So... I got in a 'el stupido' situation today.

Hell hath no fury like a lady driver scorned lol.

 

I use a gps, as a tool. When planning my route I use all the tools I can find and check them all against each other.
Call the customer for their directions, look at the route in my atlas, see what the address and area look like on google maps, then change the route my gps comes up with to match my trip plan. All tools, all working together.
And, you know, sometimes even that doesn't work out!
A couple of weeks ago I had to deliver a load of beer to a distributor in Pittsburg, McKees Rocks if I remember correctly.
I called the customer and he told me my route would work. Then he added, "and don't worry, you CAN make it under the bridge, just make sure you stay in the middle of the street". Needless to say, that didn't fill my mind with sunshine
I did make it, Stopped at that bridge, set my brakes, and got out to make sure I would clear. Plenty of room! Arched concrete railroad bridge and I had, ohhhhhh two inches of clearance easy on the cornes of my trailer.
Getting out though, in the the middle of the night, I tried a different route. MISTAKE!
Got back under that bridge and went south on SR52. Figuring I'd take it a few blocks and take US19 over to the intersate. All truck routes.
Welllllll. The intersection of SR52 and US19 was closed for construction, with a posted detour.
I turn on the detour and half a block or so, the detour turns left. I'm creeping along setting to make the turn and miss all the barrels when I see a sign down the way on the detoured route. "Clearance 12"7""
Sigh, So I set the brakes again. I got out and walked back to the car behind me, thinking maybe the locals know something. 3 cars back, I discover an off duty LEO. He tells me I can go straight and get to the interstate following such and such a route.
I take off again, get to a wider spot and pull over to let the cars pass me. I get farther and farther up into the hills of this residental area and come to a Y.
Set the brakes once again and call dispatch. This clown tells me to take the left arm of the y, go down a ways and take a street to the left. Oddly, the gps says the same thing.
Off I go. I get to the "street". Looks like a driveway! Narrow, curving out of sight up a steep hill and into the trees. "Caution children at play" signs.
"Nope. Not gonna try it. It doesn't feel right" I tell myself. The street I'm on isn't much better, but, it "felt right" to stay on it.
About a half a mile later, I come to an intersection. SR62 to the left and straight ahead. Straight I go. Two blocks later, a sign. "To I71" straight ahead! Woo HOOOOO. I got out of there. Fianlly!
I guess my point with all this is you have to use all the tools you have, including your intuition to find your way around. All the tools I had at my disposal maps, directions, gps, local advise helped, but, ultimately, intuition is what got me out of that nightmare.

 

But now, that ticket goes on your 3 year record (CSA) and affects your ability to drive. (see the CSA threads)
If there's no need to call a cop, don't.
all .govs are all looking for extra revenue.

call a wrecker if you have to, but don't call the cops.

 

Hey Buddy this sounds real familiar!!!!!

 

I am going to be going to school the second week of January. It has been so useful to be able to read all of your experiences. They really did help me make my decision to go into the trucking business and which school to go to.
I passed the written tests yesterday with all the endorsements. Just getting the holidays out of the way with my family before I take off on this adventure.

God Bless!

 

I use the standard GPS, Microsoft Streets and Trips, $90 or so at Best Buy a year ago. But again, i dont follow it 100%, and i dont even consider 'trusting' it without double checking it with my fuel route and planning the waypoints exactly what my fuel route has me running. (i double check that too).

But the way i looked at it, why blow $500+ on a 'trucker' version of a GPS, and even if it routes me down a goat trail or down a road with a 12' bridge, it becomes no better than mapquest. And the way i look at it, i got a GPS just like anybody else, but i saved myself from wasting $400.

 

I use a standard Rand McNally Truckers Atlas.

Guess I'm an old fart too. Matter of fact, I KNOW I am.

I won't even consider owning a GPS.


MY OPINION.....If you can't read the map and plan your trip WITHOUT that infernal box telling you where to go......

You PROBABLY ought to consider other ways to earn your living.

 

Been there done that and got the T-shirt. I've got a GPS, but its not the only tool I use.I also use mapquest and google earth to get a look at where I'm going and Rand McNally truck atlas to check my routes. I've done the temporally misplaced thing a few times myself and its not funny at that time. Just last week I was going to Coke in Hauppauge,NY (its off the L.I.E.) directions from my company tell me to get off at exit 52 so I get on exit 52 follow the service road and come to T but nothing that went straight like all my maps said so I wandered around for a while looking for a place to get turned around and get headed in the right direction and our company usally has very good directions as a rule. My guess is someone forgot to update the directions to the place. The guard at Coke told me use exit 53 next time Live and learn from it and move on. We all goof up at times. Keep em rollin and have blessed Thanksgiving everyone

 

Pulled a wide and heavy load from Houston to Cheyenne,Wy. Texas routes you through all of the little farm road so that you never see a weigh station. Know what happens if you get off route with a permitted load and get into a bind?

Permit is voided.

So then you get a ticket for everything. The biggest ticket is the weight ticket, because without the permit, the weight limit (in most places) is 80000lbs. So if youre 97000lbs, they right you a ticket for being 17000lbs over gross. God help you if you go off route and the locals catch you.

Texas sent me through all of these little farm roads. Those farm roads are not on the RandMcNally. So I click the WHERE TO button on the GPS, then click the INTERSECTION button. It will ask what state that intersection is in, enter the state, and it will ask what city. I dont know, so I hit SEARCH ALL. The GPS will find the farm road at the intersection( although there may be multiple listings.) I will click SHOW MAP, and it then shows where on my route I will intersect that farm road. I click GO TO and the GPS will take me to that intersection. When I turn down that farm road off the highlighted route, the GPS then reroutes. Awesome tool for what I do.

No, a GPS isnt foolproof, but Im not a fool.

 

I've never once been lost. I have at times ended up at places other than where I intended to be, but lost, never.