truckyboy:
No such law whatsoever…car sat navs were around before a trucknav…buit others it seems are prepared not to update…hence getting stuck, or turning their trailers into flatbeds…ha ha
I don’t fully buy into that, I’m not saying you’re completely wrong just that I don’t believe that is the sole or even the main cause, I honestly believe the main cause of drivers going horribly off route and either getting stuck or hitting a bridge is to do with the dumbing down of the job through over management and over simplification of the actual task itself through technology and fear of being held accountable (e.g. the overly oppressive H&S and “driver warning and monitoring systems” we now have to deal with), and add to that the poor remuneration of the job it is going to not only attract but (for employers) to actively seek out… how can I put this delicately? those with less aptitude for the job.
truckyboy:
No such law whatsoever…car sat navs were around before a trucknav…buit others it seems are prepared not to update…hence getting stuck, or turning their trailers into flatbeds…ha ha
I don’t fully buy into that, I’m not saying you’re completely wrong just that I don’t believe that is the sole or even the main cause, I honestly believe the main cause of drivers going horribly off route and either getting stuck or hitting a bridge is to do with the dumbing down of the job through over management and over simplification of the actual task itself through technology and fear of being held accountable (e.g. the overly oppressive H&S and “driver warning and monitoring systems” we now have to deal with), and add to that the poor remuneration of the job it is going to not only attract but (for employers) to actively seek out… how can I put this delicately? those with less aptitude for the job.
Even an old dog eared AA road map will show a railway going either under or over a road,it wont show height but at least it would point to a possible hazard en route…maybe just maybe the ones with the less aptitude for the job wouldnt even recognise that black line with the dashes crossing that road though. A map though…theres a thing…
truckyboy:
No such law whatsoever…car sat navs were around before a trucknav…buit others it seems are prepared not to update…hence getting stuck, or turning their trailers into flatbeds…ha ha
I don’t fully buy into that, I’m not saying you’re completely wrong just that I don’t believe that is the sole or even the main cause, I honestly believe the main cause of drivers going horribly off route and either getting stuck or hitting a bridge is to do with the dumbing down of the job through over management and over simplification of the actual task itself through technology and fear of being held accountable (e.g. the overly oppressive H&S and “driver warning and monitoring systems” we now have to deal with), and add to that the poor remuneration of the job it is going to not only attract but (for employers) to actively seek out… how can I put this delicately? those with less aptitude for the job.
Even an old dog eared AA road map will show a railway going either under or over a road,it wont show height but at least it would point to a possible hazard en route…maybe just maybe the ones with the less aptitude for the job wouldnt even recognise that black line with the dashes crossing that road though. A map though…theres a thing…
Hi Andrew,
in my opinion there is no excuse for not owning (and understanding how to use) a truckers atlas, if you drive anything higher/heavier/longer than a transit van in the UK you should have one, some prefer the Philips one I myself prefer the AA one but nevertheless it is always in my bag and it is always updated when the next new edition comes out.
My Satnav is a great tool with many extra features a paper map doesn’t and can’t ever possess but I’d still never trust a new unfamiliar route without taking 5 mins to confirm it with my Truckers Atlas first, a lot of people now say “ahh but google maps combined with street view is just fine”, yeah it is to a point, until you realise the street view you’re looking at for a particular location was last updated in 2009 or whatever!
truckyboy:
No such law whatsoever…car sat navs were around before a trucknav…buit others it seems are prepared not to update…hence getting stuck, or turning their trailers into flatbeds…ha ha
I don’t fully buy into that, I’m not saying you’re completely wrong just that I don’t believe that is the sole or even the main cause, I honestly believe the main cause of drivers going horribly off route and either getting stuck or hitting a bridge is to do with the dumbing down of the job through over management and over simplification of the actual task itself through technology and fear of being held accountable (e.g. the overly oppressive H&S and “driver warning and monitoring systems” we now have to deal with), and add to that the poor remuneration of the job it is going to not only attract but (for employers) to actively seek out… how can I put this delicately? those with less aptitude for the job.
