Suppport Thread for the TND 500, TND 700 or future Rand McNally products.

no but i've used it for 6 years and it has only sent me on a road that was wrong 3 times, and i have used co-pilot TRUCK and it sent me into a low bridge, on one way streets (the wrong way) and on my laptop i can add 1-20 via points and it will route me the way i need or want to go BUT still show me my STOP time not the time to each via point along the way

 

I have a TND510, and am quite satisfied with the way it works. I also have a RMCA - I route myself, and if the TND510 happens to agree with me then cool. If it doesn't, I plug in vias until it does. YOU are the final authority on the routing YOU take from point A to point B. If you're using a GPS as a crutch because you can't read a map, you shouldn't be driving a commercial vehicle.

 

First of all, I never said anything about the routing. I will admit that there are faults with the routing, however I do understand to an extent that it is not a perfect system and never will be. I can't even count how many times I've been directed in strange or excess mileage routes with zero seen reasons. Just the other day it was wanting me to take a route 75 miles longer than needed when the way I needed to go was all interstate. It wanted me to take back roads. I ignored it and proceeded without issue. Second that I passed that back road it corrected itself to the proper route. Just yesterday, I was traveling westbound on I-80 through Ohio, added a via to the MM 49 service plaza. It wanted me to get off of 80 at exit 53 or 52 and take back roads into the plaza. We all know that isn't exactly possible. However, yet again, the second I passed that exit, it corrected itself to the proper directions. Also, you can't blame the lack of current maps on this one either because this service plaza hasn't changed in probably the last 10-15 years, I think its the last of the old ones they have.

So yeah, you can point the finger at the coded programming, but hell, that programming needs some serious TLC cause it doesn't exactly work properly. It would be one thing if these errors were a 1 in 100 occurrence, but they aren't, its probably closer to a 50% occurrence.

All while all of this is an issue, I personally have been holding off on updating my TND because the last reports I saw on here were claiming all sorts of messed up issues. Not exactly a good sign when the update has thrown the whole device into chaos even tho the current update that I do have is still a little sketchy.

It is just very disappointing that a device like this has so many issues especially with the paper that we shell out for it. Sadly enough, my Android smartphone with FREE Google Maps Navigation blows the TND out of the water for accuracy. It is literally 99% accurate until a truck restricted route comes into play.

 

I don't use it as a crutch, it is simply a tool, I actually run Google Navigation on my phone along side of it for another specific tool that it provides, traffic data.

I personally have two RMCA's in the truck right now and actually need to get the 2012. Just haven't done that yet since I only noticed them in the t/s 2 days ago.

 

It doesn't take massive processing power to come up with correct navigation. Simply put it takes the proper programming.

Whole world in chaos you say? Yeah, I do get up each morning, in order to better my little corner of it, which never started in chaos anyhow.

I have no desire to discuss this all day, I'm just stating information for the general truck driver to read to further educate him/herself about a device that they may be thinking about purchasing. And, also to make it a little more apparent to Rand McNally that there is something wrong with their product. What they choose to do with that is up to them. So far I see no progress.

Serial# is "B 04 T5E 991203"

Guessing you only needed the last six but whatever. Right now tho, I'm basically waiting to see if there are any reports of any significant change to these issues. I have refused to buy the map set yet for that single reason. After awhile, if something doesn't give, I guess I'll move on from Rand. Just cannot fathom continuing to use a product that I see as subpar. It would be a little more understandable if the item was only $50. Then I would be really wondering.

 

I can't give u my strings cause my 710 unit wont turn on. I can tell u from memory all I had was non haz. 40 foot. I. Only use starting and ending locations. The one I refferenced. Started in san jose ca. And ended in port arthur texas. Routed me over 10. Preffered route and a different way back threw 40. Longer way.

 

You stated, "this product sounds a bit scary...........Considering how well the TND product has performed."

I test and tabulate performance data, failure modes, warranty claims, etc. from 4 brands (16 models) of truck-route GPS systems. Your post implies that you have performance data on the TND models that makes the new product scary. Now, clearly I read this forum and take note of issues reported here because it represents a "real-time" sampling of real drivers using all of the different models that we track. But if you were saying that you have additional performance statistics from other sources, I would be remiss to at least not ask for that data. Thanks in advance.