3 road trip tips for Labor Day weekend

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Do you typically go somewhere each year for Labor Day or another holiday weekend? More often than not, I find myself wanting to take advantage of those rare moments where I get 72 hours of free time by visiting friends out of town. Chicago and Kansas City are some of my favorite spots to hit up, as I can get to both fairly easily from St. Louis. You'd think that with both destinations only requiring one different highway each to travel on, it'd be straightforward and simple. That's not always the case!

Labor Day weekend (and really any three day holiday weekend) is going to be the busiest time of the year to travel. Our Lou Fusz Insurance manager Chris was talking with me about driving, and she came up with some ideas for getting yourself mentally and physically prepared for going out of town. Here are her top three pieces of advice before you pack your bags and hit the road:

1. Make sure your car is ready for the stress of several hundred (or more!) miles.

Has it been awhile since you've had your car checked for routine maintenance, or taken it in for an oil change? A road trip is the perfect excuse to get it done before you leave, so you can minimize the chances of having any problems occur. This includes the engine, radiator, and other fluids, such as your windshield wipers. Don't forget to check your tires and make sure they're properly inflated! It can be incredibly expensive to get your car fixed if you're out of town and need last minute repairs over the weekend. 

2. Plan ahead and know your route.

Traffic can get brutal on a Friday evening! If you're heading out after work, it's best to leave extra early if possible. You'll want to ideally be on the highway before 3 PM as many people tend to take shorter days on Friday, especially if it's a holiday weekend. Rush hour traffic can add an extra 30 mins to an hour of driving! If you're hoping to get to your destination by a certain time, it's also important to check online and see if there are any lane closures or construction work being done, as those can add significant amounts of time to your journey. A phone charger for your car is a good idea as well, if you plan to use GPS often.

3. Stay safe, energized, and focused on the road.

The weekend always brings a higher likelihood of drivers who are either tired or have been drinking. Because of this, you'll need to take extra precaution on the highway, more-so if you're driving at night. Taking a road trip longer than several hours? Make sure to have frequent stops to eat, use the restroom, stretch, and keep yourself hydrated. You should also consider splitting up driving duties if traveling with others. Know your personal limits, and if you start to feel tired, stop and rest! Drowsy driving is incredibly dangerous, and many people don't even realize when they start falling asleep behind the wheel for one to two seconds at a time.

Do you have any other road trip tips or ideas? Leave a comment and share them below! 

2014 4Runner- Why Tease When You Can Also Inform?

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When automakers want to drop the hint about their new car, they usually provide teaser photos to the public, where a tiny section of the vehicle is photographed so as to only give away a glimpse of it. You know the kind- they're usually a close up shot of the grille, or a headlight. I'll go out on the record and say I'm not the biggest fan of those (or maybe my imagination is just lacking!)

Need an example? Here you go:

In other cases, automakers might leak so-called "spy shots" where the vehicle is seen outside during a road test while covered up with protective material.

Toyota could have certainly gone with either option in previewing the new 2014 4Runner, but they decided to mix it up a bit in hyping us for their next SUV. In addition to the teaser photos, they also made an infographic! I like the idea- get us excited for something new by highlighting the vehicle's past achievements.

What do we know so far about the new 4Runner? The 2014 version will be a face lift of the fifth generation mid-size Toyota SUV. It will feature more aggressive looking front headlights and tail lamps, going with Toyota's recent trend of giving their vehicles a more sleek and stylish appearance (just take a look at the redesigned Avalon for further proof).

The official reveal of the 4Runner happens at the StageCoach Music Festival in Indio, California, which will coincidentally be the first-ever major vehicle reveal at a large concert!

What Happens When You Contact Our Internet Team?

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The Internet Business Development Center (BDC). It sounds so professional. So important. So...confusing? What is a BDC anyway? Fancy titles aside, the BDC is where the dealership's internet team works to help customers who are inquiring about vehicles online. Say you're shopping for a car and find the exact one you're interested in learning more about. A shoreline blue Toyota 4Runner with four wheel drive. You fill out the text box on the dealer website with your contact info so that you can get more details on it. What happens next?

Like a well oiled machine, the internet team at a car dealership is designed to pump out specs and statistics for you on the fly. While many shoppers still prefer to visit the dealership and browse cars in person, there's been a growing number of people who want to pinpoint one specific vehicle and really do their homework before making a decision. If you're that kind of person, the guys and gals on the internet team are the perfect ones to work with.

Now, how does this process work? At Lou Fusz Toyota, when you submit a request for info, whether it's during the day or in the evening, our staff gets notified and is responsible for getting information back to you as soon as possible. Our goal is to answer any questions that you may have, so that when you set an appointment with a salesman, you'll be comfortable and know exactly what you're looking for. This is accomplished by making a personalized video just for you, detailing the features you're most interested in.

Check out our Internet BDC video for a glimpse into what we do when a customer contacts us.