Touring is an enormous part of being a musician, especially once you start to build a following. For small artists or those still growing their fanbase, making your way around the country can be an exercise in exhaustion. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you handle all those long hours on the road as you make your way from city to city. 

The last thing you want is to have to cancel a gig — or your entire tour — because your touring vehicle broke down. We get it — for bands just starting out, your tour bus is whatever cheap ride you can find that will carry all your gear. That’s half the fun of starting a band until it leaves you stranded in the middle of the desert somewhere with no cell signal. 

Take care of your vehicle. Keep up with regular maintenance. Keep some tools on hand and learn how to complete basic repairs on the side of the road if necessary. Double-check your spare tire and keep a patch kit and air compressor around, just in case. 

When you’re on the road, you want to be focusing on your music. You don’t want to be worried about if you left a window open or oven open. You also don’t want to worry about someone breaking in.

 

Get a security system that can monitor anyone coming into your house while you’re gone, giving you peace of mind. Double check common entrance points. Replace any loose or broken locks, and fix any damaged garage doors, as they are often common targets, especially if it doesn’t close all the way. You an even get an app that lets you open and close your garage door from anywhere, so you don’t have to worry. 

Make sure your heat or air conditioning is set to a mild temperate, and have a trustworthy friend come to water plants or feed your pets. Have them take an extra key with them instead of leaving it under a door mat. 

There’s nothing worse than getting lost because your phone — which holds your itinerary and GPS navigation — runs out of battery life and dies on you. Modern cars come equipped with charging ports, but even beat-up old vans have a cigarette lighter port you can use for charging phones and other electronic devices. 

Charge your devices. If you get lost, you end up late or you miss the gig entirely. That can be a career death sentence, especially if you’ve got some big names lined up to come and see you play.

Touring is expensive, and if you’re buying fast food at every single rest stop along the way, you’re going to eat your way through your budget in no time. Skip McDonald’s and gas station food. Choose snacks that you can pick up at Walmart or whatever grocery store you cross paths with. 

Even if you don’t have a mini fridge, stocking up on non-perishable snacks can keep you fed and prevent you from wasting all your hard-earned cash on junk that will just make you feel like crap.

Driving might not seem like something that could wear you out, but if you’re traveling across the country, it can get exhausting. You need concentration and skill to keep yourself safe on the highways, and those can be challenging to maintain over long periods. 

Take frequent breaks. Most experts recommend taking a 15-minute break every two hours during long trips. That includes getting out of the car and stretching your legs. Even with breaks, you shouldn’t drive more than eight hours a day, so if you need to drive all night, make sure you have a second driver to switch with.

 

Driving is exhausting. Playing a gig is exhausting. You’re probably downright beat by the time you finish a show, but you’re already planning your route to the next venue. If you’re tired, don’t drive. Period. Full stop. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowsy drivers cause upwards of 6,000 fatal accidents per year. A nap might put you a little behind schedule, but a crash will derail your entire tour. 

Don’t drive tired. Give someone else the wheel and take a nap or, even better, stop for the night and get some good sleep. 

Sometimes the best thing you can do is talk to the experts. In this case, try talking to truck drivers who make a living with those long hours you’re learning to navigate on your tour. They know all the tricks because they do it every single day of the year. 

If you don’t know any truckers, consider checking out some of the apps they use during their workday. Waze helps you avoid traffic jams, and Fuelbook lets you find the closest gas stations along your route. Many truckers have been making a living on the road for decades — ask if they’d be willing to offer you some advice. 

Touring, above all, should be fun. A few preparations can mean all the difference between holding a successful tour and being stranded on the side of the road somewhere, hoping a tow truck drives by. Take care of yourself, take care of your touring vehicle and whatever you do, don’t drive tired. Beyond that, have a blast!

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