Rand McNally intelliRoute TND 500

thats good enough for me to get one

 

But if I buy a GPS device that isn’t afflicted with a ton of bugs and issues I won’t have to worry about finding and paying for a high speed Internet connection and I also won’t have to waste all of my free time downloading crap, telling Rand about more crap, and being an uncompensated beta tester. Not to mention all the brain damage I would unnecessarily inflict upon myself.

Are you contradicting yourself and now claiming that the TND’s truck specific routing all of a sudden has been now perfected, because that is not what you claimed in all your previous posts, and if the truck routing is not perfected, then you can’t claim that the TND will route you on truck legal roads no matter how may times it recalculates. I mean you can, but if you do you are being disingenuous and dishonest as hell.

It’s not about reading a thread. It’s about all of the fricking issues and bugs, and the TND is plagued with more than its fair share of issues and bugs as anyone who reads this thread can easily gather. In fact, it’s obvious that Rand McNally released this GPS device way before it was ready.

Not to mention that I have also just talked with several fellow drivers who already sent their TND’s back exactly because it was plagued with so many issues and bugs. As a matter of fact, they told me some real horror stories.

I agree it is just a tool and my common sense tells me to stay as far away from that tool as possible, because there are plenty of tools out there with far less problems and that will do a far better a job and for a small fraction of the price.

First of all, let’s get something straight; there isn’t anything plain about your posts because your writing style sucks to say the least. Thus, your posts are about as convoluted as hell. Indeed, you remind me of a desperate used car salesman who is having his third consecutive terrible month in a row.

Now, with respect to my responses to your posts, first of all I tried to bug out politely, because I didn’t want to litter your thread with a bunch of negative and revealing stuff about the TND. Nevertheless, you forced my hand and if I am going to be forced to respond, especially when I was trying to be tactful, then I am going to be brutally honest.

In addition, I don’t know what is so odd about my decision. The TND doesn’t do and can’t do what it advertises and claims to do. Indeed, its main claim to fame is that it is a truck specific GPS device, yet with respect to its main claim to fame, which is reliable truck routing, exactly like a car GPS you have to use it together with a MCRA. Is that not true Mark? Where am I wrong?

As a matter of fact, because as you yourself readily admit the TND’s truck specific routing isn’t reliable for a variety of different reasons as you explained personally yourself, it must be used in conjunction with a MCRA as you yourself personally also recommended and explained.

Nevertheless, because the TND will recalculate the routes every time you enter a truck stop, rest area, or weigh station, etc, which will inevitably be several times each day, and because the routes the TND generates may or may not change each and every time it gets recalculated depending upon where you are relative to your destination, the reality is for that reason it is impossible to even use the TND in conjunction with a MCRA.

I mean how can you verify your routes are legal for 18-wheelers with a MCRA when your routes may or may not change several times during the course of a single day whenever it inevitably gets recalculated? Unless you re-verify it every time it gets recalculated, but of course that process could also cause the route to get recalculated again as soon as you pull back on the highway. Nevertheless, I guess you can always just cross your fingers, hope, and pray that the recalculated routes are legal.

Indeed, I wouldn’t touch any of those so-called truck specific GPS devices that in reality are really car GPS devices enhanced with certain truck specific features with a 10-foot poll, because you don’t have no other choice no matter what but to use their truck specific routing which is not reliable for a number of various reasons beyond the control of Rand McNally and the other such companies that also claim their GPS devices are truck specific.

Now, of course, you like to constantly apologize for the TND’s many problems with truck specific routing by blaming it on the various state, municipal, and local governments, but nevertheless as a driver I could care less what causes the TND’s truck specific routing to be unreliable, because all I care about is if it is reliable or not, and since it is not reliable, then I would be a fool to buy it when I can get better or comparable functionality for a small fraction of the price elsewhere and with a lot less headache and brain damage.

I never said I wasn’t happy with your answers. Maybe disappointed a little bit that the TND couldn’t do what it claims and advertises it does, but that isn’t your fault. In any event, do you or do you not recommend using the TND with a MCRA exactly like car GPS devices?

I will confess that I don’t even know who Dieselboss is much less have ever visited his website. Nevertheless, the only way the TND differentiates from a car GPS device is because it have been enhanced with certain truck specific features, and in the case of the TND specifically most of them don’t work or otherwise have bugs.

Really…then please explain once again why do you recommend it be used together with a MCRA exactly like when you use a car GPS? Not to mention on top of it, because of the constant rerouting issue, you can’t even do that.

