What do you all use to get to your drop off if dispatch doesn't gige you a set route like some companies do?. Naturally you start with an atlas but that doesn't show city streets. Do you all use a GPS or you cell GPS? Interested in what you use to route. I don't have a truck GPS and really I don't have the 400 bucks needed for one. I have a high end android cell phone though. Galaxy note 2.
When i drove i always called the consignee for directions weather i was given directions or not from my dispatcher. If no one answered i would try google map on my phone or follow GPS but never solely relied on GPS... Most of the time you'll have a phone number on your bill of lading, if not then try searching on google
Combination of GPS, road atlas, online (i.e. google) maps, and directions from the shipper/receiver. Don't trust any one of those tools... best used in combination in order to verify with each other. Companies that provide a route, usually only give you directions to city center, or zip code center. So, those directions will only get you near the area. Definitely always call the shipper/receiver beforehand to verify address (dispatch may provide corporate address vs warehouse address, for example), verify shipping/receiving hours, and ask for directions from the interstate, along with any special instructions to get on to the property safely. Online (google) maps is a terrific tool, to give you a satellite view so that you know what you're driving in to before you get there and discover that you approached from the difficult direction, versus the easy direction. It's really nice to have an idea of what you're driving in to before you get there. And, of course, a GPS is really nice to help navigate new cities. They will straight up send you the wrong direction sometimes, though, so only follow those directions if they make sense with everything else that you've seen during your route planning. Get in the habit of planning routes the evening before (or each morning) so that you can focus 100% on what is happening on the road around you while driving the rig, rather than fiddling with maps, GPS units, and making calls. When I was new to OTR (still am new, with only 1 year), I spent quite a bit of time each evening planning and verifying my route for the next day. It helped with the confidence level knowing that I had a very good idea of what to expect each morning when I took off. With exception to an occasional monkey wrench (construction detours, bad accident, etc.) route planning is one of those things that is completely within our control, so no reason not to spend the time on that part of the job. You'll probably get a bit of exposure to trip planning during training. But, like everything in the industry, you just gotta take it nice and slow and be patient while the experience level builds.
I also do not use a GPS, I have always called the customer for directions GPS and dispatcher directions will get you to the address that is inputed not always to the were you need to deliver. I also try and park at the customer if possible so I phone and ask. I have also found that some customers will unload you late if you call so now you can be m/t in the morning. As far as I am concerned personal contact still beats the computer, but having said that I use my I-pad and google maps when all else fails it is not truck routing but it helps.
I use Streets & Trips, the Truck Stops Plus Template, and Google Earth (a free download) to do all my truck routing and navigation. The Truck Stops Plus Template not only gives you all the truck specific POIs, it also configures Streets & Trips to do truck routing and also enables you to check for restricted routes and low clearances just like in a Motor Carrier Road Atlas, but via your laptop screen instead with or without an Internet connection, which is far faster and more convenient. I look up all my shippers and receivers in Google Earth first and then put a pushpin in the driver entranceways. Then I access the properties of that pushpin to get the GPS coordinates. I then copy and paste those GPS coordinates directly into Streets & Trips and then save them in my personal Truck Stops Plus Template with the name, address, and phone numbers in the event I ever have to return to them again in the future, which is proving to be quite often. That way Streets & Trips guides me directly into the shippers and receivers driver entranceways with no guessing whatsoever. Indeed, it takes all the stress out of finding hard to find shippers and receivers. Total cost about $40 for Streets & Trips, $40 bucks for the Truck Stops Plus Template, and Google Earth is a free download and a wonderful tool. You need a laptop, of course, which most people already have.
Do you have a link for that template? Got streets and trips 2013. Another good tool is www.truckmiles.com
I have a trucker GPS but rarely use it to get into a shipper. I use Google Maps Satellite view to look at the streets. Works 99% of the time. Our company gives us routing directions and directions to get into the shipper, but I've found that with that you can put a blindfold on and just drive and you'd have a better chance of getting it to the final.
I use a Garmin truck gps as well as Google maps. Maverick has directions that you can request on the Qualcomm, but I don't use them often because sometimes whoever puts them in doesn't know their left from their right!
