(Makes Me Want To) "Take A Back Road"

[MCBuggyCo]

Two key issues in expediting are: 1. How many miles? and 2. How much time to get there? In most cases the shortest route is also the fastest but this is not always true. For example, St Louis to Houston, Mapquest will suggest taking I-55 via Memphis but if you go US-67 via Little Rock you reduce the drive by about 50 miles while taking a slightly longer amount of time. Do most of you tend to stay on the interstate at literally any costs or do you wander from time to time if it makes sense (or dollars!)?
On a related note...I-70 through Indiana is currently a construction zone with major delays. Indiana DOT suggests alternate routes such as US-40 if travelling west. Do you "put a little gravel in your travel" in such cases or stay on the interstate?

 

[Turtle]

Stay on the Interstate at literally all costs? No, not at all costs. If it make sense to leave the Interstate, I leave the interstate. This time of year, at night, I'd stick to the Interstate, rather than try and plow my way through deer all the way down 67. During the day I'd probably take 67. I'll take back roads through Iowa, but not at night if it's been snowing, knowing those roads won't be cleared until the morning. There are lots of reasons I'll stick to the Interstate, even if it's longer and takes more time. Conversely, I'll take back roads if it's considerably shorter, even if it takes longer, if it makes sense to do so.

I once had a 1600 mile run where about 300 miles of it was Interstate. That was fun.

 

[layoutshooter]

Decisions like that are made on a trip by trip basis. Sometimes they are made for us when we are required to stick to a presset route. I am more likely to take roads other than interstates if they are divided highway. I try to avoid roads with on coming traffic when I can.

 

[cheri1122]

I tend to try to stay on the interstate for a lot of reasons: small town slowdowns and slower vehicles on the 2 lanes [not always a truck or farm vehicle, either] are a bigger disadvantage for a truck, getting back up to speed every time there's a red light or someone stops to make a turn. In winter, the bigger roads get cleared & salted/cindered first, and if I need to make a pit stop, it's well marked. I miss them too often on the little roads, because I don't know they're there till it's too late to make the turn - can't see the trucks or layout till I've passed it.
PS They're on to the shorter route to Tx: last few times I went, they knocked 50 miles off the 'old' mileage, because most of us go that way.

 

[moose]

Laredo is a good example.
if coming from Houston, i'll take I-10,I-35s
not 59hwy
if coming from ElPaso, I'll take I-10,I-35s
not 90,287,83s

i also avoid the 54hwy from N.M to Wichita.

& K.C or Joplin to Dallas is interstate all along,
not 69,75.

ever tried to take a rainy night drive @ the 250 in north central Ohio ?

but in V.A, I'll take the 17 from Marshall to the I-95s.

small towns are greedy, and dangerous for my safety score.
i'll avoid them like fire.

 

[Moot]

- can't see the trucks or layout till I've passed it.

Look back to posts 3 and 4 Missy. You passed layout twice, passed layout twice.

 

[tbubster]

I almost always take highways.some times it is longer but faster.The faster I get to where I am going the faster I become available for that next load,If im not going off duty.

 

[chefdennis]

Comon, "LIFE IS A HIGHWAY".... Being on vacation lets me see the country at the pace that works for me and those that need freight delivered...its all good...but then you have the night driving and the whole place looks the same....

Oh and yea, mostly interstates...