But a 7" truck satnav is not the answer - too big. I was told that any satnav can only be placed on the windscreen in the inner wiper blade arc and cannot protrude onto the clean area by more than 40mm (because it is blocking vision).
I have a phone app and locate it on the air vent - it is Navigator with TomTom maps (offline app). It is good but has still led me on longer routes than necessary. e.g. Braintree to Maldon. One goes down the B1018 to Witham. Once in Witham turn down the Avenue to Colchester Road, follow to A12, turn south and take the Maldon Road at Hatfield Peverel and onto Maldon. The app will take one further south to Chemsford and across - about an extra 12 miles. Essex is a pain to drive round - lots of weight restrictions. Other problem with phone apps is that they seem to tire the eyes even if brightness is reduced, and sometimes the app freezes on the 45 min break.
I prefer to rely on the Truckers Atlas as I think one should always plan routes. [■■■■ pain to carry around as A3 but enclose it in an A3 art portfolio folder to protect it]. I tap in the destination post code on the garmin car satnav… then from the route outline choose waypoints from the truckers atlas to bring me in.
Just wondering what folks thoughts are - I think I am correct on the windscreen issue. Nothing to beat knowing one’s geography. I’ll keep using my car satnav with Truckers Atlas.
[as for Garmin v TomTom - both require Windows PC to update maps. I found garmin maps were more informative almost pictorial compared with TomTom ‘diagrammatic’ type. Very useful when doing deliveries on housing estates and around town. Garmin also take an SDcard so I use Openstreetmap data which I have found more up to date than Garmin’s or TomTom. One just copies over the new map each month to the SDcard and is quicker than on garmin/TomTom windows app. Anyone wanting further detail let me know].
jessejazza:
But a 7" truck satnav is not the answer - too big. I was told that any satnav can only be placed on the windscreen in the inner wiper blade arc and cannot protrude onto the clean area by more than 40mm (because it is blocking vision).
Do you really think the plod care that much?
Do people replace the tat they’ve got hanging from the interior mirror after the MOT’ers taken it down for the test?
Of course they do…
Just stick the Sat-Nav in the bottom corner of the windscreen, job done!
What I can’t understand, is people that slap it straight in front of them in the middle of the windscreen?
Do these people not have muscles in their neck, and if not, how do they check their mirrors…
Evil8Beezle:
[quote=“jessejazza"But a 7” truck satnav is not the answer - too big. I was told that any satnav can only be placed on the windscreen in the inner wiper blade arc and cannot protrude onto the clean area by more than 40mm (because it is blocking vision).
Do you really think the plod care that much?
Do people replace the tat they’ve got hanging from the interior mirror after the MOT’ers taken it down for the test?
Of course they do…
[/quote]
Yes they do! I haven’t been stopped yet by plod or Vosa but…
If they are out with a grudge; catch you eating a sandwich whilst driving, catch you touching the satnav on break - they’ll do you. On break one is advised to sit in the passenger seat so there is no way one can be accused of touching controls.
Evil8Beezle:
Just stick the Sat-Nav in the bottom corner of the windscreen, job done!
well some trucks have curved screens and also when the heater is on the suction fails.
Evil8Beezle:
What I can’t understand, is people that slap it straight in front of them in the middle of the windscreen?
Do these people not have muscles in their neck, and if not, how do they check their mirrors…
The windscreen is flat in the middle. i think the air vent is a better bet -closed off though.
jessejazza:
But a 7" truck satnav is not the answer - too big. I was told that any satnav can only be placed on the windscreen in the inner wiper blade arc and cannot protrude onto the clean area by more than 40mm (because it is blocking vision).
Do you really think the plod care that much?
Do people replace the tat they’ve got hanging from the interior mirror after the MOT’ers taken it down for the test?
Of course they do…
Yes they do! I haven’t been stopped yet by plod or Vosa but…
If they are out with a grudge; catch you eating a sandwich whilst driving, catch you touching the satnav on break - they’ll do you. On break one is advised to sit in the passenger seat so there is no way one can be accused of touching controls.
Evil8Beezle:
Just stick the Sat-Nav in the bottom corner of the windscreen, job done!
well some trucks have curved screens and also when the heater is on the suction fails.
Evil8Beezle:
What I can’t understand, is people that slap it straight in front of them in the middle of the windscreen?
Do these people not have muscles in their neck, and if not, how do they check their mirrors…
The windscreen is flat in the middle. i think the air vent is a better bet -closed off though.
I’ve never had a problem with my TomTom falling off.
But I’m told fixodent can work wonders…
I believe people stick the Sat-Nav right in front of their face because they are too thick to realise/consider they are obstructing their view.
Which leads to the whole need for silly rules for proper placement…
Evil8Beezle:
Just stick the Sat-Nav in the bottom corner of the windscreen, job done!
What I can’t understand, is people that slap it straight in front of them in the middle of the windscreen?
Do these people not have muscles in their neck, and if not, how do they check their mirrors…
Satnav in their eyeline and set to daylight colours at night are big clues to give them a wide birth
If local government are calling on car satnavs to be banned in lorries, and demanding that truck satnavs are made compulsory, why are they not a tax deductible item for expenses purposes for a self-employed trucker? One bit of government argues they are necessary, and the other argues they are not.
A sensibly positioned truck satnav is surely more of a benefit to road safety than a hazard, and if part of the government machine wants them to be mandatory then how about developing a more realistic policy on placement. Thankfully it seems rare that the police try to enforce the rather arbitrary 40mm intrusion rule, and instead presumably work on common sense as to whether it is an obstruction to the driver’s vision generally.
Incidentally, I wonder if the 40mm rule actually applies to trucks? Since the windscreen is far bigger than any car it seems strange that an absolute measure like this would be applied to every vehicle.
Interesting that LGA seem to think that the cost should be borne by the driver! They should be focusing on the Haulage company’s that don’t want to provide Truck specific sat navs.
“LGA transport spokesman, Martin Tett…
We are talking about a very small extra cost to drivers…”
dcgpx:
Interesting that LGA seem to think that the cost should be borne by the driver! They should be focusing on the Haulage company’s that don’t want to provide Truck specific sat navs.
“LGA transport spokesman, Martin Tett…
We are talking about a very small extra cost to drivers…”
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The average cost of a branded Sat-Nav designed for large vehicles is over £200 if not more. I know you can get them cheaper but we’re talking in general here. Hell, that Tom Tom that appeared on here before Christmas had a retail price of over £400! The LGA is up its own arse if they think that a Truck Nav is a small cost to a driver.
dcgpx:
Interesting that LGA seem to think that the cost should be borne by the driver! They should be focusing on the Haulage company’s that don’t want to provide Truck specific sat navs.
“LGA transport spokesman, Martin Tett…
We are talking about a very small extra cost to drivers…”
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The average cost of a branded Sat-Nav designed for large vehicles is over £200 if not more. I know you can get them cheaper but we’re talking in general here. Hell, that Tom Tom that appeared on here before Christmas had a retail price of over £400! The LGA is up its own arse if they think that a Truck Nav is a small cost to a driver.
Basically a weeks wages for others more! In Wisbech some Class 1 drivers only get £7.30ph. I must say I do like to have the Trucker’s Atlas with me but that is only updated/reprinted every five years (or so)… just wish they’d produce it in an A4 size.
