Quickest drive across the country

[Seangie]

We are leaving this coming Wednesday on a trip from WA State to North Carolina.  Currently planning on taking 5 all the way down to 40 and shooting across on 40.

We were thinking of cutting the angle but after this past weeks weather I'm thinking crossing the mountains down south might be worth the extra days drive.

But thought I'd pull on the communal knowledge of this board before we make our final plans.

Let me know what y'all think. 

Thanks!

-Sean

[gumpy]

Well, take this for what it's worth (or rather what you paid for it), but keep in mind, I'm not afraid of the snow and weather and my bus is equipped to handle it.

If it were me, I'd take 84 to Salt Lake, cross Wyoming on 80, drop down to Denver and pick up 70 and work my way across the country from there.

But, you need to do what you are comfortable with. I also don't know the current weather condition in any of those states, and this time of year, you might
need to have good snow tires or chains.

[brmax]

It seems hard to beat for good weather on 40, though I might take a bit of Craig's idea with 70 to St. Louis anyway then southward several se routes but heck thats next week.
Its cold here now and clear roads but have to re look Sunday as something new is in the works they say. Never know in Ohio these days its pretty cool by the lakes they were talking.
Good travels there
Floyd

[Oonrahnjay]

    Sean, a dozen years or so ago, I drove the 4-wheeler from west Los Angeles leaving at about 11AM on Monday, to the western end of I-40 near Barstow, then I-40 to Wallace, single handed, arriving about 11PM on Wednesday night.  I stopped first night in Albuquerque, second night in W. Memphis, Arkansas, then across the Mississippi River at 8AM and on to North Carolina.  I can be done like that but never again by me!  (Oh, and this was June, too.)
    Good luck with your trip.  BH

[Seangie]

Well, take this for what it's worth (or rather what you paid for it), but keep in mind, I'm not afraid of the snow and weather and my bus is equipped to handle it.

If it were me, I'd take 84 to Salt Lake, cross Wyoming on 80, drop down to Denver and pick up 70 and work my way across the country from there.

But, you need to do what you are comfortable with. I also don't know the current weather condition in any of those states, and this time of year, you might
need to have good snow tires or chains.

Craig,

We've done that route before.  Probably the quickest route for sure. And not a bad drive either.   But we've done that drive in the fall and there was snow in the passes.  I also remember seeing miles of fence like structure along 80.  When we asked about it, they said it was there to keep the snow drifts from piling up on the road.

We really aren't made for cold weather in this bus.  It would be generator running and electric space heaters to keep warm.  Plus we are pretty slow in the hills. 

I'd just hate to get snowed in and loose a day or two.  With the storm we just had  its the first time our little town has seen an accumulation of snow in 3-4 years.  And we got close to 4 inches of it.

I know white pass was closed for a little and has chain warnings up for all vehicles.  I also don't want to spend the time getting out and chaining up and down every couple hours.

Thought it might be a longer drive down 5 but could do 70 all the way through. 

Bruce -  That's a crazy drive from LA.  I'm hoping we can make it in 7 days and that's a long shot.  Wifey and I will have to do some team driving.  Its encouraging though!

-Sean

[B_K]

Sean,
FWIW I drove cross country for 17 yrs and for 4 of those we ran CA-FL all summer long and then in the fall/winter we'd run FL/CA deadhead up tp WA or OR reload back to FL.
Why might you ask? (go ahead everyone else did!)
Because that was where the $ was. Companies an drivers both were afraid of the North and North West in the winter and didn't like going there. So load rates went up and we went where the bigger $ was!

Trust me yes those states get hit hard by snow and bad weather. But those states ALSO have the equipment and knowledge to handle it too!
If the roads aren't safe they "SHUT 'R' DOWN" they have gates to close off the highways until it is safe to travel.
I'm guessing you'll be doing most of your driving during daylight hours.
If so there is not a lot to worry about.

Now you don't say where in WA you are starting. OK So I'm going to use Seattle and the first rest area in NC on I-40 as an example.  If it it were me I'd go I-90 to I-82 to I-84 to I-86 (in ID) to I-15 to US 30 to I-80 to US 77 on to NE 2 (Lincoln) to I-29 to I-70 to I-64 to I-24 to I-40 and across.
It's 2670 miles (38 1/4 hrs) from Seattle to the Gorge rest area on EB I-40 about the 10 mile marker in the Tar Heel!

Now if you go I-5 to 99 to 58 to I-40 all the way across. it's 3306 miles (47 1/4 hrs) across and you have CA's high fuel prices, slow speed limit and still could get bad weather/roads from Grants Pass, OR to Redding, CA over Tehachapi  (between Bakersfield and Mohave) from Seligman to Flagstaff at Albuquerque and all the way across TX from NM to OK gets really screwed up weather this time of year.  (UP North the road crews and the LOCALs all know how to handle it. On the South route NOBODY knows how to deal with it!)

