Computer Mapping Volunteers Needed

[ATeam]

Questions and comments about popular computer and handheld navigation programs are ongoing in the Open Forum. It occured to me to gather together a handful of expediters with their products of choice to put these products to the test. An ExpeditersOnline and/or Expedite NOW article about real truckers (expediters) using these products in the real world would be of great interest to many.

This is a call for volunteers to help create the piece. I'm looking for owners of current versions of Streets and Trips, Street Atlas USA, CoPilot Truck and other such programs; owners who use these products every day in their expediting work.

With input from people here in the Open Forum, I will develop a number of real-world address-finding and trip-planning scenerios. The volunteers will run each scenerio through their software and use a standardized scoring system to report the results.

If you own a current version of a popular computer mapping or GPS program, and if you are willing to help, please send me a private message. Include your telephone number, name the product you use and its version number (most current version required).

Volunteer comments about the results will be included in the article. Volunteers must be willing to be publicly named (real names, city and state) and be able to defend their test results and comments. Reaction to volunteer findings and comments will be solicited from the software companies and device companies.

Open Forum members, I'm open to suggestions as to what the test scenerios should include. Please make the tests as close as you can to the way you use these products on the road.

Thank you in advance for your input.

 

[nightcreacher]

Phil,
I just took out my 2005 version Streets and Trips,loaded the 2007 version,also with gps navigator.I used it last night while going to Memphis Tn,the routing was exactly as was on my c-link (qualcom).If I set trip up in the past with the quickest routing,it has been same as fed ex's routing,and as far as local directions,same as theirs too.The only thing I don't like, is if you go off route,it won't
re-direct you til you ask,but if you dont re-direct,will keep saying are you lost? lol,I kept saying not lost,just making detour.I bought this for $119.95 at Staples,10 bucks cheaper than Best Buy,and the others,and it is for your lap top.As I'm to cheap to buy a stand for my lap top,I don't use the gps to often,but I use the Streets program when ever I'm looking for a short cut to beat the mileage,and it works,I cut 60 miles off trip from Memphis to Orlando,wasnt as fast as the way should have went but we were still on time.

 

[ATeam]

Volunteers have come forward and we now have the following programs covered:

Microsoft Streets and Trips
CoPilot Truck
Delorme Street Atlas USA
PC Miler

Online programs like Mapquest and Google Maps will also be evaluated.

Are there others we should include?

 

[bruchar]

For those of you considering gps, currently we have a TOM TOM. Happy with the unit but I want to let you know that Google Maps is an excellent resource tool.

Let say your going to deliver early in the morning into a questionable area..we've all been there. Give you an example. We were scheduled to deliver to Montgomery, AL at 08:00 am and we weren't sure if it was a safe area with a big enough area to park the truck and go to bed.

Went to google maps and entered the address and then clicked the satellite icon on the map. It pulled up an actual satellite photo of the area and from the picture we could see the location had large parking area surrounded by a fence with no nearby houses. Some locations you can access street level viewing. Try it out.. best of all it's free.

 

[gojack]

iTeam

I have:
Streets and Trips
CoPilot Truck and
Delorme Street Atlas USA

I use the Street Atlas daily.
Copilot and S&T I have not opened in at least a year.

The Apple iPhone will be out June 29th
It will have mobile access to Google Maps,
Which includes Satellite images, so you can see the buildings and driveways, w/GPS to follow.

Google maps allows you to customize your maps,
stored on their computers...
My wife/dispatcher can plug in a route,
save it on her computer,
and then I can access it from the truck when needed.

The iPhone will give the most up-to-date
mapping w/no costly updates EVER needed, as well as:

Real Internet
Real Email
Hands-free Cell phone
Digital camera w/nice email integration
iPod.
Instant Messaging
Calculator...
with my maxemail I will be able to receive faxes as well.

Why bother with a laptop program or a Garmin?

http://www.apple.com/iphone/

By the way,
I am using Google Gmail for email
Google Docs & Spreadsheets for my books and billing
and Google Calendar for scheduling.

I don't think I want to do my billing off of the iPhones keypad, but in a pinch I could.

And its free, and online, w/2861 MB storage.
I can get to my Goole from anywhere there is internet.

 

[banditt11]

RE: iTeam

I'll stick with my Garmin and basic phone.;-)

 

[greg334]

RE: iTeam

I am glad Phil is doing this but I know that there are a couple others that are missed and no one really uses, like Map Point.

Well about using the phone, try that in places like Wyoming where I could not even get a signal on any of my phones in the middle of no where at my pickup. In major markets, it seems that the data phones work well but as I experienced in Wyoming, even in Cheyenne, I could not get connected unless it was analog.

 

[gojack]

A Test

Routing:

Computerized routing is to calculate the shortest time OR the shortest distance from point a to b

Shortest is easy to do.

Quickest is not so easy.


The routing is based on distance and speed, on each given road type,
in some programs rural vs urban speeds on each road type as well.

So you plug in 65 mph Interstate rural, 55 mph urban
but drive 55 in Ohio, 60 in Indiana, 65 in Kentucky etc,
screwing up your results.

In addition a state 4 lane divided highway that you could do better time on is avoided in routing because you have state routes in as 55 mph.

Until there is a program that includes State/City specific, street level, speed limits, There is no substitute for using your brain a little and figuring out your route.

