Expert Business Travel Tips

Does your work travel schedule have you landing in NY on Tuesday, stopping by Chicago on Wednesday, and circling back through St. Louis on Thursday only to end up at a meeting in Seattle by Friday morning? Avoid travel whiplash and maybe even relax (a little) on your next trip by following these business travel tips from the experts at Business Insider.

Pre-pack a Travel Bag

If you travel often, save all the time you spend packing toiletries into TSA-approved mini containers by keeping a travel bag packed at all times. Packing will be a breeze when you can just grab your bag and go.

Pack Comfort Clothes

You may think you don’t want a pair of tennis shoes and sweatpants, but pack them anyway. This is something that you will not regret, and you’ll be patting yourself on the back when you get home from a stressful day of meetings and just want to walk around outside in a shoe without a heel or polished toe.

Stop, Fold, and Roll

Everyone has their own approach to maximizing space while packing. A great way to maximize space for clothes is to fold shirts and pants neatly and then roll remaining clothes to fill in the corners of your bag.

Skip Bag Check

If you’re headed out on a shorter trip, try to pack lightly enough to fit everything you need into carry-on bags. This will save you time during departure and arrival, and you’ll also avoid any potential lost bag stress.

Buy Checkpoint-Friendly Bags

Consider investing in a carry-on bag that is specifically designed so you can keep laptops and other electronics in your bag when you go through security checkpoints. It may only save a couple minutes, but you’ll be thankful that you won’t have to pack and unpack your bags while you put your shoes back on and try to find your belt.

Take an In-Flight Breather

Though it may be tempting to squeeze in that last bit of work during your plane ride, consider using that time to disconnect and unwind. Whether you prefer to read, watch a movie, or just take a nap, down time before a stressful, high-energy business situation may do you more good than you realize.

Cash in on Pre-Check and Frequent Flyer Programs

Most airlines offer some sort of frequent traveler program that gives you access to more amenities, shorter wait times, and overall less inconveniences. Sign up for pre-check whenever you have the option, and security checkpoints will be a breeze. If you consistently travel with one airline, it may pay off to check into their rewards programs as well.

Keep important documents at hand

Stack your passport, ID, and any other important documents together and keep them together as much as possible, especially at the airport. You may think you will remember that you stuck your passport into your back pocket, and that your ID is in that one pocket in your other jacket, but you probably won't. Keeping everything in the same place will save you a major headache later. 

Nissan to Partner With Japanese Government on Self-Driving Car Project

The Japanese government wants to get serious about self-driving vehicles, and it’s inviting three of the country’s largest automakers to partner up to make it happen.

The Nikkei, an Asian daily business paper, reports that Japanese auto giants Toyota, Honda and Nissan will team up with the government, as well as Panasonic and Hitachi, to develop new technologies for implementation in self-driving vehicles. The project will also enlist the help of the University of Tokyo and Nagoya University for data analysis.

The partnership comes in response to recent progress made by American and German automakers in the realm of self-driving cars. The Nikkei reports that Japan hopes to make strides in standardizing self-driving car technology in order to remain competitive with other global companies.

The meeting is expected to be held sometime this summer. According to the Nikkei, the first step of the project is to standardize software utilized in autonomous vehicles. Later, the project will move towards developing infrastructure associated with getting self-driving cars on public roads.

At Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville, we’re certainly excited to see Nissan involved in such an ambitious project. We look forward to seeing how this partnership will contribute to making self-driving cars a reality.

5 Types Of Car Passengers You Don't Want To Be

When you're driving your car, it's important to keep your eye on the road and your wits about you. If you're on your own, that shouldn't be too difficult. But if you're carrying passengers as part of a carpool or otherwise, it can be a whole different ball game. Some passengers are no trouble at all, but others can make it feel as though you're never going to reach your destination. Here are five types of passenger you don't want to be.

1. The backseat driver

If you're driving the car, it should hopefully be assumed you've had lessons and passed your test. Why is it then that some people feel indebted to keep giving you directions and guidance? Tips on how to brake more effectively, get better gas mileage and handle corners may be well-intentioned, but they'll wear thin pretty quickly. Worse still, if you're this kind of passenger, your helpful advice is likely to get carried away, leading to tips that blatantly aren't needed. After all, if you have to tell somebody to 'watch out for that truck," why don't you just drive yourself?

2. The neurotic

Sadly, thousands of people are injured on the roads every year, thanks in no small part to carelessness, speeding, and overconfident driving. At the other end of the spectrum, you may have been unfortunate enough to end up driving with the neurotic, who seems capable of seeing the absolute worst-case scenario in everything. He or she will be nervous at night, frightened when it rains, and petrified if there's a lightning storm. The best thing to do is pull over, or you'll probably end up in the nearest ditch the next time he or she shrieks with fear and grabs the steering wheel.

