Truck GPS units are making my head spin!!

http://www.truckerstablet.com/
I'm going to try one of these.

 

I'm going comment on a couple of things touched here.

Years ago, I run the PC*Miler software on my laptop with the USB GPS receiver. When the GPS units came out from PC*Miler, I bought one (5 years ago). It died yesterday. My first instinct was to get another one only to find out that ALK has discontinued the stand alone units. I can still find them on the internet, but I'm not going to buy something that isn't going to be updated by the company anymore. Am I sad, sure. It's like losing a dog to old age, you know you'll never find another one like it (him/her).

So, I opted for the RM 520 (not a fan of the bigger, in your face, 7" screens). I have yet to take a real trip with it. I've only traveled to my next shipper for a pickup tomorrow. It did good. I hate the map graphics though. Guess I'm just too used to the cleaner PC*Miler graphics.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not dependent on my GPS and for the life of me, I can't figure out how anyone could be. I'm mean come on, "I drove into a field because my GPS told me to", is just some driver that shouldn't be driving making excuses. Personally, after getting my load assignment, I grab my RM road atlas to see where the cities are that I'm going to and to get a rough idea of which way I'm taking. Then, I input the stuff into my GPS to see it's route. I'll compare the main roads. After that, I look at the company supplied directions (actually supplied by drivers, some of which shouldn't be giving directions to the house next door) and compare that with the GPS end route.

Here's where I'll miss my PC*Miler the most. I could chose my way points just by clicking on a map to force the GPS to take specific roads. The RM doesn't seem to have that option. *Sigh*

Anyway, after all of that, I flip open the laptop and bring up Google Maps on sat view so I can see the places I'm going to determine if I can park there and see what kind of messy areas these places are in. Does it take me longer to setup my route, sure. But I'm as prepared as I could ever be.

When I used to train, I didn't let a student touch a GPS until he could do 5 loads from receiving the load assignment to sending the empty call without my help. Even then, I still made the plan their trip before letting them use the GPS and I made them do things the way I do with comparing the GPS to the map and company supplied directions.

So, back on the subject of what GPS to buy. PC*Miler is my first choice and I will probably look into the Android version after I decide to buy a tablet. My second choice is the RM because of people saying it is a good GPS and the wifi features (weather, traffic, and real time fuel prices). Since I tether my phone, I'm able to check those things while driving. Again, if I knew that I could get updates for the stand alone unit, I would have went the PC*Miler route again in a heartbeat. It might not have all the bells and whistles these other GPS units offer, but it sure was GREAT at routing.

 

Does the tnd 720 show you what lane you need to be in when comming up to your next turn, intersection, like the garmin does. garmin has the split screen, how about the 720 ? thnks for the help

 

Yes it does.

 

I have the Garmin 560DZL and it is a joke, I call her Sybil routes me in one way out another, runs me down frontage roads and back on the highway, sends me all the way through town when I can take next exit, routes way around and in.. tried to route me down a county road from indy to Nashville all the way down 65 every exit, take a right, take a right,.... then the turn right...no trucks allowed make uturn... In truck stops ...no trucks allowed.. Take a left go down 2 miles to a quarry...make uturn... I have a bunch of WTF route pictures saved!

 

I don't know which is best,but I do find is rather amusing that when my company bought me a new Kenworth Roll Off truck in 2009,they thought adding a factory GPS was the best thig since sliced bread!
when the truck was picked up the GPS turned out to be a Lowrance,and had no truck program in it save trucks top and diesel fuel search options! No scales,low clearances or lightweight bridges,and it always wants to send me on Parkways! Wouldn't you expect a factory installed unit in a truck would have at least some of those features? The Lowrance works great,but I have to pay attention to where it's sending me,and plan ahead!