Doing Research Before A Trip

1. Researching New Places:

   • Research helps you familiarize yourself with the route, including roads, intersections, and potential detours.

   • It allows you to identify any landmarks, attractions, or points of interest along the way, enhancing the overall tour experience.

   • You can anticipate road conditions, traffic patterns, and potential challenges in unfamiliar areas.

2. Dealing with Tight Spaces:

   • Researching the route ahead of time helps you identify narrow streets or areas with limited maneuvering space.

   • Knowing about tight spots allows you to plan alternate routes or make arrangements for group movement in advance.

   • It enhances safety by preventing situations where the bus or truck might get stuck or face difficulties navigating through confined areas.

3. Height and Length Restrictions:

   • Research enables you to identify any height or length restrictions along the route.

   • You can ensure that the tour bus or truck complies with these restrictions to avoid accidents or damage.

   • Being prepared in advance helps you make informed decisions about whether certain routes are suitable for your bus.

4. Local Regulations and Laws:

   • Research allows you to become aware of any local traffic regulations, parking restrictions, or specific laws that apply to tour buses or trucks in the areas you plan to visit.

   • Compliance with these regulations ensures a smooth and legal journey, reducing the risk of fines or penalties.

5. Safety Precautions:

   • Researching the route and destination helps you identify potential safety hazards or areas with a high accident rate.

   • You can take proactive measures to minimize risks, such as adjusting the bus or truck schedule or avoiding accident-prone areas.

6. Emergency Planning:

   • Knowledge about the area and its resources is essential for emergency planning. Researching the location of hospitals, police stations, and service stations can be crucial in case of unexpected incidents.

   • It allows you to develop contingency plans and ensures quick access to help when needed.

7. Customer Satisfaction:

   • Being well-informed through research enhances the overall experience for your passengers. You can provide them with interesting insights, historical context, and a smoother, more enjoyable journey.

   • Satisfied customers are more likely to recommend your tour services and become repeat clients.

In summary, conducting thorough research before a tour bus trip is essential for safety, legal compliance, and customer satisfaction. It helps you navigate new places, avoid potential obstacles, and plan for various contingencies, ensuring a successful and enjoyable journey for all.

In the world of commercial vehicle driving, a simple yet often overlooked tool is the GPS in satellite mode. Many CMV (Commercial Motor Vehicle) drivers remain unaware of its potential. By switching your GPS settings to satellite view, you gain a clearer perspective of your surroundings. Not only that, but it can be set to automatically activate every time you open your GPS app, ensuring you're always well-prepared. While it may consume a bit more data, the advantages it offers make it a worthwhile choice.

Now, let's venture into a specific scenario: Los Cruces, NM. On a mission to escort a client to a local smoothie shop, I found myself in a tight spot. Parking temporarily in an alley, I soon realized the exit route on the opposite side posed a deep dip that could have trapped my bus. Wisely, I chose to reverse about a tenth of a mile through the alley, maneuvering through a parking lot, and finally onto a side street. Though this worked for me, I acknowledge that not everyone finds backing up a large vehicle as manageable.

Reflecting on this experience, I considered alternative approaches:

• A proactive measure could involve a quick reconnaissance drive around the block before dropping off my client.

• Another option, although less convenient, would be to ask the clients to walk a short distance with their smoothies, especially if there are many of them.

• Some might take the risky path, venturing through the challenging exit and risking an expensive tow truck call. This wasn't a choice I was willing to make.

Ultimately, I believed I made the right call for that moment. However, the right decision can vary depending on the circumstances. Another choice could have been to brave the front entrance where cars were, but that would have come with its own set of challenges.

In my years as a bus driver, Google Maps has been my trusted companion, guiding me through countless routes with a near-perfect success rate of 98%. However, as fate would have it, even the most reliable navigational tool can lead you astray. Recently, I encountered my first hiccup near Big Bear Lake, CA, where my tour bus found itself wedged in a tight spot.

Despite my better judgment—having researched the route and realizing the turn was a no-go—a colleague in my office convinced me otherwise. They assured me that several buses had taken the same path without issue. But alas, my bus's fate was sealed the moment I made that ill-advised decision.

To add insult to injury, the locals didn't hesitate to share their colorful opinions and tell me how much of a piece of shit i am as I inadvertently became a neighborhood landmark. It was a frustrating experience, to say the least.

Yet, amidst the chaos, valuable lessons emerged:

1. Trust your instincts over hearsay, especially when it comes to navigating unfamiliar territory.

2. Consider using trucking-specific navigation apps for routes outside the norm. A little comparison between GPS apps can save you from unnecessary detours.

3. Seek advice from experienced drivers who've tackled similar routes. Their firsthand knowledge can be invaluable in avoiding mishaps.

So, while my Big Bear blunder may have left me a tad disgruntled, it's all part of the journey—and the learnings will ensure smoother travels ahead.

In the world of CMV driving, each situation presents a unique puzzle, and the choice you make is a piece of that puzzle.