GPS Help Please.....

[scott_vt]

Good Afternoon Guys,
Could someone point me in the right direction please !

What is available on the GPS market that can plan your route for you ?

Im driving a truck, new career/ career change, and am making aprox 30 to 35 stops a day.

Im looking for a GPS that is capable of routing me in a logical manner, so as not to backtrack and wasting time !

Im in an unfamiliar part of the state, and until I get to really know my route base ,which consists of between 3000 to 4000 customers, I need a bit of help !

I know enough to layout the route by towns, but when I get to all the seperate streets in town, Im in trouble !

Any suggestions would be helpful !

 

[polo1665]

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=275&pID=31541

Scott,
Take a look at this one. I've been shopping for a hand held GPS to use around my land here. I ran across this and when I read you question I remembered it. It may fit the bill for you. A little pricey, but what the hey, it's only money right?

Mark

 

[scott_vt]

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=275&pID=31541

Scott,
Take a look at this one. I've been shopping for a hand held GPS to use around my land here. I ran across this and when I read you question I remembered it. It may fit the bill for you. A little pricey, but what the hey, it's only money right?

Mark

Good Afternoon Mark,
Wow !!! That does look good !

Weight and height restrictions, hazmat restrictions etc thats the ticket !

Very helpful !

 

[polo1665]

Now if you can just find a place to buy it. I am pretty much settled on the Garmin Oregon 550 handheld GPS, but I can't seem to find a store around here that has it on hand. I' gonna call Cabelas this afternoon to see if they've got it. It'll take an hour drive to Wheeling WV, but Cabelas is a fun store to visit.

Mark

 

[Reg]

According to EXACTLY what your new career entails you MIGHT want to consider a laptop based solution.

I use Street Atlas 2009 Plus from DeLorme and one of the BIG advantages to me is that I can receive e-mail enquiries ON THIS LAPTOP, do trial routings and mileage/time estimates ON THIS LAPTOP, reply with my prepared quote and questions I may have about any details - right ON THIS LAPTOP. As other enquiries come in I can add "vias" to the best existing route that I already have, etc, etc.

Then I can take it all with me and if there are delays or whatever I have all the contact info with me. I can call ahead and give an ETA to each stop and I can KEEP to that schedule by setting the expected travel speeds conservatively. If there are construction delays I can call ahead to re-set the expectation. For what I do it is important that I arrive pretty much when customers expect me to, although it is OK if I'm late as long as they know that I have been delayed due to traffic or construction.
If I need an overnight stay I can do a radius search for say Comfort Inns or Holiday Inn express, whatever chain.

Not saying you couldn't do same/similar with i-phone or similar, but this has worked well for me through various versions for over 5 years now.
A mini book might work a bit better, say a 10 inch screen, but try to drive with the lid SHUT and just listen for next turn directions. With Street Atlas I have that set for 90 seconds warning, which seems about right.

 

[Reg]

One more thing about Street Atlas.
I begin a route with my "Start" and "Finish" locations, typically home.
Then I "Insert" my stops if the sequence doesn't matter, that produces optimal routing.
The nature of what I do doesn't usually permit this, so I have to "Add" my stops and they have to be in the right order - I have to know what that order is.
This is the difference between "Insert" and "Add" with Street Atlas.
"Inserts" would probably work if you have all deliveries or all pick-ups, but it doesn't work for specific items that must be picked-up at specific locations and delivered to other specific locations.
Of course you HAVE TO start your route at a pick up location (or your base) and you generally want to finish at a delivery address, or your base. Automatic routing can be frustrating when it tries to do anything different than this for you - based just on route optimization for mileage.


Make sense ?
Well, it does if you are in a biz where you can only carry up to 6 customers' items at any one time.
(-:

 

[/pine]

...you MIGHT want to consider a laptop based solution

unless you use some sort of device like they use in police crusiers to hold the laptop...the safety police will give you heck about trying to use a laptop as a navigation device...

also, unless the laptop has touch screen capabilities it can be difficult to use for someing also driving...

on the other hand it is very cheap to turn any laptop into a GPS navigation system as long as the laptop has bluetooth... just buy a satellite receiver on e-bay for about $25 and install some mapping softwre and you're good to go...likewise with any PDA that has bluetooth (most all PDAs have touch screen)

 

[sandman2234]

