Gps System

i have co-pilotwith gps it does about everything but wipe your butt but it is about 350.00 big ones but well worth it

 

I have the same, it is great. Some of the other (or I should say most) GPS do not have truck routes. Co-pilot trucker is 100% truck routes, Hazmat routing, Scale avoidance (routes you around scales), Avoid toll roads if you want, calculates average speed and time to run those miles (for logging).. It does everything as the last guy said. I am very happy with it.

 

I assume u have a laptop. For me I bought Microsoft Streets and Trips that has the GPS with it. I think it cost about $100. It doesnt have truck routes but its been a life saver for those times ive gotten lost and dont even know where I am I just plugged it in and it told me where I was and how to get where I needed 2 be. And it updates constuction info and nearby places such as hotels ect. Hope this helps.

 

it helps me..plus i think it's even cheaper now. Definitely seems like it would be worth the small investment(already have a laptop)!!

 

I've been a cabbie for 23 years now. Just got my CDL. But in my cab I use Windows streets and trips. It has everything you need to plan a trip. You can set your fuel consumption , times, stop and layovers. You name it. Kind of pricey with the GPS sensor. But worth it.

 

Hey folks,

I'm taking a class in "supervising" for work. Nope, I'm not in the trucking industry. The reason I'm here is that I have to give a presentation next week on "Supervising in the new Millenium" which focuses on technology and it's role in supervising employees. Sometime ago I was watching a tv show on GPS and satellite tracking. They had a unit mounted on trucks where the guys in the front office could check on trucks, destinations, time on road, and all kinds of "big brother" stuff. Anyway, does anybody on here have this type of technology mounted on their rig? Does it work, does it help or hinder your job, and most importantly, does it help your supervisor, for those that have them, and if you are a supervisor, the same questions. Any thoughts, ideas, or comments would be greatly appreciated. My wife works for a company that lets her work out of the home, and her supervisor is a thousand miles away. She does all of her work via computer. She said that it is pro employee, but her boss' hate it, since they do not know what she is doing all of the time. In your instance, I guess it may take away from your freedom and decision making process while on the road. That's why I thought that you folks would be a good source of info, since technology is creeping up on all of us...good or bad.

 

Its called Qualcomm and the larger companies have it and some of the smaller ones. Its basically used for two things. The first isto relay load info , p/u, dropoff,directions, and a phone number to call, if the last 2 are available. The second is for driver info (ie hours left to work, maintaince due on the truck, and other things.) Comapnies can track the truck, but as long as the driver doesn't go to far off route they don't say much. The driver also can communicate with their office about personal things.

 

Our company use a system that works through a nextel phone service. It's tied into some kind of program called road link or something like that. We clock in on the phone and then in and out at each stop. They can track the route you take, how long at each stop, etc.. I don't care for it at all (I was in management for 26 years) because the field factors are not taken into consideration. It may show we were at a stop for 1.5 hours on a 50 piece delivery, but it doesn't take in to account we had to wait for a dock or had to wait a long time to be checked in. If you change stops because one is closer then what they programed you get a call. If you change your route due to heavy traffic, you get a call. You spend more time on the radio (which is dangerous when driving) then you do driving and focusing on your job. And the biggest thing is the knucklehead four hours away in another State has never been out in the field before and has NO idea what goes on. I finally told this guy when he called me to see what time I was going to be at a pickup " I'm in the middle of hand unloading 158 pieces cases of hams, cheeses (heavier case items) if you want to come out here and try this then will talk otherwise let me do my job". He hasn't called me since.
That just my two cents.
Take Care

 

My company has gone beyond that. They have installed cameras in the truck that watch the driver and the view right ahead of the truck. The cameras are not on all the time and are only activated by g-force. Of course all the drivers didn't want them but now since they know the numbers show the system works they just deal with it.

What happens is, if there's an event the boss will call you in and talk about what was done. You have to remember that we haul gasoline for a large oil company with deep pockets and there are some people out there that run into our trucks hoping for a large payday. On the other hand it will protect the driver if he's doing what he's required to do. My personal feelings are that I believe you can put too much pressure on a driver. I believe that this system will burn out the drivers, but they won't leave because of the pay and benefits.

I'm glad I'm retired but if I had to deal with it I know it would make a better driver out of me IF the system is used right. But I'm affraid the supervision will use it to cover their butts and the driver will be the one taking the hits.

 

Hey All!

I have a quick question on GPS junk. I read an earlier post on the subject and got some good info, and have also been to several sites and stores looking at different units. Here's my question, has anyone ever just used a palm pilot type unit? It's small, you can get them with enough memory for different mapping software, and still check your e-mail etc. Yet, you don't have the bulk of a laptop, or the difficulty in finding a convenient place to put it. Just wondering if anybody has explored this option.