Even an old dog eared AA road map will show a railway going either under or over a road,it wont show height but at least it would point to a possible hazard en route…maybe just maybe the ones with the less aptitude for the job wouldnt even recognise that black line with the dashes crossing that road though. A map though…theres a thing…
Hi Andrew,
in my opinion there is no excuse for not owning (and understanding how to use) a truckers atlas, if you drive anything higher/heavier/longer than a transit van in the UK you should have one, some prefer the Philips one I myself prefer the AA one but nevertheless it is always in my bag and it is always updated when the next new edition comes out.
My Satnav is a great tool with many extra features a paper map doesn’t and can’t ever possess but I’d still never trust a new unfamiliar route without taking 5 mins to confirm it with my Truckers Atlas first, a lot of people now say “ahh but google maps combined with street view is just fine”, yeah it is to a point, until you realise the street view you’re looking at for a particular location was last updated in 2009 or whatever!
That works both ways.
Why are you assuming your maps are any more accurate than a satnav? What evidence do you have one is better than the other?
incidentally I own a tomtom truck satnav, the aa map and also the phillips now. But in reality I simply do not hav time to sit and plan my routes for my 8-12 drops using the atlas’. I wish I did but the company would call the agency and tell me not to come back if I did that every shift.
So far my tomtom has been okay to me. But I’ve never driven anything taller than 4.1m so I can’t really comprehend what you double decker boys have to go through. The snooper asked me to do ridiculous things so I returned it. But the tomtom seems like a totally great bit of kit.
truckyboy:
No such law whatsoever…car sat navs were around before a trucknav…buit others it seems are prepared not to update…hence getting stuck, or turning their trailers into flatbeds…ha ha
I don’t fully buy into that, I’m not saying you’re completely wrong just that I don’t believe that is the sole or even the main cause, I honestly believe the main cause of drivers going horribly off route and either getting stuck or hitting a bridge is to do with the dumbing down of the job through over management and over simplification of the actual task itself through technology and fear of being held accountable (e.g. the overly oppressive H&S and “driver warning and monitoring systems” we now have to deal with), and add to that the poor remuneration of the job it is going to not only attract but (for employers) to actively seek out… how can I put this delicately? those with less aptitude for the job.
Even an old dog eared AA road map will show a railway going either under or over a road,it wont show height but at least it would point to a possible hazard en route…maybe just maybe the ones with the less aptitude for the job wouldnt even recognise that black line with the dashes crossing that road though. A map though…theres a thing…
Hi Andrew,
in my opinion there is no excuse for not owning (and understanding how to use) a truckers atlas, if you drive anything higher/heavier/longer than a transit van in the UK you should have one, some prefer the Philips one I myself prefer the AA one but nevertheless it is always in my bag and it is always updated when the next new edition comes out.
My Satnav is a great tool with many extra features a paper map doesn’t and can’t ever possess but I’d still never trust a new unfamiliar route without taking 5 mins to confirm it with my Truckers Atlas first, a lot of people now say “ahh but google maps combined with street view is just fine”, yeah it is to a point, until you realise the street view you’re looking at for a particular location was last updated in 2009 or whatever!
Totally agree Reef, even though we basically do the same run week in/out (with the odd foray into the UK now) the truck doesnt go anywhere without my euro road atlas. Navs are ok for a final destination point imo but any new routes its always map first and foremost to decide on the route, theres no way ill let a nav decide for me. The missus is the same, shes on her way to the UK now (Bermondsey) after tipping Calais and although she’ll use the nav (car nav Garmin Nuvi58) shes studied the London A-Z and written (yes written) down the route from the M25 in A bit old school to say the least but old habits die hard…
Why are you assuming your maps are any more accurate than a satnav? What evidence do you have one is better than the other?
incidentally I own a tomtom truck satnav, the aa map and also the phillips now. But in reality I simply do not hav time to sit and plan my routes for my 8-12 drops using the atlas’. I wish I did but the company would call the agency and tell me not to come back if I did that every shift.
