A Question About Navigation Once You're Off The Highway

Honestly I use strictly Google maps. I tend to run the same areas rather consistently now but I still run it to alert me of delays or road closures. Starting out I got burned a couple times with difficult situations but often times viewing the first/final miles to get a feel for the roads kept me from being stuck. Common sense also helps. Being able to look at a situation you're faced and quickly decide what to do. We have some older drivers that refuse to run GPS at all. They instead call a driver that's been to where they're going and give them directions. Pianoman gave great advice when he mentioned the way google maps displays main roads as well. Definitely something I also do.

Bottom line is don't blindly follow GPS. I have a buddy that called me Wednesday since he delivering to a store he'd never been to. I haven't either but I've heard numerous drivers mention low bridges in the area and to scout it out before he gets close. He claims he did but was too focused on his conversation with me that he missed his turn. He took the next turn google maps told him to and next thing I hear "**** **** 11 foot bridge" fortunately he had tandems up and could go down a residential road to get out. Well that road took him to a 12'6 bridge. He hooked another turn you could hear the relief when he said that one's marked 15 feet.

I’m glad you spoke up because I honestly do exactly the same thing but I didn’t want to get crucified for saying I use Google maps so good on you for having the courage to say what I didn’t lol. But like you I go to the same places all the time and there’s only one low bridge really close to one of our spots we go to all the time, which one of our drivers actually recently hit. It may be different in other cities but Denver isn’t bad for the most part and you can just use common sense for most of it.

I do different stops in the areas but lately I'm either running I35 up to the Minneapolis area, stay in the Des Moines metro, or run US20 in Northeast quarter of the state. I'd say I consistently hit the same 40 stores a month. An example of the common sense I mentioned actually happened this week. Iowa Highway 9 is currently closed near the northern IA town of Cresco while they do repairs. There is a marked detour but Google maps tries to send you another way. I've been driving long enough to know that the roads they choose as the detour route are chosen for a reason. Often times it'll keep you out of trouble. Google kept trying to send me down gravel roads. There's plenty of backhauls I've gone to that require gravel roads to get there but I try to avoid them as much as possible. Very rough ride, narrow if you come upon another vehicle, and feels like you're on ice if the gravel is fresh among other reasons. GPS (including google) are excellent tools to utilize. But that's exactly what they are. Tools. If I were an OTR driver going to different places all the time I'd consider getting a truck specific GPS unit. But the truth is all GPS will fail you at some point and it's the drivers responsibility to use common sense and their experience to avoid issues. GPS hasn't been around forever, once upon a time drivers needed maps or calling the shipper/receiver to find their way.

It's not to say that I don't use it. Most of the time I'm running it in the background at least. I also use street view quite a bit. I get a consensus based route between the garmin and Google, sometimes garmin qill think a road is closed and maps will show otherwise. Generally maps is more up to date.

I think one of the things that comes with experience, which can be both good and bad, is that you begin to recognize the types of roads.

I drive a lot on the old US highway system and state routes. Most of the US highways are safe, but some aren't. State routes can vary. And probably at least once a month I'll do a new customer, that requires a lot of checking. I don't mean new to me, I mean new to the company. I also spend time tracking down an actual working number for the shippers and recievers and ask them particulars of getting in and out.

Meant to post this earlier in response to Rob but forgot to hit submit:

Definitely agree on the construction detours. I’ve also noticed if you use the actual navigation it has a tendency to try to take short cuts even from one highway to another.

I do have a Garmin and it’s very useful but I typically only use it for when I do out of state runs. That said I just did a run to Kansas this week and I didn’t use the Garmin. The route was very simple and straightforward so the only benefit to using a gps at all was just so I didn’t have to keep making sure I was on the right route.

I wouldn’t recommend to a new driver to use google maps unless it’s strictly supplementing the trip planning you’re already doing

You also have to pay attention to the local signs. Both Google Maps and my GPS told me to turn right through a town in Alabama yesterday that the state road led into before getting to the interstate. When I got into town, signs said turn left for the interstate. I knew there had to be a reason the permanent signage said left so technology be damned and I went left with no problems.