RAND rant.

For months a friend of mine has been complaining about his 510. He tells me it's no good and it don't work right. Well I also have the 510 and 2 weeks ago we ran into each other at the Flying J in Lodi, CA. After coffee I asked if I could look at his GPS to see if I could get it to work. As it turns out there was nothing wrong with it at all. The problem was him. I will admit it does some strange things at times but so does every other GPS I have ever had. I keep my map handy all the time. Never leave home without the map.

 

I've got a TND 700 and have never been happy with it.
Just waiting for the Garmin dēzl 760LMT to be released later this year for less than what I paid for this thing and lifetime updates and lifetime traffic included in purchase price.

 

I have a 710, and I can say that the routing leaves a lot to be desired. Just today it wanted me to exit I-95 North about 15 miles south of Jacksonville and take US-1 north to the Jacksonville South TA, which is right on I-95. Also adds 20 miles to the route to the Rite-Aid warehouse in MD by sending you 10 miles past it on I-95 and then 10 miles back north on US 40. And it doesn't know that trucks are allowed to go across the GWB; it will NOT route you over it no matter how you set it.

 

Das buys from Rand and then the truck stops buy from DAS. Promo materials are send out and it is up to the store to display. We have found many times they keep the registration cards for LTM's behind the counter and the clerks do not know about them or simply forget. It is not easy to determine the date of your purchase against the date requirements of the current Promo. You may buy it and not turn it on for a month. Rand goes by the date of your purchase.

Rand can tell by the date you first turned it on as the TND generates a date file, but again the Promo's goes by a date set in that current Promo. We do know when you Docked it and updated it, but we do not know who you are (name) and E-Mail address for registration.

Could a better job be done in displaying the current Promo? Yes, but Rand has no physical control over how the stores are run and what they display. We can only give them the information.

I tried the route and Freeway Allow and Freeway Prefer both took about 45 seconds to route. If the TND takes over 3 minutes, then turn it off and back on again. Usually if it takes 3 minutes the software may be hung up.

Thanks,
Mark

 

I have a 510 and have no major complaints about it. I can say most of the times it has routed me onto a weight restriction road has been in small towns that I am guess restricted the road and not DOT. I would imagine Navteq/Rand get the restrictions from DOT in each state. As far as height restrictions only ahd one issue in Chicago and it was marked two different heights so won't fault the GPS on that.

The only "issue" I can say I have had is at times it treats you as a thru truck and other times not for routing. A little common sense helps when using them.

 

GWB in the map data NavTeq has both levels restricted to trucks. The map data does not break down into lower/upper levels.

Your 710 is two map sets behind what is current. If you did not buy LTM's then you may be looking at an old restriction that has been corrected. But, if you are on the most current maps, PM me from where you were coming from and I can see if a restriction is in error.

Roads may be restricted without you knowing about it. Simply no signs are posted. Yet, the argument is always other trucks are on it. Does this make it legal? No. It could be restricted to Non-STAA trucks also (48', 96" wide) and restricted to 53' trailers. It could be many things. PM me the start/stop locations and I will see what the route shows.

thanks,
Mark

 

Most 53' trailers are not suppose to go over the GWB

Trucks with 53-foot trailers may only travel on the portions of I-95, I-695, I-295, and I-495 that cross the city between the Bronx-Westchester County line and Queens-Nassau County line. 53-foot trailers carrying non-divisible loads must apply for a New York City Permit (pdf).

 

i bought the rand. had it two weeks. the last straw was going from vegas to phoenix. it routes you through flagstaff instead of taking the 93. or even the 89. according to rand. those are no truck routes. but the atlas says otherwise.

one time i went into prescott. it totally bypassed my turn to the next junction and routed me right into a residential. and could not get me out. had to use my phone.

i tried the update. it said current version., no updates.

but then you all say well, did i do this, and this and thiss.

why does rand have to go though this, and this, and this, when every other unit can be pulled out of the box. turned on and put to use with no problems???

but anyways, yes i did that. and i did that. and i also did that. THE THING STILL SUCKED. i was using my atlas more then the danged rand.,

i traded in for pcmiler.
pulled out of box, plugger her in. and away i went. 18 months later i'm still getting there. in a more effiecent route that isn't costing me so much fuel.

now, my atlas sits and collects dust.

and nope. i didn't have to do this. i didn't have to do that. granted. it was cheaper and doesn't do all the fancy things you all like so much. my phone can do all that. and those apps are free.

i haven't even had to do so much as an update. the darn thing just works. RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. WITH THE REGISTRATION CARD STILL SITTING IN THE BOX.

oh wait. i threw the box and card away long time ago.

 

I have a 510 and have had no issues with it what so ever. I think their promotion for the new 720 is B.S but then again i guess they don't need to offer a trade-in at all so i guess it depends on how you look at it.