GPS For Trip Planning

[Malaki86]

Flying J is selling CoPilot now. I'm saving all of my Frequent Fueler coupons to apply towards it ;-)

http://www.flyingjestore.com/index.c...MBER=1&SKU=100

Right now it's $50 off, so only $349.

[dj4monie]

I used MS Streets and Maps 2005 and Co-Pilot Truck I picked up from the company itself while I was in New Jeresy.

Eh, all you old schoolers...

I can read the Map Book better than most of your old eyes could and I only use it as part of my final trip planning. I never opened it while on route anywhere, including Canada!

For total newbies, use the map book and get experience!

You'll learn alot from it. When you feel comfortable use mapping software as a tool to HELP YOU ROUTE your trip, not as a replacement for Route Planning! Its also invaulble if your multiple stops and your in mid-day traffic. I like to see one of you old schoolers get out of that one and I didn't have a CB, like I wanted to hear rasist comments and idle chatter all day long anyway.

I had a Laptop and loaded the maps up into a PDA my last days on the road. The PDA did all the routing and it was at EYE level so I can still see it and not take my eyes off the road ahead.

I know where every T/A, Pilot, Flying J's and even the places up in Canada that escape me now, without opening ONE FRICKIN BOOK. I also know where all the HOLES IN THE WALLS are too. If the software didn't and I found one, I can mark it and the software rememebers the next time I'm in the area.

Fug getting lost, Fug asking other truckers for directions (maybe on site so you know where to back, but otherwise...) I was more than upset when JB Hunt dropped paying for Idle Air...

But next time I go out, I'll have Direct TV and you won't see me setting up a DISH in the parking lot.

Technology RULES

Did I mention I did my logs on my laptop as well? Never an error and Scales LOVED THEM.

GOOD NIGHT NOW - Jim Rome impresionating Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton

[jedi_knight]

Well after reading all the interesting answeres I'm just going to go and get the Delorme program... My trainer and I had used it when I was with him... The only reason for me getting this is so when the co sends directions over the QC sometimes there not all that understandable.. Especially when getting to your final destination ie: shipper or receiver.. y co like most have a set fuel route they want driver to take.. Most only allow 5% out of route per trip.. I have no problem getting from point A to parts of point B by reading the QC and comparing it to the road atlas, it is just the last part which most of the time comes from the customer themselves.. I can't see spending $300 or more on a program when the Delorme for under $100 works just as good... I quess to each his own...

[allan5oh]

with copilot, you either get canada maps, OR stateside maps. I'm not gonna pay $800 to get both! That's just garbage!

[DieselBoss]

with copilot, you either get canada maps, OR stateside maps. I'm not gonna pay $800 to get both! That's just garbage!

Whoa! That would be garbage indeed. :shock:
You are correct that the standard version of Co-Pilot Truck comes with Stateside maps only. I don't know where you are shopping but we charge $49 for the Canadian maps add-on.

SO:
Co-Pilot Truck with receiver, program, and US maps = $379
Add Canada maps = + $49

Total = $428 plus shipping.

Just sayin...

- DB

[allan5oh]

right off their website, but ya, that makes more sense. They didn't have the "addon" on their website. pretty lame.

[Papa_Bare]

I agree with the general consensus. GPS are no substitute for good maps;However, like every other tool we use, they do have their place. I use the Garman Streetpilot 7200. I use it as a "get me in the ball park" but what I really like is the weather and traffic condition reports, helps me route around traffic problems.

[cdreid]

Gps is a GREAT supstitute for maps. Always use the paper map? Thats whacky. I use the red section of the large sized laminated spiral bound atlas that honorably sits in its near permanent position in my sleeper.

Nearly every driver ive ever met who uses GPS uses Delorme. It doesnt have Bridge info. It doesnt have restricted road info. But guess what, neither does Rand Mcnally. Not ACCURATE info. There are roads in NC and PA that will give yo ua BIG wakeup call if you trust rand mcnally. I especially love the bridges that are 12 feet on one side.. and 14 in the other lane. Fun stuff!

