gps for trucking
 

any recommendations for good 5" gps units

IMHO they are all garbage. I bought one of the highest rated by a variety of trucking sites and it ticks me off daily. There have been times I've come close to throwing it out the window because it's so freeking s l o w. http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/...56pullhair.gif

I have to mute mine all the time...she likes to talk too much:lol: But I'm old so I had to go big...I got the Cobra 7550 7" ........sends me down some messed up roads sometimes...but "Susan" likes to mess with me because I mute her all the time.

After going thru a couple of 'gps' units I ended up with Microsoft Streets and Trips on my laptop. Hauling oversize all the time it is real easy to plot out all the strange routs the states give you (especially Texas) and with the truck stop overlay shows places I can get into for planning. Have a laptop mount so it sits right next to the seat and a 15 inch screen even my eyes can see :)

Listen to Walking Eagle.

Back in 2007 I also tried a couple of GPS units (not truck specific mind you) and they were a joke IMO. Acreen too small, but worst of all is you couldn't choose your own route. I already had a laptop so I paid $100 for S&T and I've been using it ever since. On my third laptop now and I just keep reinstalling S&T. Actually, I've switched to a netbook and I find that screen size to be perfect. I made a stand for it and a chill mat...works awesome. I plan my routes, not a computer.

I also transferred all the restricted routes and low clearances in the northeast from Rand McNally into Trips....that took me 40 hours.

Walking Eagle...what is this overlay?

Truckstop overlay for Streets and Trips

Welcome to Truck Stops Plus

I would go with any of the Garmin GPS units for Trucking.

I use 2 programs on my laptop for my navigation: Microsoft Streets & Trips for the actual route planning (including fuel and rest stops) and ALK CoPilot Truck v8 (the new one).

I only use Streets for laying out the route. I then enter the stops from it into CoPilot, which I use for my actual navigation. I have a 7" touchscreen mounted on the dash that's attached to the laptop which stays in the sleeper.

CoPilot has only tried to send me down a wrong road 4 or 5 times total in the past year that I've used it. Each of those times were when I was in "town" on the surface streets heading to a shipper or receiver. But, because I always get directions first, I don't pay attention to the incorrect streets and let it recalculate.

One of the best ones both programs try to get me to run is US-250 from Mannington, WV to Moundsville, WV (I live in Mannington). While that route is much shorter than taking I-79/I-70 to Wheeling, even bobtailing takes almost 2x as much time to drive.

Why do you take the time to re-enter your route into co-pilot.....because you can't hear the voice with S&T?

CoPilot is a better navigation program to be used while driving. It's VERY touch screen friendly. The only reason I use Streets/Trips is because CoPilot doesn't have the "time" capabilities that Streets does (such as the "after driving for x miles, stop for x minutes". Also, CoPilot *IS* truck-specific, so less likely to have problems with it than Streets, which can & will get you into problems.

Edit: Besides, I don't use the voice prompts on any GPS device - I get into arguments with the stupid things. Ask my wife - she experienced that on our honeymoon. That stupid thing literally had me screaming at it. Damn irish temper.