Im lookin for a good GPS system that works well for truckers. What I mean by that is, most "passenger car" GPS's take you through routes that a tractor/trailer could not go. I saw one in a guys truck one time that was designed with the trucker in mind, by that, meaning it wont take you on roads with a low weight limit or on a back road where you can get tangled up.

Anyone know where I could find any info on these??

Thanks

 

I vote for Garmin or Megellion.

 

You're definitely going to have to find one geared for truckers specifically. I can't help you there, but I can tell you my handheld Garmin has choices for pedestrian, bicycle, passenger car, truck, etc. so you don't get routed through residential areas when inappropriate, or get sent down a one way street the wrong way (OK for pedestrians but not for anything else) and stuff like that. A significantly larger data base would be needed to contain info on weight ratings, turn radii, etc. I guess all I'm saying is agree that no "auto-designed" unit is going to give this to you.

 

Something like this?

http://www.thegpsstore.com/Detail-Ga...c-XM-Radio.asp

 

You the man Bill!!! Can you find one a little cheaper though??? lol j/k i'll take a better look at that website.

thanks buddy!

 

Check these guys out(gpscentral.ca)

 

Yeah, it's a little pricey!

 

Try the Copilot program. It is specifically written for Truckers, but is about $225 with GPS antenna. You can buy it from Flying J, Pilot truck stops etc.

Right now I have Street Atlas 2006 with GPS, I have the Copilot 9, both running on a Toshiba Laptop, and the small Garmin 670.
Of those, The Street Atlas is best for finding hotels and restaurants. The copilot is best for when I'm towing the 5th wheel, and for ease of following directions (3D viewing). However, when going over rough roads, the laptop screen shakes real bad and sometimes looks like it will fall off. The Garmin is best for following directions and for ease of use, but you can only set one way point.

Oh well, I guess nothing is perfect.

John

 

I have a Garmin 7200 unit that works great, well thought out for those of us that have come to depend on GPS routing. It has three settings, car, RV and truck. I have not used the truck route all that often but it certainly will keep you off side streets, sharp turn intersections, and low bridges and I think weight restrictions. The 7200 and 7500 are designed with RVs in mind and provide useful features in this application that may not be needed otherwise.

There are trucker oriented POIs available (both free and paid) that will point out restaurants with large parking lots, truck stops, etc. I don't know of a good POI for diesel fuel stops for any GPS unit, but if you find one, and with just a little PC knowledge, you can load it into the Garmin units. You need a common PC with a DVD drive and USB port if you want update the maps and firmware which come out about once a year. Not absolutely necessary, but to get the most out of the unit you need one. Garmin's installer DVDs lead you right through the process. The Garmin POIs and Maps are as up to date as any but are maybe a year behind real life.

Garmin has customer support second to none, although others may also be good.

The 7200 has a large screen and remote control to give you mounting flexibility. You can also subscribe to traffic reports, weather, stock market reports, play MP3s, play audible books and hook up a camera (backup perhaps). All USA and Canada is stored in memory, not sure about Mexico, no need to fiddle with DVDs. Proclip makes a mount that places the unit in front of the vent right of the steering wheel, nicely within viewing and touch distance. Garmin is the top of the line as far as routing software. If you subscribed to traffic updates (either through the Satellite or clear channel FM) it will route you around reported jams and accidents. Reporting is only effective in urban areas. The screen is large enough to run a DVD player to it. It has a memory card slot where you can plug in photos of home, small videos, MP3 songs, etc. You can listen to music (including satelite from an optional receiver) while displaying the map. I like the 3D view, but there are a bunch of other views. You can save favorite locations and it has a large database of restaurants, fuels stations, hotels, rest stops and a simple to use human interface.

The large screen and internal memory make it costly, but I have been using GPS for over a decade and this is the best functioning and performing unit I've had. If you rely on the GPS to get you where you want to go, you come to appreciate the features this unit has. The higher 7500 adds a gyro so it can keep track in tunnels or other obstructions, I don't think would be much use unless you spend a lot of time in large cities.

The only thing better, IMHO, perhaps is a PC laptop with GPS add on.

Here is a link to GPS discussions. This site also has links to a number of reviews. Its like arguing about what’s the best truck, ferd, cheby or dodge, but you can't go wrong with the 7200.

http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/default.asp?CAT_ID=2

Do a google search on garmin 7200 to find the best prices, often Amason. Best Buy and Circuitcity also sells them. Walmart too I think. You get what you pay for, there are smaller Garmin units available too. They all use the same maps and routing software I think.

OK too long of a post, got carried away. You could also search the archives as this topic comes up often.

 

Check GPSDiscount.com when you decide to buy. Out of 20 or so online stores not including eBay (I don't recommend buying a GPS from eBay) they had the best prices when I bought mine.

 

Walmart has decent prices on certain models also...I got a good deal on my wifes nuvi350 for only $447.

 

Thanks for the info COLD!! So what your saying is, all the garmin GPS's should have the same routing software as far as choosing a car, rv, truck? Also, you seem to have quite a mind on GPS systems, what is a good price on this 7200?

 

Garmin has more models than I can keep track of. All the street pilots 2000 and above (26xx/27xx/28xx/7x00) have the same navigation software and map data. I think others have the same navigation software but the map data may be lite versions. The nuvi 660 looks nice, doesn't have the same map data base, but it looks like you can select vehicle type. You may want to call garmin 1-800-800-1020 to be sure.

The 7200 is $850 at:
http://www.compuplus.com/i-Garmin-St...9814qyteei735f

You should be able to find others, but I think that’s about as good a legit price as you'll get. Expensive because it has a large 7 inch screen and the maps and database are built in. If you get one I'll post some mounting suggestions as you may not want to use the supplied stick on mount. A RAM type suction mount may work better, or the proclip mount I use. The 7200 is large and heavy so it needs more careful mounting than smaller 2000 series units. You'll see one reviewer at the site above complaining about screen detail, but he did not have his preferences set up correctly.

I notice only the 2000-7000 series street pilot models have a database of exits for the Federal Interstate highway system. This includes many businesses within about ¼ mile of the exit, including: restaurants, diesel/gas, hotels/lodging, overnight RV parking, dumps, campgrounds, truckstops, medical facilities, shopping and outlet malls, ATMs, and many more attractions.

I think the street pilot models are oriented more to on road navigation where the nuvi and others are oriented toward portable and personal travel assistants type use.

 

Thanks Cold, that helps alot! So basically, all the street pilot versions should have the same software?? The 7200 is nice but I dont need all the features and wasnt really looking to spend that kind of money, maybe someday but right now its just not feasible.

thanks for the help