dumb trip planning question

I have my GPS but I also mark up my Atlas (I have the nice laminated one). My company puts the fuel stops on my route so I usually don't worry about my fuel stops. I just take my 30 on an off ramp, it basically takes my 15-20 mins to get into a truck stop anyway.

 

as i was typing my initial reply i was thinking that absolutely no one still uses a spiral notebook anymore,especially in trucking. will the op even know what i am referencing?
thanks as i no longer feel quite so antiquated in my thoughts and actions-

 

How true, nowdays kids would probably be using a tablet and not the kind we think of either. No when I was out with husband years ago, we found out first thing you write all the info down. Memory does not help on addresses when the qcomm takes a powder, no one wants to answer phones at the terminals, or where you are expected to p/u or deliver to. That is where even calling for directions is a lost cause a lot of times, no one answers phones half the time.

At one time I used the front page for the p/u and the back page for the rec'vr. Now I squish it onto one page.

Keeping track of it too helps when it comes to payday also, just in case.

 

It has been proven the reason people get lost in the woods trying to memorize landmarks, is because the hippocampus located in the brain, is already remapping and writing over what you already saw and tried to remember.

It is better to write cliff notes of some sort. It will help having the GPS, but it is better to also look at the Atlas, esp when traveling off roads into towns. There are some roads which could get you a hefty fine or under a low bridge. Google map and watch out for train trestles in the area. A bigger road is better. Companies usually like to pay for the shortest amount of mileage which in a lot of cases are roads that are US route roads vs interstate roads, if you aren't having to worry about this, then stick to the interstates if you can. Of course some of the states have such bad roads, and potholes anymore, it would be nice to just go some other way.

There are businesses for some reason or another which are not located in the right location on google map or the GPS , or GPS can't find it. I have used other businesses in the area which it might pickup on GPS, someone mentioned they used a the street name and number range that is built in. Sometimes this doesn't even work when it is out in the country somewhere.

 

I use a small flip up notebook, and generally write the route in a single row fashion. I found it easier than trying to scan across a bunch of shorthand. example
80/94E
65s
24e
then for local I just use an R or L for left and right, but circle the letter.