of A. Take it from someone who's seen a thing or two.

Don't Get Lost

Did you know that the American Highway System is 46,876 miles long? I didn't personally measure it in my time out there, I just asked Google. That's a lot of road, which means there's plenty of wrong turns and ways to get lost out there.

Always pack yourself a reliable GPS. If your car has a built-in internal navigation system, pack another. Pack another on top of that actually, for good measure. I've seen many different types of navigation devices in my time on the road. At least one of them will eventually take you the wrong way, so have one or two more to fall back on when the first one can't figure it out.

I have found Google Maps to be my best friend when travelling in a regular sized passenger vehicle. Heck, even as a big rig driver, Google Maps got me out of a few circles that took me a few rounds to figure out that my Garmin was supposed to know how to navigate. New Jersey has the craziest road structure, I tell you.

Pro Tip: Keep multiple forms of navigation in your vehicle and be sure to have a way to safely look at it on the road. Get a phone holder, a GPS that suctions to your vehicle, or a quick access screen on most vehicles with internal navigation. Never hold your phone while driving to navigate, it puts everyone's safety at risk!

Getting Fuel Safely

The road is a dangerous place to be, especially at night and if you're travelling solo. Addicts, beggars, Crazy Bob who likes to ask for a dollar from everyone who stops at pump 5, are all things you will run into if you drive anywhere in this country.

One rule of thumb is to always stop at a place that is as well-lit, well-populated, and close to civilization as possible. Choose gas stations or truck stops with cameras and on-site security if you can. This is the easiest way to keep yourself from being targeted by ne'er-do-wells. I also highly advise women, especially those travelling solo, heed these pointers with high priority.

I recommend truck stops every single time over a gas station. Why? Truck stops are usually heavily populated, offer all of the basic needs of a traveler, and are always well-lit and sometimes even guarded by security. I also tend to see police officers hanging out at truck stops over gas stations, which is great for anyone who does not travel with any form of self-defense for whatever reason they have.

Pro Tip: Many truck drivers are trained to identify signs of sex-trafficking. Look for a Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) sticker on the cab of the semi trucks around you if you are in need of help. On the other hand, be very wary of walking between semi trucks parked in truck stop backlots. Criminals are more likely to target you and follow you if you walk between or behind trucks due to the high traffic, noise, and low visibility. Always be cautious when driving through the back lots, as a truck may not see you and hit you, and that's no good!

Emergency Provisions

As you can tell up to this point, the road can be a dangerous and scary place where many things can go wrong. Tires pop, coolant runs low, weather patterns change. Any seasoned roadie knows you've got to come prepared for the worst. As a guy named Murphy once said, "If it can go wrong, it will."

Truckers usually have a microwave, fridge, storage, and air conditioner and heat in their cabs. Some also have what is called an auxiliary power unit (APU) which functions as a generator that consumes less overall fuel to continue powering the truck. We have it pretty sweet, all things considered. You, however, most likely don't have that in your Honda Civic, right? So what do you do to stay stocked and prepared in the case of a breakdown or weather event that will leave you stranded?

Before you head out on your road trip, grab two boxes or crates and make room in your back seat or trunk. Maximize the storage space as much as possible. Allocate one box to survival tools such as wrenches, a tire jack, a spare headlight bulb, you get the idea. Now take the other box and allocate that to survival necessities such as dried non-perishable foods, water, a first aid kit, and the like.

One of the most dangerous breakdowns that could happen is breaking down in extreme conditions like the desert or in a blizzard without preparations. Extreme heat and cold are any unsuspecting human's worst enemy. Always pack accordingly to any and all possible travel conditions. Look at your route, determine the best ecosystems to travel to according to what you have available and what your vehicle can handle. If you're not prepared to be stuck in below freezing conditions, take the extra few hours to drive around the mountains, it could save your life.

Pro Tip: It is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. I would quote this, but Google told me three different guys said it.

Are You Ready for the Road?

Hey, you made it this far! Now you know the basics of what it takes to stay safe on the road. Travelling can be an amazing experience and I recommend that everyone take at least one road trip in their life, I just want to show you how to stay safe while you do it.

Now that you're prepared and ready to roll, rev up that engine, shift into drive, and enjoy the sights! Oh wait, your coffee is still on the roof!