I use an 8000 snooper set nav.
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What truckers Atlas do you guys use?
How often do you replace them to keep up to date with our ever changing roads?
Rich
I’ve had a tom tom 6000 for 4 years and use it along with Google maps to pinpoint my drop, it’s a rare thing that I have a problem with it.
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cooper1203:
trevorking1964:
I have a tomtom 620 professional.
Truck nav.
Can’t recommend it enough.
Pricey, but worth every penny.I dunno if you ever venture into London but does your 620 have an ■■■■■■ every time it gets a chance to send you right through the middle of the city rather than any one of 20 different routes.
That happen to me today went through the city because was traffic or something on m25 to go Sheppey… nightmare
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Rich T:
What truckers Atlas do you guys use?
How often do you replace them to keep up to date with our ever changing roads?Rich
There is not much choice - Phillips or AA. Trouble is that a new edition will be almost a year old by the time it is published. I bought one 2 yr ago at a service station calling itself ‘Brand New Edition’ in fact it was 2016 so in fact updated for 2015 (I was in a hurry unwise not to check exact publication date). Fine for looking up restrictions and bridge heights but there have been a lot of new roads 2018-2020. I will be waiting until the new edition comes out to cover these which will probably be 2021 some time. When it comes to new roads I check with google and Here maps to be up to date for routing. Garmin and TomTom are not that up to date I have found. However, the road atlas’s are produced each year (often £5), I might get one of those for the new roads and then look up restrictions in the trucker atlas… not that many new bridges are built. Don’t forget road signs. Most of the time one can use common sense - trucks should go down A roads and to every industrial estate it’s pretty obvious which way they approach.
To answer the question I’d say update every 3-4 years depending when it’s printed. Beware on Amazon older versions are offered at a cheaper price… it’s not a bargain buy of latest edition. A 3" magnifying glass is a must I have found.
Just reading all this stuff, seriously, not having a go, but could any of you relatively new lads actually do the job without a little voice telling you to turn left or right. or the more sophisticated sat navs when and where to wipe your arses 
…ok I maybe am having a go after all 
If you don’t want to use paper maps, fair dos, but maybe use Google maps on your phone, then rely on the sat nav if you must, when you have more exoerience… …give it a try you’ll maybe actually LEARN routes better that way which imo makes you a better driver… 
robroy:
Just reading all this stuff, seriously, not having a go, but could any of you relatively new lads actually do the job without a little voice telling you to turn left or right. or the more sophisticated sat navs when and where to wipe your arses
…
In all fairness I agree with what you’ve said - but that comes with experience. Often doing muti-drop it is just rush, rush, rush and one just punches in a postcode and goes - Class 2 HABIT! One finds out that many postcodes cover quite a large area e.g. Rougham airfield (nr Bury St Edmunds) now a large industrial estate… one has to tap in the address or drive around for quite a while. I only use google (as it shows all commercial sites) to just ‘bring me in’ as it could save me an embarassing reverse or two… no fun in London.
With experience “one weans oneself off” satnavs. The big difference with Class 1 is one HAS TO route plan as I posted earlier… one finds that out PDQ it’s fair to say.
“…maybe actually LEARN routes better that way which imo makes you a better driver…”
I don’t think you meant ‘learning routes’ as much as ‘method of approach’. e.g. I had to go to a nursery SE of Hoddesdon a few weeks ago CM19 5JR from Hatfield. Perhaps I could have got through Hoddesdon but I suspected there would be restriction somewhere… later found out there was 7.5T and bridge weight limit in Dobb’s Weir Road. I took the A414 East, A1019, A1025 and in on the B1133. (Maybe I could have taken the shorter route through Roydon and Halls Green but a narrow lane is a risk not worth considering). Actually it is the only way in and my truck satnav came up with ‘route not found’. With an artic journey I am thinking motorway, A roads and then lastly B road (maybe) for remote locations. In the SE there are a lot of awkward places to find not that I am claiming this was difficult but just to illustrate the point. The ‘better driver’ will identify the best route and get in/out without delay and onto next destination.
cooper1203:
trevorking1964:
I have a tomtom 620 professional.
Truck nav.
Can’t recommend it enough.
Pricey, but worth every penny.I dunno if you ever venture into London but does your 620 have an ■■■■■■ every time it gets a chance to send you right through the middle of the city rather than any one of 20 different routes.
