Trucker Toys - Why Pay Full Pop At The Truck Stop?

Convenience. Yeah, I know. I'm not saying anything earth shattering here, but I'd like to share about my score by purchasing online instead of the local truck stop. I went to the Flying J near my house and did a little browsing. I was looking for a truck gps (yep, just a tool, not gonna blindly follow it into a lake), Rand McNally Deluxe (laminated version) Road Atlas, bluetooth headset, and an adapter for charging my phone in the cig outlet.

The Flying J had the RM TND 720 for $399, RK 400 headset for $100, and I didn't bother checking the prices on the phone adapter or atlas. I got the TND 720 for $274, the RK 400 headset for $64, the RM Deluxe 2015 Road Atlas for $37, and a dual phone charger w/ extra cable for $7. All together, including shipping, my total order came to $390.00. I bought the toys off eBay from a respectable power seller w/ high feedback ratings.

The only benefit I could see for buying at the truck stop is the return policy. But all my toys are brand new, sealed from the manufacturer, and will have some form of manufacturer's limited warranty. Good enough for me.

All I need now is a cb radio to use for traffic info on the highway, or a head's up on bad road conditions during winter. Still not sure if I'll get the radio or not. Gotta figure out how to mount on a company truck I'll be sharing w/ other drivers. I'll have to set up and tear down each day, not sure if that's worth the hassle.

The only benefit I could see for buying at the truck stop is the return policy. 

This policy came in handy for me when my gps became defective and started to glitch. I had purchased it from a Flying J. I just found the closest one and swapped it out for a new one, no questions asked.

The manufacturer warranty you speak of would require you to ship the defective item to the company where they will repair it, or send you out a refurbished one. This would be a hassle considering the time without the item and having to pick up the replacement they send to your house.

Sometimes you will also have enough points built up on your loyalty card to get items for free at the truckstop.

I think each way you go has its on set of pros/cons. You just have to weigh out your options and see what works best. Like you stated, its mainly a choice between money or convenience.

This policy came in handy for me when my gps became defective and started to glitch. I had purchased it from a Flying J. I just found the closest one and swapped it out for a new one, no questions asked.

The manufacturer warranty you speak of would require you to ship the defective item to the company where they will repair it, or send you out a refurbished one. This would be a hassle considering the time without the item and having to pick up the replacement they send to your house.

Good point. The time it would take to get a replacement could be a definite nag. Hopefully I won't have any problems.

I know Cell Phones are small but do any of you use the Trucker GPS apps? i was just curious and looking into them and found several with high reviews and some even have you put the weight and size of your trucks in.

The one i found "SmartTruckRoute" runs off google maps so its updated quite often...

I'm still new to all this starting the process with SWIFT as it seems to do what i need as far as schooling goes and i meet the requirements.

I know Cell Phones are small but do any of you use the Trucker GPS apps? i was just curious and looking into them and found several with high reviews and some even have you put the weight and size of your trucks in.

The one i found "SmartTruckRoute" runs off google maps so its updated quite often...

I'm still new to all this starting the process with SWIFT as it seems to do what i need as far as schooling goes and i meet the requirements.

Actually was kind if curious about this one as well. Its got a tin of reviews and the screen on my Note 3 is pretty comparable in size for some GPS units