Truck GPS Reviews

GPS-Planet carries the only four GPS solutions currently available for the commercial truck driver including the Garmin 465T,  Rand McNally Intelliroute TND 500,  Goodyear GY500X,  CoPilot PC*Miler Truck GPS,  WorldNav Truck GPS and CoPilot Truck Laptop 11 system.

All of these truck GPS units differ from your average automobile GPS because of the truck-specific mapping data they contain.  As many as 700,000 miles of truck restricted roads are featured in these units!  That's a lot of road data.  This is important to remember because if you've ever used a car GPS, these units will not calculate your truck route as quickly as a car GPS.  A car GPS doesn't have to look at all those restrictions to calculate a route. So remember, truck GPS units will calculate your route a little slower than a car GPS.

Another important thing to remember when purchasing a truck GPS is that, just like a car GPS, the map data is not always accurate.  Truck GPS units are accurate most of the time, but not all of the time.  Sometimes you will have better local knowledge of the route than the GPS will. The truck GPS manufacturers are trying to provide reliable truck routes, and they are constantly updating the road data.

Like any new electronic device, spend a little time getting to know your GPS and learn how to use it properly.  They're not difficult to operate, but you should take the time to read the manual so you know how to use it.  Bottom line is that a truck GPS will help you get to your destination.  A truck GPS is just another tool of the trade.  Use it to help get you where you want to go.....and above all drive safely and obey all road signs.

The Garmin 465T Truck GPS is the latest GPS unit designed for truck drivers. It features a preloaded NTTS Breakdown Directory, specialized routing options throughout the lower 48 states and truck friendly points of interest, this full-featured truck routing GPS was made for life on the road. It provides turn-by-turn directions that call out streets by name, the nüvi 465T provides specialized routing to support truck-related restrictions (customizable by height, weight, length, width and hazardous materials). Simply enter dimensions and load restrictions and nüvi 465T's 4.3" LCD screen guides you according to your requirements. You can even enter multiple-point routing so that you can take a more efficient route between multiple stops along your trip. It also has an integrated FM traffic receiver so you can receive free alerts about traffic delays and road construction on your route.  And finally it has bluetooth so you can make hands-free calls through your compatible Bluetooth cell phone.

Conclusion:  The Garmin is a great GPS for the commercial truck driver.  It has loads of features and the price is reasonable.  We would rate this as the top-of-the-line GPS unit for any OTR commercial truck drivers.

PC*MILER Navigator, is the most recent addition to the truck GPS offerings.  It's one of the only GPS navigation systems specifically designed for company drivers, owner operators, and leased operators and the only way to get industry standard PC*MILER directions in the cab.

Routing: Practical, Shortest, 53'/102'' Trailer, HazMat, National Network and Toll Avoidance.

13' 6'' height, 48' length, 80,000 pound weight and 96'' width restrictions. Large, clear 4.3” touch screen display Truck-specific, loud spoken Dock-to-Dock directions throughout the U.S. and Canada Easily detour around unexpected congestion and avoid specific roads Optimizes up to 50 stops Truck stops, rest areas, weigh stations plus 6 Million additional Points of Interest.

Conclusion:  Nice bright, easy to read 4.3" LCD screen.  Takes a little while to learn all of the cool features.  Uses ALK Technologies CoPilot truck mapping data.  Currently one of the only units that will optimize several stops and calculate the most efficient route.

The Rand McNally Intelliroute TND 500 offers the commercial truck driver a new truck routing choice utilizing the dependable maps of Rand McNally. The TND™ has a bright 5" screen that uniquely meets the needs of the commercial truck driver with truck-specific routing and tools to help drivers run more profitably and efficiently.  Avoid out-of-route miles with accurate routing for truck-specific configurations and HazMat. Prevent accidents and tickets by using roads and bridges that accommodate truck height, weight, and length. Reduce manual calculations with recorded state-by-state/providence mileage and on duty/drive times.

Conclusion:  This is the newest truck GPS on the market and we like it a lot.  Not only because it has a nice bright screen, but because it takes advantage of Rand McNally's years of mapping expertise.

The WordNav GPS units are self-contained GPS units that come with truck routing software installed on an SD memory card.  The unit is offered in three sizes, a 3.5" screen, a 5" screen, and a 7" screen.  This unit is perfect for the driver looking for a complete package GPS made specifically for the commercial truck driver.  The units also have nice features like an MP3 player, picture and movie player built into it.

Conclusion: We've used this unit and it worked very well for us.  We think these are a good choice for the commercial truck driver.  The 5" and 7" models are easier to see because of their size.  The 7" model also has a video input for attaching an optional backup camera.  The manufacturer, TeleType, is constantly updating their maps to provide the latest information for drivers.

The CoPilot Truck GPS system is a software solution for the commercial truck driver looking for routing dock to dock.  Depending on which CoPilot Truck system you purchase, it will come with truck routing software on a CD that you load onto your laptop, and a GPS receiver (either bluetooth or USB) that attaches to your laptop.The CoPilot system gives you visual directions on the laptop's screen and voice directions from the laptop's speaker.

Conclusion:  In addition to GPS navigation, the CoPilot system also offers several other features that are helpful to the OTR driver, including itinerary and trip optimizer, fuel efficiency and cost estimator, calculate your planned state by state mileage and fuel tax reporting.  A good system if you want to use your laptop for GPS routing.