No one is asking you to keep contradicting yourself over and over? Have you read your own posts? You are one of the most intentionally contradictory people I ever had the displeasure of running into. Moreover, be honest…how much is Rand McNally paying you? Indeed, how much vested interests do you have?

As long as they can’t do what they advertise and claim to do, then they most certainly are car GPS devices enhanced with certain truck specific features, and in the specific case of the TND it’s truck features are more bugs than features.

You’re very welcome and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

Karl, do you understand how a GPS for a truck or car even works?

If a car or truck GPS plots a route for you and you plan an unexpected exit or decide to take a different route, of course the GPS will now re-calculate to determine how to get you to your destination. This is build into the unit via hardware and software based upon your physical GPS location.

If you stay on your route the car or truck GPS will not re-calculate.

The difference in a Truck GPS, the coding (software) now has to take into account the roads that it needs to route you on based upon your data that is in your truck tools. Ie - hazmat, height, weight, length, width, etc. If you deviate from your plotted route the truck navigation unit will re-calculate you to your destination on a truck legal route. 99% of the time this will be the same route. If you are in a city, then IT MIGHT put you on a different truck legal route, based upon the build in routers.

If you own a Car GPS and currently use it in your truck you will note that it also recalculates each time you deviate from the route that it has plotted internal for you. DO you stop each time and verify its routing? It could be routing you on a non-truck legal route? I could image you would be getting a lot of headaches doing that. Not to mention the wasted time.

Their is more to how a road is build into a mapping database that you can image. Based upon how that road is build into the mapping database is determined how the coding (software) will route you to your destination legally.

Since you show you have driven for 9 years, how many times have you been routed by your dispatch or a customer only to find out that the road you are on is not a legal route? Do you do your own dispatching? If so depending on your truck and load information then you have to find truck legal routes. IF you decide to deviate from your own routing then you have to verify again is it a truck legal route.

Maybe the city/state posted a new sign and the information has not been processed to the mapping companies. It does take time to process any new type of retriction. It does not happen overnight.

I have posted the link to DieselBoss's review several times, if you wanted to gather more information on truck GPS's I would have thought you could have made the effort to at least read his reviews.

Is anything in this world perfect? - no. The computer you have has many flaws yet you still use it. Have you complained to the company that made it and quit using it and gone back to pencil and paper?

You seem to be stuck on "tons of bugs" and re-calculations.

Yes I admit that the TND does have some issues, are they being worked on? - Yes. Do these issues make the unit not preform the way it was designed - no. Do these issues limit some of its features - yes.

But, the TND still does and will continue to do as build. Since you are now the expert on the TND, please list the "Ton's of issues" that you have done your research and found to be. RM would gladly like to know them so we can see what they are.

As you shown to be a driver for 9 years, you have never been in truck stop? Truck stops have offered internet connections for well over the past 5 years. Downloads are your choice, but they normally take about 5-10 minutes of your time, thus providing you will the most current POI information, the most current construction data, and the most current updates to the most current version. They are free.

Information is constantly being updated and what truck driver would not want the most current information? If you wish to do it once a week then that is fine, because you would still have the most current data. You can do this while you are checking your E-mails, having a video-conversation with your spouse, reading the news, or taking a shower.

The MCRA is a hard copy of information. It is there for the driver to refer to if they wish. Each time the navigation unit re-calculates you do not have to pull over and verify the routing. Do you do this with your car GPS while you are driving in your car?

Here is my E-mail - rmleadbetatester at gmail. If you wish you can ask your friends to E-mail me about what they did not like about the navigation unit. Please include a phone number also so that I may call them and gather more information.

Karl, the way you have come to your conclution about truck navigation devices is by reading this thread, the Cobra thread and posting to this thread, the Cobra thread and one other thread on this website. You basically asked questions and when both Cobra and RM answered your questions you then twisted what was said honestly by Cobra and RM. You have not been to DieselBoss's review as stated by yourself.

Here is his review again.

http://www.dieselboss.com/truck_gps_review_features.htm

His phone number is also posted on his website. I offer you to call them and talk to "Little" Don, since he has been working with navigation units for over ten years and is very knowledgeable about these devices.

And to stress again. RM does not make a Car only GPS. The TND is made via hardware and software to be a truck navigation device.

Visited travel centers in your course of driving and view the displays. Certain travel centers have live demo's you can view.

