navigation for new drivers

Naw... we embraced air conditioning as soon as we saw the first blocks of ice. Tie it on the seat of the wagon 'n sit on it. It was an immediate improvement over coaxin' the back brace of horses to swish their tails!

 

Yes, I also want to go back to when we had no power steering, no showers with hot water, no comdata, 3 AM stations only when it was dark out, and very few miles of limited access roadways and interstates .... good times, good times

 

With more and more women in trucking it is now okay to ask one of them for directions.

 

I never call any of my shippers or consignees. I tried it years ago, but I would always get a hold of a Mexican or some other foreigner that I couldn't understand or a female who didn't know her north from south and her east from west. Thus, it didn't take me very long to figure out that calling my shippers and consignees was a complete and utter waste of my valuable time. Moreover, those people aren't truckers. Thus, they generally aren't qualified to advise truck drivers on truck specific directions.

What I do again is look up my shippers and consignees in google earth, which is a free download, by the way. Once located using google earth, I zoom in or use the street view or both views to find the driver entranceway. When I find it, I place a pushpin in it. Then access the properties of the pushpin to copy the GPS coordinates, which I then paste into Streets & Trips. That way Streets and Trips provides turn-by-turn directions directly into my shippers and consignees driver entranceways. I also save all my shippers and consignees that I setup in Streets & Trips this way for when I will go back to them again in the future. Indeed, I have also setup all my company terminals and drop lots in this way too.

 

What if your going somewhere that isn't on google earth? Like a newer business? I've also had google be wrong on the locations before but apple had it right which amazed the hell outta me. I always check google maps satellite view and apple maps just to double check. If they both match then I know I'm pretty close.

 

You use all of the tools available to you. However, the OP isn't even a student driver yet... the answer is to learn how to navigate from the printed maps- then add online, satellite views and GPS to the bag of tools. You have to start with the basics.

However, the one thing I don't recommend is using the smart-phone based navigation tools. First, they are generally not truck specific, and that can get you in trouble. However, the real problem is Trooper Johnny doesn't know whether you're talking on a hand-held phone or what, and some states ban any use of hand-held cell devices; the fines associated with that are rather stiff.

 

But you don't want to be a real he man macho man supertrucker? These guys who are against technology and want to drive like it is 1975 are a sad joke.

 

I've been to places in the backwoods of Arkansas that even Verizon doesn't have coverage.

 

you tried it years ago huh...with 3 years of experience on your profile just how many "years ago" was that....I'm glad that all you folks are using the technologies available for use today...I never said it was a bad thing. The only point Iwas trying to give the OP was that a phone call was/is and always will be "a way" to find a destination. Better or worse than the technology available today...that is another topic for debate. Found my way back and forth across this country with just an atlas and a pay phone for many years....way before a gps or cell phones was even thought about. Yiou guys use what you want....but I'd wager I could still find my way around without using all the new stuff...and still be able to find any delivery point just as easy as before....the new toys are great.....makes things easier ( so it's said ). But the old way will still work when you don't have service or that battery on the gps goes out.

 

There is absolutely no need to be disrespectful..... But , Please explain that comment sir....I haven't seen anyone trash the new technology. Not a soul. Some of the older hands that did drive back in the 70's did so with what was available to us then. Now if all this new technology had been available back then , I'm 100% sure we would have taken advantage of it. I can't understand why you're so much against using a map.....it ain't hard....just requires some critical thinking skills. One thing wrong with this generation of techies...they've come to rely way too much on "stuff"....the whole point of the OP's question was what other ways are there out there......there are many ways , gps , Google earth , etc....but there's also the old tried and true way of map reading. One isn't necessarily better or worse than the other....

Like ironpony said here