"If you can read a map, why get a GPS?"...I don't think that way anymore.

[ohiomohawk]

My first truck driving job was driving for Schneider delivering to Walmarts in Oh,Mi,In,Ky and WV. 90% of the time the directions were accurate. They had location codes in the qualcom and you could simply pull them up....no need for a GPS.

My second driving job was driving to the same place every single day delivering auto parts......no need for a GPS.

I started driving tankers 3 months ago and my whole attitude towards GPS has changed. The places I have to go to are often on small country roads that are not on my map. I get accurate directions from my company about 60% of the time. I often end up having to call up the customer to get directions to their plant and I often get bad directions. It is no fun hauling 45,000 pounds of moving liquid and having to stop and turn around in 3-4 parking lots because you can't find the right street. That liquid slams into the front of the tank and can really ruin your day!

I was lost in the city of Orangeburg,SC one morning and was so pissed off I was about to scream!! After I finally found the place and made my delivery and went straight to a Pilot and bought a Garmin GPS!! The GPS makes my job a hell of a lot easier but you have to be carefull because they will sometimes attempt to send you down residental streets were it may be difficult to make a turn. The recalculating ability is real nice.

I USED to think GPS was a waste of money and were basically for people who could not read a map. It was easy to find Walmarts becuase they had a huge sign lit up that you could see from a mile a way. The chemical companys I now deliver to often have very small signs that are not lit up are often on small streets in the country and can be difficult to find at night. My GPS has made my job a hell of a lot easier:)

[JewelsnTools]

I've often marvelled at the drivers from years ago who didn't have access to this technology. To me, it's like the difference between horses and buggies and automobiles!
While mine's an invaluable help (her name is "Esther"--and we argue a lot!)-- I depend on her only up to a certain level. She's like 4th in line: Me, my Atlas, my compass (don't laugh!), then her.
Wouldn't give her up for the world, now, though!
Jewels
P.S., I'm glad you got one!

[ohiomohawk]

I've often marvelled at the drivers from years ago who didn't have access to this technology. To me, it's like the difference between horses and buggies and automobiles!
While mine's an invaluable help (her name is "Esther"--and we argue a lot!)-- I depend on her only up to a certain level. She's like 4th in line: Me, my Atlas, my compass (don't laugh!), then her.
Wouldn't give her up for the world, now, though!
Jewels
P.S., I'm glad you got one!

Check your private messages.

[Orangetxguy]

My first truck driving job was driving for Schneider delivering to Walmarts in Oh,Mi,In,Ky and WV. 90% of the time the directions were accurate. They had location codes in the qualcom and you could simply pull them up....no need for a GPS.

My second driving job was driving to the same place every single day delivering auto parts......no need for a GPS.

I started driving tankers 3 months ago and my whole attitude towards GPS has changed. The places I have to go to are often on small country roads that are not on my map. I get accurate directions from my company about 60% of the time. I often end up having to call up the customer to get directions to their plant and I often get bad directions. It is no fun hauling 45,000 pounds of moving liquid and having to stop and turn around in 3-4 parking lots because you can't find the right street. That liquid slams into the front of the tank and can really ruin your day!

I was lost in the city of Orangeburg,SC one morning and was so pissed off I was about to scream!! After I finally found the place and made my delivery and went straight to a Pilot and bought a Garmin GPS!! The GPS makes my job a hell of a lot easier but you have to be carefull because they will sometimes attempt to send you down residental streets were it may be difficult to make a turn. The recalculating ability is real nice.

I USED to think GPS was a waste of money and were basically for people who could not read a map. It was easy to find Walmarts becuase they had a huge sign lit up that you could see from a mile a way. The chemical companys I now deliver to often have very small signs that are not lit up are often on small streets in the country and can be difficult to find at night. My GPS has made my job a hell of a lot easier:)


Young Lad...a word of warning. Use your own common sense, if you did not buy the expensive Garmin, with Haz-Mat routing on it. There are lot's of places and routes that Garmun Nuvii is going to tell you to take, which you simply can not use, because of your placards.