Your call but US 30 across from Pocatella, ID to Green River, WY is a beautiful drive and well maintained road!
The view is much better than UT and in my opinion a much better route just simply by avoiding Utah period! 

[B_K]

Sorry Sean you an I were both typing at the same time.

Yes those are SNOW FENCES out WEST and they work pretty dog gone good!

Again if you travel in the day time after the morning rush hour there won't be a problem with the passes.
Chain up laws hardly ever last long during day light hours. After the first rush of chained up vehicles goes thru they chew up the ICE (the reason for the chains in the first place) and with that and the sun the road crews can get it pretty cleaned up for the rest of the day.

Night time is when you have the problems with chain up, but again if it gets to where they put the "chain up law in effect find a place to fix breakfast, play in the snow with the kids a little come in warm up and take off!

BTDT too many times never chained up more than 6 times in 17 yrs and never had a late delivery because of it either.
  BK 

[RJ]

Wifey and I will have to do some team driving. . .

Yes!

(. . . says the present that was better than a vacuum cleaner!)

[Scott & Heather]

Shanks, you're probably aware of winter storm "Cayly" that is hitting tonight and tomorrow. It will be dropping 6-12" of snow along the corridor you are talking about. By Wednesday they should have it cleared but watch that system closely. It's supposed to drop substantial snow out west. We will be driving tomorrow directly through it as we head north to Port Huron. Right along our drive, we will have 5-8" falling. Going to be fun. But I love snow and driving in it is a no brainer for me. We don't ever let it stop us even in the coach. Done many many miles in lots o snow. Just pull out your northeast instincts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[luvrbus]

I 40 gets nasty some times they close it often around Seligman Az,then fighting the wind across NM and Texas, 40 is cold and windy but probably be your best route  .That is a tough trip to make in the winter on any highway we would drive miles out of our way from Boise to drop down and cross on I 10,BTW those fences are Jack Rabbit bleachers to watch the drivers sliding around. No way would I cross 80 in WY and Elk Mountain this time of the year -20* and a wind chill of 44 below are common in Dec.  

[somewhereinusa]

FWIW I used to drive from Indiana to Seattle in the winter a lot, until Washington got really nasty about over length. I took the northern rt, 90/94, it was colder, but less snow problems. In the really cold, even if there is snow blowing across the road it doesn't get packed down into a sheet of ice like in the warmer states. Many times I would arrive a day or two earlier that drivers using Nebraska and Wyoming.
Then there was that winter that if there was a blizzard anywhere in the US I was in it. 

[lostagain]

Sean, I have driven buses and trucks professionally, and when you need to go, you go. Just be prepared to have to wait a few hours with lots of fuel in the tank for idling, lots of food and water on board for yourselves and the car ahead of you that doesn't have any. A week is a lot of time to shoot across the continent if you have two drivers. You need good tires. And carry chains, even if you don't use them, I think some places requires them to be on board. Practice putting them on before you leave. I can put on a pair of coveralls and have the chains on and be back in the bus in 10 minutes. A bus is the best vehicle to drive in the winter: lots of traction with the weight of the engine on the drive axle, and all the comforts of home upstairs. Have fun.

JC

[B_K]

Then there was that winter that if there was a blizzard anywhere in the US I was in it. 

Dick I can relate to THAT!
I based myself & truck out of Fargo, ND for a little over a year. Out of 28 Blizzards across MN/ND & SD that year I was in 24 of them! Come winter the next year I packed up and moved my operation to OK!

The Blizzards I experienced up in MN, ND & SD are the one and only reason I HATE the northern route!

But I put many many miles on that route from Portland/Seattle to FL across ID, WY, NE, MO, IL, KY, TN, & GA very rarely did I ever get held up because the road was flat out closed!
Quite a few times I pulled off and took a couple hour nap or whatever to let the "DIEHARDS" chain up and chew up the ice and then strolled on down the road.
Daylight and patients are the key to traveling that route during the day!
I have seen as many trucks in the median and turned over across I-40 in TX alone because of ice and HIGH winds as I have all the way across from WA/OR to FL on the route I described.

Drivers get too relaxed thinking "Ah it's TX (or I-40). How bad can it really be?"  Yup they figure it out real quick and most often just a little too late!
 BK  

[luvrbus]

Getting across 40 thru Oklahoma and Arkansas sometimes can be a adventure too with the friggn ice

[B_K]

This is true too. BTDT

Honestly I would take the shorter faster route less fuel and not really any MORE chances of delays than I-40!

At least those states up in the North West that get hit often have the equipment an knowledge to get it back open again fairly quick!
I've seen AR & OK crippled for a week before due to not enough equipment and too many fools out getting stuck in the way for what little equipment they have to be able to properly do the job.

Just saying "It ain't rocket science, trucks been goin' that way for years and I used to do it on purpose because the loads paid better an I was greedy back then!"
 BK