Don’t want to start a massive debate on this subject as i’m sure it’s been covered before but now that Sat Nav is a bit more established i just wanted to know what users of this forum think - are you for or against it? Personally I’m for it as I see it as just another form of progression to make our lives easier - same as power steering and night heaters.
100% FOR
its not even open for debate
100% for too.
THE best thing I have ever bought, no question.
Never used one nor do i ever intend to the old paper map is too good for me and the bridge height map by the AA.
Ive got some ■■■■■ at home telling me what to do all the time the last thing i want is one of them in my cab telling me what to do.
However when one is invented that can work out the little shortcuts to avoid the usual delays, when one is intelligent enough to tell me what bridges to avoid i might get one, when one is bright enough to tell me where the weight limits are i might get one, when one is good enough to let me know where to eat my breakfast i might think about getting one, when one of them knows im in a truck and not a car i would possibly think about it, when they are £5.99 like a good map ill get one.
Until then NO i would never think about geting one because im one of the old school who use the odd map and instinct to get about, im driving ill make the mistakes can you imagine the conversation with te old bill?.
“Well officer it told me to come down here”.
No not for me thanks but they are probably for the young drivers of the future im just a bit too old fashioned, like the “old boys” who taught me what to do.
I use both gps and maps…
Wouldn’t be without either.
Have both but rarely use the SatNav as it can’t take into account size and weight of vehicle. It is handy for a long run, where it will give you more major routes but they will try and send you some funny ways when you get nearer. I used to use it quite a bit in 13 and 18 tonners as you could nip in and out of places. But with a bigger vehicle I tend to use it alongside the map so I don’t have to keep trying to look at the map.
I find satnav a usefull tool, especially if your looking for farms, difficult addresses etc, as the full postcode search is invaluable. I also use the low bridge poi set to your trucks specific height, which has helped long before I get there as you can see if any lowbridges are on your route and calculate an alternative. However do not rely on satnav alone as its designed for cars 
I gaurantee you will get into trouble using this approach . I think given a bit of time and as specific units are made for trucks they will be able to be relied apon and the days of paper maps are numbered. I also use the pois for service stops, fuel stations, truck stops really usefull if your in an unfamiliar area and of course speed cameras.
The best approach at the moment is to use it as a back up to paper maps for planning your route but enjoy its good points and display. 
For example if you use the standard format display it (not the 3d one) you get plenty of warning of upcoming sharp corners etc, also how far the next junction, slip road or roundabout is. Excellent features on a dark rainy low vis night especially if considering overtaking another lorry. One of my favorite features is when my boss phones and asks how long untill the next drop etc. I can just look at the display and add a little time to alow for my limited speed and tell him 
keeps him happy anyway
Satnav is a tool and it should be remembered its only as good as its user. Dont follow it blindly and you will be fine.
Ok, never really had a problem using maps, but can see the benefits of sat nav for local streets when in Towns your un familiar with…
so the $64million dollar question, which one would you recommend?
cheers wills
if it was a choice between Satnav or maps at the moment maps would be the only way to go, however that will change with time im sure 
I’m 100% in favour.
I use tomtom the 500 and find the hands free use of the phone the first advantage. I’m not a bit technical when it comes to technology so don’t use poi for weight or height restrictions although I wish I was.
I set the tomtom for 53mph and find the ETA very accurate. As has been pointed out before is handy when the office ring to find out how long your going to be as the customer is on the phone to say “I’ll be 1 hour and 7 minutes arriving at site @ 15:04. it generally within a minute or two and is constantly updateing itself.
Running at 18.5 meters and upto 3.8 meters wide and using a little common sense it’s never left me stuck
I can only remember once being put in a difficult situation with Satnav but conversly I can remember loads of times when maps have done that too. If you can put your hand on your heart and say you have never muttered to yourself “I wish I had,nt come this way” as the road in front gets narrower and narrower then all hail to you as you are better than me.
I dont just use it for routing, I like the fact I can tell what my ETA is at a glance, Elevation is good in winter to second guess the ice on the road, Time to next junction/ roundabout is good for overtaking decisions, It can calculate my waiting time if I’m on demurrage. If you miss your turning it gives you an instant reroute and a revised ETA. Plus mine sounds ■■■■ too!!
i use sat nav find it a lot less stress full and a lot safer. I still carry maps and will still use road atlas.
but the only thing i find with sat nav u never learn the route like u do a map lol
just follow and go, at least with ya atlas our map ur getting a mental picture of were u going
sayin that i still prefer to use sat nav , but best to use with commen sense if road looks tight dont go down , simple as that
100% Satnav for sure, maps only if I’m looking for an alternative route, then program a mid-point in. I think satnav has saved me many hours of figuring out the quickest/shortest route and not having to refer back to the map all the time.
set the tomtom for 53mph and find the ETA very accurate. As has been pointed out before is handy when the office ring to find out how long your going to be as the customer is on the phone to say “I’ll be 1 hour and 7 minutes arriving at site @ 15:04. it generally within a minute or two and is constantly updateing itself.
How do you do this by navigating using the limited speed setting or is there another way?
Useful tool but maps allow you to sit quietly and study your route without having to move around a small video screen which probably wont be positioned so that it is easy to study.
Use the kit that suits you best but don’t chuck the baby out with the bath water.
For Satnav, used to used it exclusively for 3 or 4 years, now I just use knowledge and bits of paper with the destination map on it that I get given. Don’t even pack the SatNav in my bag these days.
8wheels:
Have both but rarely use the SatNav as it can’t take into account size and weight of vehicle.
Not having a pop at you 8wheels but it always makes me smile when people say this. Your paper based maps can’t take into account size and weight of vehicle either, unless they are some kind of magic map. 
It is you that allows for the size of the vehicle when planning your route, not the map, and you can do that with SatNav just as you do with paper maps.
kevin.red:
How do you do this by navigating using the limited speed setting or is there another way?
Just by using the limited speed, the only time this isn’t very accurate is when the route includes a lot of single carriageway. EG Wakefield to Prestonpans — single carriageway from Morpeth on the A1, I just lowered the limited speed to 48mph for the whole journey and it worked out right. Delivered to St.Johns wood in London this week, the 20 minutes from the bottom of the M1 doubled but as I say you would expect that so that’s where the bit of common sense comes in.
at first i thought they were the business but in time slowly but surely went back to the a-z and truck atlas.
the work i’m on now i could find all the tips blindfolded, so don’t use anything, if i went back on general i don’t think i’d even bother putting the satnav in the cab.
marlow:
Just by using the limited speed, the only time this isn’t very accurate is when the route includes a lot of single carriageway. EG Wakefield to Prestonpans — single carriageway from Morpeth on the A1, I just lowered the limited speed to 48mph for the whole journey and it worked out right. Delivered to St.Johns wood in London this week, the 20 minutes from the bottom of the M1 doubled but as I say you would expect that so that’s where the bit of common sense comes in.
Thanks Marlow
For me its a matter of professional pride I use maps and occaisionally autoroute for post code locations, etc in the truck. I can’t help feeling that sat nav makes you lazy, what happens when it breaks down if you’ve come to rely upon it and does it mean you do not have to remember locations, etc. just let the sat nav tell you where to go everytime?
Computers are OK but just a tool and the best computer is still between the ears, machine’s cannot reason.