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So I am about 3 weeks away from the big move from TX to CA. I am pretty close to settling on using a 22' or 24' moving truck as I need to haul my car and the diesel trucks get better gas mileage and have larger tanks, which is very important when driving the nothingness that is I-10 in West Texas. Right now I am budgeting 2 days for my 1700 mile move from Houston to the Central Coast of CA. The plan is to leave here around 5am and drive 15-16 hours to stop for the night in eastern AZ, then getting up the next morning and finishing the drive to CA, getting in early evening day 2.
I have never done this route, is this possible? When driving my own car on a long trip with limited time I tend to push through drving as far as I can in Day 1 then finishing up with an easier day on Day 2.
Doablility depends on where you're moving from and to, your experience handling an unfamiliar articulated rental vehicle, level of personal responsibility, and your motorist safety sense while driving when fatigued.
Texas is 900 miles wide and Tuscon is till another 350 miles from the western border. Legally, it takes professional truck drivers two days just to cross the Lonestar State.
"Pushing" yourself that hard in a gasoline powered truck is nothing like driving a four-wheeler the same distance.
I think you'd be wise to budget at least three days for the trip and then be surprised if it takes less time.
So I am about 3 weeks away from the big move from TX to CA. I am pretty close to settling on using a 22' or 24' moving truck as I need to haul my car and the diesel trucks get better gas mileage and have larger tanks, which is very important when driving the nothingness that is I-10 in West Texas. Right now I am budgeting 2 days for my 1700 mile move from Houston to the Central Coast of CA. The plan is to leave here around 5am and drive 15-16 hours to stop for the night in eastern AZ, then getting up the next morning and finishing the drive to CA, getting in early evening day 2.
I have never done this route, is this possible? When driving my own car on a long trip with limited time I tend to push through drving as far as I can in Day 1 then finishing up with an easier day on Day 2.
Yes, I drove from Chicago to Dallas in one day. 15 hours with gas breaks. About 970 miles.
You probably can do it but honestly, I wouldn't try it. I've driven all over the country and it isn't worth it. In May, I moved from The Woodlands to Phoenix...we left at about noon on Friday and arrived Sunday at 2 AM. I have a five year old and two dogs and we drove a 5500 sq ft house in Uhauls Ouch! Be careful!
So I am about 3 weeks away from the big move from TX to CA.
I am pretty close to settling on using a 22' or 24' moving truck as I need to haul my car
Right now I am budgeting 2 days for my 1700 mile move from Houston to the Central Coast of CA.
Google calls it 1737 From Houston to SLO. But that doesn't allow for the on/off, turn around, delay,
weather, and other inevitable extra that WILL happen and all at lower than highway speed.
Google also calls for 25 hours (69mph as a net road speed in a car) to do it in.
That can't be done with a truck pulling a trailer.
Call the trip 2000 miles and with a 60 mph road speed...
and that 33.3 hours behind the wheel estimate is still worth adding some wiggle room to.
Days on the road is about the number of hours per day that you can stay alert.
Most people will overestimate their capacity especially with a big truck and trailer.
A co-driver is the ONLY way to have more driving seat time in a given day.
Do you have one?
Day one will be a last minute pack and check late start (11a) and early "I'm tired" stop (6p).
Day two will be the longest as you'll start earlier (8a) but stay out later (8p) than you should.
Day three will be another late start (10a) and early stop (6p) because you did too much the 2nd day.
Don't forget to deduct at least one hour per day for fuel and food stops...
so that's three days and 24 hours (x60mph) or 1440 miles. That's somewhere betw Phx & Indio
Day four will get you up 101 to the central coast. Around dinner time.
Last edited by MrRational; 12-10-2012 at 08:32 PM..
So I am about 3 weeks away from the big move from TX to CA. I am pretty close to settling on using a 22' or 24' moving truck as I need to haul my car and the diesel trucks get better gas mileage and have larger tanks, which is very important when driving the nothingness that is I-10 in West Texas. Right now I am budgeting 2 days for my 1700 mile move from Houston to the Central Coast of CA. The plan is to leave here around 5am and drive 15-16 hours to stop for the night in eastern AZ, then getting up the next morning and finishing the drive to CA, getting in early evening day 2.
I have never done this route, is this possible? When driving my own car on a long trip with limited time I tend to push through drving as far as I can in Day 1 then finishing up with an easier day on Day 2.
fear not. i made it from atlanta georgia to los angeles in two and a half days. you will be fine.
It's possible but make sure you keep fluids going into your body and don't be surprised if you feel absolutely horrible once you wake up in California on day 3. It also depends on where in California. The SF Bay Area and south is plausible to do in two days from Texas with SF being an extreme. Anything North of that should have a third day budgeted for.
My idea is have the truck packed the night before get up and on the road by 5am and head west. My initial budget is 60 MPH, and make it to far eastern AZ. From my location, Texas is just a shade under 800 miles, which at 60 MPH is about 13 hours. The rest of the drive on Day 1 is just over 200 miles. I did a move from IL to TX in one day which was brutal, mostly because the drive from Texarkana to Houston was on a 4-lane non interstate with lots of small towns. My hope is with I-10 and a diesel truck that I could avg. closer to 65 MPH.
Your target avg speed of 65 mph is unrealistic, IMO.
I'd figure a more conservative 55-ish on the road, and that doesn't include any additional time needed for fuel stops, rest stops, food stops ... which will further reduce your average through a day. Get some westerly headwinds on the road across the SW region and you'll struggle to maintain the higher speeds with all the windage of the rig.
Back-to-back 15+ hour days as a plan will leave you dealing with CA traffic in a less than good shape ... alert and capable. It's one thing to do a single 15 hour day, but back to back is not very prudent, IMO. Professional drivers with better equipment than you'll be driving don't do it .... In the USA, a pro truck driver can drive for a maximum of 11 hours, and work for a maximum of 14 hours in a day, before having to take 10 hours off duty. There are mandated breaks, too; ie, stopping for fuel is not a "break", it's still considered work.
Your safety and that of others on the road should be a consideration in your trip planning. I'd figure at least three days to do this trip, with a 3 1/2 day ... that's 3 overnight stays on the road ... being a better plan.
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Ouch! Be careful!
