[golfhobo]

Originally Posted by Double R

You know Golfhobo, you could have shorten that post by just typing this:

That says it all.
By the way, good post, just had to razz you little. :P

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Sorry DoubleR, if I wasted too much of your time! I just bought a new dictionary..... and I'm trying to get my money's worth! :P :wink:

[golfhobo]

The REV said:

A bunch of stuff..... none of which shows that a GPS system has any advantage over the MCA!

But..... I'm glad you HAVE one.... since it sounds like you'd be LOST without one! :P

[Double R]

Originally Posted by golfhobo

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Sorry DoubleR, if I wasted too much of your time! I just bought a new dictionary..... and I'm trying to get my money's worth! :P :wink:

I might have to borrow that dictionary one day. :P

[Fredog]

Originally Posted by Rev.Vassago

You should say it more often, since I am always right.

I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken

My Rand McNally paper atlas is wrong 100% of the time, as it doesn't pinpoint exact directions, and only provides expanded maps for a few cities, and even those aren't necessarily complete.

Has your paper atlas considered those things?

Then you must have been using an ancient GPS, as mine specifically shows the difference between an Interstate, US highway, State highway, County road, and local road. It even gets as specific as dirt roads.

Which once again, is easily solved by telling your GPS to "avoid" certain roads. I do this from time to time to have it avoid toll roads.

I can re-route any point of a trip if I so choose. In fact, if an exit is closed due to construction (something your paper atlas isn't going to tell you either), my GPS will automatically re-route me on the move.

[Rev.Vassago]

Originally Posted by golfhobo

The REV said:

That's because a GPS is too complex for you.

To prove the superiority of GPS over the MCA, I'd like you to run a route for me, using only your MCA.

Give me door to door directions from 1608 Homestead Dr W, Appleton, WI to 650 North St, Waupaca, WI using only your paper atlas.

[golfhobo]

Originally Posted by Rev.Vassago

That's because a GPS is too complex for you.

To prove the superiority of GPS over the MCA, I'd like you to run a route for me, using only your MCA.

Give me door to door directions from 1608 Homestead Dr W, Appleton, WI to 650 North St, Waupaca, WI using only your paper atlas.

Sorry.... I don't "DO" residential P&D!! I'm an OTR truck driver, not a delivery boy. And if you need GPS to get from Appleton to Waupaca.... you're worse at this than I thought! :lol: :lol:

[Malaki86]

Do those addresses that Rev posted absolutely mean that they're residential? I get plenty of street addresses that you'd never find in the MCA. Hell, I've went to plenty of towns that didn't exist in that book as well.

GPS has helped me on many occasions. How about when you pick up a load on Friday night that delivers on Monday morning and you have no directions whatsoever? The offices are closed, dispatch doesn't have anything, etc.

Between the GPS system and Google Maps I can normally pinpoint my exact location I'm going to with no problems whatsoever.

[golfhobo]

Originally Posted by Malaki86

Do those addresses that Rev posted absolutely mean that they're residential?

Considering that he is a bedbugger, it's a fair assumption. At least one of them probably is. Have you ever seen a "homestead Drive" that wasn't?? Now North st. very well might be business/industrial.... but if I pull into a town that HAS a "North st.," I usually have no problem finding it.

I get plenty of street addresses that you'd never find in the MCA. Hell, I've went to plenty of towns that didn't exist in that book as well.

GPS has helped me on many occasions. How about when you pick up a load on Friday night that delivers on Monday morning and you have no directions whatsoever? The offices are closed, dispatch doesn't have anything, etc.

I assume your dispatch was on duty when they sent the load assignment, right? If I was in the situation you described, I would make sure that my dispatch GETS me the info I needed, BEFORE they went home. I wouldn't confirm the load until I HAD the info I needed.


Between the GPS system and Google Maps I can normally pinpoint my exact location I'm going to with no problems whatsoever.

Not that I'm going to give out my address, but I know for a fact that using google maps OR GPS, you'd be sent to a point about 7 miles away from me. Which is why I warned against SOLELY using GPS.

[Malaki86]

Well, not everyone works for a carrier with dispatch available 24/7. At my company, they're there from 3pm-11pm sunday, mon-thu 6am-11pm, and fri 6am-5pm. Most of the "getting directions" is left soley to the driver.

I'm not sure if it's in the MCA or not - mine's in my truck. Is Joetown, WV on the map? The reason I ask is that it's fairly close to where I live, has a population of maybe 100 and has a mojor coal-mine construction job going on about 5 miles outside of the town.

BTW - I know for a fact none of those roads appear in the MCA, and if they do, they sure as hell don't show what they actually look like. A 1 and a half lane road over 2 good sized hills with many, many switchbacks on it.

No, my gps won't show the exact size, but it will let me see the true detail of the road I'll be going on.

[golfhobo]

My dispatch is more like 8-5, m-f and a few hours sat and sun morn.

We run team, so we're not sleeping at night in a truckstop, and we run trucks 8 days a week! (that's a joke! :wink: )

There's no excuse for your dispatch to NOT give you directions, a phone number, or something to help you get there. When you get your load assignment, you should immediately LOOK for the town on your atlas. If it's not there, ASK some questions.

I can't see HOW the oldtimers ever DID this job in the "old days!" Didn't I say something earlier about using your CB to get info from other truckers when you get close? Works nearly EVERY time!

Besides.... again this thread has MORPHED! The original discussion was about the GENERAL route between cities, and how to consider such things as traffic delays. T.L made a one word suggestion, and I answered it with my opinion of it. I should have left it there, and YOU shouldn't take EVERYTHING I say so SERIOUSLY! :wink:

I happen to KNOW some facts about how locations are programmed into GPS databases. The fact that JOETOWN is not on the map, does NOT mean that the GPS will necessarily place it properly either! (I have seen entire TOWNS mislocated by these systems.)

And if you have to constantly TELL your GPS system to avoid certain roads, or whatever, you might as well do the job yourself! My point was that GPS systems, although they SHOW the different types of roads... AS DOES THE MCA... if you can read a LEGEND.... they will NOT "outthink" their own programming. YOU have to do that! Yes, there have been advances to the sytems, but what you have in a selfcontained gps unit is WAY inferior to the level of detail used by Onstar!

At Onstar, we had dozens and dozens of "advisors" who would simply trust and read off the directions given..... and MANY customers calling in to complain they were incorrect! I NEVER got anyone lost, because I had a very detailed atlas, indexed for quick reference, and I KNOW something about roads, cities, traffic, etc. (I also CALLED destinations quite often.) Satellites are GREAT! But THEY do not "fix" the locations of addresses or businesses. PEOPLE do!

I once had a guy stuck in Pottstown, PA (I think it was) by rising flood waters! My GPS was useless! My ATLAS showed me certain "relief" information that allowed ME to analyse where the highest elevation roads were, and how to get him out of there! He led another 20 cars or so with him. I have seen hundreds of roads on a gps system labeled incorrectly or insufficiently. I have never (yet) found a mistake of that type in an Atlas.

If YOU want - or NEED - to use one, knock yourself out! I don't need one, and neither did many of the oldtimers. Like I said.... there is MORE to being a Trucker, than steering the truck.

I have SAID I admit they are a TOOL. I'm not totally against using one to HELP you. But, they are NO substitute for knowing how to use your MCA, KNOWING what the highway numbering system means, or KNOWING something about how cities are laid out, how county roads, and state roads came into being, paying attention to SIGNS and knowing which towns are in the direction you want to head, and LEARNING your "trade."

Do you KNOW what A and B means when attatched to an exit sign (on a cloverleaf?) Do you KNOW that gps systems often get them backwards?

One of my favorite commercials is the one where the system says, "Turn right," and the guy crashes into a building..... followed by, "in 15 seconds!" :lol: