Get Road Ready this Yuletide Season with Caltex: 5 tips to prepare for that holiday long drive

With the holiday season fast approaching, more Filipinos are hitting the roads for long-distance trips to meet with their loved ones or enjoy a much-deserved vacation. However, you may face a few hiccups along the way –– whether getting lost or falling short of cash.

That’s why it is important to prepare thoroughly for your long-distance road trips so everyone onboard can drive further. Here are some tips you can use with the help of Caltex’s high-quality fuel products.

1. Plan your route

A smooth trip starts with a carefully planned route to your destination. Through this, you can navigate unexpected road closures and traffic-heavy areas, and gauge your estimated arrival of time. Apart from planning your main route to your destination, you can also break down the detours and pit stops. Luckily, Caltex has strategically located gas stations across the Philippines, ensuring travelers can easily fuel up anytime, anywhere.

2. Set a budget

Setting a budget may seem like buzzkill but it can help you enjoy your trip even more since you don’t have to worry about running out of funds. When you’re on the road, little expenses can empty your wallet, be it toll fees, convenience store snacks, or souvenirs. By setting a clear budget, you can allocate a huge chunk of the funds to your priorities, and whatever is left over can be spent on treats for yourself or the whole family.

Additionally, you can redeem your Caltex Rewards points for fuel discounts and exclusive vouchers from the Caltex Rewards Catalogue.

3. Be prepared yet pack light

When it comes to road trips, a little prep goes a long way. The key is to prioritize packing the basics such as snacks, toiletries, chargers, and power banks. One pro tip is to keep your things travel-sized to allocate more space in your baggage for other items. You can also write a list that distinguishes the items you need for the trip from the items you want to bring as well as pack dual-purpose items.

4. Keep yourself alert and your passengers entertained

The long travel time can leave the driver feeling drowsy and the passengers restless. If you’re the one behind the wheel, you must get enough sleep before hitting the road. Stay alert by sitting up straight and chewing gum, or switch places with a driving companion to get some rest.

It’s also important to keep the mood light, especially when traveling with children. You can curate a playlist filled with classic karaoke hits that everyone can easily sing along to. Another option is to play games that don’t require packing extra items like “I Spy,” “20 Questions,” and “Never Have I Ever.”

5. Check if your car is road trip ready and power up with a reliable fuel

With your route carefully planned and your budget set, you’re almost ready for your road trip! But before you hit the road, you must check if you are ready to drive long distances and if your car is safe for the road. For the latter, you can assess your car’s battery, lights, oil, water, brakes, air, gas, engines, and tires using the “BLOWBAGETS” checklist.

While you’re conducting your own car maintenance, now would also be a good time to power up with a reliable superior cleaning fuel. Thanks to Techron with Clean and Glide Technology, Caltex fuels are specially formulated to target, remove, and clear carbon deposits from the car’s fuel system.

In fact, fuel experts conducted a borescope test to check engine intake valves for carbon deposits and found that Caltex delivered cleaner results, with an average cleanliness score of 9.8 out of 10 in 23 cars tested.