Which route should I take?

[driftingaway]

Do you normally hitch on the major interstate on-ramps or do you hitch along the minor highways? I'm planning a trip from Memphis, TN to Destin, FL, and I'm not quite sure which route would be the best. If you were taking this trip, could you tell me which route you would take and why?

Also, whenever you're hitchhiking from an unknown city. How do you find the best place to hitchhike? Do you find the nearest interstate or highway on your map and walk to the nearest on-ramp, etc?

Thanks in advance.

[brakos]

Do you normally hitch on the major interstate on-ramps or do you hitch along the minor highways? I'm planning a trip from Memphis, TN to Destin, FL, and I'm not quite sure which route would be the best. If you were taking this trip, could you tell me which route you would take and why?

Are you in a hurry, and/or just want to get from point A to point B? Take the interstates. If you want to see things along the way, take the smaller highways. Everybody has their own style of hitching.

Haven't been to the southeast yet, but looking at the map, my major suggestion would be to avoid Birmingham, big cities can be traps sometimes. And fair warning, I've heard hitching through Florida can be a nightmare.

The best thing about hitchhiking is going with the flow though! Don't plan out every small detail, because 9 times out of 10 it won't how you plan it.

Also, whenever you're hitchhiking from an unknown city. How do you find the best place to hitchhike? Do you find the nearest interstate or highway on your map and walk to the nearest on-ramp, etc?

Thanks in advance.

If it's a smaller town, I'll usually just walk to the highway. Some people like asking at gas stations in town or near the highway, and I'll do that if the weather's terrible (and I'm in the northwest, it usually is here!)

If you're stuck in a bigger city (like a Montgomery, Mobile, etc.), there's usually a public transit route to the edge of town you can take if you have spare change. Just make sure if you're heading south/east, you don't end up on the north/west end of town! Libraries will usually offer transit information, or at least a computer to look routes up.

[driftingaway]

Are you in a hurry, and/or just want to get from point A to point B? Take the interstates. If you want to see things along the way, take the smaller highways. Everybody has their own style of hitching.

It's not so much that I'm in a hurry. It's just that I have a fear of getting stuck somewhere. This will be my first time hitching, and even after all the guides I've read, I'm uncertain of which route to take that will give me the greatest chance of hitching a ride.

When you're hitching, do you normally create your own route using a map? Or do you try to take a suggested route from google maps or something similar?

[Lightfoot]

Are you in a hurry, and/or just want to get from point A to point B? Take the interstates. If you want to see things along the way, take the smaller highways. Everybody has their own style of hitching.

It's not so much that I'm in a hurry. It's just that I have a fear of getting stuck somewhere. This will be my first time hitching, and even after all the guides I've read, I'm uncertain of which route to take that will give me the greatest chance of hitching a ride.

When you're hitching, do you normally create your own route using a map? Or do you try to take a suggested route from google maps or something similar?

If it's your first trip, I would stick to the interstates. Figure out where the truck stops are. In Birmingham, the Flying J is about 6-8 miles north of downtown. The trucker's lounge there is a good place to cop rides. Truck stops provide refuge from bad weather and they increase your chances of scoring rides that are going far.

The state highways are more slow traveling and often require long walks through towns to find "the spot". Standing in front of Wal-Marts thumbing rides can be a real wear down mentally. Locals in small redneck towns in the south might not appreciate your free-spirited vibe.

I would scope the trip out on Google maps before heading out. Figure out which ramps have multiple truck stops and where you are going to ask to be dropped off before your ride exits in some big city. Zoom in on some of the ramps that you know you might be hitching from and figure out if those ramps are near good stealth camping spots. Knowledge sometimes does win the day when you're hitching. Good luck.

[TheWindAndRain]

I came here to tell you to stick with the insterstates and only get dropped off at truck stops when around big cities, but I see lightfoot has already done this. I'm just here to reaffirm his advice.

[driftingaway]

If it's your first trip, I would stick to the interstates. Figure out where the truck stops are. In Birmingham, the Flying J is about 6-8 miles north of downtown. The trucker's lounge there is a good place to cop rides. Truck stops provide refuge from bad weather and they increase your chances of scoring rides that are going far.

Are you suggesting I go inside the trucker's lounge and ask for rides? I thought I read somewhere that truckers weren't allowed to pick up hitchhikers?

I would scope the trip out on Google maps before heading out. Figure out which ramps have multiple truck stops and where you are going to ask to be dropped off before your ride exits in some big city. Zoom in on some of the ramps that you know you might be hitching from and figure out if those ramps are near good stealth camping spots. Knowledge sometimes does win the day when you're hitching. Good luck.

It sounds like it would be difficult to find all of that together (multiple truck stops, camping spot, etc), but i'll try!