Garmin is great for getting you there..but remember that it is based on Automobile routing software, not trucks and haz-mat. :thumbsup:

[GMAN]

I suppose I am still stuck in the horse and buggy era. I can't see buying something that is still not accurate for the trucking industry. If I spend that much money I want to make sure that it will do what I need it to do. My Rand McNally still serves me well and I don't have to worry about accuracy. If I have difficulty finding a place I can use that new fangled technology found on Mapquest. Sorry guys, I am not yet ready to make the plunge.

[Kevin0915]

Well, seeing how even your $500 trucker version GPS, even with all the trucker stuff turned on, will still lead you down (on rare occasions) low bridges, non HC routes, etc.....so that in my opinion makes it no better than mapquest.

THAT SAID, i've got Microsoft Streets and Trips on my laptop. i've got a HUGE screen, auto re-routes when i make a wrong turn (yeah, like that ever happens, haha) and come with or without a GPS receiver (kinda pointless to get it without it). I bought it at Best Buy for around $90. That alone left $400 in my back pocket. Why go blow a few hundred bucks on a garmin, tom tom or whatever, when it has a smaller screen, and none are 100% accurate anyway.

I've got an atlas, i've got my QC and a grease pencil. and i use them for almost every trip. So the vets who've been around since the 1800s driving trucks who say you should be able to find your shippers with a sextant and the stars, just dont understand the whole concept. Work smarter not harder. I'm willing to bet those drivers think that we shouldn't get to use A/C or a heater because their trucks didnt have those when they were drivers. =)

[Rev.Vassago]

I suppose I am still stuck in the horse and buggy era. I can't see buying something that is still not accurate for the trucking industry.

Rand McNally is not 100% accurate and contains only major roads (except for large cities). Between the internet and GPS, I haven't needed to use an atlas in over 4 years.

Oh wait, scratch that. I needed to use an atlas about 2 weeks ago to determine if a highway was truck legal, but then I routed it in my GPS, and it gave me a better alternative.

[dobry4u]

Rand McNally is not 100% accurate and contains only major roads (except for large cities). Between the internet and GPS, I haven't needed to use an atlas in over 4 years.

Oh wait, scratch that. I needed to use an atlas about 2 weeks ago to determine if a highway was truck legal, but then I routed it in my GPS, and it gave me a better alternative.

I use mine for a writing table ;)

[GMAN]

Well, seeing how even your $500 trucker version GPS, even with all the trucker stuff turned on, will still lead you down (on rare occasions) low bridges, non HC routes, etc.....so that in my opinion makes it no better than mapquest.

THAT SAID, i've got Microsoft Streets and Trips on my laptop. i've got a HUGE screen, auto re-routes when i make a wrong turn (yeah, like that ever happens, haha) and come with or without a GPS receiver (kinda pointless to get it without it). I bought it at Best Buy for around $90. That alone left $400 in my back pocket. Why go blow a few hundred bucks on a garmin, tom tom or whatever, when it has a smaller screen, and none are 100% accurate anyway.

I've got an atlas, i've got my QC and a grease pencil. and i use them for almost every trip. So the vets who've been around since the 1800s driving trucks who say you should be able to find your shippers with a sextant and the stars, just dont understand the whole concept. Work smarter not harder. I'm willing to bet those drivers think that we shouldn't get to use A/C or a heater because their trucks didnt have those when they were drivers. =)


I find it much easier to just call the shipper or consignee for directions if needed. They know the area and how to get to them in the easiest manner and I save $500 on something that doesn't work efficiently. If it gets to the point where they are 100% accurate and the price is reduced enough I might consider it. I can't see spending $500 on something that is inefficient when I can spend $10 (on sale) on something that has served me quite well for many years. Besides, it would be distracting to have a screen on my dash all the time. I call that working smarter.

[GMAN]

Rand McNally is not 100% accurate and contains only major roads (except for large cities). Between the internet and GPS, I haven't needed to use an atlas in over 4 years.

Oh wait, scratch that. I needed to use an atlas about 2 weeks ago to determine if a highway was truck legal, but then I routed it in my GPS, and it gave me a better alternative.


I have used Rand McNally for many years. I don't recall ever finding an error. Again, a phone call solves any problem in finding a shipper or consignee. I will wait until they get the bugs worked out on these GPS systems.

