Qualcomm Vs Garmin Gps

I have the Tom Tom as well as the NaviGo on Qualcomm. Our company supplied NaviGo version is simply awful. If not set before hand when stopped, it's virtually inaccessible, requires you to tell it to/press reroute, gets lost often/loses signal/malfunctions, and not very good at searching for truck stops either. It always chooses the shortest route which can sometimes be a bad thing in say PA, VA, WVA etc.

I have a rand McNally 730. I use both it and my Qualcomm. For the majority of the trip I mostly use the McNally, and for the last 15-20 miles I use the Qualcomm. The Qualcomm directions usually take me to the truck entrance while the McNally takes me to the exact address plugged in which is not always the truck entrance.

On the hazmat issue, the McNally had a seeing where you can tell it you are hauling hazmat and what kind and it will route you accordingly. I don't haul hazmat so I don't know how well it works.

Ya know, I thought there was supposed to be a setting for hazmat but never found it. Turns out I was looking in the wrong place. Now that I know where it is I'll have to try it the next time I haul an AC or something. Thanks Susan :)

I have the Tom Tom as well as the NaviGo on Qualcomm. Our company supplied NaviGo version is simply awful. If not set before hand when stopped, it's virtually inaccessible, requires you to tell it to/press reroute, gets lost often/loses signal/malfunctions, and not very good at searching for truck stops either. It always chooses the shortest route which can sometimes be a bad thing in say PA, VA, WVA etc.

I agree with this 100%. Just this morning the qc wanted to send me to an address that was one block away from the actual address in boston. Luckily I knew from the last time it was wrong. It sometimes does this, and/or tells me it's on the opposite side of the road. There are several interstate splits or on/off ramps here in the northeast where construction has been done and the maps haven't been updated in several years. I know no gps is completely accurate, but it's got to be an improvement over this p.o.s.

Hate the Qualcomm GPS. Missed my exit/ramp because of it. Thankfully I didn't get stuck when it happened. Even today, it couldn't find routing for my 90, like the address wasn't in the system . I had to rely on Macro 19 and Google maps on my phone to get me there.

About ready to buy a truck GPS.

Adam wrote:

Hate the Qualcomm GPS. Missed my exit/ramp because of it. Thankfully I didn't get stuck when it happened. Even today, it couldn't find routing for my 90, like the address wasn't in the system . I had to rely on Macro 19 and Google maps on my phone to get me there.

So Navi-Go "made you miss an exit?"

Cannot help but ask; "why are you relying entirely on any GPS?" Maybe you aren't, but it sure seems like that's the case. No GPS is 100% fool-proof, only an aid, a tool, and will almost always let you down or lose the feed at the exact moment you need it the most. And trusting your 13'6" high by 73' long semi to a mobile version of Google Maps...a GPS system designed for smaller vehicles?

I suggest using the look-ahead feature on the Navi-Go (or other) while trip-planning or before moving to align it with the most trusted backup there is; Rand McNally's Trucker's Road Atlas. I kid you not, I always have my daily route hand written on a Sticky-Note after comparing the suggested electronic route with the Atlas, posted on the lower edge of the QC unit. Most of the time these systems (including Navi-Go) are reliable, but I can recall many times, if I did not have the Sticky-Note backup for navigating the congested urban areas of North Jersey, Baltimore, and/or Philadelphia, no telling what would have happened while I waited for the system to reset itself or reboot. Wouldn't be the first time I was docked and the silly Gizmo was still trying to reset itself.

Hate the Qualcomm GPS. Missed my exit/ramp because of it. Thankfully I didn't get stuck when it happened. Even today, it couldn't find routing for my 90, like the address wasn't in the system . I had to rely on Macro 19 and Google maps on my phone to get me there.

About ready to buy a truck GPS.

Just to back you up, Adam, on my mentor ride, I entered an interchange​ my mentor had been through before. He knew what was coming: a confusing set of freeway ramps with a confusing Navi-Go route. I missed my exit!! My mentor just smiled, he wanted to see if I would catch the correct route.

The Qualcomm screen is too small to do any research, especially while driving (really a no-no in itself). Yes, is best to go over the route with a larger map before you get into town.

I have the dezl Garmin, its.ok, but mine reboots on it's own from time to time.

Thinking of getting the rand tablet over the 730, mainly because the rand tablet has the rand atlas built into it, which is nice.

