Support Thread for the TND 500, TND 700 or future Rand McNally products. (part two)

What issue? If a map issue then that gets reported to HERE (NavTeq). RM does not control HERE, RM simply submits tickets to them.

Thanks,
Mark

 

RM along with other mapping companies have to go by what the State DOT has listed for their roads. Mapping companies and GPS companies cannot include a Gray area. If a GPS company said that it is a NON-STAA route, but go ahead and run it, then that GPS company is going to be held liable if a driver gets a ticket.

On the first screen when you hit accept is a legal notice.

It would be the same for speed limits. Posted 65mph, but go ahead and do 70mph.... It would be then said that the GPS company gave "permission" to speed.

If it will not route you on a route, give me the info and I can tell you the reason or the data may be incorrect. Maps will never be 100%.

As I always say, just because you see another truck on that road does not mean it is legal. Many signs are not posted physically.

You always have the option to petition states if you feel that it should be an STAA road.

RM does not interpret any Laws. RM simply goes by what is given to them by the states.

I know pretty much everyday the testers I run find restrictions that are missing. Just the other day I was verifying a restriction and happen to spot a weight limit sign on an adjoining road while on Google Maps. Guess what, we did not have that restriction. So, states are behind in what they have physically out there also. Cities/Counties may post restrictions without the state knowing.

I know that AZ routed OS/OW on that road all the time, it is their road and they give you the permit, but that road is listed as a Non-STAA route on parts of it. What the state does for their permits is their option. They take responsibility.

So it is a black/white issue. No gray allowed. The driver has the decision to either ignore the restriction or "go with the flow". NYC is a big example. You see 53' trailers all day long. NYC has truck routing and certain parts of I-95 are Non-STAA, that is why you get routed around 287. This is set up by NYC and they do publish the routes.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/trucks.shtml#map

Again it the drivers option to either obey posted signs or disobey them. All the GPS companies can do is publish what the states have provided.

Thanks,
Mark

 

There is no such thing as a Lowly Truck driver.

Taking a Truck GPS and allowing it in car mode is very simple. Once you are in car mode, you block any truck parameters or restrictions from being added to the "mix" in the thinking of the router.

The hard part is now taking the map data, which the more you request of the map data you pay for. A Car GPS get a simple scaled down version of basic maps. Truck GPS get an unscaled version of the maps. Things like extra's needed for the maps segments related to trucks are now added, truck restrictions are added, etc. This does add on to the cost of the unit now that the maps are more detailed. Now the router has to take into account all these restrictions when trying to plan a legal route.

A truck GPS is different than an RV GPS. A truck can make more right hand turns than an RV, therefore it has to be build into the logic that if a Bus or RV, it would have more left hand turns.

RM goes one step further and has build a proprietary DB for restrictions that overlay with the map database. In seeing the need for more current data they now have an incremental file that is updated quarterly, this file does not address physical routes but just speeds and truck restrictions.

It is not a simple matter of taking the MCRA and pushing it into a box and call it a GPS. The MCRA DB is not compatible with the HERE data.

Technology is only as good as the data that is inputted by humans. If the data was not inputted or did not make it up the chain to state level, then it would be missing in the overall scheme of the maps.

Cost factor is a item that is always at the forefront of a business. If they made a $1000 unit, would they really sell to break even or to make a profit. A O/O is always talking about cost/mile. If you hauled always at below your cost/mile you do not make a profit. Sure you may take a load once in awhile, but in the long run, why are you really driving as an O/O? You wish to make a profit. The same with any business. The business has costs with overhead, employee's, etc. It has to make a profit or go into the red.

So, any company has to take into account the costs of all parts, software, hardware, expenses to make a product that is within reach and the cost that the market will support based upon what is available at the time of production.

One of the reasons is hardware is being replaced all the time with faster hardware. In making a product with added features and requested features does add a strain on older hardware. For example, it is now possible to avoid areas/routes from the map screen simply by "drawing" a box. Older hardware would tend to drag in the process.

So, I agree with you, technology is here, but the limitations are on the people that input and maintain the data.

In my latest quest of building a Custom POI of runaway ramps, you would think this would be common information to get from states. After all they are physically there.. Even searching for them on the internet is a challenge.

In the end it all comes down to who has the biggest budget. At least we don't sell $750 toilet seats.

Thanks,
Mark

 

All depends on what is available on the market at the time they design the cases/boards. Suggest you take the cable end and wrap around the bracket to take the weight off the connector.

I know you hoped for more.

Thanks,
Mark

 

To clarify things.. a driver send in a letter saying that RM needs to pay for his damages to his truck, overpass repair, and ticket he got. He also stated that he saw 3 signs that said 12'6" and even send in a picture of the 12'6" sign on the overpass. His reasoning - the GPS did not warn him of the low overpass.

If everyone had common sense, then yes GPS design would probably be different.

Thanks,
Mark