As a travel nurse, you might find yourself on the road more often than not. Whether it’s a daily commute to your current assignment, or packing your bags and embarking on a road trip, it’s important that you know how to maintain your vehicle while on the road. You can’t exactly become a travel nurse if you can’t travel, which is exactly why it’s important to take care of your vehicle. You’ll most likely be spending more time on the road than most people, so you’ll need to put more money and maintenance into your vehicle than most people. Luckily, there are a variety of ways that you can keep your vehicle running smoothly and ensure that you can really put the “travel” in travel nursing. Car care for travel nurses is important, so make sure you take these tips into consideration.
Car Care For Travel Nurses
Start With the Car
If you can afford it, it might be a good idea to invest in a reliable vehicle. There are a variety of different websites online that will tell you which makes and models are the most reliable, and even though you might initially pay more money upfront, the investment will be worth it because you won’t be stuck with constant maintenance costs. The time and money that you pay up front will make a difference. You may avoid unfortunate mishaps and increase your comfort level while driving long distances through unknown territory. Investing in a car that will last is one of the biggest steps you can take in car care for travel nurses.
Check What Insurance Covers
Depending on your personal insurance, or the insurance provided by your employer, you might get some financial help when it comes to maintaining your vehicle. Being paid for mileage and getting a tax deduction on company business mileage is a plus, but you should know what your own insurance will cover if you’re involved in an accident while driving for the company. Also, ask your business what the business insurance will cover for employees who drive for company business.
Talk to your own insurance agent to learn what coverage you should carry or add on to your policy if you are making frequent trips for your company. If you are self-employed, talk to your business insurance agent to see if you’ll need to add individual employees onto the auto liability portion of your policy. If your employees are making trips for the company, you should also check driving history to make sure that they are not a liability to the company.
Tires
Another major aspect of car care for travel nurses is making sure your tires are up to snuff. Tires are your contact with the road, and since losing contact generally results in the remains of your vehicle being vacuumed up, check ’em out. If your tires have too little of pressure, they should be filled, and if they have too much pressure, this could put you at risk for a blowout, so make sure you closely monitoring the right amount of pressure. Also, look at the tread on all four tires to make sure it’s not too worn or unevenly worn. Most new tires come with about 10/32” of tread depth. If your tire tread-depth gauge (just a buck or two at the parts store) shows less than 2/32”, it’s time for new tires. You can also use a penny. If the depth is below Lincoln’s shoulder, it’s time to change. If your tires are on the bubble in terms of wear, or have a bubble in the sidewall from a recent bounce against a curb, it’s better to install new tires now than to take a chance on them wearing out while you’re on the road. Tires with minimal tread can also cause issues when driving in the rain. If your tire can’t grip the road, it can easily cause an accident, so make sure to change your tires when appropriate.