So far my tomtom has been okay to me. But I’ve never driven anything taller than 4.1m so I can’t really comprehend what you double decker boys have to go through.
I’m not assuming anything, I’m going on my years of experience using truckers atlas’s and never once in my career being led blindly somewhere I shouldn’t have been (i.e. with a 15’ trailer wedged under a 14’ 9" bridge) and in the old pre trucker satnav days I used a car TomTom (with downloaded bridge POI’s) in conjunction with an AA truckers atlas.
What I’m saying is never rely solely on a single piece of equipment whether it’s electronic based or paper based, I actually left out the third piece of essential equipment and that’s using your eyes, because where the satnav (and possibly but unlikely) the truckers atlas could let you down the road signs would not.
And to be perfectly blunt I don’t think saying to the copper after you’ve struck a bridge or got stuck down a lane or dead end “Sorry I do multi drops so I don’t have time to check my relatively new but widely accepted as sometimes fallible satnav against a time proven reliable truckers atlas” is going to wash, do you?
Why are you assuming your maps are any more accurate than a satnav? What evidence do you have one is better than the other?
incidentally I own a tomtom truck satnav, the aa map and also the phillips now. But in reality I simply do not hav time to sit and plan my routes for my 8-12 drops using the atlas’. I wish I did but the company would call the agency and tell me not to come back if I did that every shift.
So far my tomtom has been okay to me. But I’ve never driven anything taller than 4.1m so I can’t really comprehend what you double decker boys have to go through.
I’m not assuming anything, I’m going on my years of experience using truckers atlas’s and never once in my career being led blindly somewhere I shouldn’t have been (i.e. with a 15’ trailer wedged under a 14’ 9" bridge) and in the old pre trucker satnav days I used a car TomTom (with downloaded bridge POI’s) in conjunction with an AA truckers atlas.
What I’m saying is never rely solely on a single piece of equipment whether it’s electronic based or paper based, I actually left out the third piece of essential equipment and that’s using your eyes, because where the satnav (and possibly but unlikely) the truckers atlas could let you down the road signs would not.
And to be perfectly blunt I don’t think saying to the copper after you’ve struck a bridge or got stuck down a lane or dead end “Sorry I do multi drops so I don’t have time to check my relatively new but widely accepted as sometimes fallible satnav against a time proven reliable truckers atlas” is going to wash, do you?
No Reef I don’t. Which is why I’m ■■■■ about looking at signs when I’m driving and also getting out and having a walk when I’m unsure of what to do. But I don’t have many years of experience I just have a few months. I’m a trucking baby and am trying to learn all the time.
I also don’t think the excuse that my atlas said it was okay would wash either. So I think we are all responsible for using all the tools we have including our eyes.
I’m going to own up to something… I currently work nights. And have about a dozen numbers of very experienced drivers numbers on my phone. We have Bluetooth in the trucks. And if I’m unsure about a diversion I simply call them and ask. I’m a relief driver and have no idea about all the roads - and I can’t be reading my map on my steering wheel down stupidly tight roads. So I let someone else use their decades of experience to tell me if it’s on or not.
truckyboy:
No such law whatsoever…car sat navs were around before a trucknav…buit others it seems are prepared not to update…hence getting stuck, or turning their trailers into flatbeds…ha ha
Google Maps will be more up to date than any truck satnav you can buy.
sammym:
I’m going to own up to something… I currently work nights. And have about a dozen numbers of very experienced drivers numbers on my phone. We have Bluetooth in the trucks. And if I’m unsure about a diversion I simply call them and ask. I’m a relief driver and have no idea about all the roads - and I can’t be reading my map on my steering wheel down stupidly tight roads. So I let someone else use their decades of experience to tell me if it’s on or not.
Word of advice if you’re on nights. There are loads and loads of road closures. Get hints and tips off the other drivers BEFORE you head out (if you acn). The last thing you want is listening to directions whilst trying to drive unfamiliar routes.
