H.O. Wolding is a GREAT company!

Heh, and I was thinking I'd be called in sometime soon. I'm inching toward my 90 days.

 

Get a truck GPS. Don't get the PoC*Miler from Wolding. I bought one, it crapped out on my a few days after I bought it, and Wolding would not take it back. I had to send it to the manufacturer for them to repair it. There was a software issue. At least the truck stops will refund your money with no questions asked within 7-10 days, depending upon which one. They are good not only for directions, but for estimating travel times, finding places to shut down, and finding streets at night. I got the Rand McNally 720 and it is worth every dime that I paid for it. The "FRER" is probably short for something. I get that a lot when I drive through Kentucky, which has a few parkways with names, not numbers. Any time I go somewhere new I check the Qualcomm directions, the GPS directions, and then confirm them on the atlas. When there is a discrepancy, Qualcomm is almost always wrong! I think I am the only driver who sends corrections as I find them.

 

I just use a car GPS, but only for time remaining to wherever I'm going or miles. I don't use it religiously. I see what it gives me for a route, check the Qualcomm, then atlas, then directions, then Google maps. I haven't got lost yet or gone anywhere I shouldn't have. It's just common sense. The worst part is, if that GPS told them to drive off a bridge, I'm sure some would do it.

With some of our directions, I wonder if the driver that put some of them in has any clue what left or right is, what north, south, east, or west is, or how to count lights. I change them as I come across them, especially the ones that have put me in a bind.

Well since I mentioned the California to Tennessee load yesterday, I have 2 pick ups in Carson, CA and San Pedro, CA going to Lebanon, TN. Going to reset after I make the pick ups because I have to be back out in California on the 28th, which is gonna be close as I'm due for a PM soon.

 

Oh, and Purina is a PITA.

 

If you are up in Amherst any time soon then check out the ice cream place over near the Subway on the other side of KK. They opened for the spring. Good stuff!

 

That ice cream place is wicked good, highly recommended, very generous portions. Thanks for reminding me.

 

I've been using my iPhone with Google Maps as a supplement to the route suggestion. The terrain view is a fantastic way to see what kind of dock I'll be dealing with and has actually helped me find my way into shippers and receivers. Going through Chicago it actually helped me see where the truck accisible streets are based on where I saw trucks.

It's also surprisingly accurate at distance and time remaining. The only thing I wish it had was the ability to modifiy the route it spits out at me.

 

One of the things I've noticed lately is the routing will take the long way for fuel stops.

i have the rand McNally and love it, one thing I like is when I find those obscure places to park for the night I can add them to the gps

sitting in the yard watching the world go by

 

Yep, I would like to modify a route to see if it's shorter but oh well. Probably the biggest tool I use with Google maps is the traffic feature as far as which way to go around Chicago and LA or if I'm in a back up, how long it is and whether I should seek an alternate route or not.

Doing a split in Flagstaff. Would have liked to make it a bit further down the road but Purina was stacked up pretty good at the gate.

 

I've noticed there traffic feature on google maps has some lag. At least on my iPhone version there is. If you're using an Android phone it might be better at staying up to date.

But if you just open the browser and type in the city name followed by the word "traffic" (ex: Chicago traffic) into Google it will spit out a real-time view of the traffic in the area. If you zoom in it even shows you what the traffic is doing on smaller roads.

I also use the TripPak app. Makes scanning in all the paperwork easier. Also all the truck stop apps are nice to have... Especially the TA app since it lets you reserve a shower without having to go inside and use the kiosk.