Suppport Thread for the TND 500, TND 700 or future Rand McNally products.

Ok, so I'm going to break my rule of not being compelled into political / religious / baited / or emotional-argumentative posts this one time. Typically, arguing on a public forum is like pissing into the wind - all you get is wet and yellow in the end, and everyone thinks you smell funny.

1. Actual raw "map data" is PURCHASED by the GPS, auto, and Internet mapping site makers from one of a handful of companies. NavTeq is the biggest and TeleAtlas is a major player as well. There are a few others, but these are the two names that provide the raw data to the VAST majority of location-based devices and programs. (To name just a few that are current or past customers of that data: Microsoft, Google, Rand McNally, AOL/Mapquest, Garmin, TomTom, ALK Technologies/PC Miler, Telogis, Motorola, Navigon, Delorme, LG, Nokia, Sony, Yahoo Maps, HP, AT&T, UPS, FedEx, and QualComm, the Army, Verizon, and literally thousands more.) So when you are using a map product by one of those, you are using the maps and addresses provided (in part or in whole) by NavTeq or TeleAtlas.
Why is this? Because the sheer enormity creating GPS coordinate-based, nationwide, and worldwide databases requires a full-time company all its own, and it does not make fiscal sense for a GPS company, or cell-phone provider, or web site to "reinvent the wheel." NavTeq ALONE has more than 5000 employees worldwide. This is more than Rand McNally, Cobra, and PC Miler - COMBINED. And all they do is gathering GPS, address, attribute, and POI data, constantly. Then they sell this data to the GPS makers. What makes companies like Cobra, Rand, PC Miler, and Garmin a "trucking GPS" is that those companies then overlay their proprietary truck-related "attributes" to those base maps. And in that regard their can be BIG differences.
EVERY GPS BRAND has built-in the cost of the maps into either the initial price of the unit, or into periodic map updates that you can buy down the road. For instance, Garmin offers "lifetime maps" either built into the purchase price OR down the road as a one-time fee or a lesser periodic charge if you don't want to pay for the lifetime option. (And those "lifetime" maps expire at Garmin's discretion when they deem the "life of the product model has ended.") PC Miler charged $49.95 to get new maps for all x40 models in August and has been free (so far) on all x50 models. Cobra offers the ability to upgrade any 7700 Pro GPS to the 7750 model for a fee, which will include their latest software. They, so far, have offered free software updates for existing products, but surely will soon have to declare what 2011 maps will cost, as will Rand. The bottom line is that there is NO SUCH thing as free and regular map updates "indefinitely." They have to buy them - so eventually they have to recover that cost through various sales techniques, or go out of business. Simple economics.

2. The Rand TND series has essentially 4 failure modes that are a recurring theme throughout this thread - the usb power socket and/or plug, the power button, software corruption, and non-connectivity to some newer laptops. All of these are identified and have the highest priorities at Rand. The software corruption has reduced dramatically via changes in the code and the TND dock application, the power buttons have been made stronger, the power sockets are being made stronger, and the voltage issue within the USB sockets of newer laptops as related to the USB power requirements of the TND is understood, has a work-around, and I suspect is solved in some hardware manner for the future. The power button and socket aren't even an actual defect - they just aren't "trucker-proof" in terms of their durability under stress and since the intended customer IS in a rugged environment and is often a "rugged" individual, then they need to spec their hardware to endure worst case scenarios. IN ANY of these cases, they cover all of this under warranty (with the most painful aspect being the inconvenience and time involved with returning and receiving replacement.)

3. Mark is not a design engineer, nor does he have any power to add an address, exit, road, etc. into the current map database. All he can do for maps is turn in discrepancies which then go onto NavTeq. Those are rolled into thousands more just like them which are turned in by users of Microsoft Streets, Mapquest, Garmin, and thousands of other sources. In fact, ALL of us have the ability to do the same thing direct to NavTeq and TeleAtlas ourselves (for instance, NavTeq is here: http://mapreporter.navteq.com/)

4. Mark (and Rand McNally) DO HAVE the ability to listen, test, and implement "attribute" and routing changes into the existing mapset, and to add or fix the program features. And I have personally (along with many of you) witnessed them do this innumerable times over the last 14 months.

5. Mark identified himself as the lead beta test manager here a year ago (after having been a member of the forum previously) and a driver. I warned him back then that he was throwing himself out there for criticism of the product as a whole and NOT just for him as a person - that there would be considerable ball-breaking that he would have to endure for many things out of his control and he accepts that. He deliberately started this support thread to open that pipeline between you and the factory. There are a few others that work directly for providers of products and services that you have who have also done this here and my hat is off to them as well. But I would venture to say there MANY, MANY more read the feedback about their products here, but do not open their yaps for the retribution. He is a VERY regular visitor to this forum. I've seen him drive 100 miles to meet a driver at a truck stop to help with his GPS. I've been on the phone with him at midnight on a Friday night as he forged through a problem that popped up for a driver who was in desperation.

6. Finally, to troll a support thread for chances to offer non-constructive attacks on the product or the person attempting to do everything within his power to make the driver more satisfied with that product is, in my humble opinion, a travesty at worst, and a miss-use of this fine forum at best. There are plenty of "opinion" locations here for that - as long as we all remain inside of the rules and guidelines that we agreed to when we joined. This thread isn't one of them. And to even remotely insinuate that this particular individual (Mark) does not go ridiculously ABOVE AND BEYOND for not only the drivers who use this forum, but for customers of mine, of the truck stops, even to help with products that he knows something about without having ANY further vested personal or financial interest in - is obscenely ludicrous.

I have relationships (some good and some not-so-good) with dozens of companies that make products used by truck drivers. I test them, I break them, I publish opinions on them, and some of them make it into my warehouse. Most don't. What I DON'T DO is publish public opinions about any of those companies as an "entity" or their "individual" personnel - with the single exception of this post. I feel THAT strongly about it this one time. Sorry it was so long.

Respectfully.
- Don

 

i don't like redcross too much, their workers still take salary from part of my donation.... they should donate their time...

Dieselboss/Mark, you should get reward in someways from all of us.

 

Mark,

On the TND700,

The screen that reads the truck's current postion-current location, nearest cross street, lat/long-is blank except for the lat/long when the unit isn't moving. Also, might be a helpfull feature to include the nearest mile-marker.

Am sitting on the side of I40 as I post this and realised all this as it would be really helpfull at the moment.

The unit is a T7E 992408

Thanks,
Mark-kd7lqw

 

Looks like this thread is getting back on the right track again. I have a question about the 500; specifically how it routes the unit around low bridge/overpasses. Is the re a way for me to see what the reason for the specific route issued? There is an overpass in Chapel Hill,NC that I am routed around: it actually is truck accessible. It would be good to be able to see why the route was chosen and then be able to override the unit or follow the designated route. Thank you to everyone who offers positive feedback and helpful suggestions. Its a tough job and everyone and everything that can make it a bit easier is appreciated.

 

I have responded