Sat navs don’t always pick up diversions and the sign posted route might not be the best option, these are the instances when a truck atlas is invaluable. There’s usually somewhere to stop and check, no need to perch it on the steering wheel.
aposhark:
Another driver told me last week that car satnavs in trucks are against the law now - He said they must be truck satnavs where height and weight can be put in.
Is this true?
That law would only come about if drivers were so embarrassingly feckless, not to mention stupid enough, as to totally rely on a sat nav,.rather than use it as a guide…oh hang on a minute.
If that law does actually come in,.I’ll be.going back to old school maps only.
There is no way in hell I’m forking out over 300 quid for a piece of plastic tat.
After saying that, I probably wouldn’t bother even if they were cheaper,.I (as many others) manage fine thanks, with car sat nav backed up with bridge map…oh yeh and a bit of common sense.
I used to use a car sat nav when I was doing work for CCF.
Once I moved onto full time tramping and started using a truck nav. But we go to the same place so I would read my map of a night and re-run the route to see where I had been and begin to memories these routes.
It’s also handy because you can plan an emergency route should a problem happen. So you then have an “idea” where you are. Then you pull over somewhere safe and re-route yourself. Something a sat nav does, but you have no clue where it’s now taking you.
The only clear advantage I can see that a box full of paper maps have over a satnav is when you are lost out in the middle of nowhere because you didn’t buy or have mislaid that particular areas map is that you can at least use them to light and fuel a small fire, of course I’m going on the assumption that your night heater has been kicked to touch as “newfangled mumbo jumbo wizardry” too…
One only has to look on a page at a given address and think aah yes I know where that is because of the many circles drawn on from previous address’s visited on same page .p.s I do have a car Tom Tom from when they first came out !
Punchy Dan:
One only has to look on a page at a given address and think aah yes I know where that is because of the many circles drawn on from previous address’s visited on same page .p.s I do have a car Tom Tom from when they first came out !
I don’t disagree with you mate, in fact I had the crate of paper maps (pencilled circles and all) prior to satnavs, doesn’t stop me taking the ■■■■ though, in fact it makes me more qualified to seeing as I’ve been there and done it too
BTW, just for the record, it’s alright for you in your own ‘owned’ vehicle, or even a tramper in a regular assigned truck, but think of the poor buggers like me that are in a different truck every night! No bloody way would I want to be lugging my map crate to and from the car each shift.
Reef:
In all my years and blue plastic RDC chairs I’ve parked my arse on I’ve never had the ‘legs thing’ said to me though, I have to wonder how many people have actually had this said to them and how many just re-account the story as if it had been said to them?
Had it said to me for first time the other day. British driver got out of his cab in Rungis especially to inform me of this fine after he saw my legs werent all the way up (they were jammed). I rolled my eyes and walked away
Reef:
In all my years and blue plastic RDC chairs I’ve parked my arse on I’ve never had the ‘legs thing’ said to me though, I have to wonder how many people have actually had this said to them and how many just re-account the story as if it had been said to them?
Had it said to me for first time the other day. British driver got out of his cab in Rungis especially to inform me of this fine after he saw my legs werent all the way up (they were jammed). I rolled my eyes and walked away
Don’t tell me they’re spreading over there now.
Although if you were near the meat part I may be able to throw a guess at which driver it was
I would not take the risk of a car sat nav .For a few quid more you can be confident of a truck nav system.Its less stressful .paper maps as said above are ok ,But time consuming .And good fire starters.
Beetlejuice:
I would not take the risk of a car sat nav .For a few quid more you can be confident of a truck nav system.Its less stressful .paper maps as said above are ok ,But time consuming .And good fire starters.
Very true, people say “£300!!! Stuff that price for a satnav” but you can readily pick up cheaper alternatives for around the £60 mark
A bit old school to say the least but old habits die hard… 
cant beat the paper sat nav 
