Drivers: Take Advantage of Time Off

Driver vacation days are a precious thing and vacations are valuable for drivers to reconnect with family. To gear up for a big trip, we think planning the vacation is a great way to spend down time. Figuring out how to make the most of a trip is exciting and is an enjoyable part of the vacation experience. This week we focus on five ways to get ready for your next big vacation:

Get the time off early!

• Talk to your Manager – Make sure you ask your manager for time off early! If you do this your manager will appreciate you giving a heads up and you will be more likely to be given the time off.
• Talk to your Family – If you’re taking a trip with your family, make sure your family is ready to go at this time as well. The anticipation of the vacation will be exciting if your family knows about the vacation ahead of time!

Check out using a normal route as a vacation destination or departure spot.

• Check out stops where you typically travel and see if it’s cheaper to fly out from nearby airports. You can meet your family at the destination and save money!
• Check out vacation destinations near your typical routes. For example, you can drop a load in Florida and meet your family at Disney World (Just make sure you take time to relax at the pool or beach.)

Use downtime on the road to plan the details, such as accommodations, flights, restaurants, and activities for the whole family.

• Take that time you have waiting between drives, at truck stops, and even on the road (there are a lot of traveling podcasts) and start making detailed plans.
• The more plans you have before you vacation, the less time spent trying to figure out what to do and where to go, and the more time spent having fun!

Take advantage of trip planning websites/tools.

• There are so many different traveling websites and tools that are super useful before and during vacations. The vast amount of them can be overwhelming, so we’ve made a list of a few of our favorites.

Here are some great websites in order to help you plan a vacation:

• TripIt.com or Travefy–  Trip planning and organizational travel tool for groups

• TripAdvisor.com – Reviews about EVERYTHING
• Airbnb.com – House/room renting around the world
• Kayak.com – cheap flights, cars, and hotels
• Roadtrippers app – highlights fun things to do in the area around you
• Hotels for Truckers – hotel discounts at hotels that accommodate truck parking

Organization is key when going on a vacation, so having these free tools to help you with this task is something you should not pass up!

Start saving money now!

• Even if it’s just little things, such as skipping that candy bar at the truck stop or getting a cheap bottle of water instead of a soda pop. There are many easy ways to save money without making a big change in your lifestyle. 
• The more money you have saved come vacation time, the less you have to worry about staying under a budget. Having to spend a lot of time worrying about money just adds extra stress to your trip. The goal of a vacation is to have relaxation and fun, stress will not help you achieve either of those goals. 

Keep us updated on the vacations your planning!

Keep on Truckin’!