I've had CoPilot a little over a year now and love it. However, as with ANY routing software/hardware, be sure you verify your route with what the program shows. There has been a couple of occasions that it's told me to go on roads that were truck restricted. Other than that, it's great.

I do want to make a suggestion to any new drivers interested in software based GPS routing. If you're just getting started in this business, don't buy CoPilot as soon as you get your own truck. Why? CoPilot is fairly expensive. It takes awhile before you will know for sure if you're going to stay with truck driving. Not everyone can make the adjustment of being home every day to being home a day every once in awhile. If you're just getting started (and already have a laptop) go with either Microsoft Streets & Trips or Delorme Street Atlas. Be sure to get the box that has the GPS receiver in it. You'll pay less than $100 for the combo. Then, 6 months or so down the road, if you're still doing this job, then buy CoPilot. BTW - the new version will be out in August or September, so at least wait until then to buy it, otherwise you'll have to pay an upgrade fee to have the newest version.

Thanks for the advice Malaki. It makes sense to me.

Re: Laptop riding shotgun (and other GPS questions)?
 

I used to use my laptop as an mp3 player for audio books while driving. I velcroed an external keyboard to the dash to use to start/stop the player. The laptop itself was belted in the passenger seat, facing the driver. The seat belt went around the screen & over the keyboard, lid closed most of the way so the screen wasn't visible.

Build your own
 

My company doesnt "like" laptops. Screwem. They have a problem they can let me know and ill start actually answering recruiters calls.

I made(make) my own mounts. Right now i have some steel L channel shaped sorta like an S with the top bent sideways. Its mounted onto the qcom mount with one small wire up to the cb bracket for right hand support. Solid mount. Very removeable. Also have a passenger desk that becomes part of it (im a trainer). Before that i used a mount made out of 1.25" pvc mounted to the passenger seat. Big pvc square on passenger seat mounted to plywood to distribute the load with a long pbc arm that comes out and then up. Small shelf L brackets hooked to pvc for the 1/8" luan plywood laptop desk thing. Sits about radio height in a 387 and top comes a couple inch over the dash. Total cost $15.

Delorme is better by miles. Better routing. VOICE CONTROL. Did i mention voice control. Easy to switch to night mode. I use it for audio books, music et al as well. Cellular net is the stuff. Have dragon naturally speaking as well as toshiba voice control to run the puter. Never use it but used to when solo. Run movies minimised (recorded tv mostly. history channel) to listen to. Boredom causes fatigue. Fatigue causes preventables.

Before that i had a small fridge in the floor and a cooler once. Sat it on that. Bad idea... you have to turn your head way off what you should be looking at.

Id suggest trying the pvc mount or making one out of l channel that connects to the qcomm mount with a post that goes to the floor as well. Works very well. PVC mount takes about 10 minutes to build. And ya can toss it in "emergencies".

BTW anyone who drives.. truck or 4wheeler and uses the cell without being handsfree should be put in Jail. period. To the driver above. I could give a damn about your business. YOu kill someone out there your business is going byebye. And i hope they put your butt UNDER the jail. Or better yet let the family get hold of your irresponsible butt.