Mapping Software and GPS
 

Does anyone here use a GPS or a laptop with software like Streets and Trips w/GPS? I hear that dispatchers, STL's, etc are not the greatest in sending directions. Any suggestions?

you'll never find perfect directions with software either.

I have both streets and trips and PC miler laptop. Both use GPS. Either software will NOT be perfect. They will not have updated roads, and in some cases, are 20 years behind in Canada! Other instances the software will have roads that are not built yet.

I always find the best is talking to the customer, with map in hand. Don't talk to the front receptionist either! Talk to the shipper/receiver. One guy I know got directions from the receptionist, and got stuck a few hundred feet from a low bridge. Had to call the cops and everything.

BTW, streets and trips is MUCH easier to use then PC miler. PC miler is very expensive, not worth it IMO. The interface can be very frustrating.

I used to travel a lot with my job, all over the northeast. I use DeLorme Street Atlas USA with their Earthmate GPS reciever. It has gotten me lost only once, and that was when I was on vacation in the hills of VT. Other than that, every single address, from city streets to remote areas, has been almost 100% correct, and I've made dozens of trips using only this to navigate.

www.delorme.com

BTW...I just ordered their new Street Atlas USA Plus, it has somthing like 3.5 million updated roads and 120 million residential and business phone numbers and addresses. I hope to get it sometime in the next week, it looks great!

Do you use the basic Streets and Trips or the Streets and Trips with GPS locator?

I have used Street Atlas USA with Earthate GPS and . .
 

. . have strongly recommended it here and in other forums. That said, I should also point out that I am having a problem with the program right now. I have contacted DeLorme and have been a little disappointed with their response. To their credit, because I have been so happy with it, rather than deal with moron CSR's, I'm going to buy the latest edition and move on. The price and convenience of the product can't be beat.

Time is money and nothing will rob you of your time more than getting lost and getting back on course or worse . . getting stuck. Been there, done it and not about to let it happen again.

I use 2 programs: ALK's CoPilot Live 9 Truck & Microsoft Streets & Trips 2006.

CoPilot is pretty good for the actual driving part (POI popups when within 10 miles, 3D driving display, HazMat routing, etc). Streets and Trips is for the actual planning of the route, with scheduled stops.

Streets and Trips 2007 is supposed to have a new 'driving' screen. I can't wait to see what that looks like.

Bigtimba...

What kind of issues are you having with Delorme? I was having problems with mine also, and tried to contact their Tech Support (worthless!). It took them two weeks to reply! Well, I figured out the problem and it works great now, maybe I can give you a hint if it's the same issues I was having.

West_Coaster

It's a crumbtrail issue . .
 

. . Everything seems to be working except I can't see or follow "me" on the map. Also, the "disable screen saver" stopped working. The tech moron instructed me to open the option menu and turn these features on. Like, how do you think we got to this point if I didn't know how to access these features in the first place? MORON . . I turned them on . . I turned them off and turned them on again . . for some reason they are not working and it isn't because I don't know how to turn them off and on . . !

GOOD LUCK
 

good luck