PC Miler or Rand McNally gps?

Yes - in general the Rand unit is quite user friendly. There is a learning curve to both brands, of course, but Rand tends to put the buttons that you are looking for in a more accessible or "self-evident" type of way than PC Miler does. Since you already have played with the 550, then you are already familiar with their "Menu" style interface. I don't mind the PCM interface personally because I am a technology geek and press every button put in front of me. But if you have never used either unit, then most will tell you that the Rand was more user-friendly out of the box in terms of the old "what do I push" question.

Accuracy - it's a close battle going on there. The PC Miler has an additional capability called "Road Preferences" where you can designate YOUR like or dislike of 5 different SIZES of roads (freeways, highways, secondary roads, etc) in addition to the trucking attributes and restrictions. This gives that unit considerably more flexibility to choose a "style" of truck routing and not just "shortest/fastest." However, the Rand tends to have more raw addresses. In other words, if you punch in the addresses of 100 shippers, the Rand database will have, say 93 of them right away. The PC Miler will have, say 85 of them right away and the rest you may have to use an alternate method (like choose a cross-street, or "pick on map" tactics.) However in the Q3 2010 PC Miler maps for those units I have found several newly constructed roads and bypasses that aren't in the Rand Maps yet. SOOOOOO, again, it's a bloody gray area when it comes to throwing out a generic word like "accuracy."

"Listing bridge heights" you say. No brand that I have tested lists the actual height of a bridge, except for the new CoPilot V8 for laptops. The PC Miler shows a symbol where the low bridges are, but not the specific height of them when you touch the symbol like the laptop version does. And the Rand will avoid ROUTING you on those roads with the low bridges, but does not have an actual icon for them.

There are 3 pictures below to illustrate the "Bridge" answer. The map is zoomed into the same place in Chicago so that I was assured to have bridge issues (lol)
They are from left-to-right: Rand TND 500, PCM550, CoPilot Truck v8.

 

Just be aware that some companies are not allowing the use of GPS systems by their drivers. This is due to drivers ending up in situations they could have avoided by consulting their atlas and double checking directions first, and relying solely on the GPS.

 

NO!!! Double check them with the shipper/receiver if you get a phone number. Double check them on your atlas, online, and any other way you can too!

 

Most of the companies out their have a list of authorized Truck Navigation units that are allowed in the company truck.

Check with your safety department.

Thanks,
Mark

 

Yes, always confirm dates and times. It is amazing how word is passed wrong to the driver..

I delivered to a Walmart DC, Christmas day, D/H. Got their to be informed they would open at 4pm. Planner knew all along because an E-mail was send to them. So I sat for 5 hours. Never got det pay for the 1st 2 hours, even though I could not get in the gate.

Had a drop on Friday, called to see if I could come in on Thursday to find out my appointment was for Monday. So I had dispatch redirect the trailer to the yard Thursday night.

Again, call ahead and confirm if you can come in early or what the pick up or drop time is really set for.

Some companies get upset if you call, but you are driving the truck and if a mistake is made, it falls on you.

Had directions on the QC send me down a road, right into a 10ton bridge. 80,000 is more I think, so had the local Police escort me accross the bridge and talked myself out of a $1000 fine. Sad thing is that the company had deliveries all the time to this DC. Only one legal way in and out.

Use common sense.

Thanks,
Mark