Truck GPS App for Android

And you have the truck version? (or at least the Premium USA car version?)

So what happens when you press "Menu / Find POI's?" It should open a window with a couple of default categories at the top (like Truck Services, Restaurant, Hotels) and have a button at the bottom that says "More categories" with all of the other offline categories.

So I just put it in offline (airplane mode) and touched Menu / Find POI's / Restaurant for example. It brings up the list of restaurants around me from the on-board database.

The only search that gives an error is like "Menu / Find POI's / Google" because I am not connected right now, so that connected add-on would not work naturally.

 

Never thought about using the airplane mode. I always turned off the connection. Though the airplane mode would disable the prompt to find service I suppose. Thankyou for the wonderful idea.

 

Sorry I was referring to local search, which I use a lot.

 

Yep - mystery solved. As said in one of my previous posts comparing the "offline" to the "connected" differences. It has thousands of POI's already built in for using when you are not connected. But it also has "Google enhanced" and "Yelp enhanced" local search button which use today's current Google search data - when connected.

 

Dieselboss

Can you at this time recommend the CoPilot truck app for Android over the stand alone units by either Garmin or Rand insofar as map accuracy and function. Reason I ask is I have had 2 TND units both have usb port problems within one and a half years of purchase my TND 720 was purchased from you. As I have a 10" tablet was thinking of going with the CoPilot truck app as it is a PITA to send the units away for me to get fixed.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
John

 

I can. I been using it over a year. It's more accurate and easier to use than my Randall mcnally

 

You will notice that I never say one particular "truck gps" is the "best" right? That is because there is no clear "best" for all drivers - all scenarios. It is similar to asking a Ford guy and a Chevy guy which is best - Mustang or Camaro. You will get a long list of basically factual arguments from both guys on the merits and the "whys" of their choice. (so I just wanted to preface with that comparison before I answered your specific question)

Instead I wrote that very long chart on each individual feature that I could squeeze out of different units and let the driver decide WHICH parts were more important to HIM (or her.)

Your question was "accuracy and function." Those are two dramatically different things when comparing say "the big three" names in truck GPS. I absolutely hate to generalize, but I will a little bit to answer as best I can this time.

Accuracy (I am assuming you mean addresses and routes accuracy) - It's a brutal dead heat right now between Rand and CoPilot. Each has areas where they are stronger. For instance, in New York City, Rand wins. They have a very "NYC savvy" beta tester there who has fed a lot of specific inner city (street by street) tribal knowledge about how to drive in that difficult environment.
But in Canada, CoPilot wins. And there are a thousand other cities where it goes between the two. Both companies have a direct map feedback loop mechanism inside of their program. So both of them solicit feedback for their proprietary databases directly for the end user and this helps them (on the rare occasions where working drivers have the time to feed back specific issues.) Rand also has guys like Mark on this forum who are direct links to the mothership. I feed back specific route anomalies to Mark and he goes to the secret room where they hide the map makers and I get specific answers back (in addition to the "Tell Rand" feature on the GPS itself, but that is more cumbersome than me telling Mark.) If I get a specific one on CoPilot products, then I use the Mapsure feedback form online to send it and they actually do respond within their 90-day map update periods to those back to me.

Since Rand and Garmin both get the underlying base maps from the same place (NavTeq) they are statistically the same in terms of "does it have the address?" BUT, the proprietary TRUCKING data - Rand wins verses Garmin, in my opinion. My opinion is based on thousands of routes ran through myself and other drivers for a decade, but it still my opinion. So statistically (especially off the interstates once you get off the exit into town) Rand's data on WHAT streets are best for a big rig is better than Garmin's (at this time.) Again, in my opinion.
But CoPilot uses a mixture of their maps and other makers and then overlay their truck data. So in some cases, the Rand or Garmin may have a specific address and CoPilot won't, and vice-versa. But CoPilot (ALK) has been doing truck specific dispatch routing for companies for a LONG time - longer than Rand and Garmin or anyone else. Their problem was working the bugs out of their software on some versions over the years. So their truck route decisions are very good, but like anyone, will never be "perfect." Their current version is pretty solid now in terms of bugs, but it lacks the features of either Rand or Garmin - so there's the SECOND part of your question, i.e. "features."

Rand and Garmin both have more "features" than CoPilot. Mileage logs, driver daily log, exit guides, weather overlays, bluetooth hand's-free phone, trip odometers, fuel entry logs, etc. So if you are looking for lots of other trucker tools built into the programming, then Rand and Garmin win over CoPilot. CoPilot is more straight-up navigation with a few truck tools, but not many. However they allow more "knobs" to be turned in setting up the default routes and in route planning and altering. I do like that too about them. For instance, for oversize and permit haulers it is very tedious and difficult to tap in a specific turn-by-turn route. But give me CoPilot and a tablet (or even better, a laptop) and I can drag that route line all over the place to match my permit load much easier than on any stand-alone GPS regardless of brand. It is still difficult to do that on a 4" phone screen though. The bigger screen devices give the "route manipulating" and pre-trip planning advantage - to CoPilot. CoPilot also "recalculates" when you deviate from the planned route while moving VERY quickly. Like 2 seconds, verses 5 - 15 seconds on a stand-alone - unless you have it on a cheesy phone, tablet, or laptop. But that would be your hardware and not a CoPilot problem.

