Okay... I'm not a newbie anymore, but still a rookie of sorts. Besides, as you know, I seldom get to go solo. Therefore, I don't have all the routing software many of you have.

So, if you're not ALL mad at me... :lol: ..... how 'bout helping me out.

Assume you have a 75 mph truck, and were leaving Alamosa, CO at say 5pm LOCAL. How would you route a trip to Charlotte, NC arriving at the earliest POSSIBLE moment??

If possible, give me the details that your programs show for WHERE and WHEN you would have to stop, etc. Oh yeah.... assume you only have 6 hours driving time left for the day when you leave there.

ANY and ALL help will be appreciated! Smartazz comments will be accepted as PAR FOR THE COURSE! :lol:

BTW, I've made this trip before, but I think my planning could use some improvement. ESPECIALLY the first 6 hours!

Thank you very much, in advance! And yeah..... I need it yesterday! :wink:

 

Pop in Jerry Reed's "Eastbound and Down" and ya got yer answer hobo. 8)

Having never driven out there, I would work my way down to I-40

 

Hee Hee! This is funny! 5 views in about 5 mins, and only 3 users on the forum! :shock:

You MODS really ARE "watching me" aren't ya!! :lol: Oh well.... I can't say I don't DESERVE it! :lol:

Scoe.... I SAW what you told Bluegrassdeb in the Women's Forum! THAT was funny!! :lol: :lol:

Anyway... all in fun! I really COULD use the help, though I KNOW it's a TASK for anyone who wants to help!

 

Yeah, thanks Mr. Ford. That's kinda what I did last time. Over Raton pass (a beyatch!) and then cut off towards Dalhart, TX (a STIFF scale so they've told me!)

It just takes forever to get through the country that way! I was thinking about taking 159? down through Garcia, CO and Taos, NM, then over to Cline's Corner or something. Just wondering what the computer programs say.

Etrucker says go back through Limon, CO..... but then I have to go 55 through Illinois!! (Hate that state!!) Even with Arkansas being 65, I can make better time that way.

Just wondering if ANYONE's program shows I can make it to Charlotte by Thursday night! :shock:

Thanks again for your reply!!

 

Not sure if there's an inside joke here I'm missing or not, but anyway.

I don't have any of those programs either, just a handy atlas and vague memories of doing this route a few times.

Leave Alamosa at 5pm local time, jump over onto I25, south to Raton, NM, then hwy 87 to Amarillo, TX.

345 miles or so will burn about 5 hours and put you there around 10pm, shut down for the night.

Leave Amarillo at 8am the next morning, running I40 East. I'd stop somewhere around OKC for a quick break, fuel and food, then get over to Forrest City, AR for the night. 683 miles for the day and would get there around 7pm. A few more miles would put you in West Memphis, but that place sucks.

5am the next morning (still thinking in Mountain Time Zone), get going again, stop somewhere between Nashville and Knoxville for something to eat and fuel. Then go on to Charlotte, arriving around 5pm local time, 681 miles or so for the day.

Leaving Alamosa on a Sunday night would put you in Charlotte early Tuesday evening.

Of course, traffic, weather, construction, etc... may change how far you can go each day and how soon you could get there.

 

Ditto, works for me, would suggest he try out the 72 oz steak at the Texan though, hehehe.

 

If my math is right, my papers say around 11 am on Wednesday if you leaves at 5 pm local on Sunday. Mine is assuming your only averaging 50 mph over the same route Silver has.

Hobo, going up and around thru Limon adds about 140 miles to the trip if you take I-70 to St. Louis and then work your way down to I-40. I came up with a total trip of 1700 miles vs 1560 miles running the southern route.

So yes, you could make it by Thursday night.

 

Need to recheck your route/math, Mr. Ford!! 340 from Alamosa to Amarillo thru Dalhart scales. 1360 from Amarillo to Charlotte. 1700 either way! Faster speeds on the I-40 route, though!

I've DONE the Dalhart route twice now, and it's not SO bad! Just looking for a better way. The 340 to Amarillo will take ALL (or MOST) of 6 hours at the prevailing speed limits. I will run out of my 14 if I can't get in and out of the shipper in 3 hours.

I'm REALLY appreciating the help, though! ANYBODY ever taken 55 south out of St. Louis (I-270 to miss the town) and then OVER somewhere into TN?? I've been thinking of this for awhile to avoid Illinois.

BTW, Mr. Ford.... bump that average up to about 60, minimum over the whole trip, or say 2 below the actual speed limits.

Sorry..... forgot to specify! Leaving Alamosa on TUESDAY evening! Trying to get to Charlotte by Thursday evening! Makes a difference! :lol:

 

Thanks, WULF!! That's pretty much how I've done it before, except, I messed up and didn't HAVE enough hours to get to Amarillo! Slept in Dalhart or somewhere! Felt like a real SOLO driver sleeping in a gravel lot in downtown! :lol:

681 miles a day??? Gee, you guys work too hard! I think I like TEAM! :roll:

Where do you stop in Forrest City? I usually stop at the TA in Earle! Won't stay in W. Memphis, either! :shock:

I guess there's just no way around driving LONG hard days to do this! Of course.... I've found SPLIT LOGGING helps!!

BTW.... the "joke" can be found in the thread titlted Roadhog in the "Driver Related" forum. I've been a bad boy recently! :lol:

Thanks, again! YOU, sir, are doing a good job of routing with an ATLAS! My favorite tool! :wink:

 

Countryhorseman said:

Have you SEEN that thing??? It looks like a pot roast on steroids!! :lol:

I finally got to stop in there, once.... but I settled for the Ribeye! Besides.... don't think I can GET there before they close! :cry:

If I had it for BREAKFAST..... I'd have to shut down for ANOTHER 8!! :lol: