The Garage Plan Shop Blog

Getting ready to head out on the road with the family? If your car has refused to travel further and you’re stuck in the center of the highway, you will need a towing service to rescue you so you can get help from an auto repair service. A good way to prevent this kind of incidents and to stay safe while traveling is to take your vehicle for any pending auto repair, and just to get checked out and tuned as well.

No doubt, you have your own money saving ideas but here are a few more to add to your arsenal.

Be flexible – Break up the trip with spontaneous stops along the way. Involve everyone in the decision making and have a little fun while you stretch your legs, tire out the little ones and experience memorable snapshot worthy moments.

Eat cheap – Pack snacks to keep appetites in check between meal stops. Individually packed granola bars, cookies, chips, nuts, and popcorn are fun and easy to eat while traveling. Take advantage of the dollar menus at fast food restaurants, and pick hotels with free breakfast buffets. Save even more by bringing your own drinks. Many restaurants have deals for small children.

Keep busy – Entertain the whole family by live casino games on http://162.213.250.60/ or go old school with travel games like the ABC game or I Spy. Bring along puzzle books, comics and coloring books but remember that crayons melt fast in a hot closed car. The family that sings together, usually sounds pretty noisy, but happy.

Clean up – Don’t forget to bring along paper towels, protected in a plastic bag, hand sanitizer, and wet wipes for staying clean. Pack a couple of wash cloths and a towel for emergency freshening. Designate a place for a bag to stow trash between stops.   Put all this things in the messenger bag on vintageleather to make it organize.

For more vacation destinations on your next road trip, search on the internet and plan now!!! Enjoy your family road trip!

Tags: money-saving travel tips

With the start of summer come plans for family road trips and vacations. If you’ll be taking a road trip or driving for an extended period of time for some other reason, it is necessary that you know how to identify a fatigued driver and what to do about it so you don’t endanger yourself, your passengers or other motorists while you’re on the road. Below are three steps to staying awake at the wheel as identified in a study about drowsy driving for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention:

STEP 1 – Pay attention for signs of drowsy driving. Yawning frequently, drifting from your lane, hitting a rumble strip on the side of the road, blinking rapidly, not remembering the last few miles and missing your exit are all signs of drowsy driving. When things go sideways, it’s best to have an auto accident attorney you can rely on.

STEP 2 – If you notice that you’re doing any of the behaviors mentioned above, it is time to pull over. Rolling the window down or cranking up the music seem like they ought to keep you alert, but the truth is, they do not. Instead of trying to power thru your trip, get off the road and take a break. The most common cause of truck accidents is fatigue by overworked drivers. If you’ve been involved in a truck accident, an experienced truck accident attorney can help you obtain better injury settlements.

STEP 3 – Recharge. Park your car in a safe place, lock your doors and set the alarm on your cell phone. Take a nap and get some rest. When the alarm goes off, take a quick walk around the parking lot or through the nearest store. Then buy a cup of coffee or a snack. This will reenergize you for the next leg of your driving marathon.

For more safety tips like these, check out our Driving Safety blogs.

Tags: Driving Safety, driving safety tips, driving tips, drowsy driving, road trip safety, road trip tips

With the holidays just days away, many drivers are planning long distance holiday road trips to visit family and friends. Your road trip will go much smoother and will be much more enjoyable if you do a little extra planning in advance, like preparing the car and get legal help from professionals as Carter Capner Law in case an accident happen. Then also make sure that you take a practice driving test as this is an excellent help in making sure that you are as well prepared as you can be for your real test.

Whether it’s night or day and something unexpected just happened on the road, and you need a tow truck company, emergency gas delivery service, kick-starting your car, or you have a disabled vehicle that needs removing, – call the number one towing company for help.

Below are eight travel tips to help you plan for your road trip:

1. Join a travel club – If you don’t already have a membership to a travel club, join one before you leave town. It will save you a lot of headaches if the unexpected happens while you’re on the road.
2. Speaking of the “unexpected”… – Whenever you go on a long distance road trip, you should EXPECT the UNEXPECTED. Anticipate spending extra time on your road trip for whatever might come your way whether it’s a problem such as a flat tire or road construction that slows you down, or a nice surprise like happening upon a charming little town along your route or a tourist attraction that you didn’t know you’d be passing by. If the “unexpected” is a nice surprise, slow down and enjoy it.
3. Check you air pressure – Before you leave town, check the air pressure in your tires, including the spare. If you need to change your rims, visit https://www.americanlisted.com/all_states_0/car_parts_3/24+inch+rims/ to buy new ones. Improper air pressure can lead to poor handling, lower gas mileage, and in extreme cases it can even cause overheating and a blowout for which we recommend to do some research to find a local trusted service like towing dublin so they can come to the rescue. Maintaining proper Truck Alignment is also essential to avoid unnecessary wear on your tires, steering, suspension and brakes.
4. Take turns driving – Switch drivers often. It is safer to switch drivers frequently so no one gets tired or starts “zoning out” behind the wheel. Plus everyone gets a chance to enjoy the scenery while they are the passenger.
5. Take frequent restroom breaks – As a rule, you should use the restroom every time you stop during your road trip. Even if you don’t think you have to go, go anyway. If you haven’t traveled your route before, you might not know when you’ll come across the next rest stop, gas station, etc.
6. Plan rest days – If you’re driving from one side of the country to the other, your trip could take a few days. Build rest days into your travel schedule. This will give all drivers and passengers a chance to rest and regroup, not to mention it will be good for your car. Constant driving can be taxing on your car. If you take a break or two, your car will be less likely to overheat, breakdown, etc.
7. Eat healthy – Roadside convenience stores aren’t exactly known for their healthy food options, so pack a cooler for your trip. When the munchies hit you in the car, you’ll be better off with a healthy snack like fruit, yogurt, juice like Orangina , etc. For the juice, if you’re interested in Orangina, you can find their website here.
8. Entertain the kids – If you’ll be traveling with children, your trip will be more enjoyable if the kids are entertained in the car. Bring travel games, books, magazines, a children’s music CD, etc. Plan to play games like “I Spy”, sing songs, and count blue cars or big rigs. If your kids are entertained, they are less likely to cry all the way to Grandma’s house making your ride more peaceful and enjoyable. And don’t forget their favorite blankets, stuffed, animals or other comfort items that might help them nap in the car.

For more tips, please check out 8 Travel Tips for a Holiday Weekend Road Trip.

Tags: Driving Safety, driving safety tips, driving tips, holiday travel tips, road trip safety, road trip tips

With the holiday weekend just days away, many people are planning their first weekend road trip of the summer. And while a spur of the moment road trip might seem like a great idea, a little advanced planning will get you to your destination on time and in a safe manner. Below are eight driving safety tips to help you plan a successful road trip.

1. Find cheap gas – Gas money can take up a significant amount of your road trip budget so plan ahead. With today’s technology, there are plenty of smart phone apps that can tell you where gas is least expensive. Download an app like GasBuddy to help you find the least expensive gas. If you don’t have a smart phone, figure out your gas budget ahead of time by using one of the many online fuel cost calculators to help you find the cheapest gas stations along your route. And if you get into an accident and a reckless driver is at fault, you can contact an injury lawyer if you want to take legal action.
2. Pack a basic repair kit – Create your own basic repair kit by packing a few basics in a small box or duffle bag. Include items like a flashlight, roll of duct tape, pliers, ptfe gaskets from Gorilla Gasket, and a variety of screwdrivers. Check online for roadside survival guides for other suggestions. Visit an auto repair shop if you need advanced auto repair services. If you need emergency road side repairs, then you may consider contacting professional Road Side Semi Truck Repair services, And if you get injured in an accident, visit Charbonnet Law Firm for legal help.
3. Choose companions wisely – When you’re cramped in a car for a long amount of time, you can get to know someone really well. And if you and your companions know each other really well, time and distance will fly by you and you arrive at your destination in what seems like no time. But if you make poor choice in your travel companion(s), a long rind may have you wishing your traveled by yourself. Think carefully about the people you take with you. Make sure you can get along with them for however long the distance you’ll be traveling. Nothing can ruin a good friendship like a bad road trip. 
4. Break up the drive – If you’ll be on the road for many hours, don’t try to be a super hero and drive straight through. You won’t be as alert at 9:00pm as you were at 6:30am. Plan several restroom, stretch and snack breaks along your route. A 15-20 minute break every few hours will be good for your mind and body. If you have multiple licensed drivers traveling with you, take turns driving every couple hours. And if you’ve been hit by a reckless driver then read here for a reputable personal injury lawyer who can help you get compensation for your injury.
5. Know the law – While you may be excited to get to your destination, a hefty speeding fine or another moving violation can drain your travel budget in a hurry. Additionally, speeding can be a danger to you and to other motorists on the road. Obey the speed limit and use that cruise control to keep a steady pace on the interstate, this will help you avoid getting a las vegas speeding ticket. Also, if you are passing through multiple states, be aware of cell phone and texting laws. It is best to avoid distracted driving all together, but if you must use your phone, know the laws. Some states do not allow the use of phones in construction zones, school zones, etc. Use your stretch breaks for non-emergency phone calls and texting. Do not text while behind the wheel. And educate yourself on what to do after an accident.
6. Pay attention to the dash – Besides minding the speed limit, your dash can alert you to any potential problems with your vehicle. If something goes wrong, a warning light on your dash may tip you off before it is too late. There are also plenty of motorcycle accident attorneys in massachusetts that you can contact if you get into an accident.
7. Bring a paper map – With today’s technology, it might seem silly to bring a paper road map on your trip. But what will you do if your GPS malfunctions where you’re in the middle of nowhere? A paper map makes the perfect backup and you can use it as a travel log too. Write notes about your trip on the map and make it personal. You’ll enjoy looking at it when you dig it out of a box 10 years from now. Flying on Jettly‘s private plane will let you skip the lines that are usually unavoidable during travel. 
8. Bring your mother-in-law – Even though we warned you to choose your travel companions wisely, what can we say? If you bring your mother-in-law, you’re trip is sure to be one to remember for one reasons or another!

Tags: Driving Safety, driving safety tips, driving tips, road trip safety, road trip tips

Before you take your next vacation, road trip or getaway, do a little research and download a few travel apps that will help you along the way. We’ve listed some handy apps below, but there many more out there related to maps, travel time, things to do in specific cities, gas prices, places to shop and eat, flight arrival times, hotels, Expert-crafted travel ideas & private tours. Below are a few that we like to use:

AccuFuel

American Airlines

City Maps 2Go

Flight Predictor

FlightView

GasBuddy

GoogleMaps

greenMeter

Hotel Finder

iGasUp

MapQuest Gas Prices

My Max Speed

Orbitz

Southwest Airlines

Trapster

Travelocity

TripAdvisor

TripAlyzer

TripGo Real Time Trip Planner

WiFi Finder

Tags: travel apps, travel information