Example:
Plug Cincinnati to Jackson, OH in and you will get routing
up I-71 to US-35 @ 133 miles, and US-35 is mostly a twisty 2 lane "senic route". Ohio SR-32 is a better choice - very nice 4 lane divided, @ 118 miles, but get your program to route you down SR 32, and it will then route you onto State roads instead of Interstates.


Clearance:

The clearance and weight issues that Copilot charges so dearly to solve for you, when you get to where you really need it, in Chicago, NYC etc., Copilot cops out and says follow the local signs.

Delorme with a little help:
http://www.discoveryowners.com/cginfolinks.htm
is a better far better and cheaper choice.
But still no answer to urban (Chicago, NYC...) underpasses.

 

[tec1959]

Hi I only worked for Roberts Express and then Fed Ex CC,I used Map Quest and the C-link (qualcomm).I have to say that the directions on the C-link was pretty much right on and never any major problems with either.The only problem was when hauling a haz mat load and the haz mat routing was off on the C-link and would have to ask for the extra miles sometimes when going around a city,But they was not off to much.I guess most If any don't use map quest anymore now.

 

[tec1959]

RE: iTeam

GoJack I heard that the Iphone will cost over $600 dollars Is that right??? Just wondering.For a trip In the car with the family I believe that the TOM TOM Is great...

 

[redytrk]

RE: iTeam

>GoJack I heard that the Iphone will cost over $600 dollars
>Is that right??? Just wondering.For a trip In the car with
>the family I believe that the TOM TOM Is great...
YOU ARE CORRECT
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/271352/the_iphone_costs_between_499_and_599.html

 

[CozDream]

RE: iTeam

For GPS usage ,I graduated from Laptops a couple years ago. Using such devices in a moving vehicle just isn't all that pratical. There's just no way to have a heads up display using a Lappy.

So I switched to PPC's and ALL IN ONES

PPC's = handhelp computers with screen sizes 3.5 to 4 inches
Dell
HP
IPAQ
...others

AIO also called PNA'S = screen sizes 3.5 to 4.5
TomTom
Garmin
Magellan
...others

Major driver advantages to using PPC & PNA

1. Can easily mount in a heads up configuration, allowing the driver to see routing directions without moving eyes from the road ahead
2. Low power consumption and instantly bootable
3. Low cost
4. Software easily updateable. Software easily customized



Best OTR software for PPC's -or- PNA

TOMTOM

TomTom undeniably is the most user friendly for the driver.

Maps easily updatable = with laptop based products you must wait till new releases are givin out by the manufacturer.

TomTom's POINT OF INTEREST option , also called POI.
You can import you own POI's. Nice ALWAYS knowing exactly how far ANY truck stop is from your current position.

Low Bridges, Big Truck dealerships , Scales , Rest Areas , are all the kinds of places you can import to your device. You get a visual and audible alarm warning when approaching ANY of these locations.

Currently a TomTom 1 can be purchased for aprox 230.--250.

 

[greg334]

¡Team¿

By far the non-laptop solutions are the best but for those like me who have used a laptop for a while and programs like MS S&T, we get by and some are jelious.

The one thing that I have been trying to do for a while is to add real points of interest to the MS S&T - not push pins. Push pins move (like my express centers) and beside push pins sometimes get into the way. I wanted to be able to put the information for the truck stops, the epress centers and other places important for us into the map data (the real data in the program) opposed to putting into the map file. I finally got an answer, even though it is vague, from Microsoft.

 

[gojack]

RE: iTeam

Yes iPhone lists for $499 and $599
Who pays list for a cell phone?

A Motorola v3 RAZR Bluetooth
Lists for $399, but is free when you get it
with airtime.

If you are starting from scratch
no Garmin,TomTom or laptop program
why not get the iPhone?

A TomTom ONE XL costs $399 and has a 4.3" touch screen
vs the 3.5" iPhone screen.

On the iPhone you can search the whole internet
(google mapquest yahoo etc) for your destination,
not just one map

 

[gojack]

RE:

the reason I like Delorme
is the ability to add routable named roads
and points of intrest

So to route home I can type in ZZZ, Home Zipcode
and I am routed to my driveway (street named ZZZ)

 

[LDB]

RE: iTeam

But does the iphone have a moving map gps like the garmin etc. or do you just get the route and have to manipulate it as you go along?

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[greg334]

RE: ïWĥăţ¿

I would actually wait on the iPhone thing, Apple products really need at least one version cycle to get the bugs worked out of it.

Beside when the first version's life cycle is complete and the second hits the market, there will be more features to play with.

 

[gojack]

RE:

Google Mobile maps are GPS compatible
and are in use on Blackberry's etc., in use now.

Apple products are fairly bug free at intro.

The iPhone runs their OSX computer software, and its been out a while. Apple does introduce updated products and reduces prices quickly to stay ahead of everyone else.

That said I will wait a little for prices to come down and features to get better to get one, there are going to be people camping out to get one, but not me. (they are selling on eBay for $999)

If I can get one for the price of a decent phone, and I can use it as
a GPS in car, truck, boat etc, with phone, camera, music, podcast, Internet, calendar, calculator, watch, email, IM, efax.,

Whats not to like?

 

[terryandrene]

RE:"Computer Mapping Volunteers Needed"

OK Apple, phone and GPS fans, let's get back on the headlined topic, which is related to GPS and mapping systems currently in use.

 

[geo]

RE:"Computer Mapping Volunteers Needed"

love my garmin 2610 save about 2 hours everyday running around local area of hampton roads, just down like new subdivisons as it takes from 6 months to 2 years toget updated