Since you are not migrating here from Florida, I will not wish death upon you.
However, as for you Floridians…
I didn’t know you lived in WNC… can I come sit in your blanket fort in your crapshack? Cozy!
It could have been fun, Lsura! (There’s still time!)
We made a very similar run last year - San Francisco to Charlotte, and my biggest bit of advice is WATCH YOUR SPEED. The Texas Highway Patrol, in particular, has an itchy finger on their radar guns. If the speed limit sign says 65, do not taunt them by driving 66. When we were driving through AZ and NM, people were blasting along at 90, but at the Texas state line, you could all but see tires smoking as they hit the brakes.
Truck stops, err, Travel Plazas, are wonderful things. On our trip, we’d often pace ourselves based on how far to the next TA or Love’s. Those huge expanses of land, pull-through parking spaces and wide lanes will shave off a lot of anxiety as you pull up to a fuel pump. Speaking of which - is this truck gas or diesel? If the latter, truck stops will always have diesel, but regular gas stations might not.
I rented a Penske truck a month ago and really, really liked it. When I think truck rental, I think a beat-to-hell U-Haul that’s pure misery to drive. The Penske truck was clean and pretty pleasant.
Also, I’m jealous. I’d love to drive cross country. Good luck!
Wishing you a safe journey. I have reached an age (old age?) where I no longer enjoy long drives and anything over 3 hours starts to get on my nerves. (3 hours is a tough drive anymore - it takes me that long to get to Mom’s and I hate it more each year.)
I drove from Portland, ME to San Francisco, CA on my own, with a car packed with most of my belongings. Said car also only had an AM-FM radio – no CD, not even a tape deck.
It was a piece of cake.
The first stop I made I stayed with my uncle in Niagara Falls, beyond that I was just doing the Gump: When I was hungry I ate, when I was tired I slept, and when I had to … you know … I went.
My tools were an atlas with all the Motel 8’s marked on it and an ability to read road signs.
The key is to not make marathon days out of it. For me, the longest I drove in any one day was about 10 or 11 hours, and that’s only because wherever I was at the 8 or 9 hour mark was no where near a Motel 8.
Use beltways whenever possible. You might not need them, but they’re almost always easier on the nerves.
Get a good atlas, sit down with your son, and work out the path together. Study it closely. Get a note pad, and note down highway numbers, beltway changes, distances bewteen major checkpoints and distances across states. Make your boy the Navigator - It’ll help bring him into the adventure, instead of him being bored and resentful. Plus, you won’t need to worry about figring things out - It’ll already be done, and you just ask the Nav any time you’ve a question. Make sure to bring atlas and note pad with you. 
Contact Triple-A and ask about conditions in general, and anything you need to especially be aware of. Get traffic radio station numbers for each city. Add all that information to your notebook. Ditto, the weather - Get a forcast across your trip, remembering that you’ll need the longer-range forcast for further away. Add that to your notebook, but don’t forget to listen to the radio for updates!
If you die, make plans to become a zombie. Think how amazed everyone will be when your rotting corpse pulls up at your destination!
I made a similar trip in reverse years ago. You’ll be driving I-40 most of the way, and there’s nothing to worry about. Once you get to Amarillo and points east, food is of no concern. There’ll be exits every few miles with food and fuel and beverages.
One tip that I got as a motorcyclist, but works well for driving too - Stop every 100-120 miles. Drink some water, have a snack, take a piss, walk around a bit. You will be able to cover much more ground that way as you’ll stay fresh and alert by taking those breaks. If you get drowsy, for Og’s sake, pull the hell over somewhere and take a nap. 15 minutes of snoozing in the front seat when you get drowsy in the middle of the afternoon can prevent a catastrophe.
Most of all though, enjoy the trip. You’ll see some beautiful vistas. I think everyone should take such a trip at least once.
All that way in reverse?? Wow- that’s quite a feat!
I will be taking a lot of breaks- I think that’ll help a lot with my anxiety. I’m definitely going to time it so I’m coming up on the western NC mountains early in the morning. I remember that sight from many a trip there with my parents as a kid- it’s breathtaking.
A couple notes to add about road conditions:
Most of I-40 in Oklahoma is in good shape, exceptions around west Oklahoma City and Henryetta (about an hour east of Oklahoma City).
I-40 in Arkansas is very good - senic in the west end in the mountains. The interchange in Little Rock is done - it used to be a real hell-hole.
Perhaps some dopers can comment on Memphis area construction and the preferred route? It’s a lot hectic around commute time going around I-240 to the south of town from my experience.
Yep the truck will look and largely drive like a van, with a big ass.
Go to big well-lit truck stops and there will be plenty of room to maneuver and safety. But don’t go walking in between a bunch of trucks in the back of the lot.
You might just find yourself enjoying the freedom of the open road.
Get yourself plenty of music/audio books/whatever.
C’mon, stop for me, would ya?
To give some real advice, always try to park in the middle of a parking lot to avoid backing up. The crap in the back will shift around, guaranteed so watch out for it to fall on you crushing you to death the first time you open the back of the truck. I’d suggest having a hobo or your son open it up for the first time to make sure it’s alright.
Assuming you plan to hit a motel each night and not drive straight through, make sure you get a motel with Internet access so you can update us with your progress. That way we can offer encouragement, snarky comments and watch outs! as you travel.
