Info on GPS

I've been using a GPS for almost 4 years now. I bought the Garmin as a compliment to the software I have on my laptop. Plus, it allows me to put my laptop away for awhile on extended runs. I still intend to use that laptop and a real map...a lot.

I've never taken my GPS for granted....almost LOL The first tiime it got me in serious trouble, was pretty much the last time.

 

I've had 2 gps units. My first was a Garmin Ique. Really good truck GPS. You could set it up to route you for truck routes. It wasn't perfect but it was pretty good. A gps unit is nothing more than a tool to HELP you do your job, not do it for you. It will never make the "perfect" route but it will give you a good idea on what route is best and then you get your atlas out and review it and adjust as necessary. That's what I do anyway. Now with that said, I now run a Magellan Maestro (4250) and it is the dumbest and I mean DUMBEST GPS UNIT EVER! If I get off the highway during a route and try to get back on, it forgets the highway is there and will then route me 20 miles or so through the woods and put me on the highway. This is not only inconvenient, it wastes money. Buy a decent unit and use it's routing as a guideline. Before you leave, route your GPS, review the route it gives you, especially if you've never travelled in that particular area you are going to. Look closely at any off-interstate routing it tries to give you just in case there is a low bridge or weight limit. Your GPS purchase should be closely followed by a Motor Carrier atlas!!

 

I have the Tom-Tom 720, while it's not designed specifically for trucks it does have the low bridge warnings.

 

Hello All
I work for the local council who are sticking GPS tracking on our trucks to trace our every move.

Does anyone else on this forum have these ?

Thanks

 

anyone that has qualcomm has them.

 

OK, here it is....

I've noticed that a lot of people here are asking about a portable GPS with truck routes. Well, you can make one yourself. I have it for about two years, and I love it.
You need a PDAwith Windows Mobile 5 or 6(pick one up from eBay, or look for a open box in Best Buy, they are pretty cheap) , and you need a CoPilot Truck | Pocket PC 6 North America. Throw a 8GB or 16GB SD card in the mix, and you have a little media player.

I have it setup with my smartphone(HTC Touch, google it), 8GB SD card, Jawbone bluetooth and a bluetooth GPS receiver.
Now, instead of having a GPS, Ipod and phone, I have all 3 in one.....and it works good.
Software is setup that it warns me 2 miles before DOT scales, 53 foot trailer, national network, low bridges. It also warns me when I am going off truck routes, but with pulling reefer, sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Also(not that I am doing it), you can watch movies on it. It automatically cuts in the movie and brings up CoPilot when you have a turn or a warning.
First time I had a problem was last week, although it was not a GPS fault, but NJDOT's laziness.(They repaved a road, adding 4" to it, but didn't bother to change 13'6" signs until the very last one about a 100 feet before the bridge, which is now 13'2") .
I know that this setup is a little more $$$ than a regular GPS, but IMO it is worth every penny.
Cheers

P.S. If you are calling ALK, tell them that you already own CoPilot for laptop, and they will probably give you a discount. Also get software ONLY....no GPS, no preloaded SD card. Get a bluetooth GPS on eBay, and SD card at the Best Buy....much cheaper

 

I've used GPS for the last 4 years or so. My current unit is a Garmin 7200. I bought it about two years ago and the idea of going out on the road without it terrifies me. It has most all of the the customers I deliver to thoughout the Western 11. I can deliver anywhere in the Los Angeles area without busting a sweat.

How many times have you delivered in a strange town or city at 3 am and, it's raining or snowing and you can't see the street sign? Or, it's 3 am, you're in an industrial area and the signs are missing, vandalized, whatever; with GPS you just turn when it tells you to. Has it ever led me wrong? Sure, a number of times; but compare it to the times I have delivered stress free to a major metropolitan area and GPS is a hands down winner.

I paid $1,000 for mine, when it was selling for $1,200. The 7200 now runs around $700-750. It's as a driver mentioned in his/her post; it has a lot of features you might not use, but what I get for the extra cost and use are the large screen (getting old, eyes ain't what they used to be) to see better (and yes you can zoom in and out). It can be hooked up to your DVD player so you can watch movies (not while driving) when you're stuck behind the wheel for one reason or another. You can (I don't) download books on tapes to it. And forget all those Thomas guides, all you need is one good national road atlas. Lastly, NEVER trust a GPS 'truck route'. As for price, you can spend as much as I did; or you can get a unit for a couple of hundred without the bells and whistles. My belief is that they are both the same, when it comes to getting you there, mine will give vocal direction in a male or female voice, English or Aussie accent; Useful? They all get you there with about the same results.