CoPilot has a very irksome thing in that they do not use a separate icon on the screen for the DOT scales. I have fed this back to them for some time. They do let you search for them around you, and they do have an icon - but it's the same icon they use for exits and truck stops. So if you glance, you cannot tell if that icon 10 miles ahead is a scale, an exit, or a truck stop. That would seem like a major miss for a trucker's nav program to me... Conversely, Rand wins hand-down on being able to spot scales the whole way with their giant scale icon.

So - I have written a lot here because the most correct and responsible answer demands a lot. There ins't a week that goes by where one of the drivers stopping here at the shop doesn't have 2 or even three GPS's (one is often CoPilot) running side-by-side. So that means that there are drivers reading this post right now nodding to themselves as they glance over at their Garmin, their Rand, and their Cobra all glistening in the dash. The REASON is because their is no clear "best" there is only the best today, on this route.

It sounds like you have had hardware issues with the USB power connection, twice now. That is indeed the most likely place to have hardware failure on many GPS, including Rand, because that is the thing getting plugged, unplugged, bumped, hooked to a computer for updates, etc. Garmin got around that issue by using the "cradle" mount whereby a large section of the bottom of the GPS clicks into the power strip instead of the smaller USB plug. But they sacrificed being able to suction mount it in a windshield without buying an additional mount for $30-$40 to convert it into a suction mount. If you got it from us, then I would still go to bat to do whatever I could to get it fixed even out of warranty for you, or at least sell a new one discounted. But most often, replacing the power cord fixes those. Call me if you want to give me more details on your 720 issue unless you are already sure 100% that it is not currently fixable.

I have Multiple Sclerosis and it is trying to put me in a wheel-chair for 8 years so far. I seek multiple "opinions" all the time for this. Because there is no clear "winner" MS treatment. I find that a mix of competent sources gives me a superior end decisions on this. Although I have never mentioned this here, I do it now because it is the best comparison to your question.

So with that said, if I were a driver with a tablet or a laptop, I would have the CoPilot too, even if I also had a Garmin or a Rand or a Cobra, etc. The best ways to make more money, more efficiently in the truck would be worth the $149 to me. Many drivers use the CoPilot as their only navigation. But you are subject to the hardware of your device. If it has a weak internal GPS antenna, or a slow processor, or not enough internal memory, or a bad resolution touchscreen, or a weak power connector, etc - you may still have to deal with hardware issues outside of the realm of the software program on it! If you have a hardware failure on your tablet, you have the same PITA getting it replaced.

Android tablets even with decent hardware specs have dropped to seriously low pricing now. CNet and Dell put on on special discount code for $129 this weekend on this one for instance: here. I noticed that the coupon code only works if you click the email from being on CNet's email offers list though. This is a lot lower price per hardware on this one. Said and done even with CoPilot installed, you'd still only be at $279.

Since you already have the tablet, I don't think you would go wrong with the CoPilot Truck, let's put it that way anyway. Do you currently use (or would you miss) any of the non-navigation truck features on your Rand? Or, can you use the CPT while still getting the Rand repaired and then have both? We'll be back in on Tuesday if you want to talk further on the phones as well.

- Don

(oh, and I have no connection to Dell. I'm not even actually a fan of Dell. I just mentioned that tablet because the deal raised my eyebrow today)

 

Don@ Dieselboss.

I really appreciate your reply, very informative and well explained. I really like the Rand units but I feel their manufacturing process leaves a lot to be desired, as I have opened them up and having 2 units fail due to the same problem I'm reluctant to invest in another one at this time. I know they can b repaired and may go that route at some point in time. My 720 will still function but unable to update on the pc but it still charges the battery and my 700 is dead in the water as the usb port disconnected from the motherboard so if my 720 fails altogether I will need a backup hence the interest in the CoPilot truck software.

Thanks
John

 

mustang or camaro. i don't think you can compare. the two concepts were diferent. but i'll take the camaro any day.

never been a ford fan.

but as for the features. what copilot lacks. there's an app. for free.
so, really, everything that garmin and rand can do. isn't nothing but a thing.

but, different strokes for different folks. whatever makes one happy, is all that matters.

 

I will put my Trucker Tablet GPS TT2 against any other truck gps, android app or program out there. This is how much i like this Tablet GPS. Discovered i can type the address in, click on the more button and choose alternate routes and not just one will show up but so far upto 6 have appeared letting me choose which one i would like. Accuracy is about 2-3 feet so basically right at the front door.
As for the mounting i did not like how the suction mounts always let the gps units bounce which in turn actually wiggled the usb plugs causing them to loosen overtime. Solution: Still use the suction but got a piece of styrofoam and put it under the bracket and on the dashboard and solved that bouncing about. I am actually in the process of designing a bracket where the usb plug plugs into it and the gps unit will slide into a secondary secured usb plug and will not loosen overtime like others will. They build these usb ports flimsy to begin with and we all know why...to buy more.