Many Drivers Like To Use An Old-fashioned Road Atlas.....and The Telephone....but...

What about GPS technology as from Garmin and others? What do you think about this stuff?

Garmin, for instance has a GPS navigator and more:

dēzlCam™ 785 LMT-S 7" GPS Truck Navigator with Built-in Dash Cam PART NUMBER: 010-01856-00

an optional dash cam and even a backup cam. It claims it can alert you for traffic, weather, curves and steep grades.

It claims it's Custom Truck Routing feature can:

"Along with its camera-enabled features, the dēzlCam 785 LMT-S truck navigator also includes preloaded maps that detail truck-related route warnings — such as bridge heights, sharp curves, steep grades and more — for most major roads and highways. Simply enter your vehicle profile information (customizable by height, weight, length, width and hazardous materials*) to find truck-preferred routes suitable for the size and weight of your truck².

*(Yes, it supposedly can find you a legal HAZMAT route (in most areas) without having to go through the hassle and time of calling all the various state DOT offices as Brett had mentioned toward the end of his Raw Truth book. If a HAZMAT truck driver gets in trouble for driving a route Garmin prescribed, can he turn around and sue Garmin? Brett told me in his book of his nightmare driving in New York City the first time in his career. Could Garmin back then have made Brett's life much easier? )

Customized Truck Routing For added convenience, the Simple Truck Profile lets you easily swap trailer sizes with the touch of a button."

GPS is a helpful tool but it is not 100% accurate and it is up to the driver to make sure the route is safe and legal.

Todd, do you read any of the other threads here? Some of your questions lately have been answered, dissected, and discussed repeatedly in the last few months, in other threads.

Go ahead....i DARE you to rely on a GPS

Todd use the search bar and type-in GPS. It will return tons of content. Agree with both replies. It's the driver's responsibility to navigate safely to their destination.

So here is a true story for you Todd (albeit abbreviated)...

One rainy night about 5 1/2 years ago (during my first 6 months as a rookie Walmart driver) I was in extreme North Jersey, not too far for NYC, enroute from the SaddleBrook Walmart to the Garfield Walmart. Very congested and chaotic area of urban sprawl. On Swift's Qualcomm system, we have an integrated GPS system caIled "NavGo". Although "fairly" accurate, like any imperfect technology it will fail at the most inopportune time, like at 23:15 on a rainy night with only 4 hours remaining on the 14 hour on-duty clock. The QC screen went completely dark, lost the connection. I found a wide shoulder, hit my four-ways, parked and pulled out a detailed map of North Jersey to figure out how-to get myself out of this pickle. No idea where I was...or how to get to Garfield. Although I did eventually find my way there...it wasted about 45 minutes of "fiddle" time. Not good when on a time-sensitive, Dedicated Account. The system finally auto-booted and became available at some point during the live unload at the Garfield Store.

Lesson learned. GPS is only one tool to be used in conjunction with old fashioned trip-planning, utilizing the RMC Trucker's Road Atlas and if in highly congested urban areas, a local fold-out map and also Google Maps to observe the docking areas. Never, I mean never rely solely on GPS as the only navigation aid. Even if you have two, one as primary and backup, they typically share the same satellite feed and can simultaneously fail.

My process is an analogue back-up "yellow-sticky" with the route hand-written and attached on the dash. That's my fail-safe back-up. For many of my deliveries, the GPS will miss-route to a part of the store lot inaccessible to the delivery docks. At times requiring backing your way out (learned that the hard way too) to clear and regain entry to the dock.

My tools. This is one of the most important tools. Get a new one every year. Garmin dezl 580 and my PeopleNet. Rand McNally Tnd 540 When my student gets off my truck, I will mount the Rand McNally under the Garmin.

I also use many apps on my phone including DOT apps for road conditions.

I go by the thought of "Use the best tools you can."

Todd, do you read any of the other threads here? Some of your questions lately have been answered, dissected, and discussed repeatedly in the last few months, in other threads.

*LIKE*

My tools. This is one of the most important tools. Get a new one every year. Garmin dezl 580 and my PeopleNet. Rand McNally Tnd 540 When my student gets off my truck, I will mount the Rand McNally under the Garmin.

I also use many apps on my phone including DOT apps for road conditions.

I go by the thought of "Use the best tools you can."

Nice setup there Big Scott. 😀

Mine wanted me to drive across the runway at Griffin Air Force base today. I’m sure that would have turned out well

Speaking of technology, is it possible TruckingTruth has attracted the first person who just might be negatively impacted by autonomous trucks? By the time Todd makes the move...well, ya know.

Or is Todd really a “bot” honing his skills in preparation for the next political election?