almost 2017... where's the tech?

Not exactly.

Dispatchers and Owners share the blame as well.

I blame myself for being weak and run 3 logs to make 1500-2000 miles next day HOS be ######. And I blame the companies that employed me in those bad old days to foster a non professional wink wink environment and quick to fire anyone who does not toe the line.

If I was to drive today, it will be 10 minutes left to the 11 hours daily driving that ##### is PARKED. I don't give a dam if walmart has a appt time due in 20 minutes. Eff it. They can get it tomorrow or the dispatch can send a team to get it from me while I sleep and take it on in tomorrow. I refuse to live in fear or blind obediance.

One of the reasons I particularly enjoy my time at home, catching up on a life time lost out there on that cursed road. Would I do it again if reincarnated or something? Hell yes.

 

The Rand-McNally tablets are android devices that run their route/mapping software. I don't think that you can buy the software separately from their specific devices, but it clearly runs on android, so that's probably coming.

One of the principal advantages of their software is that the map data is preloaded, so you don't have to have Internet access available, in order to get maps. I know that a lot of people are used to ubiquitous data availability, but that is subject to failure. Natural disaster, network usage surges, sunspots, cyberattacks, changes in wireless carrier plans, and/or legislative/regulatory adjustments to Internet access, could and sometimes do interfere with the Google approach to routing/mapping. I can easily imagine a DoT/FCC joint regulation requiring carriers to disable data (and perhaps text) availability when the device is in motion at speeds exceeding 10mph, to discourage people from becoming distracted by networked devices, while driving or bicycling - Google would be fine for trip planning, but not for en-route directions, in that case.

Also, I can imagine a scenario in which hackers screw with map data, to cause accidents, if drivers (or driverless vehicles) were to become too dependent on networked map data... :-/

Technology is not always as good as it at first appears to be. The FAA is switching to a GPS-style aircraft tracking system that is far more accurate than radar, but relies heavily upon all airborne objects to cooperatively report their locations. It greatly increases air travel capacity, if/when it works, but drug planes are unlikely to report their location... terrorists or enemy combatants would be likely misreport their locations (if they reported at all)... and hackers would be likely to litter runways and airport airspace with fake aircraft reports, for the sheer mischief of doing so. On the surface, the new system looks like a huge improvement, but upon closer inspection, too much technological dependence removes too much common sense and human judgement. The technology needs to be backed up by common sense and human judgement, or it can too easily be abused into the irresponsible outcomes that go along with removing individual responsibility for those outcomes.

 

I own the original Rand, streets and trips CD's as well as the Rand's Original GPS antenna from roughly 2000. It did a good job, I still have it, just need to discover how far they upgrade.

 

Not especially far. I have the 720 and two of the 8" tablets, as well as the antenna. The antennas (I have two of these) no longer seems to function to get traffic/weather information, and I get very different information on some routes, between the tablets and the 720. It appears that the 720 is unaware of several substantial changes to highways, in recent years, that the tablet knows about - despite frequently updating. Even the tablets still do not understand the I-70/I-79 interchange in Pennsylvania, where construction was finished about a year ago... so even on the newer devices, updates are spotty... :-/

 

The Traffic antenna will not work with the 720's. A lot of testing was done when the 720's came out and it was determined the "data" that the antenna transmits is not really compatible with the 720. Too much money would have been needed to correct this, but since the 720 can connect via Hotspot to get this via the internet this was the decision that was made.

Tablets are on older maps and an update is coming soon. Testing is being done since the maps will be done via a Hotspot.

The 720's - it depends if you are running the latest maps? The update came out about March of this year. It will require an external MicroSD Card. See attached. If any questions PM (Start Conversation) with me.

 

There is a lot of data that goes into maps that is more than a street view.

HERE and TeleAtlas are just two of the Map sets that are used for GPS units.

 

Will not work....

 

I have to ask... are you just venting, or do you really want a response to this?

Because I can explain, in excruciating detail, why this did not yield the results that it calls for. Some of the problem is societal in the manner that you seem to be objecting to, but it there is so much more going on, than individual laziness.

Millions of people cannot be truck drivers for health reasons, or because they are needed at home, to take care young, elderly, or disabled family members. Many more are disqualified for minor or old drug, traffic, or criminal infractions. Young people just starting out, may not be employable because vehicle insurance costs are prohibitive, for the employer. And there are many excellent reasons why turnover is so high in trucking, including over-regulation and draconian enforcement against drivers, combined with comparative immunity to liability or labor law, for carriers. When employment becomes a bad deal for employees, the stupid ones are the ones who keep working, hoping or expecting things will get better...

Many people work their way through college, at McDonald's, with the help of scholarships, grants, loans, and parental support, only to find that there aren't jobs available for people with their skills, that pay enough to cover the costs associated with gaining those skills, much less feeding and housing themselves or their loved ones. Job (and therefore job-related income and benefits) security is a thing of the past, so if you need consistent health coverage or housing, living on the dole looks a lot more attractive than continuing to try to get by on part-time minimum wage with no benefits, feeding and cleaning up after self-righteous fat loudmouths, at a truck stop. At least on the dole, you don't have to pay back your student loans before you can afford to move out of your parent's basement.

The problem is so much bigger than laziness... it's a lack of opportunity, a history of corporate and governmental deception, educational system scamming, and a general lack of faith in the American dream. Too many kids have grown up watching their grandparents work hard and follow the rules, only to live like paupers, work like slaves, and die early of some work-related ailment that no one would help them to get treatment for. Too many kids watched their older siblings work hard in school to get good grades, and wind up working like slaves for some cokehead boss who was in the right fraternity, and drank his way through college on a football scholarship or his rich parent's money. Too many kids grew up in the projects, and learned that drug dealers run the show, while snitches get stitches. Too many young mothers learned that if you work, you have to live in your car and family services tries to take your kids away, but if you get on welfare, you live indoors, eat regularly, watch cable TV, and no one except the drug dealers is likely to bother you.

Too many people have learned that school is a babysitting service, work is for suckers, Santa Claus isn't real, and the American dream is dead.

And they're right.

THAT is the root of the problem.

And most likely, unless you are "somebody", online, even stupid cat videos probably won't go viral.