[Rev.Vassago]

I find it much easier to just call the shipper or consignee for directions if needed. They know the area and how to get to them in the easiest manner and I save $500 on something that doesn't work efficiently. If it gets to the point where they are 100% accurate and the price is reduced enough I might consider it. I can't see spending $500 on something that is inefficient when I can spend $10 (on sale) on something that has served me quite well for many years. Besides, it would be distracting to have a screen on my dash all the time. I call that working smarter.
The same could be said for cell phones, when there are perfectly good pay phones available...

[GMAN]

My cell phone doesn't have a big screen that is on all the time. I have seen drivers with screens on and I think it would be a major distraction, especially at night. I used pay phones for many years before the advent of the cell phones. I took my time with those, too. It can be a hassle finding a pay phone these days where your truck can get in to park. I do like having my cell phone. It makes it much easier to do business and is less expensive than making the same number of calls on a pay phone. A good friend of mine has a GPS and loves it. I may change my mind on the GPS once they perfect the technology. Besides, I can buy another laptop for $500. I might consider it if the price were $100 or less. For $500 I expect the technology to be right every time.

[Rev.Vassago]

I may change my mind on the GPS once they perfect the technology. Besides, I can buy another laptop for $500. I might consider it if the price were $100 or less. For $500 I expect the technology to be right every time.

My Delorme GPS cost me $80 new.

[GMAN]

The ones that I have seen are several hundred dollars. What about programming or software? How does it compare to the more expensive brands?

[Scottt]

I put the addy in my GPS when I pick up the load then I turn it off.

I will figure out my routing to get to the city I am delivering in using my atlas.

When I get close to the city I will turn the GPS on and go to history and bring up the addy of where I am going.

Like GMAN said I don't like the distraction of the GPS being on all the time.

[golfhobo]

The same could be said for cell phones, when there are perfectly good pay phones available...

I was at the Flying Hook in Waddy, Ky recently (as I am every friggin' day!) and watched them ripping out the pay phone booths to make room for them to hang some more holographic animal pictures to sell! :roll3::roll:

[Rev.Vassago]

Holographic animal pictures can be used to communicate with dispatch too.

I've come to the conclusion that an overwhelming majority of the transportation industry has no taste whatsoever.

[Jumbo]

I think my dispatch is a holographic animal.

[Malaki86]

I find it much easier to just call the shipper or consignee for directions if needed. They know the area and how to get to them in the easiest manner and I save $500 on something that doesn't work efficiently. If it gets to the point where they are 100% accurate and the price is reduced enough I might consider it. I can't see spending $500 on something that is inefficient when I can spend $10 (on sale) on something that has served me quite well for many years. Besides, it would be distracting to have a screen on my dash all the time. I call that working smarter.

I picked up a load in downtown Philly a few days ago. When I called to get directions to them, they gave me absolutely perfect directions into the plant. I had absolutely no problem following their routing.

That all changed when it came time to leave. They had absolutely no idea how to tell me how to get back onto ANY interstate in/around Philly. I asked 4 other drivers who came in to load. None of them could speak a word of English.

When I left, I knew I was on my own. I have both a standalone GPS (Nuvi) and Streets & Trips. I wasn't about to follow them because they both tried to send me underneath of 11' bridges.

It ended up taking me about 40 minutes to get onto I676, and that was after taking a really fun sightseeing tour through downtown Philly (definitely not a place for a 53' trailer). I also drove through areas where I was offered sex by women, men and everything in-between. I could've also had any type of drug known to mankind.

So, ya, the shippers/receivers aren't always that much help.

[JewelsnTools]

Not using one doesn't automatically assign you to the horse&buggy era! I hope my comment didn't come off sounding smart-a**. No one makes a change in their habits until the benefits of adopting the new outweigh the benefits of maintaining the old.
I find that it works best to do the "rough framing" of my routing with my Atlas, and let Esther do some of the "trim work" of the local/in-city part. But even then, I'm more prone to use the directions other drivers have sent in to the QC, using the GPS to name off the streets as I come to them! That's invaluable in pitch dark blackness in areas that don't seem to have discovered the value of street signs!
Since I'm such a young, tender, new lass....(not a word. any of you! :))...I don't know the roads of this country like the lines on the back of my hand. The GPS, while certainly not infallible, has proven to be a real help..
I think it's cool to have someone to discuss routing with...:)
Jewels

[belpre122]

About 3 months ago Radio Shack had a Sanyo Easy Street model marked down to $99 from around $300.00.