I have given you the answers to your questions and comments over and over, you do not want to understand the nature of truck navigation GPS versus the car GPS. I get the feeling you think the navigation device is going to re-calculate every five minutes, thus stressing you out.

If you do not own a navigation GPS, and you get your dispatched routing, do you follow it blindly or verify it with then MCRA? What if a segment of the road is closed for construction or a rock fall. Do you not gather your MCRA and re-plan your route?

If you call the customer for directions, do you verify them with your MCRA or follow their directions blindly with them not understanding your trailer is 13'6" high and will not fit under a 12' overpass?

Your cell phone has upgrades to the firmware. Do you complain to your phone company about that also? Their are cell phones now that offer navigation routing.

What is offered out in the navigation GPS world are varied upon what each unit will do. It is your choice to buy what you feel you need. If you are not happy with the truck navigation devices, then list solid information as to why. I have many fellow truck drivers also, but what they are not happy with may or may not be the same for me.

Give me conclusive proof from your own hands-on testing.

Thanks,
Mark

 

Karl, one more question.

Since you are on this webpage, are you doing this while on the road or at home? If you are on the road, then your arguement of finding a internet connection would be a moot point.

If you are on either the road or home you could have updated your TND while you were typing your post.

Thanks,
Mark

 

Ive been using the TND 500 now for awhile in the NYC area, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Long Island and Manhattan. I drive for the Sygma Network, which mean a lot of places I go are right in the thick of these areas. I go into places where a OTR driver would not want to find him/herself. I have multiple stops every night, and many times I am far from being on a main highway. I go to the NYC area 4 times a week, and this is my 1st route in this area. Ive been driving trucks for about 2 years now, and with the TND 500 I have taken on one of the toughest areas you could possibly drive in. While I wont go as far as to call the TND 500 100% perfect, without it I would of been up the creek without a paddle. I deliver to Au Bon Pain and Tim Horton's, and every one of the addresses I have put in this unit, it has found and gotten me there safely and on time.

Now as far as route recalculations the TND has done a outstanding job also. But there have been a couple times where I had to use my own common sense and say this street doesn't look very friendly (even though NYC has it posted as a truck route), or this bridge that is unmarked with a height (Ive run into a couple) looks a little low, thus take the next route.

I know I posted a little earlier, but I wanted to expand on a couple things.

So there ya go drivers, straight from a rookie driver thrown into one of the most difficult areas of the USA for trucks.

 

Mark

I found an area where the TND wants to route on a non truck route.

Heading south off US Hwy 90 in South LA on Hwy 1 to get to the Port of Fourchon in the town of La Rose, LA there is a point where Hwy 1 makes a 90 degree turn to
the right. At this turn there is a pontoon bridge if you were to go straight that cars
can cross but not trucks. Trucks are to make the right turn on Hwy 1 then go
about .5 miles and make another right onto Hwy 657 which takes to Hwy 3235
where you are to make a left and that 4 lane leads right back to Hwy 1. Trucks
crossing the pontoon bridge (like the TND wanted me to do) or heading south on
Hwy 1 past Hwy 657 will be on a non truck route.

Once you get to the town of Leesville, LA Hwy 1 is now a toll road which was just
opened about 8 months ago. It's called "Gateway to the Gulf" you may want to let
Rand McNally know about this. There is NO WAY around this toll road so if you want
to get to the Port of Fourchon or Grand Isle, LA you have to pay the toll. There are
no attendants on the toll road but there is a office where you can pay the toll either
going or coming off the bridge.

If you need I can show you the area on Google maps or something..

Doug

 

I found the town you mentioned,,and Hwy 1 and 657,,but not seeing the other roads....

please send me the google link... rmleadbetatester at gmail.

I will forward this to RM,,,suspect map data is incorrect.

Thanks,
Mark

 

Hwy 1 is shaped like a "U" in Larose, LA and on the right side of the "U" E 5th St is
where the pontoon bridge is at. The map shows Hwy 657 on the east side of the
bayou but it is actually where W 15 St is at, W 15th is also Hwy 657 that links Hwy 1
to Hwy 3235, Hwy 3235 (I made a mistake and put 3231 instead of 3235) will take
you right back to Hwy 1 on the South side of Golden Meadow, LA.

 

ah,,, was lost trying to find 3231.. and 15th street not being marked as 657 also...but now I see... I will forward this to RM...

Thanks for this info...

Mark

 

And the permits you get from the state sure don't help.
If I had not had the map you sent me I would have been hosed.
Sometimes nothing but local knowledge will work