I do get into London, fortunately not often.
It avoids central London like the plague unless my delivery is actually in there.
I think the reason is time, it knows it’s not the quickest way and takes less busy routes. I also have it set to ask before selecting a quicker route whilst driving, i can then have a quick look and see where the quicker route is…
Allows me to make an informed decision.
I’d rather sit on a motorway in traffic for example than save 10 mins jumping off onto A roads and through towns just to save those 10 mins.
robroy:
Just reading all this stuff, seriously, not having a go, but could any of you relatively new lads actually do the job without a little voice telling you to turn left or right. or the more sophisticated sat navs when and where to wipe your arsesIf you don’t want to use paper maps, fair dos, but maybe use Google maps on your phone, then rely on the sat nav if you must, when you have more exoerience… …give it a try you’ll maybe actually LEARN routes better that way which imo makes you a better driver…
YAAAWWWWNNNNN
Uncleskid:
Does anyone on hear use a tomtom 6250 pro mine always wants to take me off at J1a when approaching dartford tunnel it shows A282 in purple as a restricted road
I had that a few years back, had to go into map real close up and change weight restriction that some pratt had informed tomtom of. 7 1/2 ton on approach from south to north.
Beetlejuice:
robroy:
Just reading all this stuff, seriously, not having a go, but could any of you relatively new lads actually do the job without a little voice telling you to turn left or right. or the more sophisticated sat navs when and where to wipe your arsesIf you don’t want to use paper maps, fair dos, but maybe use Google maps on your phone, then rely on the sat nav if you must, when you have more exoerience… …give it a try you’ll maybe actually LEARN routes better that way which imo makes you a better driver…
YAAAWWWWNNNNN
Thanks. 
You need to increase your daily rest mate. 
Beetlejuice:
robroy:
Just reading all this stuff, seriously, not having a go, but could any of you relatively new lads actually do the job without a little voice telling you to turn left or right. or the more sophisticated sat navs when and where to wipe your arsesIf you don’t want to use paper maps, fair dos, but maybe use Google maps on your phone, then rely on the sat nav if you must, when you have more exoerience… …give it a try you’ll maybe actually LEARN routes better that way which imo makes you a better driver…
YAAAWWWWNNNNN
Hang on…
robroy has a valid point there. Back in the day we all just set off with a map, an address and a ■■■■ good memory if you stopped at a service station and memorised the way into a new drop from the A-Z maps for sale in WH Smiths. Now with all this technology, GPS, real time traffic info, lifetime updates and ‘Trucknavs’, finding your way seems to have got much more difficult. Not once did I ever come a cropper with a map and trust me, I’ve found places even the locals had never heard of.
The basics of reading a map whilst changing crash gears in heavy traffic through a foggy windscreen and stuffing your pipe with a large handfull of Dunhill Flake seems like a dead skill now.
My TomTom 6250 tried to take me under a low bridge early this morning in London. It knew nothing of the bridge… but it’s not a new one! Chatting away at 4am and then we’re both saying “that looks low”. Never trust it! Yes it works ‘most of the time’, but the danger is you see it working fine and you come to trust it. It will ■■■■ you over big time! Near Dagenham Market the stupid thing tries to take you through an actual private car park and then a fence instead of just sticking to the main roads, it’s nuts. And if a road is totally stupidly narrow but doesn’t have a weight restriction it’ll still take you down there as a cut through instead of just sticking to the main roads. Not happy with mine at all really.
Edit: Today it wanted to take me off of the M4 and then re-join it further up. We ignored it and carried on straight up the M4 and it adjusted the expected arrival time down and we got there faster… no surprise… what the hell is going on with it No accidents or closures showing on it, just crazy routing
@yourhavingalarf …Cheers for that mate,.you are dead right in what you say.
I wasn’t advocating for new drivers just to ditch their sat navs, that would be ridiculous, …but matey felt the need to have a go anyway
The point I was making was, total reliance on a one teaches you the far end of ■■■■ all.
I’ve even found myself being unable to give proper directions to certain places after using a sat nav, not saying I totally rely on it either, just by using it for some reason you don’t seem to take it in, as you did when you found your own way to places with a map.
Technology is not a replacement for a brain.
However, when used in conjunction with a brain…
robroy:
@yourhavingalarf …Cheers for that mate,.you are dead right in what you say.
I wasn’t advocating for new drivers just to ditch their sat navs, that would be ridiculous, …but matey felt the need to have a go anywayThe point I was making was, total reliance on a one teaches you the far end of [zb] all.
I’ve even found myself being unable to give proper directions to certain places after using a sat nav, not saying I totally rely on it either, just by using it for some reason you don’t seem to take it in, as you did when you found your own way to places with a map.
You are so touchy old lad… I have read many of your replies on satnavs and newbs using them…Hence the yawn comment.
Your constant condescension of new drivers and sat navs must be down to your age.
I except you know everything and anything involved in trucking,but try to make it less condescending and boring.
Sat navs are modern maps it is as simple as that,why would guys in 2020 be looking in wh smith for dusty out dated maps when modern tech is at their finger tips.
yourhavingalarf:
Beetlejuice:
robroy:
Just reading all this stuff, seriously, not having a go, but could any of you relatively new lads actually do the job without a little voice telling you to turn left or right. or the more sophisticated sat navs when and where to wipe your arsesIf you don’t want to use paper maps, fair dos, but maybe use Google maps on your phone, then rely on the sat nav if you must, when you have more exoerience… …give it a try you’ll maybe actually LEARN routes better that way which imo makes you a better driver…
YAAAWWWWNNNNN
Hang on…
robroy has a valid point there. Back in the day we all just set off with a map, an address and a ■■■■ good memory if you stopped at a service station and memorised the way into a new drop from the A-Z maps for sale in WH Smiths. Now with all this technology, GPS, real time traffic info, lifetime updates and ‘Trucknavs’, finding your way seems to have got much more difficult. Not once did I ever come a cropper with a map and trust me, I’ve found places even the locals had never heard of.
The basics of reading a map whilst changing crash gears in heavy traffic through a foggy windscreen and stuffing your pipe with a large handfull of Dunhill Flake seems like a dead skill now.
Do us a favour pal ? change your signature
Beetlejuice:
robroy:
@yourhavingalarf …Cheers for that mate,.you are dead right in what you say.
I wasn’t advocating for new drivers just to ditch their sat navs, that would be ridiculous, …but matey felt the need to have a go anywayThe point I was making was, total reliance on a one teaches you the far end of [zb] all.
I’ve even found myself being unable to give proper directions to certain places after using a sat nav, not saying I totally rely on it either, just by using it for some reason you don’t seem to take it in, as you did when you found your own way to places with a map.You are so touchy old lad… I have read many of your replies on satnavs and newbs using them…Hence the yawn comment.
Your constant condescension of new drivers and sat navs must be down to your age.
I except you know everything and anything involved in trucking,but try to make it less condescending and boring.
Sat navs are modern maps it is as simple as that,why would guys in 2020 be looking in wh smith for dusty out dated maps when modern tech is at their finger tips.
Sorry if any advice or opinions I give on here come across as ‘condescending’ or ‘boring’, it ain’t intentional, although I do admit to enjoy winding people up , to see how they jump, (oh yeh.and how touchy THEY are) so job done in your case.
I do try (evidently not very well) to give new drivers advice, and I do think that telling them not to totally rely on sat navs, but use as a guide, IS actual good advice.
Maybe you should re.read my post before getting ‘touchy’, tbf I did mention using a phone and Google map, but why let facts get in the way of having a pop eh?
You’ll have to face reality sooner or later Rob , you’re getting too old for this thread . You might be a Professional Driver , but I’m afraid you are becoming an Old Professional Driver . You keep upsetting the Young And Delicate Professional Drivers , maybe a transfer to the Old Time Threads is imminent ? You can talk all the bollox you want and nobody will burst into tears and feel victimised .
rigsby:
You’ll have to face reality sooner or later Rob , you’re getting too old for this thread . You might be a Professional Driver , but I’m afraid you are becoming an Old Professional Driver . You keep upsetting the Young And Delicate Professional Drivers , maybe a transfer to the Old Time Threads is imminent ? You can talk all the bollox you want and nobody will burst into tears and feel victimised .
Cheers, but I lurrrve upsetting the delicate. .
I’m a bit in limbo, feel a bit old (fashioned) sometimes when I read some of the stuff (and attitudes ) on here, but still feel a bit too young to be banished to a permanent move to the old timers forum.