Been a while since I've bought a vehicle, and even then it was just driving across town for a test drive. I found a vehicle in Austin (I'm in Houston) that I want to go check out, but worried about it selling before I can get there and wasting the drive. Is there any industry standard practice like a refundable deposit to hold a vehicle that I could mention to them before I get on the road? What's the best way to handle that?

Yes, call the dealer and put a deposit down on it.

The deposit cannot legally be kept if you do not buy. The deposit will be refunded or applied to the vehicle (your choice).