EPES TRANSPORT-Greensboro, NC

trying to decide between a rand mcnally or garmin gps. which is the preference? and how much do yall use the gps versus the route suggestion? thanks

 

I was there today and yesterday. Guess I should have asked if any of you guys were going to be there.

 

Get the rand McNally. I have both, garmin trucking GPS and the tnd 710. I use them both as much as my steering wheel every day. The 710 is great for trucking. But you still need a good map book and it doesn't hurt to have a smartphone with street view.

 

Pops I'm the exact opposite. I'd vote for the Garmin. And I also have both. If I had to get rid of one it would be the Rand McNally. Which model Garmin do you have?

 

I was the BIG guy with the red shirt on Rick called up to the Road Team . Would been nice to meet some one new off of here. Spend most of today handling the equipment . Was cool job today ! Got to drive almost every truck there !

 

I use the rand but have a real love/hate relationship with it.

the 7 inch version had a great screen but the hardware was complete junk and it didn't last hardly a year because of the useless power cable arrangement. I got a 5 inch and have had much better luck with it. after using both my assessment is the smaller 5 inch is waaayyyyy lighter and doesn't bounce around as much on the dash leading to much less wear on the power socket and haven't had those issues out of it at the same usage point as the larger model. I like the software, the screen presentation and the features much better than the cobra which I've also used. I have to say the cobra is a real close second to the RM it just doesn't have the user friendliness as the RM. don't know anything about the garmin. always use that gps as the last choice and backup because the rand will freeze at the worst possible moments. consistently. especially if you deviate from the route it 'thinks' is best. a lot of times it isn't quickest or shortest.

having said that I don't use it for anything but setting accurate eta, being able to preview upcoming turns or junctions and figuring exactly how far I can get to available parking.....other than that I don't ever rely on it for routing or anything else. it's an expensive toy and useful tool but that's about it. when I first got into my own truck I relied on the gps exclusively....for about a week until it very quickly got me in some places I didn't want to be....coming from my aviation background and the accuracy and reliability of those gps units I wrongly assumed that would translate. it didn't. not even close. but then again, I would imagine that's why I paid 400 for my truck gps and paid 1500 for the unit I use in the airplane lol......and why the in-dash version of my handheld aircraft unit in the plane I usually fly costs over 5000. the cost belies the level of accuracy. if the truck gps units were calibrated and updated with the same accuracy standards of the aviation units, nobody would EVER hit a bridge or end up on a road they weren't supposed to be on lol. but then none of us could afford one either.

I try as much as possible to follow the route suggestion as given.....but bear in mind the second word there is 'suggestion'.....lol.....do it for awhile and you'll quickly learn there are some roads in that route suggestion from time to time on certain loads you have NO business being on in a big truck. it only takes once lol.....then you learn that route suggestion is to be taken as just that......backed up by the map and the gps......I usually take all 3 and composite the best route from the 3.....most of the time they are pretty close in agreement, but I always check the route suggestion first, then the map, put my routing together from that, and then the gps will either agree or catch up on the way.

be very wary of any roads off the highway in the route suggestion in Pa, WV or points north of the NYC area.......very critical to doublecheck the map and gps against that 'suggestion' before you go in these areas......think US50 in eastern WV lol got it as a route suggestion once....should have known when even the gps was screaming don't go there but it was a high value load and heavy and no way around the coop so figured i'd go where they 'suggested' I go.....never again. that road has a big red X all along it in my atlas now. any company routing 'suggestion' in Pa from the northwest part of the state to points southeast can be fun as well be sure to check and pick your own route on the map and take it.....even the gps will try to take you on some #### small roads going in those areas of Pa

 

I got that deizl model. Whatever it is, the 5" one. I wouldn't get rid of either one. I just like the way you can find truck stops and a few other minor things you can do with the rand mcnally.

 

I have the new Dezl, the 7 inch. It is much improved over the 560. I will agree the RM seems a little better on the truck stops, but overall the routing is still much better on the Garmin. If I had to choose one, I'd give the edge to the new Dezl.

 

Don't think I've seen the 7 inch. I usually find that my Garmin has a harder time trying to decide if roads are trucker friendly. Sometimes I like the routing on it better and sometimes I like the RM better. I try to make educated decisions based on, in this order, my gps devices, maps, street view maps, customer directions / calls to customer and then the suggested route. The suggested route is pretty close most times but can be way out in left field a lot too. This, so far, has worked well for me. Haven't been on roads with low bridges, wrong streets and had to back out etc. I did have to back out into a busy street one time because a DM gave me some $$$$$$$ directions to get to another trucking company to drop some freight that was damaged. Boxes were damaged because the shipper used the wrong type pallets. I think the DM used directions he got off google maps. They weren't trucker maps that's for sure.

 

Well...looks like I'm gonna be in for yet, ANOTHER breakdown! I have told about ALL mechanics in Greensboro AND Chester what my problem is with my truck....have they fixed it? NOPE! I can't get the freaking truck to go from 5th to 6th gear! It'll downshift from 7th to 6th NO PROBLEM! I have to put it into 6th gear, going from 5th gear like 3 freakin' times this morning(each time)...before it'll grab it! Tony, at Chester, said my rpm's weren't high enough? REALLY? So why is it that I'm in 1500-1600, THEN switch and it ALWAYS falls right in? Now, when I slide it in, I feel it grabbing, but it stays in neutral! Back into neutral 2 more times....then it'll grab! Who the heck do i need to talk to to have this thing fixed? I'm getting REALLY sick of these breakdowns! I know you guys might gimme a suggestion! That's why I'm ranting on here...like other people do, me included! lol