Just Another Low Bridge Strike After Following GPS

See, I don't get this.

Honestly, neither do the rest of us. How you can have gigantic warning signs right in front of your face telling you the height of an overpass and you hit it anyways? Baffling.

I plan on using a truck GPS, because I'm absolute rubbish with maps.

Tweak, Using a map IS NOT Rocket Science. If you know your alphabet and can count to 100, you can read a map. Get a Motor Carriers Atlas and open it up. DO NOT rely ONLY on a GPS unit. Maps do not need batteries, they will always work! Always have a back up plan, write down directions, especially turn by turn to your destination. That extra 10 minutes could save you hours, or worse!

I plan on using a truck GPS, because I'm absolute rubbish with maps.

Tweak, Using a map IS NOT Rocket Science. If you know your alphabet and can count to 100, you can read a map. Get a Motor Carriers Atlas and open it up. DO NOT rely ONLY on a GPS unit. Maps do not need batteries, they will always work! Always have a back up plan, write down directions, especially turn by turn to your destination. That extra 10 minutes could save you hours, or worse!

Thanks for the tip, brother.

I don't know about maps being easy. The Army's been trying to teach me map reading for 13 years, and I STILL need a refresher every time we do Land Nav. Hell, when I was a Drill Sergeant, I always made sure the other Drills would teach Land Nav, because I sure as crap couldn't!

Reading a map to navigate your way through the wilderness/desert with a compass is a different animal than navigating America's Highways. There are instructions in that Atlas that tell you exactly how to use it. Spend a couple of hours in it and you will be a PRO!

Tweak wrote:

See, I don't get this. I mean, I plan on using a truck GPS, because I'm absolute rubbish with maps. Looking at the Rand McNally one, the latest model. Heh, I hope my driver trainer at Prime doesn't mind...

A couple of things to think about here Tweak:

- The electronic GPS devices rely on satellite communication to work. This connection is dropped/lost often enough that you must rely on an Atlas for backup. It happens to me weekly. Also the entire Qualcomm unit can go down, rendered useless. Considering your aversion to paper maps, I think Prime would definitely care if you are sitting on the side of the road waiting for your system to reboot. You cannot depend on the GPS as your sole means of navigation.

- If I am unsure of where I am going, I always write out my directions using a look ahead feature on the GPS system and will coordinate that with the Atlas. My situation is somewhat different, going from Walmart store to store, many times requiring use of back roads/goat paths. I use the paper RM Atlas to ensure I am not being taken through the woods and into the river. I have lost count how many times the GPS (both of them) have led me astray.

- Most of the large carriers require basic map skills for the very reasons I mentioned above, especially those offering Paid CDL Training Programsi.

This was in a car, following GPS in PA, the system took me into the scale house and merge back onto highway. Thankfully scale house was closed. The next year when I made the same trip to ME, I was ready.

I plan on using a truck GPS, because I'm absolute rubbish with maps.

Tweak, Using a map IS NOT Rocket Science. If you know your alphabet and can count to 100, you can read a map. Get a Motor Carriers Atlas and open it up. DO NOT rely ONLY on a GPS unit. Maps do not need batteries, they will always work! Always have a back up plan, write down directions, especially turn by turn to your destination. That extra 10 minutes could save you hours, or worse!

Thanks for the tip, brother.

I don't know about maps being easy. The Army's been trying to teach me map reading for 13 years, and I STILL need a refresher every time we do Land Nav. Hell, when I was a Drill Sergeant, I always made sure the other Drills would teach Land Nav, because I sure as crap couldn't!

Reading an atlas is definitely a lot easier than what the army teaches you in land nav.

There's one in Davenport IA (Rt 61 South) that is notorious for eating trucks and it's clearly labeled. I think my instructor mentions it at least twice a day in class.

See, I don't get this. I mean, I plan on using a truck GPS, because I'm absolute rubbish with maps. Looking at the Rand McNally one, the latest model. Heh, I hope my driver trainer at Prime doesn't mind...

But anyway, even when using my phone GPS in my truck(little truck, Silverado) I know to be aware of my surroundings. Guess it's that whole "720° security" thing from my deployments, but still. It seems common sense ain't so common these days.

That is a very interesting point you make about being aware of one's surroundings. I wonder if anyone has ever done a study to see if drivers who are also combat or hotzone deployment veterans have a lower accident/incident rate than drivers who have never been in combat or a hotzone.