I used it more or less as a toy running local around Indy. I didn't know at the time that I would be making the trip to Alaska.

I programmed in my new Alaska address. Departed Greenwood, Indiana. I didn't have to look at a map one time. Not one wrong turn. Just kick back, drive and enjoy the scenery. Almost unbelievable!

3880 miles and 6 days later I pulled into my new address in Valdez. Hell, I might as well have been driving around the block in Indiana it was so easy.

The darn thing works great up here in Alaska also. Go figure? $99 well spent for sure. Amazing amount of technology for the price.

[Malaki86]

Another nice thing about with a GPS is when you get dispatched to a small town that flat out does not exist in the MCRA. I've went to many towns in PA, WV & KY that aren't listed in the road atlas, but in the GPS, I punch in the address and it shows me exactly where they are, as well as what truck stops, truck parking & rest areas are near.

Also, as for following shippers/receivers directions always doesn't work either (which I mentioned earlier). A few years ago I had a pickup in Louisville, KY. I called for directions directly from the shipper and she gave them to me. The problem was that when I got off the interstate at the exit she told me and turned the direction she told me, I was instantly confronted with a 11' 6" bridge. I had to call the police to assist me in getting backed up so that I could get back onto the interstate.

[GMAN]

I'm more prone to use the directions other drivers have sent in to the QC, using the GPS to name off the streets as I come to them! That's invaluable in pitch dark blackness in areas that don't seem to have discovered the value of street signs!


It can be difficult to see street signs when it is really dark, especially when there are no street lights. That is why I keep a 2MM candle power light in my truck. I can see for 2 miles. Having a good light really does help. I can see the benefit in having the GPS name off the streets as you get closer to a turn, but I think that it could also be distracting.

[Rev.Vassago]

I can see the benefit in having the GPS name off the streets as you get closer to a turn, but I think that it could also be distracting.

Have you never been in a vehicle where someone gave you directions while you drove?

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

Side walk sissies use GPS ...Real-MEN...Use the CB to hopelessly shout out for poor directions after getting lost , and then have 20 people try to talk at one time giving back bad directions as they all key up at one time on their cobra 19's ,25's ...And 29's attempting to give directions before he gets out out of their 5-7 mile range ...lol

[terrylamar]

It can be difficult to see street signs when it is really dark, especially when there are no street lights. That is why I keep a 2MM candle power light in my truck. I can see for 2 miles. Having a good light really does help. I can see the benefit in having the GPS name off the streets as you get closer to a turn, but I think that it could also be distracting.

Unlike a wife riding along, a GPS has a volume control.

[mike3fan]

I haven't carried a Atlas in my truck for 3 or 4 years now, only problem is when the laptop dies in the middle of a run. GPS are great for knowing exactly how close to a intersection(turn) you are, saved me many premature turns following directions.

I used to run S&T all the time but now just use the stand alone and S&T/Google maps for checking proper routing for places I haven't really been much to.

The GPS is no more distracting than the radio/cb sometimes I forget it's even there. I like at a quick glance to know how far I have to go, helps in planning stops and breaks.

[GMAN]

Have you never been in a vehicle where someone gave you directions while you drove?


Yes I have.

[GMAN]

Unlike a wife riding along, a GPS has a volume control.


That could be of benefit. :lol:

[DaveP]

If I ever see a positive GPS review from GMAN I guess I'll join the crowd and give up my Atlas...but till then...no thanks.

[GMAN]

I haven't carried a Atlas in my truck for 3 or 4 years now, only problem is when the laptop dies in the middle of a run. GPS are great for knowing exactly how close to a intersection(turn) you are, saved me many premature turns following directions.

I used to run S&T all the time but now just use the stand alone and S&T/Google maps for checking proper routing for places I haven't really been much to.