I use Microsoft streets and trips 2009 with the gps sensor on a laptop to find my way. I generally figure out where I can and can't go when I plug my address' into it. If I don't like a route it gives, me, I add a stop on a road along the route I want to take. You can't expect a gps to do everything for you, and as long as you have the general idea of where you want to go, and come up on a route not truck friendly, then it should "recalcuate" for you based on that route you do take. I have tried several normal GPS' but don't really like the small screen that I have to put my glasses on to read. With a laptop, you can zoom in or out with a screen XX inches in size, much bigger than the largest GPS available. Size does make a difference. version 2009 will allow you to do a night friendly view of the map also, to lessen the light that is put into your cab. I think the program and sensor was about $75 but I got it for my birthday last year. I have used S&Trips since 1997 and still like it. Maybe it is because I am used to it, don't know.
David from jax

 

[Reg]

unless you use some sort of device like they use in police crusiers to hold the laptop...the safety police will give you heck about trying to use a laptop as a navigation device...

also, unless the laptop has touch screen capabilities it can be difficult to use for someing also driving...

on the other hand it is very cheap to turn any laptop into a GPS navigation system as long as the laptop has bluetooth... just buy a satellite receiver on e-bay for about $25 and install some mapping softwre and you're good to go...likewise with any PDA that has bluetooth (most all PDAs have touch screen)

I had also said to DRIVE with the lid SHUT and depend on the voice simulation for turn by turn directions.
I do NOT use mine as a live moving map that I stare at while driving, so it is far LESS distracting than the self contained units that mount on the dash or with a suction cup on the windshield.
The receiver comes pre-packaged with Street Atlas, every so often I get a newer one, but I usually just get upgrades and stay with the old USB or bluetooth receiver.

As far as Streets and Trips is concerned; DeLorme DOES Maps, MicroSoft (almost) does software.
Nuff said.

 

[radioman]

scott vt- I am not sure what type of truck driving you are doing, but if you are delivering to new homes, chances are is the gps may or may not know where to find it since its too new of a palce and not added to the database. you just gotta use a lower house number or nearby street and go from there. Just a tip. I prefer the gps's you can add your own poi as that is what I do.

 

[kennyd]

scott vt- I am not sure what type of truck driving you are doing, but if you are delivering to new homes, chances are is the gps may or may not know where to find it since its too new of a palce and not added to the database. you just gotta use a lower house number or nearby street and go from there. Just a tip. I prefer the gps's you can add your own poi as that is what I do.

Same thing happens with maps...and they take a lot longer to get updated!

 

[hilld]

When I was the Director of Logistics for a very large nursery, we used PC Miler to do routing for us. You simply input all of the stops, and then let the software auto re-route the loop.

I am not sure how much the software costs now, but it was very effective and they updated the maps several times a year. It would also give you total miles, just in case you are paid/charged that way. We would pay the miles based on PC Miler (avoiding small roads, or roads that are truck restricted).

Derek

 

[Ductape]

I'll just warn you Scotty........ don't get one of those talking GPSs! I get lost all the time because mine has a sultry female voice, and i'll be darned if I'm gonna trust directions from a woman !! Usually leaves me turning left when she says turn right.

 

[Reg]

Scott,

Tell us a bit more ?
Are these items that all get collected and brought to one place ? {Gather towards home}
Are they "all the same" and have to be delivered to many places ? {Scatter out from home}
Are they all different, each to be delivered to a specific place (UPS style, truck packing sequence often matters).
Some mix of the above ?

I can probably help you understand what else you will have to do to the route beyond what the gps does for mere shortest distance or fastest time between all the stops.
Bridge, weight, width and length restrictions are a part of this, but only a PART.

 

[polo1665]

Scott,

Tell us a bit more ?
Are these items that all get collected and brought to one place ? {Gather towards home}
Are they "all the same" and have to be delivered to many places ? {Scatter out from home}
Are they all different, each to be delivered to a specific place (UPS style, truck packing sequence often matters).
Some mix of the above ?

I can probably help you understand what else you will have to do to the route beyond what the gps does for mere shortest distance or fastest time between all the stops.
Bridge, weight, width and length restrictions are a part of this, but only a PART.

If I remember correctly, I believe he drives a tanker truck, delivering fuel or some other hazardous payload.