Adam wrote:

Hate the Qualcomm GPS. Missed my exit/ramp because of it. Thankfully I didn't get stuck when it happened. Even today, it couldn't find routing for my 90, like the address wasn't in the system . I had to rely on Macro 19 and Google maps on my phone to get me there.

So Navi-Go "made you miss an exit?"

Cannot help but ask; "why are you relying entirely on any GPS?" Maybe you aren't, but it sure seems like that's the case. No GPS is 100% fool-proof, only an aid, a tool, and will almost always let you down or lose the feed at the exact moment you need it the most. And trusting your 13'6" high by 73' long semi to a mobile version of Google Maps...a GPS system designed for smaller vehicles?

I suggest using the look-ahead feature on the Navi-Go (or other) while trip-planning or before moving to align it with the most trusted backup there is; Rand McNally's Trucker's Road Atlas. I kid you not, I always have my daily route hand written on a Sticky-Note after comparing the suggested electronic route with the Atlas, posted on the lower edge of the QC unit. Most of the time these systems (including Navi-Go) are reliable, but I can recall many times, if I did not have the Sticky-Note backup for navigating the congested urban areas of North Jersey, Baltimore, and/or Philadelphia, no telling what would have happened while I waited for the system to reset itself or reboot. Wouldn't be the first time I was docked and the silly Gizmo was still trying to reset itself.

Oh I do rely on the GPS too much. Trip planning was never taught by my trainers at Prime. It was basically start looking for a place to park with one hour on your clock.

And yes it's the complex interchanges. Pennsylvania and Memphis are the places it occured. I do used the look a head feature but sonetines that doesn't work. It won't say if I need 81 South or North, just 81. Now if I trip planned, this wouldn't haven't happened I know.

Oh and I only use Google maps as an aid. I use it to see the areas around a shipper or receiver. The only time I'll trust it for navigation in a big rig is on the interstate and even then I'll have a backup in place.

Adam wrote:

Hate the Qualcomm GPS. Missed my exit/ramp because of it. Thankfully I didn't get stuck when it happened. Even today, it couldn't find routing for my 90, like the address wasn't in the system . I had to rely on Macro 19 and Google maps on my phone to get me there.

So Navi-Go "made you miss an exit?"

Cannot help but ask; "why are you relying entirely on any GPS?" Maybe you aren't, but it sure seems like that's the case. No GPS is 100% fool-proof, only an aid, a tool, and will almost always let you down or lose the feed at the exact moment you need it the most. And trusting your 13'6" high by 73' long semi to a mobile version of Google Maps...a GPS system designed for smaller vehicles?

I suggest using the look-ahead feature on the Navi-Go (or other) while trip-planning or before moving to align it with the most trusted backup there is; Rand McNally's Trucker's Road Atlas. I kid you not, I always have my daily route hand written on a Sticky-Note after comparing the suggested electronic route with the Atlas, posted on the lower edge of the QC unit. Most of the time these systems (including Navi-Go) are reliable, but I can recall many times, if I did not have the Sticky-Note backup for navigating the congested urban areas of North Jersey, Baltimore, and/or Philadelphia, no telling what would have happened while I waited for the system to reset itself or reboot. Wouldn't be the first time I was docked and the silly Gizmo was still trying to reset itself.

G Town, it's often a "Prime Thing". Our routing doesn't give us exit numbers until we are near our destination. When I first started (and remember Adam here just uograded to solo), I got lost in NE for like 60 miles then messgaed dispatch and told then I'd have to wait until morning when I could see. I wanted to punch the steering wheel when I realized I went in a huge loop.

Our directions will say " follow I 80 for 74 miles then US 6 for 98 miles ". The problem with this is that the two roads merge for a great distance and then run parallel so every exit has a US 6 lol. There is no distinction of whether the 98 miles on US 6 included or is in addition to the first 25 miles where they run together. Using the atlas doesn't really help much either cause they dont give us towns. This was pretty much when I relied on QC to figure it out. It figured wrong and I was faced with a 12' clearance. Not good.

Now I just say screw it and in the winter I stay on interstates. Not dealing with smaller routes if I can avoid it lol

I've told prime it would save time and fuel to just give us exit numbers. Smh.

Rainy, our routing is like that too. I combat that problem by marking the entire route on my laminated atlas, using a dry erase marker. At least I know the towns as some highways share interstates while others weave back and forth near them with multiple exits like you dealt with. I also attempt to determine proper exit numbers as much as possible, before I ever begin my trip.