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Winter driving with an unfamiliar 16-foot moving truck, pulling a car dolly is slightly more challenging than driving in the summer, with dry pavement, but you are going to be fine.

One suggestion, ditch the car dolly and rent a trailer for your car. You will have more control and your car will be in much better condition if it is on a trailer and not on the car dolly.

Most of your intended route is what I would suggest -- except I wouldn't leave the Interstate 40 highway at Holbrook and drive the mountainous route through Payson and down to Phoenix. It is not much further to stay on I-40 to Flagstaff and then south on I-17 to Phoenix. Very good chance that will have snowy conditions in Flagstaff -- but I-40 and I-17 will have better road maintenance.

The biggest issue on this trip is that you need to build in some time flexibility -- El Nino weather patterns are suggesting a very good chance of stormy weather (rain, sleet and snow) along much of your route in January. And the safest way to travel in such conditions is to not be on the highway when the going gets tough. Travel only during the "warmer" daylight hours 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and let the highway departments do their thing opening the roads the rest of the time.

Other tips for winter driving...

Bottom line, you will be fine. Thousands of drivers make a similar journey every year in the winter months.

Mark