I use delorme to plan my trips. I type in shipper address, reciever address and let fly. I have set it up to avoid small roads, etc etc. You do have to use your brain it isnt idiotproof.... Then i look over the route a bit. If it takes a route i dont like i take 2 seconds to set a waypoint that fixes it. When i get to the shipper/reciever and they arent answering the phone/the qc doesnt have directions its rarely a problem. Maybe twice out of the last hundred runs ive made S&T hasnt directed me perfectly. And when i make a wrong turn etc? I can see EVERY road around me and exactly where i am now, my speed, my direction etc etc. One of the Biggest advantages is i can tell you Exactly how many miles to my next stop, next rest area, next scale, next truck stop. I can zoom in and find a walmart rght off the interstate. I can zoom and check out the next offramp to see if its one of the kind you can park on or turn around easily.
I can tell WHERE the truck stop is rather than "its somewhere off the exit ramp". I can tell you the second i start EXACTLY how long it will take me to get where im going. And >im never out of route<.

Have two buddies who use paper. One used to snicker at my techiemobile. Now he calls me for directions. The other was telling me how he was taking a certain route from Ill down souteast. I checked his route and gave him a route that took 150 miles off his. On the paper map they LOOK the same distance (the projection they use on paper maps is Intensely inaccurate). Not even close.

I'll stick with my gps and the red section thanks. Eventually they'll include that and i can frame my map as a decoration. Meanwhile you guys go on exploring the residential section of city X that the map SWORE this little road didnt take you too

[feniox]

I have tried Streets and trips and Street atlas both with gps. I like Streets and trips the best. Recently I got copilot4 and tried it out the maps were a bit out of date but I really liked it so I went to ALK website and found that the latest version was alot more then I would ever spend. Then I found a link on there site advertising a trade in deal. I gave them my street atlas and got Copilot truck laptop 9 for $99 (software only). The program works with the gps unit from streets and trips. I will have the program this week. Will let you all know how it works out.
That link was hard to find when I went back to there site to order luckly I had saved the form you have to send in, if you cant find it let me know and I can send it to you.

[[Fe]fox]

Ive been running co-pilot truck now for almost 2 years, for the most part it has worked pretty good, but does have some problems.. once you learn to work around them it gets the job done.

one thing you might consider is getting a small touchscreen for your dash, I picked up a 7" LCD touch screen stuck it to the dash so its basically like looking at a Gauge, the laptop sits on the shelf in the sleeper and have USB and video extensions running forward to the screen.

also upgraded to a garmin GPS17 "little mushroom looking thing" instead of the crap that ALK sent me. if you order copilot don't get the GPS it really is junk. the major problem being anyone using a Two-way near it would lock it up and it would have to be unplugged from the laptop and back in again for it to work. also driving under High voltage power lines would do the same.

the Canadian MAP data was almost useless in alberta/sask/manitoba for guidance, as co-pilot would go totally out to lunch with the routing.. (the new Canadian map data seems to have fixed allot of problems) never had much trouble in the US other than a few places in Kentucky.

the previous version of co-pilot should have been FREE in my opinion, the new one that has just come out might actually be worth spending a few bucks on... (im still testing it) so far so good.

oh check out MP3car.com for those touch screens, they also have some neat car computers that would work good in a truck.

IronFox

[vonSeggern]

I bought CoPilot over the cheaper Delorme and Microsoft programs and I must say that I am very disappointed.
1. It randomly makes up non existent streets and highways.
2. The interface is clunky and typical of bad software.
3. As far as trip planning it has no brains. If you ask for shortest you can get anything. If you ask for quickest, you may get the shortest or the worse possible route either way. Daily, I experience what I call the CoPilot button-hook. There is a route that is excellent and straight. CoPilot will actually have me go the long way. The software, supposedly for trucking, will send you down any road, good, bad, no truck, etc.

I was stupid for wasting another $200 over the "layman mapping software.

I have contacted the company on this and they NEVER reply. I bought the software on the same week that a new version came out and requested that they either give or discount the new version. NO REPLY.

I bought my first PC in 1988 so I am well versed with software and PC ops.

This software just plain sucks.

[allan5oh]

I too dislike PC miler. A few complaints:

- The map does NOT show province/state names. The outlines are not clear like streets + trips. Hell it doesn't even show the US/canada border!

- Very clunky and hard to use software, many pull-down menus have totally useless options in them

- Why does it show city names so big on the national level?

- Sure it has lots of POI's, but you basically have to search for them manually.

