Best GPS for truckers

Sorry Snowwy, but no GPS manufacture sets the truck restrictions. THESE are set by the states that own the roads and then the Mapping companies such as HERE and Tele-Atlas put them into the map databases. The GPS manufactures then purchase licensing agreements with the mapping companies.

And with any GPS you the user can actually change the settings for STAA or Non-STAA if you wish.

Sorry, you were not routed on a Non-STAA road with STAA settings on your GPS...

 

You know he knows that... lol
Don't take his bait ...

 

There's no bait

Everybody knows that.

But what they dont know. Is that GPS's have their own thing. Mark can argue all he wants about truck restricted routes. It's a dead end argument. Rand still has more truck restricted routes then other brands. So mark can think all he wants that rand is more precise. copilot directs me straight there all the time. It don't take me 25 miles around the city. And it does it using truck allowed streets. MEANING NO SIGNS POSTED FORBIDDING TRUCKS.

It's an age old argument mark can't comprehend. and mark thinks snowwy don't comprehend.

Who's right and who's right. I DON'T CARE. copilot gets me there will less miles driven. That's all there is too it. AND I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE A TICKET. And i've been just about everywhere in this country. And i heait from drivers all the time.

 

Ok, I could respond but would really hope we can ALL avoid that debate once again.

Please drop it there both of you... and Me too.

Stay Safe,
MD

 

Just to clarify this, this last time since a lot of drivers do not realize this, if you look on page 8/c-2 of the MCRA you will see the Yellow Highlighted route not shown on Part of AZ-93 over onto US-93/95 into CA.

The Yellow Highlighted route is a STAA route determined by the National Highway Network. The part that is yellow but NON highlighted is a truck legal route still since it is has no restrictions, BUT it is legal for Non-Staa trailer dimensions.

STAA - 53' long/102" wide
Non-Staa - 48' long/96" wide

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/

The states submit any/all truck restrictions to the mapping companies such as Here or Tele-Atlas. The GPS manufactures then buy licensing agreements to use said maps on their devices.

RM/Garmin use Here and Cobra uses Tele-Atlas.

RM also uses an proprietary database with added truck restrictions that have been determined but are not in the mapping database. RM does not share this proprietary database. Each truck restriction that has been found that was not in the mapping database has been verified.

Now on the National Highway Network STAA legal trailer dimensions usually are legal to go off the National Highway Network (NHN) by about a mile. But, as we all know you usually have to go beyond that to the shippers/receivers.

States/cities/counties have made routes beyond the limit legal by allowing truck routes to keep the heavier vehicles on road made for the weigh and size of the STAA trailer. This is not possible in all cases, so they allow those STAA trailers to use Non-STAA roads for pick-up/delivery only with no intention for thru routing.

Are all roads marked if they are truck legal - no.

Just because a truck is on a route does it make it truck legal - no.

Are map 100% correct - no.

Local governments set up truck restrictions all the time and this information does not make it way back to the state level to be incorporated into the highway system for the mapping companies. The same goes with older restrictions that have been in place. Somehow they have failed to make their way into the system to be added.

Restrictions can be false in the mapping database and these are in error. They are verified if true/not true. If not true then that information is send back to the mapping companies.

Any type of update/correction/adding of roads/etc can take up to 1-2 years to be placed into the mapping database.

So an easy test to determine what is giving you a odd route is to switch to car mode - if it routes you then it is a truck restriction. If it does not route you then it is a road issue.

If it is a truck issue, then switch to a Non-Staa trailer dimension (48'/96") and see if your route is now more direct.

If it is a map issue then the road may be tagged with a "weight" that does not allow routing. All roads are given a "weight". A "weight" of 0, and you will not be routed on it in a car/boat/train/truck. This needs to be reported so the "weight" can be changed to allow routing.

GoogleMaps is great for zooming in to street level to see if you are able to make it without any low overpasses, etc, but GoogleMaps does not take into account any type of restriction nor trailer dimensions for routing.

So, in the end it is the driver who must make the choices. The GPS only takes what is has stored and routes you on a truck legal routed based upon your settings. This is to include the types of "weights" given to segments of roads.

So, if you get an odd route adjust your trailer settings to see if you can be routed in a more direct line. Sometimes that also is not possible as anything inside 285 around Atlanta is restricted to trucks. So you have to make adjustments in this case.

No GPS manufacture sets any type of truck restriction nor do they set the standards for the NHN system. They only present what already is in place.

So if you wish to be routed on AZ-93 simply change your trailer dimensions to Non-STAA, but be aware since part of AZ-93 is Non-STAA, and if you are on it with a STAA trailer you can be ticketed for OD.

So does RM have more truck restrictions than others - yes, but they are legal truck restrictions. The more you know the better. It is better to know than to face a hefty fine for not knowing. So, is it a bad thing - no, but something to make the driver more aware.

The GPS is a tool to assist you in your trip planning. You do not have to take the route suggested, but it is giving you a truck legal routed based upon your settings. If you wish to take another route go ahead, but if there are truck restriction you can be ticketed if caught.

Here is an example from a city in CA

http://www.codepublishing.com/CA/Norco/html/Norco10/Norco1016.html

Here is NYC

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/truckrouting.shtml

So be safe when driving and be aware than many truck restrictions such as Non-STAA routes and restrictions on weights will not be posted.

Keep up with the most current maps as data is constantly changing.

So if you set your trailer for 53'/102" you will not be routed on AZ-93 since the northern part is Non-STAA,,, (HINT)

 

I'm getting weird routing on S.R. 41 S.B. going out of Fresno, CA. to Paso Robles. It routes (different distances) 10 miles out and then says things like "Keep right on state route 41" when there is no reason to even be saying anything. IDK WTH is going on.

 

Garmin dezl 7 inch high def. Paid around $400 for mine six months ago at Pilot. Need a windows or ios computer to update maps. I use a windows tablet to do that. (Bestbuy $260)

 

It would be a nice feature if the app' would just say why it chose the route it did....maybe even speak it...

"routing around rte 96 which is non-STAA to rte 98"

or

"routing around Old Highway 25 due to weight restriction"

etc etc.

Basically just notify us when a non-car-mode leg has been chosen, and why?

I have several GPS units... CoPilot, Garmin Nuvi, Apple Maps, Navigon...etc.
Kinda bothers me when one plots a different course than the other and I don't know why.

 

well, you've got one truck gps and the rest are cars listed. But none are created equally.

 

Actually the Garmin is truck.
What I meant though is that it would be nice to know why the truck GPS plots other than the car route....since it could be for more than a few reasons.