The GPS is no more distracting than the radio/cb sometimes I forget it's even there. I like at a quick glance to know how far I have to go, helps in planning stops and breaks.


I keep my CB down or off most of the time. I usually write my directions down on a pad or on the back of my rate confirmation or bills. Before starting out I plan my trip so that I know my route and where I am going. I would not want to be so reliant on technology. If it fails then you don't have a backup unless you also have a map in your truck. I still have a problem with any technology that might send me under a low bridge or road that is restricted. It might be nice to know how far I have to go without doing my calculations, but that isn't really a problem since I can check my odometer and know that.

[Malaki86]

Gman - the thing is that even if they come out with a GPS unit that everyone says is absolutely perfect and I went out and got one, I still wouldn't trust it 100%. Things change after map data is programmed. A bridge may have had it's weight limit reduced, a town may have passed a no-truck ordinance through town, a new weigh station may have opened, rest areas may have closed, etc.

Nothing is EVER going to be 100%.

However, when you use the GPS as a reference only, and not something to rely on 100%, you'll never have any problems. I *never* go into a new area based solely on what my GPS says (either of them). I always back it up with what directions I've been given and with the MCRA. With Microsoft Streets & Trips, you can easily modify the route so that it'll match 100% with what the customer has given as a good route.

That, along with being able to glance down to see where the truck stops, rest areas, weigh stations, etc are is, well, invaluable.

You don't have to go out and spend $500 to see it. Just go to Microsoft and download a 60 day trial of Streets & Trips. You don't have to have a GPS receiver to use it - just use it as a planning tool. But, if your wireless aircard has GPS functions in it (the one I have from Sprint does), then you CAN use it as a true GPS system. Hell, even to go buy Streets & Trips with a GPS receiver will only set you back about $80. People waste more money than that sitting in front of a machine in an hour or so.

Anyway, here's the link for the Streets & Trips trial: Order the Streets Trial Now (http://www.microsoft.com/streets/en-us/trial.aspx)

[Fredog]

Have you never been in a vehicle where someone gave you directions while you drove?

yes, my wife usually said, turn.............. on the road we just passed

[Glad Hand]

I find it much easier to just call the shipper or consignee for directions if needed. They know the area and how to get to them in the easiest manner and I save $500 on something that doesn't work efficiently. If it gets to the point where they are 100% accurate and the price is reduced enough I might consider it. I can't see spending $500 on something that is inefficient when I can spend $10 (on sale) on something that has served me quite well for many years. Besides, it would be distracting to have a screen on my dash all the time. I call that working smarter.

Man screw that $500 for junk that doesn’t do what it advertises and is plagued with tons of other problems on top of it.

Anyway, do you have $39.95? If you do get Streets & Trips, because it contains street level mapping for every town and village in the USA, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands in case you get a good paying load going over there and you don’t need Internet access to access it.

Then add the Truck Stops Plus template to it, which adds all the trucking specific POIs you will ever need with pinpoint accuracy and also gives you the ability to quickly check for restricted routes and low clearances from your laptop screen, and that combo will easily pay for itself many times over. Plus you won’t ever need to buy another MCRA or a truck stop directory.

I have been using Streets & Trips for years and only used the MCRA to check my routes for restricted routes and low clearances, but since my wife found the Truck Stops Plus template for me last Christmas, I haven’t picked up a MCRA or my truck stop guides ever since.

Hell, I can remember the days when I used to call the shippers and consignees to get directions. Half the time I got a hold of an amigo that could no comprehende English or a little girl who didn’t know her east from her west and her north from her south. With Streets & Trips and an Internet connection, if I can get a general idea of where it is located, I can find it via Bing aerial photographs, pushpin it on the map to pinpoint it, and then route to it.

I mean my small investment pays for itself every day by saving me time and time in this business translates into less stress, more money in my pocket, and more kick back and goof off time.

I will wait until they get the bugs worked out on these GPS systems.

If you mean waiting for a true truck routing GPS system that you can truly rely and depend on 100 percent of the time, then you will be waiting for the world to end first. However, mapping software is the same thing as a MCRA, only its in electronic form. Plus it is far faster to use and far more comprehensive, since it contains street level mapping whereas a MCRA doesn’t.