- It does NOT show truck stops very well. It shows service stations very well though. You have to zoom in a lot further to see the truck stops. That SUCKS.

- No chicken coops?

All in all, I think this software might be going back.

[allan5oh]

it also doesnt show mile marker #'s

This is all in "planning mode"

[Malaki86]

More stupidity from CoPilot Live Truck 9:

1 - I-68 - shows no rest areas (there are 4), shows no weigh stations (there are 2)

2 - US 340 from Frederick, MD to Berryville, VA - shows as truck restricted from the MD/VA line through to Berryville, VA

3 - US 30 from York, PA to I-81 - This is a truck restricted route, but will send you that way

4 - HORRIBLE trip planning... No way to schedule stops (to keep ETA correct), when going from Guidance Mode to Planning Mode, it has the current/destination, but not in the actual trip. You have to start over if you want to add a new stop.

5 - Addresses - From the program, addresses aren't known, but if you go into the Live mode (from the internet) it'll have the address there, which you can send to yourself.

I'm highly upset over this software. And the worst part, I won't be home until after my 30 day try-out expires, which means I threw away $300...

[cdltpx]

I like it because it can route you step by step by making minimal entries if you want to alter your route all you have to do is place a via dot on your map and it will reroute you automatically calculating the mileage. True it is not originally in tended for truckers and low clearance haz mat routes and weight restrictions must still be double checked with the motor carriers atlas but you have a map of every town in a space that will fit in your hand. The newest GPS receiver that is offered with delorme is second to none it is the best I have come across thus far.
What you do is if you have a zip code or phone number these can get you close enough to find what you are looking for.I love the fact that I could calculate exactly how much fuel it would take to accomplish a trip and know exactly where to stop these days trying to find a parking spot can be impossible these devices give you an overview of an area and allows you to seek out places to sleep over that you would have never attempted to find in the past.
I have been driving on the interstate gotten trapped in traffic and was able to reroute almost instantly using the cb and the gps since with the gps you always know exactly where you are you can just look and reroute.

[crazytex]

Okay, now for my 2cents worth... I bought both Delorme 2006 and MS Streets & Trips and I honestly must say that for accuracy percentage Streets & Trips was more accurate....as well as if you create a csv database it is easier to import into Streets & Trips... which is great if you drive for a larger carrier and need all the terminal addresses/dropyards for easier finding...

but altho both are cheaper software programs I would verify the routes given with the QC and the 'big book' and I found that except for 'old data' that is common with all of them (i.e. Utah exit numbers on I15 & I70) Streets & Trips actually had the newer database vs. Delorme... cuz not everyone can afford the other programs.....

[Porchclimber]

Nothing beats a phone call for directions but for when I can't get a hold of anybody I use CoPilot Truck version 9.
I'm pretty impressed with it.
I've had it tell me to turn around when I turn into a dead end street, naturally it didn't tell me before but it's still pretty good just the same

[kittster2]

3rd5th7th8th wrote:
Things I don't like about Streets & Trips:
(I don't know what version you have, but my 2007 GPS version does this point for point)>>>
No warning about upcoming turns. <-- S&T 2007 - Yes

No warning if you stray off course. <-- S&T 2007 - Yes

It won't remember detours from a previous trip (I force detours around prohibited streets, low clearances, lightweight bridges, etc. ) <-- Simple file save of map does this.

Directions pane won't scroll automatically, has to be done manually. <-- S&T 2007 - Yes .. including dynamic split screen direction with voice
Won't remember waypoints from previous trip. <-- again, map save should do this for you... S&T is consumer orientated so not aligned with trucking industry. But many trucker add on's are available for truck stops, etc. etc.
The mapping software saved my ass last week in NJ when needing a truck gas station in the middle of Newark. Used truck stop book, then found very accurate street area where I was when S&T found the address in it's database, complete with the truck stop name. Truck stops seem to be in the database as I was finding any that I cross refrenced with the truck stop book.
As long as my laptop keeps working, I'll use it as the routing system backed up with the map/truck books.

[Rev.Vassago]

As long as my laptop keeps working,

My USB port took a dump about a week ago. :sad:

I miss my GPS. Time to start shopping for a new laptop.

[devildice]

But many trucker add on's are available for truck stops, etc. etc

Where do you find add ons like that? I have check Microsoft's website and could not find anything like that