

Ask HN: How to plan the optimal route for a moving van? - newobj

This might be a bit weird for HN, but I thought it posed a good hacker challenge :)<p>I'm moving from Phoenix, AZ to Seattle, WA next week. I'm driving my own 24' moving van (with car in-tow).<p>I'm trying to figure out what the optimal route is for this van. I want to minimize elevation changes, exposure to inclement weather, and overall driving pressure (e.g. narrow/fewer lanes, road curvature, etc).<p>There are the 3 primary routes one could take to make this trip:<p>1. I-5. (via Los Angeles) (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&#38;source=s_q&#38;hl=en&#38;geocode=Fblh_gEdy-JR-SnLeaFQ7RIrhzGsG0o1-MdpjA%3BFX77WwIdaji3-CnBgh2LcQODgDEp8DhLJVAWYw%3BFcJp1gIdWVy1-ClVM-iTLBCQVDGa1URpRmUlEA&#38;q=phoenix,+az+to+seattle,+wa&#38;sll=40.446947,-117.246094&#38;sspn=20.730412,46.538086&#38;ie=UTF8&#38;ll=40.513799,-117.202148&#38;spn=20.710218,46.538086&#38;t=h&#38;z=5&#38;saddr=phoenix,+az&#38;daddr=39.5825903,-122.210198+to:seattle,+wa&#38;via=1)  I've done this drive at least half a dozen times (in a car). Things are fine (if boring) until Northern California and Oregon, when you really start to get into a lot of elevation changes. And in northern Oregon (Portland area), I inevitably seem to get caught in a combo of rain + chewed up highway that I don't think I'd like to navigate very much in a 24' truck with car in tow.<p>2. I-84. (via Salt Lake City) (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&#38;source=s_q&#38;hl=en&#38;geocode=Fblh_gEdy-JR-SnLeaFQ7RIrhzGsG0o1-MdpjA%3BFcm_bQId53NU-Skb8Pps3_RShzG650FYs2ragw%3BFcJp1gIdWVy1-ClVM-iTLBCQVDGa1URpRmUlEA&#38;q=phoenix,+az+to+seattle,+wa&#38;sll=37.0625,-95.677068&#38;sspn=43.037246,93.076172&#38;ie=UTF8&#38;ll=40.446947,-117.246094&#38;spn=20.730412,46.538086&#38;t=h&#38;z=5&#38;saddr=phoenix,+az&#38;daddr=40.7469536,-111.9058178+to:seattle,+wa&#38;via=1) I've done this drive once in a car in the opposite direction. It felt flatter than drive #1, but you'd never know it judging by the terrain the route takes you over. So maybe it was my imagination?<p>3. US-93 and I-84 (via Las Vegas) (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&#38;source=s_q&#38;hl=en&#38;geocode=Fblh_gEdy-JR-SnLeaFQ7RIrhzGsG0o1-MdpjA%3BFcJp1gIdWVy1-ClVM-iTLBCQVDGa1URpRmUlEA&#38;q=phoenix,+az+to+seattle,+wa&#38;sll=40.513799,-117.202148&#38;sspn=20.710218,46.538086&#38;ie=UTF8&#38;t=h&#38;z=5&#38;saddr=phoenix,+az&#38;daddr=seattle,+wa) Never done this route before. It's the default suggested Google route.<p>So does anyone have any heuristics or insight into what the best route for this 24' truck would be?
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I would go with 3. Definitely flatter than 1 and comparable to two. Not the
prettiest drive but some of it's nice. You are sticking to interstates so
driving pressures should be minimal.

I-5 has a lot of elevation changes, it also takes you through the most
traffic..