3. The flirt

It pays to make sure that you check out the intentions of all of your passengers before you hit the road. You might just be doing your coworker a favor by offering him a ride home, but he could be reading more into things and that could lead to a whole lot of trouble. Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.

4. The greedy-guts

Some people just never stop eating, and if they're doing it in your car, chances are you'll be the one that regrets. Sticky, smelly, salty foods will be sure to permeate the entire cabin of your car, and you'll be using air freshener for weeks to shift the odors. Worse still, no matter how well you look after the inside of your car, greedy-guts is still likely to drop crumbs and mess all over the upholstery, and you can bet your bottom dollar she won't be lining up to pay for a valet.

5. The rocker

There's a simple rule-of-thumb when it comes to driving. Whoever is behind the wheel gets to choose the ambience during the journey. That means that if he or she wants peace and quiet, that's what happens. If it's opera music, so be it. The rocker will ignore this, and will either keep changing the radio station or will bring out his own thrash metal CDs to torture your ear drums. Just when you think things can't get any worse, he'll also pull out his invisible air guitar, and it's all downhill from there.

Have no hesitations about kicking these characters out of your traveling party if possible - it'll be better for everyone. And if you ever catch yourself starting to act this way...start looking into bus passes.

Kelley Blue Book Praises the 2015 Pathfinder and Altima

Two 2015 Nissan vehicles were recognized by Kelley Blue Book in February for their outstanding commitment to quality and utility.

Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com named the 2015 Pathfinder one of the “15 Best Family Cars of 2015.” The KBB.com editors cited the Pathfinder’s spacious seating, as well as its “rich interior.”

“With plenty of cargo space and interior room, and a smooth ride with solid handling, the 2015 Pathfinder is a classic ‘family-first’ vehicle, and we’re elated to once again be included among Kelley Blue Book’s Best Family Cars,” said  Dan Mohnke, vice president, Nissan Chief Marketing Manager & Marketing Operations, in a press release.

Additionally, the KBB.com editors named the 2015 Altima one of the “10 Best Sedans Under $25,000.” Among other features, the editors praised its impressive fuel economy, as well as the Altima’s Easy Fill Tire Alert system.

“With a starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price* of just $22,300, the 2015 Altima offers a long list of comfort and technology features which make it a customer favorite,” Mohnke said in a separate press release. “We are honored that the Altima has been chosen for this honor by the experts at Kelley Blue Book.”

At Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville, we’re happy to see Nissan’s hard work in developing practical, efficient vehicles that meet the demands of our numerous customers recognized by a well-respected national publication.

* MSRP excludes applicable tax, title, license fees and $810 USD destination charges. Dealer sets actual price. Prices and specs are subject to change without notice.

Image: Nissan

5 Common Ways Drivers Lose Fuel Efficiency and How to Avoid Them

The advertised fuel efficiency of your car will normally be an estimate of the maximum output the vehicle can achieve under certain conditions. In reality, your car’s fuel efficiency will vary considerably based on how you drive it among other factors. If you’re looking to get the most from your car, read about the five following common ways that drivers lose fuel efficiency—and how to avoid them with tips from Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville.

• Constant heavy acceleration. Accelerating puts more demand on the engine, forcing it to burn more fuel. Your fuel consumption is related directly to how hard the engine is working. Constant heavy acceleration simply burns fuel with no real benefit. This includes racing away from traffic lights or zooming up to traffic on the highway and then having to hit the brakes hard. Drive moderately, accelerating steadily and smoothly to avoid guzzling gas.
• Losing traction on the road surface. When you are driving in wet or unusually slippery conditions, you need to drive more carefully. Driving and accelerating in the way that you would on clean, dry surfaces is likely to cause the car to lose traction and the tires to slip. This is also guaranteed to eat into your fuel unnecessarily.
• Inefficient gear changes. A manual gearbox is intended to maximize the performance and fuel efficiency of the engine. You therefore need to shift into the upper gears quickly. Revving hard in the lower gears burns up your fuel and drastically reduces your gas mileage. The ideal shift points will vary from one transmission to another, but you should generally aim to shift to second gear before you reach 15 miles per hour and reach the top gear by the time you hit 35 miles per hour.
• Resting your foot on the brake pedal. You should never drive with your foot resting on the brake pedal. Even the lightest touch affects the fuel economy and places unwanted demand on the engine. You will also wear the brakes unnecessarily, which may encourage you to ‘grab’ the brakes or press much harder, again eating into your fuel economy.
• Idling at traffic lights. If your engine is running idle at the traffic lights, then it is consuming fuel without any need. If the car isn’t moving, shift your transmission into neutral to drop the revolutions per minute. The car will stop consuming gas and your fuel efficiency will increase.

While the design and specification of your car is a major influence on your fuel efficiency, the way in which you drive also has a significant bearing. Avoid these common mistakes and get the most from your money—and visit Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville for more info about your fuel efficiency or to find a new or pre-owned vehicle that meets your driving needs.