GPS - Mapping Tool?

traacker

Seasoned Expediter
Researching
Thinking of GPS system for being on the road.

Have always used my phone and Google with good level of satisfaction but wondering if it is what the pro's use.

Did search on GPS here, not a good thing, to generic, to many, whatever...

Thoughts?

For benchmarking some category nomenclature, maybe these three might prove helpful, don't know, but here's 3 categories I think my be helpful...

01-SmartPhone Apps
02-StandAlone Systems
03-AutomobileManufacturer's BuiltIn Navigation Systems

Me:
Android Samsung Galaxy Note5 w Google Maps
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I should probably clarify. When I say "gaps" I mean there are times when the Garmin cannot find an address, either because the street name needs to be typed in juuuust right (CR or C-R or Country Road, or FM-397 or Farm Road 397, etc.) or because that street address isn't yet in the latest Garmin map. For those times, you can often just do a search for the business name and town on Google Maps and it'll find it. I then usually use the Garmin map to find the same spot, or very close to it, and then just have the Garmin do the routing.

Google maps satellite view (as well as Street View) can come in handy at times. I recently had an occasion where the Garmin couldn't find the road, as it had recently been renamed to the same name as the factory now located on it, and Google Satellite View showed me the spot where the factory address was allegedly located, but it was just a corn field. So in that case the satellite view didn't help much, but at least it got me close enough that I could find it with the Garmin. But in many cases the satellite view lets you see where the loading docks are, and the entrance to them, which is often different from the address.

I don't like to use the phone for my primary navigation system, because it just wears out the battery, even when plugged in (since you're draining the battery at the same time it's being recharged). Using the phone is fine for short trips, around town or something, but for a long drive I prefer to use something that's designed for that purpose.

Google does have traffic alerts, but I've found those to be not all that great. I have since just turned those off completely. The Garmin (depending on the model) comes with HD Traffic, which isn't bad, but only works in larger metro areas, or you can purchase the Live Traffic that works with the Garmin app on the phone (connected via Bluetooth) that works in rural areas, and I've found it to be remarkably accurate, not only with the cause of the travel delays, but the amount of delay involved. Also available is the Garmin Traffic, but that is rather outdated, not very good at all, and is only used on very low end or older devices.

I will sometimes use Streets and Trip or some other laptop or Web based mapping software to get a good overview of things, as well. You can't have too many mapping and navigation tools available to you.
 
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geo

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Retired Expediter
US Navy
i use my Garmin dezl which is a truck one, when i had the ipad use that and and ceva phone had the address you hit address and lead you to where you want to go
also carry a street map of city, need to get a new as it is 13 year's old
for new streets to get on a map takes about 2 years, on cell phone or i pad takes about 6 months or so
gps depends how often you up date it
if all else fail look for ups or fedex, or local pizza place
when i ran the road would call my wife up and have her look up address
sometimes got in trouble as calling 1 or 2 in morning
 
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rollincoal

Expert Expediter
Owner/Operator
I use a basic tomtom that I got from Wal Mart about 8 or 10 years ago for $100. Its never been updated and sometimes I find myself on highways it doesn't know exist. It doesn't do truck routing for semi trucks. It's just a standard car version. So I'm careful to check routes I don't know before I drive.

I use googlemaps when looking for and booking loads. In the past few months I have started using the googlemaps app on my phone. It's much better than my old tomtom having all current traffic info and whatnot. Does a lot better getting the quickest route too if that's what I want.

I don't really see the point in wasting money on a $500 or more truck routing GPS. If my tomtom ever dies I will never replace it with any other GPS. Googlemaps app is really the cat's ass and best of all it's free.

I even have my trusty old road atlas that I still use. I remember not so long ago when there was no GPS. We had road atlases and you could buy big city maps in the truckstops. I remember looking up streets on a Chicago or Indianapolis street map. If you were going somewhere in the boonies not on a road atlas you used a payphone to call for directions. Or you could buy these map books of states that had every county mapped out.

Actually you always made sure to call any place you hadn't been to before to stay out of a bad situation. We had directions over the Qualcomm but they weren't always trustworthy. Whenever I went somewhere like Jersey City I would always call and double check.

Thinking back it sure does seem like a lot of time wasted doing those things when planning trips. Sometimes info was sketchy and it could be a little stressful if pressed for time. But we thought nothing of it.

Everything is so efficient and easy now. And lots of so-called drivers out here would be lost and over their heads if they didn't have a GPS or googlemaps to rely on.
 
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Treadmill

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
What would all the foreigners do if the gps mapping system would go on the blink? No Sergi voice to route them to their destination. No Sergi no money.
 

traacker

Seasoned Expediter
Researching
Sorry for not thank all of you sooner. Got tied up at LibrePlanet conference in Boston.

So far it's Google Maps, and a Rand McNally Nationwide paper book moving me around.

My van does not have any windows in the cargo area and I am planning to put some cameras on it to help me out with that, especially at corners where I am angled such that I can't get a real good view of traffic on my right side.

Thinking that I may be using some kind of tablet computer and using wireless camera(s) to it to get the views on all four sides of the van. With the resource of the processor in the tablet, I am thinking it more power to use for on board mapping software too.
 
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