Satnav - Tip to save getting stuck!

Read a post on the professional drivers board today regarding a Garmin Satnav taking someone down a road and having a nightmare, as it was a bad choice by Garmin

I have found this on two apps and TomTom GO Expert, so not had one yet but Garmin can so the same too, (will stick to tomtom now),

however a lesson Ive learnt from having too much time and working out HGV media about stuck trucks, and the like, is that a few rules can make a big difference, some may already know this probably, but for us other lesser mortals, it may help…

MEDIA HAS REPORTED TWICE THE SAME EVENT 2016 & 2017 stuck trucks…

COULD WE OF MADE THE SAME MISTAKE ?

SENARIO…
The below stuck trucks got blamed on SATNAV use, both 2016 and 2017 … so thought have a look like I usually do to learn from their mistakes, as looks a stupid mistake to do,
but how easy would it of been to end up in that position… (my way of learning)

2017

Which route would you of taken… ? (we wouldnt be in this position as we wouldnt be driving down stupidily narrow roads I know but if we were, because TomTom Said to do so and we were safe, technically we would be, as just warnings… not commands, blue not red… // I dont think like this, but some do…

You are at this junction after driving down very narrow lanes, that were already unsuitable but the Satnav said to do it…so you did… so that pesky blue sign is warning you again, but satnav says you’ll make it again…

TOMTOM SAYS DO IT>…TomTom still says do it in 2022 after two stuck trucks…

However you stop to think,
get phillips map out… any better an idea ?

Then go for the tablet and a google map view … (if availble - probably better than having a satnav in reality)

And that route looks no different than the others from topdown view if not zooming right in, and would you … really …BUT after this post hopefully help see the other WARNING !!
the oldskool crew pointed it out in the posts about the garmin, a simple rule to follow … . if there is the word >>> LANE <<<, avoid, or triple check
and respect the waring signs not trust Satnavs… or the office saying not to worry and just use that road (had this happen more than once, not anymore… as they would soon deny saying to use it if ended up stuck…)

reality is, was the £399 worth it ■■? yeah she has a calming voice and actually listens to me… the other one never did…

I GUESS I’VE LEARNT ALWAYS CHECK MY LIST OF ROADS TO BE USED on my satnav, and if I see LANE … take a much closer look ! even the maps didnt help on this one, a tablet did, and personally think they are better than a map, (ALWAYS HAVE A POWER BANK, for your phone too)

If only google would create a HGV Layer for us, on google maps, it would become the best SATNAV overnight… BUT STILL NOT BETTER THAN A DRIVERS EYE AND EXPERIENCE… and their fading away now, so buy them coffee, and snacks and show some respect, then they may share more stuff like this with us… LANES are bad news !!!
**disclaimer some are rude, grumpy ■■■■■■ Im on about the other ones.

2016

How the hell did you end up there? Where was you going from and to?

Not me, in piccys thank god ,
Stories and pictures from news clips I found…

and not really sure where they had been tipping at to be going down that road if honest, just took the details from the reports of roads & matching to google street view, etc, and pretty limited to join that LANE…

closest I can guess is maybe a drop at TAE (UK) Fencing & Sheds Ltd. then routing back to NorthBound A10 or just lost and went from bad to worse…

TonkaBoy:
Not me, in piccys thank god ,
Stories and pictures from news clips I found…

and not really sure where they had been tipping at to be going down that road if honest, just took the details from the reports of roads & matching to google street view, etc, and pretty limited to join that LANE…

closest I can guess is maybe a drop at TAE (UK) Fencing & Sheds Ltd. then routing back to NorthBound A10 or just lost and went from bad to worse…

OK I believe you If I came to the point in picture 2 and saw the blue sign, then I would be starting to worry, and stop and wait for a local and to pass and ask their advise, obviously after checking street view it appears you could POSSIBLY get yourself out of the mire by going down Bockings, still looks dodgy though.
First and foremost though, if I had delivered to TAE I would definitely be going out the way I went in. I do actually get down a lot of roads like this in my job, but most of the time they have been scoped out by a supervisor, sometimes though we have to wing it, so street view always gets a good hammering before committing.

shullbit:
I would be starting to worry, and stop and wait for a local and to pass and ask their advise,

Me, asking a local would probably go like this

Maybe a mod could move this to pdf get more help.