Mark

 

[scott_vt]

Scott,

Tell us a bit more ?
Are these items that all get collected and brought to one place ? {Gather towards home}
Are they "all the same" and have to be delivered to many places ? {Scatter out from home}
Are they all different, each to be delivered to a specific place (UPS style, truck packing sequence often matters).
Some mix of the above ?

I can probably help you understand what else you will have to do to the route beyond what the gps does for mere shortest distance or fastest time between all the stops.
Bridge, weight, width and length restrictions are a part of this, but only a PART.

Good Mornin Guys,
Some very good suggestions, and Im definitely learning as this topic gets discussed here!

Im delivering home heating oil, clear diesel, dyed diesel and dyed kerosene to a very wide customer base throughout the eastern portions of Ct, predominately along the shoreline.

I also transport various petroleum products in bulk from one end of the state to our home facility in Branford, Ct.

My original hope was that there was a GPS on the market that would take anywhere between 20 to 30 stops and route them in a logical manner !

I looked over the link that Mark provided on the Garmin, but I wish there was more detail on entering data and how the GPS computes the routes. Maybe Im just not seeing it.

In any event thanks for the suggestions so far !

 

[scott_vt]

I'll just warn you Scotty........ don't get one of those talking GPSs! I get lost all the time because mine has a sultry female voice, and i'll be darned if I'm gonna trust directions from a woman !! Usually leaves me turning left when she says turn right.

Good Mornin Scott,
Male voice all the way, I dont need any additional distractions !

 

[Reg]

For new addresses and even some old obscure ones I use Google maps if Street Atlas can't find it.
If the client warns me of something a bit unusual for a big truck & trailer I will often check it out on Google Earth as well.
At 1,000 ft churches and farm buildings are quite distinct vs single family homes, so I can identify some landmarks from the air.

a_NOTHER thing with software maps is that you can GENERALLY turn on town and zip code boundaries and as many of us in New England know a street will change names at the town boundary. The really NASTY ONE is when a street keeps the same name, but suddenly you realize that the numbers on the mail boxes have changed range and are now counting UP instead of DOWN like they were a minute ago.

Here's one for you that might be "a bit close to home";
White Hill Road, East Ryegate, VT
It also is in Barnet, but it has the same name and the numbering changes.
Not only that, but according to the post office addresses on the west side of the road in Barnet are actually in East Ryegate. SOME of the residents seem to believe it too, but some know the joke.
Symms Pond Road and White Hill seem to form the "local lore" definition of Barnet in East Ryegate as a U shape.

This is where a package with a phone directory can help.
The phone company seems to have kept a lot of data about where they laid copper wire a long time ago, it isn't perfect but it can often give you the second guess that you need.

Again, some of this only matters for SOME items in SOME businesses - in mine it matters a great deal, which is why I know about it (-:

 

[Reg]

OK, so you GENERALLY want to be unloading (delivering) on the way out and come back empty.
There are probably MANY cases that wouldn't work naturally, i.e. shortest might be a loop, but lowest ton-miles might be a zig-zag out and empty return,
You are also fire/hazmat limited, so SOME of PCMiler or the Garmin 465-T would be valuable to you.
I have seen the Garmin 465-T on display at Best Buy, mounted in a cradle where I could "test drive" it.
At the time I didn't have enough time to configure a truck and try a route between two points close to each other with a restriction that I could think of on the most obvious route.
That would be worth figuring ahead of time, then downsize the truck to see if it will go under that 12ft bridge that you KNOW is there (-:

 

[scott_vt]

OK, so you GENERALLY want to be unloading (delivering) on the way out and come back empty.
There are probably MANY cases that wouldn't work naturally, i.e. shortest might be a loop, but lowest ton-miles might be a zig-zag out and empty return,
You are also fire/hazmat limited, so SOME of PCMiler or the Garmin 465-T would be valuable to you.
I have seen the Garmin 465-T on display at Best Buy, mounted in a cradle where I could "test drive" it.
At the time I didn't have enough time to configure a truck and try a route between two points close to each other with a restriction that I could think of on the most obvious route.
That would be worth figuring ahead of time, then downsize the truck to see if it will go under that 12ft bridge that you KNOW is there (-:

Good Mornin Reg,
Thankyou !

So Im under the impression that I could take 20 different waypoints or stops in street language, program them all in, multiple towns etc, and have the 465 map out the route, is this correct ?

Yes there are time when I will be making a detour, and the route will need to be recalculated !