With the advantage of street level mapping, you can check your directions beforehand instead of finding out the hard way while you are driving them that they are wrong, and then have plenty of time to correct them beforehand and long before you ever have to drive them.

Most of the problems you hear about mapping software are from lunatics that don’t have brains attached to their skull to begin with, and those people would fail no matter what their profession is.

Besides, I can buy another laptop for $500.

With the above aforementioned, all you need is a laptop and it will do much more than a $500 standalone GPS device that doesn’t do what it advertises and is plagued with tons of other problems on top of it.

[Glad Hand]

Before starting out I plan my trip so that I know my route and where I am going. I would not want to be so reliant on technology. If it fails then you don't have a backup unless you also have a map in your truck. I still have a problem with any technology that might send me under a low bridge or road that is restricted. It might be nice to know how far I have to go without doing my calculations, but that isn't really a problem since I can check my odometer and know that.


I plan my trips too even though I use the latest technology. I would never plan a trip without going over it with a fine tooth comb first to make sure it has no anticipated surprises and I also always check it beforehand to make sure it is truck legal. Indeed, if I head down a restricted route road or a road with a low clearance, it means I failed and didn’t do my job. Just because you use the latest technology it doesn’t mean you stop doing basic trip planning. I’m a stickler for planning and believe it is the most important step. Nevertheless, the new technology takes the pain out of it and saves me a ton of time.

And as for as GPS guidance goes, if you ever have to make a delivery on a new moon night when the fog is so thick you can cut it with a knife and you can’t see the road signs much less read them, you will be glad you have GPS guidance.

Regarding it being a distraction. It might be for about two days, then it will become so boring that you will hardly notice it like everything else in your truck and then glance at it only when you need it, such as your speedometer and tachometer, and then if it is still too big of a distraction, flip the damn laptop screen in the down position.

[jonp]

I use mine to mostly check the mileage and the miles to travel. Works great for that. Also, while in the city or country it shows where I'm supposed to turn long before I get there so I can get into the right lane early and start looking for the street/highway. I'll get rid of my mapbook though. It's never been wrong for me.

[Orangetxguy]

My Delorme GPS cost me $80 new.


My Garmin Nuvii was free. :moon:

[GMAN]

Man screw that $500 for junk that doesn’t do what it advertises and is plagued with tons of other problems on top of it.

Anyway, do you have $39.95? If you do get Streets & Trips, because it contains street level mapping for every town and village in the USA, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands in case you get a good paying load going over there and you don’t need Internet access to access it.

Then add the Truck Stops Plus template to it, which adds all the trucking specific POIs you will ever need with pinpoint accuracy and also gives you the ability to quickly check for restricted routes and low clearances from your laptop screen, and that combo will easily pay for itself many times over. Plus you won’t ever need to buy another MCRA or a truck stop directory.

I have been using Streets & Trips for years and only used the MCRA to check my routes for restricted routes and low clearances, but since my wife found the Truck Stops Plus template for me last Christmas, I haven’t picked up a MCRA or my truck stop guides ever since.

Hell, I can remember the days when I used to call the shippers and consignees to get directions. Half the time I got a hold of an amigo that could no comprehende English or a little girl who didn’t know her east from her west and her north from her south. With Streets & Trips and an Internet connection, if I can get a general idea of where it is located, I can find it via Bing aerial photographs, pushpin it on the map to pinpoint it, and then route to it.

I mean my small investment pays for itself every day by saving me time and time in this business translates into less stress, more money in my pocket, and more kick back and goof off time.



If you mean waiting for a true truck routing GPS system that you can truly rely and depend on 100 percent of the time, then you will be waiting for the world to end first. However, mapping software is the same thing as a MCRA, only its in electronic form. Plus it is far faster to use and far more comprehensive, since it contains street level mapping whereas a MCRA doesn’t.

With the advantage of street level mapping, you can check your directions beforehand instead of finding out the hard way while you are driving them that they are wrong, and then have plenty of time to correct them beforehand and long before you ever have to drive them.

Most of the problems you hear about mapping software are from lunatics that don’t have brains attached to their skull to begin with, and those people would fail no matter what their profession is.



