Hi all, not been on for a while as I seemed to be stuck in a bit of a rut. I got a job as a sweeper driver a couple of years ago. It was my first job and I needed to get around the old two year experience, I wasn’t sure if I should take the job but the consensus on here was “take it, a job is a job”. Two years on and a lot of sweeping work on roadgangs and I have a few new friends in the business, how many times do we hear or say “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”, and usually this is said as a negative. Well I’m pleased to say that this time I can say it as a positive, as I GOT A NEW JOB!!! I was recommended by a mate I had been working with, he changed jobs last November and when a vacancy cropped up he put my name forward. I went and saw the MD on Tuesday, no-one else was up for the job and I’m in. I start on Feb 10th.
So as I said at the start, I felt I was stuck in a rut but when I think of my initial plan of two years experience and then on to class 1 work I realise that I’m on target because the new job is working as a tipper driver and pulling a planning machine on a trailer so it is class 1 work.
Which brings me to the point of this topic.
The new job will take me all over the country in what seems to me to be a very big rig and so I want to get the best Sat Nav I can. I’ve managed to get some savings together so price is not a factor but I do want it to hold settings for just the tipper and for the tipper with big trailer, also a big screen would help so I don’t need reading glasses to see it. I need to get it in time for the new job so any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I’ve only ever used a standard car sat nav in the past and if it took me down 7.5 tons limits I could sometimes just go for it as the sweeper was so small that most people don’t know it’s a class 2. No chance of that with the new truck so I have to have a sat nav that keeps me off restricted roads.
many thanks in advance
Rich
I’ve got the Snooper S8000 with the built in TV. You can set it up for the wagon you are in, mine set for 44tons & I’ve got 2 height settings for different trailers 16ft & 14ft 2in (whichever I’m pulling)
It will try to send you down the odd 7.5 ton weight limit, but I thinks it’s because they can’t keep it totally up to date, with all the Nimby’s protesting every where & weight limits keep being imposed every other day ! £375
thesatnavwarehouse.com/snoop … pro-s8000/
Or there’s the TomTom Pro Trucks, can’t comment as I’ve never used one.
Yeah, +1 for the snooper S8000, I don,t think any sat nav can be spot on all the time, but the snooper does come with free lifetime map updates, and the TV is great for nights out.
Good luck with the new job 
Sounds good, I will be spending nights out. How does the T V work. Do you have to be on line via a mobile or something.
It’s basically a big screen sat nav with a digital tv built into it i used to have one the only thing I found wrong with it was the traffic I now use tomtom truck and the traffic is in minutes and it’s never set me wrong
richvanho:
Sounds good, I will be spending nights out. How does the T V work. Do you have to be on line via a mobile or something.
It’s got an inbuilt Aerial which sometimes works & it comes with a Magnetic Aerial to stick out your window, all depends on where you are & signal strength.
Needs to be powered from the ciggy lighter (12 or 24v) because the battery lasts about 3 minutes.
Volume isn’t great, so if you need to listen to '‘Sally the Satnav’ turn the radio down & wind the windows up.
Sent me down a couple of Dodgy Tight Lanes once or twice, so don’t totally trust her.
She’s not perfect, but then my Wife isn’t either (she doesn’t bake Cakes !) but I Love 'em both.
These questions always seem to boil down to Snooper or TomTom.
I bought TomTom 5051 and am very pleased with it. The live traffic is excellent and has saved me much grief. It has a 5" screen but I find this perfectly adequate.
As far as TV goes, get yourself a (something) pad because you will want to do more than just watch TV every night.
I have a car sat nav & a hight bridge MAP book they never fail me
On night out never use a tv ( but then dont have 1 at home ) but each to there own I do have a tablet & mobile wifi device as well as my iphone can do most thing I need with them also have several paperback books
or my knitting
Also a scan through here might help
Researched into this thoroughly and no sat-nav is 100% reliable just a useful tool and alternative to the reliable old road atlas.
Cannot ignore technology and I’ve just bought a S8000 Snooper Truckmate plus a good deal on a DVR2 camera with it. The S8000 with 7" screen is excellent visually (audible info is not that loud but not vital with the visuals), lane guidance, good advanced warnings, fast re-routing and dead easy to use and set up. Have used Garmin, Tom Tom and built in units and this is the best so far though the navigation app on my iphone is almost as good except no use for trucks whereas the S8000 Truckmate is specifically for any HGV and can also be set up for your car as well.
The other real advantage of the S8000 is lifetime map updates that can save you over £80 per year.
maneman:
The other real advantage of the S8000 is lifetime map updates that can save you over £80 per year.
No advantage at all - TomTom and Garmin both come with lifetime map updates.
richvanho:
I’ve managed to get some savings together so price is not a factor but I do want it to hold settings for just the tipper and for the tipper with big trailer, also a big screen would help so I don’t need reading glasses to see it. I need to get it in time for the new job so any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I’ve only ever used a standard car sat nav in the past and if it took me down 7.5 tons limits I could sometimes just go for it as the sweeper was so small that most people don’t know it’s a class 2. No chance of that with the new truck so I have to have a sat nav that keeps me off restricted roads.
many thanks in advance
Rich
Although the TomTom 5150 is (in my opinion) slightly better than the Snooper and Garmin units, one thing it won’t do is to store multiple truck/trailer set-ups. You have to enter the height/length/width/weight individually each time you change the rig.
I would suggest you simply pick whichever is available to you at the best price.
Hi
I use car sat nav + bridge map ,i use the sat nav to pin point destination ,use bridge map for final route.i have been using this system for years.
only cost £15 for sat nav from ebay and £15 for bridge map.£30 total 
I would suggest a good truck map for your route planning, okay I know you want a sat nav , but if you are ever in a no/bad signal area, you will know which roads to take according to the vehicle dimensions, I have just a car tomtom which I use for pinpoints of postcodes & the routing by map. The cost is low for both & works well.
Double post sorry 
TomTom truck 5150, top bit of kit, smooth, fast, accurate, loud , also has hands free for your phone… I’ve been using it every day since August, it has not let me down, live traffic is brill… 
OWLDRIVER:
TomTom truck 5150, top bit of kit, smooth, fast, accurate, loud , also has hands free for your phone… I’ve been using it every day since August, it has not let me down, live traffic is brill…
Forgot to add-
Snooper has hands free as well.
I have the Snoopet S7000.Freeview channels for the tv is ideal for nights out to watch films or Babe Channel.
Enter up to 16 delivery addresses.Adr route planning.
Road closure/accident /diversion information and handsfree Bluetooth phone so you pair up the mobile to speak in to the sat nav.
Got some funny looks.Goods in staff stood by cab door.
I said,hold on a minute,i am talking to the sat nav and it talks back.
I have a Garmin DEZL 760 LMT which I have found to be OK. I usually use a map for route planning and the satnav for the final part of the journey to the Post Code. At the end of the day its your choice. Good Luck.