Macro 12 or GPS

what he said echos what i have said in that other gadget thread. i am typing this from my "gps" right now.

 

Just finished my first day of Orientation here, and we were told my the Safety Director that the GPS are against company policy. They just are really not cracking down on it right now. He thinks that after the new Qualcoms are installed, then they will start to crack down. I would think twice about purchasing a new GPS right now.

 

lol...typical answer from company....if they said it was ok to have GPS..then they would be accepting responsibility if you goofed up because of it.....Swift 101...learn to read between the lines.

 

hmmmmm....
300 buck GPS OR try to turn around in a residential neighborhood because the street sign wasn't visible/there
300 buck GPS OR follow the directions that are OFTEN wrong from the company/girl that told you on the phone how SHE gets to work in the morning
300 buck GPS or try to figure out how to (on the fly in downtown _________) re-route around the construction or turn lane closure that wasn't in the directions
the list goes on...
a GPS is a TOOL not a crutch.. putting too much faith in any of the above ways to arrive safely to a customer is foolish at best

 

From what I am understanding during Oreintation, I was told that the new QC's will have Navgo. They mentioned today that they think that MAPTUIT is going by the way. If they are going with NAVGO, it is great, from when I used it. Just had to turn the sound down. Got tired of listening to her tell me what to do.

 

Your comment is taking what I had to say way out of context. Hammer to a Carpenter or a Scalpel to a Doctor is a necessary tool to perform their craft.

YOUR GPS is not needed to perform your job, It is convenient at best! Two very horrible examples and your point is still mute!

 

the carpenter and doctor can also do their jobs with sharp rocks, but the modern tools they use enable them to do their jobs better, just as a gps can enable a driver to do his job better. so, my point is not moot, though you are correct in that my point isn't making any noises.

 

Right now all I have is my TomTom, not a trucker GPS.
But it has still proven to be a valuable asset.

The QC directions are too often wrong, in some respect. And having even a car GPS can get you going in the right direction. There isn't always a place to pull over to look at maps, even if you had one for the local area.
My next to last load is a fine example. The QC instructions said to turn right on a certain road after coming off the freeway, but said road was nowhere to be found. So I went in the general direction of my TomTom's instructions, and was able to make the delivery on time (an 0300 time, and I sent my 'Arrived at Final at exactly 0300).

You just have to use some 'common sense' when using a GPS, especially one meant for a car. Look before you turn, or you might be going onto a road that strands you with no way out.

A GPS is a MUST HAVE! And I will upgrade to a 'trucking' GPS as soon as I can. If for nothing else, a trucking GPS will alert me to low clearances.

 

When I drove for Swift, I purchased a very basic Magellin GPS. When I got a load pre-plan I would look at the directions given to me on the qualcomm, then I'd call the shipper and receiver to get the skinny on any tricky situations from freeway exit to the dock. Then I'd get my truckers atlas out and look for any low bridges I might high five or any no truck routes, etc. Most every time that Magellin's directions were SPOT ON to get me there safely and legally.

On one or two trips the directions it gave me would have put me in a tough spot but using all these tools together made it much easier for a rookie driver to pick up and deliver with much less stress and anxiety.

As for Swift busting you with one, they are very easy to take off your windshield and throw back into your bunk area before you enter into a terminal. Just sayin'.

 

Macro's are made from driver reports. If a driver goes in the wrong way, than so will you. I never trust them.

I always use my road map. I always call the customer. Than I know how to get there. Then and only then I program the GPS. If it matches, good. If it don't, I program it in legs so it does match and then I know everything is hunky dory. Then I can enjoy the sexy voice over looking at cards or directions on paper. Like others said, a GPS is a tool. Like any tools, you need to know how to use it properly. Only a fool would punch in directions and go in a truck. The GPS has taught me things and I taught it things. The ones that talk bad about GPS's don't know how to use them properly to their advantage.