Co-Pilot GPS

**pelicn** · 02-07-2010, 03:23 PM

Is anyone using this software? If so, what is your opinion of it?
CoPilot GPS: ALK Technologies

**LDB** · 02-07-2010, 03:33 PM

I used it in earlier versions. I'd rate it only fair overall in those versions. It failed to recognize many of the addresses entered, instead offering alternatives that in some cases were not anywhere near the desired destination. It also sometimes gave wrong directions saying take I-465 west when the only choices on your particular route were 465 north or 465 south. It took me down a road with an 11' 6" bridge one time but never took me to a clearance problem other than that once. It was better than not having anything and did fine on hazmat routing as far as I could tell.

**dletheridge** · 02-14-2010, 11:13 PM

I tried an older version as well as the current version. After only a few days I uninstalled it. My little tomtom does a better job that it does.

**lugnut1** · 03-04-2010, 05:55 PM

Excellent software for truck drivers that need to reliably take the danger out of navigating their trucks to new pickups and freight drops every day.
ALK Tech as with so many software companies believe they have written the perfect truck navigation software, they are close to perfect but what ALK needs to do is spend time training driver how to use the software and admit there are some quirks in their software. Once you are aware of the few quirks, we do not believe you would use any other truck navigation software.
We have been using CoPilot for more than two years, using both the old software and the current CoPilot 11 and would not recommend any other truck navigation system. P.S. ALK has the largest market share of trucking companies using routing software, CoPilot is based on the same routing software those trucking companies use.

**14Wheeler** · 03-05-2010, 01:37 AM

Sorry there Lugnut , but I've used the software, as have quite a few members here. I doubt you're gonna find many drivers taking the positive spin as you have. [Actually, your post sounds like sumthin out of a product brochure] And no,
training is not the problem. The software is just lousy. The maps data is horrible and will at best,only route you properly 70% -85%of the time. Countless times the directions tried to steer me in ridiculous paths. Not quite certain where you got your market share numbers, but can assure you it's not based on Copilot sales. Possibly you're confusing Copilot with the actual working application, called PC*MILER.
Huge difference between the 2. One works well,Copilot.....not so good.

**LDB** · 03-05-2010, 12:42 PM

My Copilot experience over a few years of using v4 and v9 (not sure why it jumped from version 4 to 9 but think they did that to make you think it was far newer and better) would be rated mediocre at best. I found the routing good most of the time although one time did get routed to an 11' 6" bridge once. The HUGE deficiency in both v4 and v9 was the lack of address matching.

Two loads to run. Two shippers. Two consignees. Sitting at whatever layover point you put in the address of shipper 1. Get there and load and put in address of cons 1. Get there, wait, get next load. Repeat for load 2. Using Copilot 4 or 9 it will fail to know one of those 4 addresses and will give you suggestions of other addresses. Sometimes they're nearby like 9437 Walnut when you want to go to 9108 Walnut. Other times when you want 9108 it will offer 4721 or 13722 as options. If you are in South Podunk where it's the main highway through town and you just have to drive a few miles it's not a huge deal. That doesn't help when you're in Chicago or elsewhere with low clearances or viaducts or other obstacles you can't pass to get from where the mediocre mapping identifies to where you need to be.

It's better than nothing. It's excellent with the large screen of the computer rather than the small screen of a gps unit. It's mediocre at best with the quality of it's map data.

**Turtle** · 03-05-2010, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by lugnut1

P.S. ALK has the largest market share of trucking companies using routing software,...

True, with their PC Miler software...

...CoPilot is based on the same routing software those trucking companies use.

Sorry, no. If CoPilot were based on PC Miler then it would be a far better product. It's not. CoPilot is based on the old TravRoute Door-2-Door software, which ALK Technologies bought several years ago. Other than a few minor, mostly cosmetic changes, CoPilot is still the same old Door-2-Door that it always was, and is a far, far different product than PC Miler.

That's why the PC Miler standalone GPS unit is so bad, because it's not based on PC Miler at all, but it "Powered by CoPilot", which is TravRoute Door-2-Door.

**lugnut1** · 03-05-2010, 06:36 PM

I stand by my post. “Excellent software for truck drivers that need to reliably take the danger out of navigating their trucks to new pickups and freight drops every day.”
While I could teach you what you would need to know to fall in love with CoPilot, why should I, you each have already flunked at CoPilot and I doubt you would try it again.
Navigation using GPS, whether on land or at sea is a bit more complicated than just looking up addresses as your posts would indicate. Your post also sparkle an attitude that CoPilot was controlling your driving, which is your first error using any GPS navigation system or software. GPS is simply an aid to your navigation that you plan a trip by and allow it to help guide you to your destination. The physical address database that is included with any GPS is full of errors that cover a wide range of missed, mistaken and erroneous data. Each of you would be well advised to understand the actual workings of latitude and longitude and start inputting your addresses using the Lat/Lon format.
Here are a few facts that may help you on the road to successful use of a GPS. No GPS is 100% accurate at positioning or navigation. You will not find any GPS that has all the addresses. You should always verify your GPS routing with a secondary method. If you are using a GPS and not reading the signs on the highway then you will likely hit a low bridge or turn on a road not for trucks. Fact: It’s just a aid to navigation.

**LDB** · 03-05-2010, 08:37 PM

I also stand by my post. A primary purpose of GPS is in fact as simple as taking an address as input to be used to calculate directions. If you input 100 addresses in Copilot v4 and/or v9 it will not have a very large number of them in the database, perhaps as many as 4x of them missing. If you input 100 addresses in a Garmin it will have 9x of them in the database, perhaps even all 100.

I am not affiliated with any gps company in any way other than as a user so my comments are not advertising slogans for any of them nor are they based on any negative agenda toward any of them. I'm just truthfully relating my personal experience using the product. It has some strong features and for some things is very good. The map database just isn't one of them. It is poor. That's an unavoidable fact.

And yes, you need to ay attention to signs and directions regardless of what routing method and/or aids you are using.

**lugnut1** · 03-05-2010, 09:57 PM

Leo, your experiences with CoPilot 4 and 9 are indeed yours and they do not sound particularly wonderful. However, we are commenting about CoPilot 11. The versions you have are no longer available and don’t you think your experiences with versions 4 and 9 make your judgment about CoPilot 11 moot?
It’s great that you may be able to find as much as 99 addresses of 100 addresses with your Garmin. However, the more important point is to find 100 out of 100 addresses. Copilot 11 is for navigation as is Garmin and neither you nor I are making claims that Garmin or CoPilot has all the addresses truck drivers need.
What I will claim is that once the destination has been entered into Copilot 11 it will get you and your truck to the destination safely and efficiently.
Almost all navigation entry formats can be used in CoPilot 11. Zip code, address, Lat/Lon, city center or direct picking on the active map. The choices for truck routing are huge while still keeping you on truck safe routes.
Bottom line is my experience has been very good with CoPilot 11.

**LDB** · 03-05-2010, 10:31 PM

Yes, my time with it was on the 2 prior versions. I talked in depth with the guys from ALK and more than once they talked with me about beta testing 11 for them but they never followed through with sending it. I'd like to think any nav aid we buy would be 100/100 but know none of them will absolutely be 100/100. They certainly should be better than 6x/100 though and that's the best the older versions ever managed. I was fully willing to give 11 a try with an open mind and actually looked forward to doing so and finding huge improvements over the others. I do admit though the skeptical side of me would have to see for myself that they've made such signifcant improvements. I do hope they have for the sake of everyone spending good money on the product. I'm glad you feel it's such a good product and hope it continues to perform well for you.