With the above aforementioned, all you need is a laptop and it will do much more than a $500 standalone GPS device that doesn’t do what it advertises and is plagued with tons of other problems on top of it.


Thanks for the info, Glad Hand. Is the Streets and Trips better than Mapquest?

[Glad Hand]

Thanks for the info, Glad Hand. Is the Streets and Trips better than Mapquest?

Yep...and a lot faster too. Plus you don't need an Internet connection to use it. However, if you are connected to the Internet, you can center the map on anything you want to look at, like a consignee or a shipper maybe to see the best way to enter their facilities, click the Show Bing Maps button, and get a birds eye view of their facilities.

Anyway, just click that download link Malaki suppied and download the 60 day free trial of Streets & Trips 2010 and try it out for sixty days. You'll love it.

[GMAN]

I may just check it out.

[mike3fan]

I may just check it out.



Hell just called, they said better get your warm clothes ready.

[heavyhaulerss]

I suppose I am still stuck in the horse and buggy era. I can't see buying something that is still not accurate for the trucking industry. If I spend that much money I want to make sure that it will do what I need it to do. My Rand McNally still serves me well and I don't have to worry about accuracy. If I have difficulty finding a place I can use that new fangled technology found on Mapquest. Sorry guys, I am not yet ready to make the plunge.

ditto!

[Malaki86]

Ok - let's do it this way. You say you don't want a GPS because they aren't 100% accurate. Exactly what is?

I've been given bad directions by my GPS, by my company, by brokers, by shippers, by receivers and by other drivers. There are no 100% guarantees that anything will ever be 100% accurate. Why? People don't know north from south, left from right, new restrictions may go into place on the same day you're going somewhere, they may have changed their location or maybe someone wants to be a complete ass just to see if they can get a truck hung up in an area where they shouldn't be.

Again, Streets & Trips 2010 has an unlimited, full-featured, 60 day demo available for download. You can run the stupid thing without spending a single penny. No, you won't be able to use it while driving but you can use it to lay out your trip just to compare to how you normally route to how it routes. I did that exact thing for the first 2 years I had a laptop in my truck.

There's no need to go spend $500 on a piece of stand-alone hardware when you don't even know if you would ever use it. You already have a laptop in the truck, so why not spend the big $0.00 and try it out? Afraid it might actually come in handy?

Right now I'm sitting in Black River Falls, MN. I have a delivery in Brainerd, MN in the morning. From there I go to Duluth, MN for a pickup, then I head for home in Fairmont, WV. It took me about 30 seconds to put in my stops and create my route. The only thing I had to change on the routing was to use I-294 around Chi-Town and to take US-30 & US-33 through Indiana & Ohio instead of the turnpike. With those changes, it took me about 2 minutes total.

I know exactly how many miles it is, how long it should take me to drive it, where I'll have to stop for the night and where I'll need to fuel the truck.

Sorry if you're afraid of technology, but I live by the "work smarter, not harder" philosophy.

[GMAN]

I am not afraid of technology, I just don't want to pay for something that doesn't do what it is supposed to do. Like I said, I may check out the free trial.

[Rev.Vassago]

I am not afraid of technology, I just don't want to pay for something that doesn't do what it is supposed to do. Like I said, I may check out the free trial.

I don't think that any of the GPS systems claim to be 100% accurate. In fact, neither does the Rand McNally road atlas. I believe they even put a disclaimer inside the front cover stating as much.

[belpre122]

Hell just called, they said better get your warm clothes ready.

LMFAO Mike! Heheh! Don't worry.......we'll get GMAN out of that 17th century mentality if it kills us all!! (and it probably will!;))

[belpre122]

I may just check it out.


