Atlas/GPS Consensus

So Kearsey says we should get an Atlas and learn how to use it... that she didn't even get a GPS until 2 years into driving. I just assumed most truck drivers were using some sort of GPS navigation. Is that assumption incorrect... are you all navigating primarily with an Atlas? She says a GPS will even take you down routes with low bridges. Is GPS navigation really that bad?

I'm not calling Kearsey a liar. I'm just trying to establish if this is the opinion of all the good drivers here.

I use Google Maps on new routes to find the shortest or quickest one. My company has a GPS loaded in the OmniTracs (it's slow even tho it's now 4G). I recently bought a Garmin that I use frequently. Then when I go into new areas, I grabbed my Rand McNally laminated map and look through the front for short overpasses, etc.

I drove 88 to 93 and just used the McNally map because GPSs were just coming out and were notoriously incorrect. Now they are more accurate and in the seven years I've been driving this time I have yet to have a Rand McNally or Garmin GPS steer me wrong. Could it? I'm sure it could, but I preview the route it gives me by going through the step by step directions before I take off. There are new exits/on ramps and older ones that are renumbered. The laminated map can take up to three years to be updated and printed. It seems Google Maps and the GPS are updated quicker. All are good tools.

Laura

I was just looking at the specs on the Garmin OTR line of GPSes. The things Garmin claims it can do are amazing. Like, you can put in your truck/load specs, and it will plan a route that fits those specs. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/684273/pn/010-02313-00

I sound like a Garmin commercial, lol.

All of your truck based GPS systems allow for the input of the vehicle dimensions. Personally, I’ve never owned a truck GPS system but I did take part in beta testing of the Tom Tom version. I run the Co Pilot truck gps app on my phone and let it run in background for live traffic updates. Other than that, I’ll use it from time to time for route comparisons but never for actual directions. At $10 a month, I’ve yet to spend the money most will spend on a stand alone unit and it’s just as accurate as any other truck based system.

I've always navigated primarily with my Truck GPS, though I've always had an atlas for backup too. It's a valuable time-saving tool in my arsenal. I punch in the address and out spits a route in seconds. In the early days I would verify the route with the atlas, but it's never been wrong.

In my experience, the GPS is accurate. The routes are always safe, and the GPS won't direct me to somewhere that isn't intended for trucks. It's just never happened. The mapping software comes directly from established trucking routes. And in the case of the Rand McNally GPS I use, it takes it's info from the Rand McNally atlas. That info is continuously updatable, unlike an atlas which could be outdated.

That said, I share the idea that having a hard copy of the atlas is vital. In the event your GPS goes down, you need to know how to get out of there. That too has never happened to me, but it can.

Regardless of the method you prefer, the most important link in the navigational chain is the driver. You must always be hyper-aware of your route and whereabouts. Paying attention to signs and not blindly rolling down the road is critical in keeping you safe. If something doesn't feel right about a route, verify it.

My trucking experience started in 2014/2015.

I’ve always used the navigation in my Qualcomm. However, in my early truck driving days, it was not as accurate as today in more rural areas. E.g. it might tell me I’d arrived at destination when the destination was still a mile down the tree-lined country road AND around a bend. Or, it might tell me my destination is on the left when it’s on the right. And there were a few destinations not recognized by the system or that were actually listed in a town adjacent to the city listed in the load assignment.

I always keep a paper Road Atlas just in case. Plus, I sometimes like to use it to give me perspective as to where I’m going. The Road Atlas will show you Big Island, VA is nowhere near the coast and kind of in the middle of hilly terrain; good to know stuff before you venture in and start freaking out 😆.

These days I also use the free version of TruckerPath as a backup and for traffic indicators.

In my opinion, the printed Road Atlas should be purchased before considering all other stuff for your truck. It has low bridge information, along with all the routes you can take, clearly marked for trucks. It’s also extremely helpful when you come upon the unexpected “DETOUR AHEAD” signs. 👍

Does this suffice for a road atlas? https://www.amazon.com/2022-Motor-Carriers-Atlas-McNally/dp/0528024124/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=rand+mcnally+road+atlas&qid=1638108517&sr=8-6

That's the one. There's a ton of info packed in that book. Maps, bridge restrictions, state weight laws, etc. It's a must have for any driver.

A GPS is nothing more than a tool. Every company has horror stories where a driver followed the gos into a horrific situation.

The first piece of gear in my trucks is the printed atlas. I too have the laminated page version. You can use a grease pencil on them to highlight a route then wipe it off clean.

I go too alot of customers in the middle of nowhere. Many times a gps will be off, if it recognizes the address at all. My company is really good about providing longitude/latitude for customers. On more then one occassion those have been off.

There are only 3 GIS mapping companies and they generally roll out updates every 6 months. However that is them getting the info to their customer, not the customer IE rand McNally, garmin, tom tom etc rolling out map updates. I currently go to 2 customers that google earth actually shows as a vacant field.

Use tools for what they are. TOOLS. Always map out your route before you start and as said. Always read local signs!!

I think it's a foundational must to know how to navigate by Atlas and map. It's a reference tool The Rand McNally truckers Atlas. I primarily use a Garmin otr500. Checked against my Atlas. I always run Google maps as well for real time traffic and all final departure and arrival for the sattlelite images. Also, the Garmin will occasionally miss new property but does a good job on bridges and weights. However, I still will call county clerk's and road department if I have a question in weird areas. All of this is checked against my recommended route from dispatch. I have 4 layers of redundancy.