By the way, speaking of on-ramps... I've noticed that some of the on-ramps around here don't have a place where the vehicle can pull over. Where do you hitch under those circumstances? Do you keep moving down the highway until you find another interstate on-ramp with a shoulder?

Thanks for all the advice thus far.

[brotherjohn]

55,12,10? and probably fly a sign for Jackson, N.O. Mobile? Comes a point you just have to trust your own common sense in situations. Most the time cars come in bunches as the light turns, most folks aint gonna want to stop and hold up traffic and frankly I'd be concerned about anyone that would. Truck stops aint just for truckers anymore lottsa people traveling use them and they're used to seeing HHers around.

[Lightfoot]

If it's your first trip, I would stick to the interstates. Figure out where the truck stops are. In Birmingham, the Flying J is about 6-8 miles north of downtown. The trucker's lounge there is a good place to cop rides. Truck stops provide refuge from bad weather and they increase your chances of scoring rides that are going far.

Are you suggesting I go inside the trucker's lounge and ask for rides? I thought I read somewhere that truckers weren't allowed to pick up hitchhikers?

I would scope the trip out on Google maps before heading out. Figure out which ramps have multiple truck stops and where you are going to ask to be dropped off before your ride exits in some big city. Zoom in on some of the ramps that you know you might be hitching from and figure out if those ramps are near good stealth camping spots. Knowledge sometimes does win the day when you're hitching. Good luck.

It sounds like it would be difficult to find all of that together (multiple truck stops, camping spot, etc), but i'll try!

By the way, speaking of on-ramps... I've noticed that some of the on-ramps around here don't have a place where the vehicle can pull over. Where do you hitch under those circumstances? Do you keep moving down the highway until you find another interstate on-ramp with a shoulder?

Thanks for all the advice thus far.

Truckers pick up hitchers, don't know where you read otherwise. The Birmingham Flying J is a fairly chill place and management seemed OK. A security guard actually bought me a hot dog there. I was never big on soliciting rides at truck stops but it's been done. If you sit in the trucker lounge and watch a football game with 15 truckers, it's pretty easy to initiate a conversation. There's a fine line between politely inquiring and overtly harrassing people. Truck stops in the south seem much more willing to give hitchers the boot if they're being too aggressive.

Pick up a national truck stop guide at the nearest truck stop for $4.95. Multiple truck stop ramps are slightly better chances of being picked up. Not always, though. There's a ramp with 4 truck stops just west of Oklahoma City exit 261 on I-40 that isn't wide enough for anyone to stop. That was quite a nightmare.

Generally, if the ramp isn't wide enough for anyone to stop, I always walk down the ramp to the first place where there is good visibility and enough room for people to pull over. If that's on the interstate, it's on the interstate. In Oklahoma City, I finally caught a truck ride from a trucker leaving the truck stop. Took about 12 hours of thumbing, though.

[driftingaway]

Truckers pick up hitchers, don't know where you read otherwise. The Birmingham Flying J is a fairly chill place and management seemed OK. A security guard actually bought me a hot dog there. I was never big on soliciting rides at truck stops but it's been done. If you sit in the trucker lounge and watch a football game with 15 truckers, it's pretty easy to initiate a conversation. There's a fine line between politely inquiring and overtly harrassing people. Truck stops in the south seem much more willing to give hitchers the boot if they're being too aggressive.

Pick up a national truck stop guide at the nearest truck stop for $4.95. Multiple truck stop ramps are slightly better chances of being picked up. Not always, though. There's a ramp with 4 truck stops just west of Oklahoma City exit 261 on I-40 that isn't wide enough for anyone to stop. That was quite a nightmare.

I'm relieved to know truckers will pick up hitchhikers, and I'll definitely pick up a national truck stop guide. Thanks.

Generally, if the ramp isn't wide enough for anyone to stop, I always walk down the ramp to the first place where there is good visibility and enough room for people to pull over. If that's on the interstate, it's on the interstate. In Oklahoma City, I finally caught a truck ride from a trucker leaving the truck stop. Took about 12 hours of thumbing, though.

So, if the ramp isn't wide enough (something I find often in the city I live in), you'll go on the interstate and hitch from there? Have you ever had any trouble with law enforcement for doing that?

[Lightfoot]

So, if the ramp isn't wide enough (something I find often in the city I live in), you'll go on the interstate and hitch from there? Have you ever had any trouble with law enforcement for doing that?

Yes, but it's usually worth a shot unless you want to stand on a crappy ramp all day. If you're in a big city where that seems inadvisable, figure out where the best place is to hitch from in the direction you are headed. Usually there is a truck stop nearby. If the cops hassle you, they'll run your ID and tell you to get back on the ramp, unless you're drunk or if you still have a joint between your fingers. If they're in the right mood, they might even drive you to a better ramp.

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