question about internet

no such thing as wifi in a truck

 

You can get a mobile hotspot or use certain phones as a mobile hotspot if you sign up for the service with your phone provider. That will let you connect with your laptop/ipad to that device using wifi.

Also you can get a subscription to use the wifi at Pilot (it will work at all of them that have wifi). Prices vary.. $20 a month, $150 a year, daily is also available. I got monthly and so far have had decent connections. My verizon isn't working here in the mountains so I'm glad I have it.

 

From what I have gathered a majority of drivers will either get some type of portable hotspot from their cell phone company or just used their cell phone itself as the hotspot. The issue you may run into is keeping an eye on your usage because alot of online streaming video or online gaming will eat up your data quick. Verizon seems to be a popular option for fast speed and pretty good coverage.

 

They asked the drivers a while back about providing internet access through a Qualcomm service but there wasn't much interest so it didn't happen.

Verizon has good data coverage and you can apply for a small discount through Verizon as you use the phone for work.

 

Most of the major cell phone carriers offer some sort of air cards for a laptop. The major truck stop chains also offer wifi at their locations. The downside to using those are that your connection is limited to when you are on their premises. If you want internet access anywhere, then you will need to get an air card for a laptop or desktop computer in your truck or use your cell phone. I have used Sprint for a number of years. I rarely have a problem finding a connection. There have been a few spots where the connection was not that great, so it was slow. Most of the time I have a decent connection.

 

Prime pays more than Tmc? Well, I ain't never

 

If you're planning on using truckstop wifi, then you'll need to be there long enough to hook up and use it. That doesn't happen very often during training. The other issue with it is if you aren't parked within 100' of the antenna, your data rate will start diminishing, and every time a truck drives between you and the antenna you're connection will break. IMO, there's nothing WORSE in internet connectivity than dealing with a truckstop wifi connection.

You're going to need some kind of reliable cell service... just make sure you get your data connection through them as well.