If you can swing it I would use this trip as a chance to really see some of the country and have some experiences you would otherwise miss. Stop and check out Carlsbad Caverns. Get a chicken fried steak in Texas. Check out the alligator farm and petting zoo in Arkansas. Have some BBQ in Tennessee. Really use this as a chance to have some experiences you’ve never had before and visit some places your son would love to go while on the road. You will forget all about the dying because you will be having such an awesome time.
There’s lot of good advice here already, so I’ll just offer a bit more detail on staying alert:
Food is good. Eating anything will provide at least a brief boost to your alertness, but for best results, you should be choose your snacks wisely.
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Avoid sugary drinks and snacks. They give you a substantial boost over the first few minutes, but your blood sugar may drop abruptly in 45 minutes to an hour, leaving you worse off than when you stopped for your snack.
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Protein is good. A little protein will provide steady energy over a long period, with no abrupt changes to blood sugar. It takes longer to kick in, but it’s better for you in the long run.
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Chewy is good. The physical process of eating does a lot to wake you up, and chewing is a significant part of the effect. Eating something that involves substantial chewing will do more to refresh you than eating something you can gulp down.
On the whole, I recommend things like beef jerky, nuts, and possibly sandwiches. Raw veggies are generally good, too, for a short-term boost with no sugar crash. Water will generally serve you better than sugary soda or juices.
Another important factor in staying alert on a long drive is breathing. Driving is a sedentary task, usually in a relatively small, enclosed environment. People often end up breathing shallowly, and the air can get stale, both of which lead to drowsiness. Breathing properly and making sure the cab is well ventilated can help you stay alert.
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Even if it’s really cold (or hot), roll down a window for a few seconds every now and then to flush stale air out of the cab.
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Shift your position in your seat periodically; if you find yourself slouching, sit up a bit. Moving around a little tends to stimulate your breathing, and most people breathe a little more deeply when sitting up straight than when slouching.
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Whenever you happen to think about it, take a few extra-deep breaths.
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If all else fails, sing. There’s no one there to hear you, so sing along with the stereo, or whatever song you happen to remember. It’s impossible to sing without breathing.
Never pass up the opportunity to pee and/or to poop. You never know when you might get stuck in traffic/snowstorm/mudslide/attacked by Godzilla and while the next real stop is “just down the road,” the bodily urge won’t wait that long.
Unless, of course, you plan to carry a bedpan, with your favorite enemy’s face emblazoned on the inside of it. 
I would MUCH rather drive a box truck than try to trailer anything. You’ve got the right vehicle for the trip, for sure!
You’ll be fine.
I did MS to CA in a similar sized truck (towing a car, as well.) This is when I fled the South, so you’ll be taking my spot. I was 21. It was a fan-freaking-tastic adventure and I would make that trip again a million times. I stood on a corner in Winslow, AZ. I detoured to several tourist attractions. I stayed in 29 Palms at my Grandmother’s house, but I went out at night and danced with young, fit, hot Marines. Best. Trip. Ever. I managed to not reverse the truck the entire way!
I did CA to MI in a regular car, this was dumb, because it meant I had at that point married my ex husband. His truck broke down in Nebraska. We ran out of money there and had to get his mom to wire us some. I was sick, and we fought like hell. I hated that trip, and wished actively to die.
I did CA to MI again with a UHaul to get my stuff the following year. I ran low on money in Wyoming, did some calculations, worked out if I didn’t eat and didn’t stay anywhere I’d be fine, so I didn’t. I drove for 38 hours straight. I didn’t die, and it was a miracle. It was still better than the previous trip. Don’t do this.
I did MI to NV in a regular car with a three year old (following aforesaid ex husband.) This was also dumb, because it meant I was still following him around. However, the trip itself was awesome and I sung songs and chatting to my kid the whole way, plus I planned better and still had money when we got there.
Then I moved to Australia, but I didn’t have to drive a rental truck. By airplane is the best way, I tells ya!
The only times I thought I would die RIGHTTHISVERYSECOND was in heavy mountians in Colorado and Arizona, but that was due to high winds and snow. (Also in the Sierra Nevadas.)
You will be totally fine. You have great advice here, so just relax and enjoy it!
Aye. Here’s some advice for my neck of the woods: when I-20 and I-30 split apart west of Fort Worth, TX, your GPS will almost certainly tell you to take I-30. Unless it’s the middle of the night, your GPS is a lying bastard. I-30 will run you directly through the middle of downtown Fort Worth, then directly through the middle of downtown Dallas. This will suck big hairy donkey balls during daylight hours. Stay on I-20 to bypass all of the city cores, then take I-635 north on the far side of Dallas to get back up to I-30 and back on your main route. It’s probably about 10 miles farther to drive, but it could save you ~30 minutes of driving anywhere near rush hour, and at least 40 curse events. (“What the *(&)# is wrong with the traffic in this city?” “Where the *#)&(@( did these *)(@&#s learn to drive?” “What *)(&@ !)(*^^ designed these exits and markers?”)
If you follow that advice, wave to your left after you pass the Collins street exit in Arlington; if I see you, I’ll wave back from my house.
So do you still want Christmas cards?