Class starting 25 Oct 11

The Garmin truck-specific GPS will try to run you straight through Atlanta instead of using the racetrack. The original Cobra truck-specific GPS used to really like narrow residential streets. My Rand McNally GPS has a preference for those little grey lines in the RMCA at times...

All of these are "truck-specific," and all of them have database problems. As far as I know, none of the GPS manufacturers do their own databases... its a product they purchase from third-parties.

"...if you have a truckers gps it should run you on truck routes like interstates and state roads, not back country roads."

No disrespect, but if you have a functioning brain YOU should be in charge, not the little box. It's an aid to route planning, timing and current location. Nothing more. YOU should know the route and be the final judge of whether you are going to take the road it suggests - and on the company side you are bound by policy to be taking the macro 27 fuel route... not some GPS generated deal.

Anyone ever wonder why I40 between Dallas and the mid-Atlantic is so congested, and I20,I59 etc has much less traffic on it? 50 miles. The little box doing all the thinking for so many brain-dead drivers is routing EVERYONE on I40 as the shortest route. I frequently find these things would much rather send you straight up the side of a mountain, rather than route you a couple of miles longer AROUND it. Nothing like burning a lot of fuel you don't need to!

 

So what you are saying is that you can get a car gps instead of a high priced truck specific gps and just look at your truckers atlas to compare to the gps, but follow the qualcom route directions. Actually, when i was driving i used streets and trips with gps with the atlas and got around pretty good. I was with a company that how you get there was your decision. I know now that is not the case.

 

There are other advantages to the truck-specific units. Having Walmarts, truckstops and rest areas as POIs help in route planning. Also... what happens when you get off onto a poorly-marked detour, have to deviate from route due to truck restrictions that aren't in the database, rest stop planning blown due to delays? At least with the truck-specific unit, you've got a little security in knowing that following the routing is less likely to get you in trouble than a car-only unit.

 

Its a RandMcnally TND 510... truck GPS. Doesnt mean he always knows what hes talking about. More than once Ive told him to....

 

Unplugg the #### thing when he's driving and tell him he gets to do it the old fashioned way for a while. Make him earn the trust (your trust) to let him use it again.

You need to get it through his head that getting lost is not the worst thing that can happen. Wrong turns can get very expensive.

I wish I still had the link to the Swift guy that got a $17k fine in IL. Overweight and restricted route. It was a local TV news story.

 

Or a Mexican Prison

 

Thats pitiful SE lol

 

He needs to learn to tell the GPS to kiss off. Told mine that getting in this truck stop. Ive had it tell me I was 24 miles from the rest area I was sitting in at that moment....