Trip Planning: Old School Meets New School

Really?????????????Not me.My boyfriend is the same way.No matter where he goes he doesn't need an atlas.I spose after traveling every state you know the roads.

 

oh i carry atlas open to state im in always have but no trip planning

 

I use the Garmin Dezl 760LMT and my Co Pilot 9 on the laptop. Most generally if the Garmin knows the address, I am find. I do use Google earth to see the site I am going and then I figure out how many hours I want to work. I try to park early enough to get a good shower or something to eat. I avoid Walmart as I spend to much.

The Garmin lets you route plan. I enter the end point first and then any other stops. If you choose the wrong order, there is a way to easily change them. I then make note of my fuel and put in find a TA along my route. That locates where I will fuel.

Finally, I go on Craigslist to the Women Seeking Men site just to see if I have to sleep in the truck or not.

 

I know this sounds silly but.... 50% of trucking is knowing where your going!!!

 

I think you're referring to routing. Trip planning can include a lot more; fuel management, HOS management, contingency routing, etc.

 

DAT app is for android phones. Based from the DAT load boards you see in truck stops. It is free and makes it easy to find fuel, truck parking, washes, repairs and much more! I use it nearly everyday because it is easier than pulling out my book, has many more truckstops than my GPS, is always being updated, and is free. I don't think I will buy a new truckstop guide this year. I will say that the one downfall is the ability to plan far ahead could be better. Unless, I missed a feature... it is difficult to use to plan where to stop much later because it searches for locations closest to your current location, not your destination. But I make it work.

 

I made it a rule; never release the brakes without being ~certain of where I was going to set them next, and usually with at least 1 alternate site. Trying to figure that out while driving is a distraction.

 

I feel inadequate as i have never planned out a trip. NO gps here for me.i look over the route and write down my road/hiway numbers and call the shipper or consignee for exact locations but that is it.just pti,make calls getting the basics,and shut the door and drive,all whether it is 50 miles or 1500 miles.

I pull over when my hours are up as i drive legally,usually at or a little above the speed limit(perhaps 10 over dependent on the state) yet my loose leaf logs are always legal and my toll tickets will match. I think that the new technology that most of you drive under is so restrictive for you that you have to plan excessively and yet you still sleep at shippers or consignees.

my system hasn't failed me yet-

 

Sometimes you gotta get out of Dodge ASAP after getting loaded as rush hour is nigh. After the big city is in your back pocket you can stop and scout out a new consignee on Google and check where your best fuel buy and shower for the evening will be.

Does anyone miss waiting for payphones and calling for directions, hoping the number is correct and someone answers and writing them in your little tablet or whatever is handy?

 

That's what everybody says, doesn't mean it won't. (I've done it 1000 times and that's the first time THAT ever happened!) You've been driving 26 years, more than half your life, you're probably pretty good at it, but do you mean to imply you haven't found yourself somewhere where you'd gladly pay $400 to reverse time 120 seconds?

And I liked sleeping in/near client's lots, it was my SOP. It was usually dark, quiet, always good for the HOS, no traffic getting where I needed to be when I needed to be there. Maybe that's just me.