I have only been driving 3 months but on my second day I went onto a housing estate because I followed the sat nav to get to a farm. Learnt my lesson there and then.

Now anywhere I go to that I do not know I use google maps and scope out the “last mile” to make sure I get there okay. I will then edit the route on the Nav to go the same way.

When driving an artic it’s sometimes sensible to drop the trailer and set off bobtail to investigate further

The worse bit is "well give you the post code "
Na give me the +code much better or even long/ lat .

nick2008:
The worse bit is "well give you the post code "
Na give me the +code much better or even long/ lat .

“What Three Words” (W3W) is the simplest way to get an accurate poinpoint location.

wakou:

nick2008:
The worse bit is "well give you the post code "
Na give me the +code much better or even long/ lat .

“What Three Words” (W3W) is the simplest way to get an accurate poinpoint location.

It is; but unfortunately any route you choose to plan from it is given by Google Maps so you’re (sorry for the pun) back to square one.

Somebody mentioned farms. My experience with them, which is considerable, taught me that you should NEVER rely solely on satnavs to access a farm. You shouldn’t for anything really, but particularly with farms because the access you need to get to the yard is not always the one given for the farmhouse which is the business address.

And read the road. Look at the trees if there are any; if the canopy is above about twelve feet, there’s a good chance that the road has been used by other lorries. Tyre tracks on the verges are another clue.

Those blue signs, you have to take a chance with sometimes and remember that what they’re telling isn’t that HGV’s should not use that route at all, but more that they should only use it if they have to. As I used to tell irate tourists who had to reverse to let me through, if I obeyed the sign completely half of my customers would not get their delivery.

If you get to a point where you think you’re going to be in big trouble should you go further, stop (ideally somewhere you can pull over or best of all somewhere you can turn back) get out and walk up the road to check. A ten minute walk beats a half day’s wait for a crane!

Most important; if in doubt, phone ahead, and write down the instructions given to you. Very easy, when you get into a tizz on a bad lane, to forget an important step and end up in a worse mess than ever.

Realistically unless it’s a specialist delivery of an indivisible load the unclassified road network is/should be basically a no go area for anything more than a 3 axle rigid possibly 4 at most.Unless proven otherwise often by the best option of park up and walk to have a look first.Google maps street view being the next best thing if it’s on the system.

TonkaBoy:

shullbit:
I would be starting to worry, and stop and wait for a local and to pass and ask their advise,

Me, asking a local would probably go like this

a lot of the work we do is precast concrete on to farms . Narrow / singletrack roads , weight limits , roads unsuitable for HGV’s are all part of the daily routine . We ALWAYS get a contact number on the paperwork that either gets us the farmer or the contractor so we can have a chat with them and ask advice on the best way in . It has saved me more than once with low bridges , weight limits hairpin bends etc .
If you do this sort of work why are you not getting these phone numbers so that you can check your route ? And stop blaming the sat nav - if you drive past a Unsuitable for HGV sign without first checking that you can actually get to where your going and that theres not an alternative route it’s nobodys fault but your own .

beefy4605:
a lot of the work we do is precast concrete on to farms . Narrow / singletrack roads , weight limits , roads unsuitable for HGV’s are all part of the daily routine . We ALWAYS get a contact number on the paperwork that either gets us the farmer or the contractor so we can have a chat with them and ask advice on the best way in . It has saved me more than once with low bridges , weight limits hairpin bends etc .
If you do this sort of work why are you not getting these phone numbers so that you can check your route ? And stop blaming the sat nav - if you drive past a Unsuitable for HGV sign without first checking that you can actually get to where your going and that theres not an alternative route it’s nobodys fault but your own .

I used to deliver sheet roofing to farms, and I totally agree with this. The other thing I always bore in mind was never drive down a narrow lane, or round a sharp bend that you wouldn’t be able to reverse back round if you couldn’t get turned around.

hgv_cr.jpg959×415 108 KB

Even the bin wagon won’t dare to go in there!

I know the place well and have exited there in a rigid. Tight to get out and wouldn’t dream of taking the arctic that way. If they had been to TAE which I deliver to they would have been told to “turn right and back down the lane to the memorial, over the bridge and on your way”. TBF there is enough warning not to go that way and if unsure of the area the driver could have asked at the drop. Wouldn’t fancy having to back up the lane either that must have been a right mission.