Don’t put your trust in google maps
Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Old Man, Jun 29, 2019.
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MagnumaMoose, peterbilt_2005 and Lepton1 Thank this.
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After thinking more about it, I realized that it is not the main route planning stuff I am really concerned about. A decent, fairly recent trucker atlas will provide me all I need for the main highway routing (I was a cartographer, so I can do maps, not a problem there), it is my concern with routing through a city to a destination. Typically, atlases don't have fine enough detail for the routing into and out of a destination from a main artery. I was looking for help running a route through a city to help avoid roads you can't be on, or would be more difficult to follow. What do you guys do for that routing? I've thought that a GPS app could help immeasurably with such information as long as it takes into account you're driving a semi instead of a 4 wheeler. How do you guys do that?
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For running permitted loads (oversize and/or overweight) I plug in the final destination and hit Go. THEN I study the routing on the permit and start adding Via points, working backwards on the route. After each Via point is added I zoom in to make SURE the routing is correct. Often either RM or GM does funny things on those Via points. I input the routing in both RM and GM and run both of them.
One important thing to remember is that once you hit a Via point you need to hit Continue in both RM and GM. Once you do that it will calculate the route to the next Via point. OFTEN it will go haywire in either program and take you in unexpected directions, like make a right turn, drive 5 miles, then execute a u-turn to continue straight...when you really just needed to turn left. This is where studying the route on those permits pays off. I memorize the route, make the correct turn, and let the GPS programs catch up. It might take some time for the programs to finally go on the correct route, as THEY get stubborn about trying to route you back to that u-turn.
Monday morning I deliver to a construction site in downtown Pasadena. There are strict times and routes to get in and out of there. I have already plugged in the routing. I shared the route with the other drivers by text message, using the Share feature in Google Maps after building the route.
Using Via points in a GPS is extremely helpful. Build your route through the city. -
Unless the GPS device decides to lock up/freeze up on you because the manufacturer uses the cheapest hardware possible. they really don't handle situations like that very well. They aren't beefy enough to handle displaying the map while you are moving and while you are resizing panning the map around. I got into it a few times with the "Support techs" about it and they just went full denial that there wasnt a problem. And you won't get any help from calling them. They just want you to send the unit in for replacement, which isn't a solution because they are shipped defective, something didn't just break, it's low quality junk to begin with. "there is a hole in the bucket".Gearjammin' Penguin, TokyoJoe and Lepton1 Thank this. -
Google gives the added benefit of telling me there's a slowdown in X miles ahead, causing a Y minute delay. It gives suggested alternate routes, which I don't take if I am unfamiliar with the area. Another newish feature is it will advise if there is a speed trap ahead. Quite a few truckers would have benefited from that feature yesterday!skellr Thanks this. -
If you still have doubts, either get out an atlas, or route around by adding stops between your starting point and your destination to routes that are more likely to be truck routes, or both if necessary. Been using nothing but Google maps for the past 5 years or so (been driving for 5 years) and I've rarely had to use my atlas.
As one of the users said above, "trust, but verify."Lepton1 Thanks this. -
@Oxbow @MagnumaMooseLepton1 and MagnumaMoose Thank this. -
I’ve used plenty of paper maps, but still can’t fold them properly.
(I’m not under 30)
But......they really should be rolled up.
JudgeRightly and Lepton1 Thank this.
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