Rand McNally intelliRoute TND 500

All right guys lets get back on track. Ted is a former newspaper reporter and is just kicking up dirt by his nature. Just look at some of his other post and you will see he has NO merit. He seems quite bias. Ofcourse we are too but not in a negative way. I like Kenworths but that doesn't make Peterbilt a bad truck.

The 500 is a good system and is going to be a great system. This is not only coming from a tester, its coming from a driver AND owner of a trucking company. When hauling os/od you can never depend on anything...including route that the state gives you on your permit. So if a state can't route you right all the time then how can anyone ever expect a perfect routing system?

Adrian

 

Niiiice truck.

 

Points well-taken Mark.
But let's have some full disclosure.
What is your interest in passionately defending Rand McNally's product?
Are you selling these units?
Acting as a consultant for Rand McNally or one of its subsidiaries or designees?
Maybe I missed it but I haven't seen your background described.
As for what I have offered?
I like to think that my 35 years as a newspaper reporter offers some professional skepticism to this discussion, this dialogue.
I am simply trying to point out the obvious- that truckers who work their fingers to the bone to support themselves and their families are too busy and too focused on their jobs to worry about whether the $500 they spent for the latest buzz in the electronics world was well spent or whether they bought something that will have to either be sent back to the supplier for a refund or will have to be updated with software to make it work as it should have when it was made.

 

I spend 20 years in the military fixing all types of radios to component level, from tubes to IC's.

I spend 10 years working 3rd level tech support for a major phone company supporting Video Conferencing, to include frame relay switches, cascade switches, VPN, and long haul lines to name just a small part of what I did.

I spend 3 Years on the road as an OTR.

I BETA TEST for RM. You should look up the word BETA test.

You on the other hand have probably never seen the inside of a truck. Have no clue what the Professional Driver needs or wants. Do not do nothing but praise "Flamers" for a poorly written "from the heart" review.

As a news paper reporter, you know that you should get the FULL details and research your facts. In other words do your job. On this forum you have simply tossed your words in. The professional drivers and I mean the professional drivers whom I can relate with, spend 70 hours a week dealing with all sorts of #### while you go home every night and think you know what they need.. I suggest for you to get the picture right that you take a week long trip in a truck. I guarantee you that you will no problems finding a driver to go with.

And if you cannot find the true meaning of Beta Testing,,,this means I test the product with no reward in my pocket, simply the desire to make a better product.

I know about working my fingers to the bone and taking home $100 a week, I know about working my fingers to the bone and sitting 28 hours in a door and not getting paid for it. I know about working my fingers to the bone and getting the load on time to find out someone screwed up the appt time in route.

What do you do? cut grass, wash the car, sit in your chair watching tv nightly, sleep in a nice bed, take a shower in your house. Try the showers on the road, waiting 2 hours to even get one. Mold and other things all over the floors and walls.

Ted you are clueless as to what the trucking industry even does. Do not talk to companies.. go to several truck stops and sit down with the drivers..buy them a meal as they probably cannot themselves.... esp on the holidays away from their families... do this for the professional drivers out there... ask to see the inside of their trucks and listen to their lives...

Then go home Ted and realize that without Professional Drivers you would have nothing, their working their fingers off the bone to give you a nice life.

How about the 4.5 million cars Ford is recalling. Have you called Ford and let them know that they should not be selling anymore cars till all the bugs are fixed?

I walked the walk and all you do is talk the talk.

Thanks,
Mark

 

I wish to thank the site owner and all the staff he/her has working for him/her either paid or unpaid. This site is the bond for all the professional drivers and those whom wish to know more about this as a future career. In this era of people losing their jobs left and right, the driving career is pulling people in with all sorts of knowledge. I respect those whom have been on the road for over 20 years. I always looked to them for guidance. I may not be on the road now (my choice), but I still respect those whom sit behind the wheels.

Beta Testing is not about having a degree in computers, electronics or being an engineer. It is about people like me and you, whom put their faith in a product and want to endeavor to make it better. I do not control how RM takes my suggestions/issues and puts them into the bigger scheme of things. But, I can control what my faith is. My faith is wanting to have the best product out their for you my fellow drivers. Can RM be 100% perfect. nope.

I felt that simply making myself known on this forum would show professional drivers that RM wants you to know that THEY care.

I could have been like other companies and just stayed offline and read the posts. But, my faith is not like that. I want to know if you have a unit what you like about it, what you find wrong with it, what problems you run into with it, or where it routes you wrong.

I will answer questions, if you are thinking of buying a unit, but I can only limit myself to what is on the current production version.

I and the other fellow Beta testers are bound by an NDA. All I can say is that we have crested the first hill and we are going to the TOP.

Any input from any person is welcomed. If you wish I have an E-mail, rmleadbetatester@gmail.com

All, I can say Ted, if you are not driving, is stop by a truck stop and talk to the drivers. Understand the lifestyle. Offer to go with a driver. You will not have a shortage of offers.

RM is not simply putting this unit on the market to hit the pockets of drivers. RM saw the big gap in the market for a TRULY professional navigation device for the Professional driver. RM talked to many a driver whom are not beta testers. RM set the standard of only having Professional Drivers as beta testers and not testers half way around the world.

RM has set the standard of actually listening to the beta testers and asking their opinon of features. RM has to on the business end, then try to prioritize these things as all business do. This is the end of the business I have to trust RM on.

Ted, I have posted the area's that I can do one on one demo's, if you are in this area. Charlotte, NC... an area 300 miles around. We can meet and I can let you see the unit and give you a one on one demo of the unit.

I am unemployed at this time, yet I take my own time to go to truck stops and demo this unit for fellow drivers. NOT sell, demo. What other companies offer this?

Sorry if I came on a little strong Ted, but it is the driver side of me.

Thanks,
Mark

 

RCN224, I see also that you used the "tell Rand" feature. I am seeing where the engineers have looked at the data and it seems to take 100b. this raises a few questions on my end, and I need to contact you to see if anything may have been missed that might clue us in. I know you are on the current production version.

Looking at several on-line mapping websites... they say take exit 101.. is the exit 100a/b a new exit within the past year or two?

You can E-mail me at rmleadbetatester@gmail.com since you cannot get to private msg's due to post count.

TO others,, this does not mean RM is hiding anything.

Simply I am not going to post my phone number here.

RM is still trying to narrow this down.

I have E-Mailed back to RM as to my findings, and awaiting your E-Mail.

Do you travel this route often?

Thanks,
Mark

 

one other thing I ask you to try if you take this route often.. when you are leaving E. Peoria, change your unit to car mode (main menu/preferences/vehicle type) and see what exit it gives you.

Thanks,
Mark

 

OK, it has bugs, don't they all? At least RM is offering to fix them! They ALL have bugs! Believe me, I know!

BUT! I still believe that the RM will be the best on the market! they have been the industry leader for as long as I can remember!

Don't write them off just yet!

 

All you users out there.. RM is eager to follow up on your input to "TellRand".. with you or if they helped you out....but atlas... very few have left E-Mails.... if you wish to be contacted after a few days by RM please be sure to leave your E-Mail address.

If you have already submitted and wish to have Rand contact you please send your E-mail to my E-mail below and I will forwarded... please include a brief statement about what you wrote..

rmleadbetatester@gmail.com

Thanks,
Mark

 

You are now calling me a LIAR or fiction writer! Only here to flame a GPS unit that I don't even own?

Extreme offense taken!!