I've just discovered that I'm navigationally challenged--and I have an acute case of CRS.
How do you learn the basics on staying on path with your trip planning? ANY HELP HERE will beat the pants off of what I presently have!
It's just not sinking in and my trainer has pulled all but 18 of his hair plugs out!!
ops:
Any tips????

 

Only thing I do really is when I get a trip and I see my fuel route. I have a little notebook that I write my directions on. Road to road all the way to wherever I am going. Then I always have my atlas handy and before I leave I look at my route that I am going. And if it helps write down the exit numbers where you are going to be getting off onto other highways and roads it might help you. And know what city or whatever you get onto the next highway or road. After awhile you more than likely won't need the atlas I haven't used mine in awhile you get to know alot of the roads from being at certain places before. I also use to use street and trips alot to help plan where I am going.

Also get to know north, south, east, and west. It helps specially on alot of these directions it will tell you to turn west off a certain highway or whatever. If need to get a compass that you can attach to your window or whatever. Not sure if I help or not I am no trainer. Just with time it will come to you. At first you are probably feeling overwelmed with everything else. Good luck

 

Not sure if this will help you but I used to write directions on a post it and put it up on the windshield (way up high not in your view) and when I was wondering what highway to take next, I would glance up and see it.

Your results might vary.

 

I did the same thing as BB suggested. Got one of those fat little note books from Wally world, or even your truck stop, and wrote it down something like this:

Left out of drive way, to 2nd light, make R (for right),
bottom of hill L
next light R
to Hwy, I-55, go N (North)
X (exit) 18, IL 70E (east)
70 thru IL, IN, PA to X57
I-76E X226

You get the idea. Now if you have specific fuel stops, mark those in there.

Get a highlighter, mark off as you complete each line.

As you get used to the roads, it will get easier.

I always get my direction for delivery before I even leave shipper. Helps me to visualize.

One last tip, right down how many miles per state approx., it helps too.

Like this..... I-70, IL 156 miles
I-70 OH, 226 miles......

 

By getting your ass lost in the middle of BFE at 3:00 in the morning, and having to blind side your way out of some residential neighborhood with really expensive cars parked all over the street.

You'll learn. One of the hardest things for me about soloing was not having someone there to look over my shoulder, and keep me on track. I ran over a fire hydrant, among other things. I got lost in the middle of nowhere. I missed turns. I took wrong turns.

The other day, I found a place in a part of the world where I had never remotely been, with nothing but a street address.

You'll learn.

Part of the trick is to keep directions simple, but not too simple. Cut it down to the least you need to know, but not too little. Concentrate on one thing at a time. If you run I-999 to I-10101010 to US 9393 to Boondoggle Junction Holler Highway to Desolation Road, just keep everything out of your head until you get to the exit for I-101010. Then start looking for US 9393. Then look for Boondoggle Junction Holler Highway, etc.

When I write directions, I write them like this:

I-81 to I-77 to I-85 to Georgia.

In Georgia, take exit 49 for US 441 south.

Follow 441 south to Loop 10.

Take first Loop 10 exit.

Follow to exit for US 78 bus.

Turn right end of ramp.

Turn right at Burger King.

Sleep in mall parking lot, and wait for consignee to meet you with truck in the morning.

 

Let me guess, just reading the directions Athens Ga. And where your talking about is not far from the UGA Campus My home about 35 miles from there.

 

where are you having all your trouble. is it around the city? is it interchanges for interstates. I do what everyone else has said write down step by step paying close attention to state routes or interstates. I also study the map to see what is around sometimes you can find your way out of a situation if you remember that you heading towards a city etc. read every sign even if it doesn't apply. after awhile you filter out the bull. study the map and see if you need to catch a spur or loop around a city. after a while you'll be able to run the interstates like your home town. until then read every single sign it keeps you focused.

 

I use every navigational aid possible. I have a pad as mentioned above mounted to the dash where I right down my directions including the miles between each turn. If you have to make a right turn in 1.7 miles after your last turn, look at your OD and you can judge when that turn is approaching.
I also have 3 atlas'. CMV atlas, a regular spiral bound atlas and a small atlas that I can glance at . I also use a cheap stick on compass because you can find yourself heading North, when you want to go South, really easy.
I also use a Cobra NavOne 2500 GPS unit and when all else fails and you know that you are near your receiver/shipper. Pull over, call information and get the directions from the customer. 90% of the time their directions are far more accurate and easier than what your company gave you.
If you have to deliver in a major city in any state. Pull into a Welcome Center along the interstate and get a street map of the city you are going to , or even a state map which will contain more detailed information than a atlas will and save those maps.

Overkill? Yep, but I rarely get lost or I am rarely late.

 

Hello JewelsnTools, What do you find the most challanging? The basic trip planning? Or is it arriving at destination jitters? There is alot of good tips listed already. My favorite is mile markers check points or exit numbers. Land marks are good too. Let us know..Good luck

 

Don't know about the UGA campus, but it's that big mall in Athens. My home is 367 miles from there.

That used to be my first Monday stop, before I got laid off.

Let me slip back in here and add:

The bit these other guys are saying about looking at what's around you is a very good idea too. There are a lot of roads that run west but call themselves north, or they run east and call themselves west, or all kinds of craziness. I haven't been to Maryland in years, but I seem to remember one highway, maybe it was US 340, that changed from N/S to E/W somewhere in the middle. A lot of states don't even list cardinal directions on the signs at all, and all you get is a "To Columbia" or a "To Lexington." (I miss South Carolina so much. I used to run 900 miles a week just in South Carolina. The Palmetto was my home away from home for sure.) You have to know what's over yonder to be able to read those signs, so looking at your map is very important.

It can also save your butt if you miss a turn. I was in West Chester, PA one time, I think it was. I didn't look at my map on that one, and had no idea there was a truck bypass. I was set up all wrong for the turn by the time I saw the sign, and I had to keep going straight, right past the big NO TRUCKS sign. I kept looking for a way to turn around, and it was tight down in there. I was pulling down tree branches left and right, and making all kinds of people mad, but there was no way in hell I could turn the thing around. I just kept going, and sure enough, I came out where the truck bypass dumped out on the far side of town. I didn't panic, because the road I was on had "To Wherever" signs on it, and I figured I'd get to the same place eventually. (Although I was sweating bullets waiting for the cops to pull me over and read me the riot act for trimming up all their trees.)