Excuse me? I must have dialed the wrong number! Operator......oh operator!!!!:lol: This is the United States calling.............ring ring!!!
arrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhh.......Pink Floyd (or something like that!):thumbsup:


Hell GPUP.........ya might as well have told us that Golfhobo had stopped drinking again!!!:smokin:

[cdswans]

Why, just today, I had three run ins with Delorme Street Atlas USA. The first, I was on US 14 EB near the WI - IL line. 14 makes a distinct RH turn in downtown Walworth that I'd expect DeLorme to display as such. Delorme instead indicated the turn as a forward straight arrow. Something didn't look right, I turned right and got it right. Who knows what might have happened if I went straight? Later, I was going from the 355 to 55 south, west of Chicago. Delorme wanted me to exit to a frontage road to make the connection. I don't know why it did but I didn't because I know the route. Finally, it wanted me to turn south from I-80 to get to the 3800 block for my next pick up to the north. I've been to this place many times, so I knew better. That kind of stuff does happen and it's the kind of stuff that could get me in trouble if I trusted the thing completely . . like the guy who just ran his load of onions into a bridge on a NY parkway.

I have bypassed plenty of turns just because something didn't look right. Occasionally I'm right but they don't owe me any money. This thing is spot on 99% of the time. If it bothers me at night, I can dim the screen and/or change the background and make it very comfortable. I find a laptop screen to be a big advantage over a 2 - 3 - 4" stand alone screen, especially if I make a wrong turn and need to get back on track quickly. I can scale the screen from a single street corner to whatever level I need to get the big picture and plan my escape.

As mentioned previously, an Internet air-card is priceless as a 2nd resource for confirming an address or directions and the birds-eye pictures for checking out the finer details is a big help. I use it a lot for hotel parking lots. The pictures aren't always up to date and sometimes the resolution isn't too clear but it's another tool.

I continue to use my almost 6 year old Rand McNally for restricted routes and low or flimsy bridges. As for errors there, I went over two restricted bridges in TX, on the same day, that weren't listed. I was heavy with cotton bales and lucky, too.

My favorite, pre GPS, QualComm directions horror story is "look for the sign 5 - 10 miles down on the left". Could it be any more vague? It also didn't mention this was a 55mph four lane with no center turn. It was probably 5 years ago but if you happened to be behind me, you'd remember. Everything was cool until that 5th mile, then . . 25 mph in the hammer lane??? You f_____g idiot!!! My second favorite is the route to GP (?) in Jenks, OK, that has you crossing the Arkansas River 2 or 3 streets south of the bridge.

[dobry4u]

advice:


Just be careful with GPS, with all that satellite, cosmic stuff coming at you, it maybe hazardous to your health. Look at all the brain tumors cordless phone users got! :eek2:

[Glad Hand]

Another thing I also do with Streets & Trips is save all my consignee and shipper locations, company terminal locations, and company drop lot locations. I just create a GPS trail when I enter or egress them and then pushpin them at the end of the day, then save them to my template. When I add consignees and shippers, I include the address and phone numbers and also indicate if they are live load, live unload, drop and hook, or both and whether or not they allow for overnight parking. You will be amazed at how much time this will save you.

Thus, when you have to inevitably go back to them and you will many times, there is no searching involved. You just right click them and add them to your route. In other words, you don’t even need directions.

[belpre122]

Another thing I also do with Streets & Trips is save all my consignee and shipper locations, company terminal locations, and company drop lot locations. I just create a GPS trail when I enter or egress them and then pushpin them at the end of the day, then save them to my template. When I add consignees and shippers, I include the address and phone numbers and also indicate if they are live load, live unload, drop and hook, or both and whether or not they allow for overnight parking. You will be amazed at how much time this will save you.

Thus, when you have to inevitably go back to them and you will many times, there is no searching involved. You just right click them and add them to your route. In other words, you don’t even need directions.

Excellent info Glad Hand! That sure takes a hell of a lot of guessing out of the equation. Thus:

Wow! GPS (if used correctly) should be a Safety Director's dream come true? Isn't it? Less and less of their fleets doing turn arounds, running through residential neighborhoods at 3AM knocking down trees and power lines.

A beacon in the night. What an efficient way to move freight!!! Why isn't this equipment standard on all long haul trucks? Hmmmmmmmmm?

Oh, that's right. CPM pay has nothing to do with efficiency. Nothing at all. Because.......................

If you are routed Point A to B.........you are paid Practical or HHG. Doesn't matter how many times you loop around Atlanta or do turn arounds in Phoenix. You are paid the same. I forgot. 20 lashes for me.

What was I thinking? It must be this fresh air up here.........

"work 80-100, log 70, paid 40"