Moving Cross-Country... HELP!

Alrighty! I'm new to RTA and road-tripping in general and was looking for advice for my cross-country move. I'm moving from New Mexico to Michigan in a few weeks and this is my rough draft plan. We will be traveling in a 16-foot moving truck and a small SUV. Let me know what you think! We are also interested in seeing something in St. Louis, as I have never been there. We would need something easily accessible as well as easy to get to in a 16-ft truck. I'm also not sure if I should start the whole trip a day earlier to spread out the driving time or if this is completely do-able as it is.

Day 1:
Depart Albuquerque around 9AM. Arrive at storage unit in Portales around 1PM.
Load truck and leave by 4pm. This should leave room for some error.

4 hour drive to Elk City, OK. Arrive by 9pm (OK time).
7.5 total driving hours today.
This day will STINK. But it will make the end of the trip shorter.

Day 2:
Elk City to Springfield, MO. 6 hours total.
− Can stop in Tulsa, 3 hours into leg.

Day 3:
Springfield, MO to Joliet, IL. 7 hours total.
− Can stop in St. Louis 3.5 hours into leg.

Day 4:
Joliet, IL to Okemos, MI. 4 hours total

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

I think you're on the right track, but there are a few things I would change to make things go a bit easier.

First, it looks like you're getting your driving times from an online mapping programs, and you need to be aware that those times are always way too optimistic over a full day on the road - especially in a moving truck.

Case in point, on your first day, you've got 500 miles of driving, including a significant stretch on 2 lane roads. That's going to be at least 9 hours on the road - not the 7.5 you are estimating. Really, either way, that's a lot, when you factor in stopping to load up the truck. Speaking of which, are you filling the moving truck when you stop in Portales, or is most of your stuff in Albuquerque and you're just stopping to pick up a few extra in things at the storage shed?

Presuming you're filling up most of the truck in Albuquerque, the day before you leave, I would still only plan to get as far as Amarillo that first night. Loading a truck takes more time than you typically think, and can really take a lot out of you. You admitted you were trying to do a lot the first day - but contrary to what you were thinking, that will NOT make your following days easier. In fact, it's the opposite, if you do too much on day one, you're going to be tired throughout your entire trip. Think in terms of Marathon vs. Sprint.

If you're planning to load the entire truck in Portales, then even going to Amarillo is more than I'd recommend. I'd just spending the night right in the Portales/Clovis area so you can just focus on that job, without being stressed about getting on the road. I'd also be looking to rent the moving truck in that area to save some money too!

If you get to Amarillo, you could still get to Joplin or Springfield on day 2.

Day 3, if you want to explore some of St. Louis, I'd cut that drive down a bit too. I also wouldn't go via Joliet. Instead, I'd avoid the potential Chicago area traffic and take I-70 and I-69 through Indy. Effingham or Terre Haute could make good stops, although you could also drive from St. Louis to your destination in Michigan in one long day too if you really wanted some time to Explore St. Louis. Staying in St. Louis could also give you an easy place to park the moving van, and use your SUV to explore the city.