question:finding your way

pure luck !!!!

 

i cross my fingers and close my eyes.

the old time truckers use the atlas. plan their route. and whatever payphone they can find for directions.

the new time truckers. input the address into gps. and drive. some truckers have common sense though. while others will follow blindly. and hit a bridge. or whatever crosses there paths

 

You talking about getting close or the en-route portion? En Route on an unfamiliar route or region, I study an atlas ahead of time and know I got to follow route xx until I get to route xx and do that to route xx ... then I just follow the highway signage. I will sometimes glance at the atlas to verify what I'm doing and what I need to do when I'm coming to a critical juncture. Getting close, I write down the directions from the Qualcomm in my own shorthand, take a paperclip and stick that piece of paper to a magnet on the dash in easy view for reference and proceed like I know what I'm doing and I'm not a tourist.

 

I rely on a little of everything. A GPS is a good tool, so are atlases, so are truck stop guides. DO NOT rely on directions from one single source. Use everything that is available to you. And dear god, if your thinking about getting a GPS, go to Amazon.com or another online retailer so you can get an actual GOOD deal instead of paying truckstop prices.

Here's a link to the Rand McNally I have: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...N=B00C7FKT2A&linkCode=as2&tag=lifofamodtru-20
Its just the simple one. you don't need the 720 unless you just really want to spend the extra money. Rand McNally also makes great atlases and maps. Try to have every tool available to you!

 

I use the large print truckers road atlas and my cell phone. The truckers road atlas shows the low overpasses & weight restricted bridges & roads. I plan my trip with this ahead of time. The only time I've had problems is when my dispatcher and assistant terminal manager ordered me to follow their directions and I wound up on restricted roads & bridges thanks to their GPS directions. More than once I wound up on one lane dirt roads; once in the middle of an Indian reservation & no where to turn around; had to keep going.

 

I don't know how I did this job without a GPS enabled smart phone.

 

I use an atlas..... GPS is great except when it tells you to go 75 miles out of the way.... had one tell me to take 35w through ft worth to I 20.. to 35e to lamar street in dallas.... not exactly 75 miles but a ways... I didn't follow it and got rid of gps over it.. Did crap like this several times

 

I just hit my gas and go. I ask everyone in a car hey where is this place where lowest bridge I wanna hit one today.

 

For you... a combination of GPS and maps/atlas. At times a GPS will take you way out of route to stay on 4 lanes.
Example, from Tulsa to Shreveport La the GPS wants me to go to OKC to Ft Worth then catch 20 east to Shreveport.
My way knocks a lot of miles off by going straight south on 75 then the turnpike to some 2 lanes cutting through Hugo Ok toTexarkana, more 2 lanes into Shreveport...check both routes on an atlas.

For me... I don't need a GPS for most city to city runs, going to new places I just need the GPS for the last few miles and usually it doesn't give me the right way to line up for the entrance to the customers lot or where to park for the night.

Your best bet while still new will be to run the route on the GPS, check the atlas to see if it makes sense to not be too long and find a driver who knows most of your customers to call to find out the best way to be situated when you get there.
If the GPS route is too long like my Shreveport run you can add a waypoint or travel via in the GPS. On my Shreveport example I add Texarkana as a waypoint to force the GPS to take the route I want.
BUT...still be careful b/c on my Tom Tom i can only select "city center" and that still wants to take me trough the middle of town it doesn't use the bypass... So again check your atlas.