Future Melton driver

You can get that for free on Google Maps. It also has a street level view. It's free and constantly updated. It's all I've used in well over 10 years.

The atlas is great to check for road and clearance restrictions but I haven't owned one since the 90's. You'll be driving the same routes to the same customers and loading the same freight regularly. I bet you'll never really need to use it.

Melton will give you all you'll need to secure their customer's freight. No need to spend your hard earned money to subsidize their operating expenses either.

Don't overthink this. These large carriers will make your job effortless if you have half a brain. You'll be fine. Roll with it.

 

This comes down to common sense. It's not the GPS, it's the low IQ steering wheel holder.

 

Google satellite view and street view has been a real game changer for me. I hate to make myself sound like the type of guy who relies on technology to get the job done, but it's so easy and handy, and like you said, free.

Not just for scouting the entrance to facilities, but any time you have a road or a bridge that looks sketchy on the map, just pop it up on street view and you can look for low clearance signs, weight restrictions, etc.

Of course, you will want an unlimited data plan!

 

It's not so much that you are relying on technology, you are just using the tools that you can to improve your knowledge of the job. Military movements aren't done without recon, and that's what the Satellite view and street view provides, as well as the GPS. The catch is, knowing how to use the Atlas without the technology, should it ever fail on you or be unavailable. That's where I think your education by a good carrier is invaluable. You can navigate, check your mileages, low bridges...etc...because it's what's in the GPS (truck one's, anyway), so learn the analog tool, then utilize the convenience of the technology tools.

 

I've used it for entrance scouting many times. Looking around for places to park overnight is the best. I usually call ahead to the receiver to verify as well.

 

Same here when I was running. I wrote an application so that I could keep track of places that allowed overnight parking on property so I didn't have to call them more than once, and would know the next time how to plan my route so I'd end up sleeping overnight to....ummm expedite the load/reload cycle for my log/ELD.

 

I used to keep a log too until a particular shipper changed it's overnight parking policy. I found out they stopped allowing parking at all the hard way.

 

Buy extra 2 inch ratchets. I have 8 on my truck. Buy moving blankets, a lot of their loads will destroy your tarps without padding of some kind. Buy plastic edge protectors for cheap before you have to buy them dear at a truck stop. They come in very handy on many loads. They give you a winder and a winch bar. DON'T buy quality. Trust me. You want the cheapest that will do that job. They can make you trade trailers with another driver at any time, and that will be hard on you if you have hundreds of $$$ of equipment on a load. It doesn't happen all the time, but enough that it's not smart to go crazy on buying your own stuff. I got all my stuff at harbor freight.

 

Why should he spend all this money? It's Melton's job to issue their drivers what they need. He's not an OO.