Navigation Systems

The Bluetooth feature for me was a nice gesture, but my 1999 Peterbilt was just too noisy for the feature to be used at all. Maybe newer trucks with quieter cabs would be better. All I know is, 99% of GPS units are dash- or window-mounted. Thus requiring a sensitive mic to pickup the driver's voice from a few feet away. At a few feet away, the voice is not the only "noise" being transmitted.

My Garmin 465T was designed for trucks & truck routes. However, for some reason CA-108 from Oakdale, CA to Sonora, CA was not a truck route? It's a state-freakin highway!! Anyway, it was frustrating to have it yelling at me to get off the highway immediately whenever on the route. Not to mention some of the side roads or driveways it was telling me to turn around in, while in a truck & trailer. Now, I do know that highway for miles in either direction, so the simplest answer would be to turn the device off. However, it was the addresses off the highway I liked assistance to. Now, while loading, I liked to program my route....safely, off the road. I dont like getting in the general vicinity then trying to punch everything in while driving, not safe. Pulling over isn't always an option when you are on some road off the highway either. That was probably one of my only complaints.

How about this, when will GPS devices be updateable via satellite? Not the most convenient to plug into a PC and download the updates...let alone pay for them.

The Garmin 465T is a very new device and it has a lot of very usable features, the only part, as stated above, were some of the ridiculous requests it made while in truck mode. For a deivce claiming to be trucker-friendly, telling me to turn down some street in downtown Sonora, CA (in the mountains, barely wide enough for a pickup) was not always cool.

 

I'll chime in more later on this, but if you could incorporate some of the features that Ford is doing with it's SYNC system and make it truck friendly, you might be onto something. The more hands free you can make the ####pit, the better it's going to be received by the safety people.

Navigation is extremely important, but like has been said before, it has to be accurate on the truck side. We used to switch the truck mode off because every-time you went down a side street it didn't recognize, it was a royal pain.

 

Use the KISS principle. Everything you had there would put the cost well over $1K. Not cool. Cabs are noisy, voice commands will not work well unless stopped. Keep the internet and radio stuff out of it. I would rather repair or replace only one device when it breaks because it is made in China and falls apart due to the environment it is in. Sat radio receivers are notorious for breaking quickly due to the constant vibrations of the truck. Remember, we put on 10 years or so of driving compared to every year you drive. Build the device simple and robust so it doesn't fall apart.

 

right now my husband and i have the normal everyday Garmin, not sure what model number it is, but when he gets his own truck (he's in training right now) he plans on getting one of the truck models. I would have to agree KISS is your best way to go since i would not what my husband to call me saying he had to replace this pricey unit after only a little bit. By what I understand of the life style so far, you want something durable. Something that if it takes a tumble it's not going to sweat it. Plus, price to truckers is a big thing too. Most want to keep their costs of operation down so that they can bring home more for their familes. And yes, I have been in a rig and they can be very noisey, so voice option if done correctly may or may not be an option for some and if it's not they might not want to pay for the extra feature they may not use. Hope that helps, just a little ol' trucker wife....

 

Maybe you should ask what to take away. For truckers looking for as fuel stop don't need 50 listings for every gas pump within 10 miles. They don't need points of interest with no room to park a big rig. They don't need the routes through the neighborhoods that only a 4 wheeler can travel. They don't need roads with 3 ton bridge limits. They don't need "Exit Left in .9 miles when The only exit is to the right, (fives lanes of crowded traffic). Now what could be of great use. Locations of safe parking for rest. Locations where service and tires can be found. Fuel prices at the stops on the route. Types of food service at the different stops.

 

I've got an idea--and I know nobody's going to like it--make one that only works when the brakes are locked!!Load it set it study it then go.. The whole idea of something on a dashboard being fiddled with an adjusted while you are driving just irks me! But I guess I'm just one of those crank old timers!
Just my $.02

 

I'l chime in on this post: I personally don't care about GPS's. I was taught too use a map and a telephone,or your dispatcher,broker! to many people really on device's to do there job.As american's get more dependent on these type of things.they seem to forget how to do daily task. i listen to the news, weather station on my radio (FM) and plan my route by a map.the only thing on my dash is a my gloves shoved in the corner! thats my two cents.