What Sort Of Navigation System Do Ya'll Use?

With me considering going OTR again, I am making a checklist of things I will want once I am solo. One big thing is a navigation device. Most companies I've worked for have navigation in the qua-com but it was never really reliable. I want something that I can put in my trip plan in, or be able to add a truck stop along my route, preferably of course, hands-free. I am also considering getting an iPad mini with cellular, and maybe using the trucker path app service for navigation. Since I used to always use that app to find parking. I also plan on keeping an actual road atlas in my truck as well to just cover my bases. So what do you guy's use?

I loved my Garmin, was very useful and made finding parking on the go really easy. The live traffic saved me more times than I can count. Like any GPS though it’s just a tool, never follow blindly.

As I enter the industry I've been doing a lot of research on Truck GPS you can install on your phone in prepping but of course defer to the experienced drivers in here.

TRUCKER PATH seems to be the best as you can plan multiple stops and add duration of the stops and locate any and all conveniences you could need INCLUDING parking prediction for overnight parking. It does cost $100 a year but I can foresee great value in it and will be pulling the trigger later this spring when I am in training OTR.

HAMMER is free and might make a good backup but I have been testing it in my personal vehicle and while navigation seems good and in town it kept me off restricted routes, the app (on IOS anyways) seems too have more bugs than the pentagon. Speed limit indicator, next turn ETA, and mileage all seem to lock up regularly. Multiple stops seem to really screw up the app and you lose your original route (also saw this in feedback in the Apple Store). It seems to pays for itself y advertising driving jobs.

Regardless (as I am sure the veteran drivers will reinforce), GPS is supplemental tool to an Atlas and proper trip planning. Relying on GPS 100% may land you in a cornfield or giving your rig a nasty haircut under a city bridge ;)

Co-Pilot app on my phone. It’s just as accurate as any other system with just as much flexibility and just as capable of sending you somewhere you shouldn’t be. The advantage, it’s only $10 a month.

Garmin dēzl - accept no substitutes. Yes, there's the excellent routing, but there's also traffic and weather apps. Traffic up ahead? The Garmin will warn you, propose an alternate route, tell you how much time the alternate route will save you and let you preview the alternate route before you accept it.

Weather? The Garmin will give you a doppler radar showing clouds on your route, color code rain clouds differently than the snow clouds and give you a little movie of their position every 15 minutes for the previous hour so you can see not only where they're at, but where they're headed. You can also view road cams on your route to see how much snow and ice are on the road ahead.

BEWARE of using your phones for navigation! If Smokey sees you with a phone in your hand while operating a CMV , "I was using a navigation app" isn't going to cut it. I've never heard of a driver being cited for using a GPS while driving. I know several who were ticketed for having a phone in their hands for one reason or another.

Whatever you use for navigation YOU decide where to take your truck, not the GPS. Don't end up on the boardwalk in Atlantic City and blame your GPS!

Garmin dēzl - accept no substitutes. Yes, there's the excellent routing, but there's also traffic and weather apps. Traffic up ahead? The Garmin will warn you, propose an alternate route, tell you how much time the alternate route will save you and let you preview the alternate route before you accept it.

Weather? The Garmin will give you a doppler radar showing clouds on your route, color code rain clouds differently than the snow clouds and give you a little movie of their position every 15 minutes for the previous hour so you can see not only where they're at, but where they're headed. You can also view road cams on your route to see how much snow and ice are on the road ahead.

BEWARE of using your phones for navigation! If Smokey sees you with a phone in your hand while operating a CMV , "I was using a navigation app" isn't going to cut it. I've never heard of a driver being cited for using a GPS while driving. I know several who were ticketed for having a phone in their hands for one reason or another.

Whatever you use for navigation YOU decide where to take your truck, not the GPS. Don't end up on the boardwalk in Atlantic City and blame your GPS!

Reaching up, messing with your GPS system will get you the same fine as using a phone. It’s an electronic device that you’re manipulating so it still classifies as wrong being wrong.

I use Trucker Path on my phone. It provides everything that the Garmin I had provided, but I don't have to worry about map updates failing to load and then bricking the device. I use a mount so that my phone is never in hand while driving. I set everything up before I start driving and then use hands free commands once driving. If I need to look at something in the Trucker Path app while driving, I find a safe place to park and then do what I need to do.

Trucker Path provides weather and traffic updates with options to route around lengthy traffic delays.

Co-Pilot is a good app, but it is $20 more per year than Trucker Path.

Whether to use an app on your phone, an app on company tablet in the truck, or a dedicated GPS device, it's really personal preference. Any of these options will accomplish what we need the tool to accomplish, which is to streamline trip planning and routing.

Main is garmin dezl otr500. Voice command are essential. I run Google maps on the phone in the background for additional traffic and weather, and for final mile, satellite recon. Truckerpath for weird hold on the wall truck stops and parking spots. I rarely route with it, it's as fond of uturns as Google maps because it's based off maps.

As was said, all my route planning, including alternate routes and shipper/reciever recon is done before I drive. If I have to come up with a plan on the fly, I'll pull over somewhere and do it. I will not mess with my device while driving, too risky. Especially Truckerpath, setting the preferences beforehand are crucial. It will default to North up instead of route up, it is almost impossible to zoom in/out on your route and very difficult to change settings parked, let alone while driving. It's not designed to be used while driving, rather is for routing before you take off.

Couple of other tidbits is that I mark hole in the wall parking spots and truckstops as favorites. Also I set display night modes and them dim the gps/phone and dash lights as low as possible but to where I can still safely see them. Cutting out back lighting is essential for night vision.

Another vote for the Garmin Dezl here. I have the OTR 500 I believe but I can’t remember without looking at it. I imagine it depends where you’re going but my ex gf paid for the trucker path navigation and it got her into trouble more times than I can count. (Yes I did teach her proper navigation and trip planning and then when she got on her own she started skipping steps).

As far as the cell phone ticket, yeah either one will get you the ticket if you’re holding or pressing buttons (or tapping on it) while driving but the Garmin is much better equipped in my opinion to help you avoid touching it as it’s designed to be hands free for truckers.

Not to sound like a broken record because we always say this but I seriously recommend plotting your route beforehand and just writing it out on a sticky note. It helps you learn and remember your route better and helps save your ass if your gps decides to go bonkers on you while you’re driving.

The primary prohibition against mobile device usage involves holding it in your hand. Mounting any mobile device eliminates the "handheld" aspect of the law, but several states do have laws that limit use of even a mounted device.

For the strict purists, simply viewing a GPS to follow directions is "use" of a mobile electronic device. Therefore, at least in the NYSSR, don't even look at your GPS if you don't want a ticket.

https://www.williammattar.com/blog/car-accident/using-a-hand-held-gps-device-while-driving/#:~:text=Are%20You%20Allowed%20to%20Use,such%20vehicle%20is%20in%20motion.