Let me clarify myself. If you were able to tell the satnav how long, high, wide and how much it weighed so it could send you a good route and it worked then they would be the dogs … However there is no facility to do this and they are far from ideal in this application. That is why I do not use it often.
I find it much easier to review the route on a paper map, which is much bigger than the screen. It also makes you think it out for yourself and are often able to avoid tricky spots but have a Plan B in mind if the first route is unsuitable.
Definately for SatNav, its the new garlic bread. I used to be one of the luddites who was all for paper maps but once you’ve tried one and worked out to use it properly you’ll never want to look at a map again.
Although I do understand that being truckers some of you just wont ever be bright enough to use a satnav properly
i’m all for the practicality of satnav and am saving up to buy myself a system soon But in my opinion the key thing is not to let it erode your awareness and common sense. I totally agree with 8wheels about the ease of reading a printed map and being able to have a “Plan B” …just in case things go slightly Pete Tong as they very often tend to in this job! With anything electronic there is always the possibility of failure - from signal interference to dying batteries, but with paper there is none (other than being a dummy and losing it!) I’ll always keep the trusty paper map beside me even once i’ve got my tom tom. It’s complete with all my own personal abridgements including the low bridges where i learned the hard way and restricted entries etc…
However when one is invented that can work out the little shortcuts to avoid the usual delays
it already has, Tomtom with the traffic addon
i have one, although i dont use it too much to be honest, but i generally do local deliveries and i know the area anyway. If i head out somewhere i dont know, i do put it on.
on the whole though i’m 100% for them.
i tried a friends tom tom once and maybe it was me not using it right but it got me completly lost, and i know my friend was being told to go over a footbridge by his in holland.
im all for new technology, but i have always found my way with paper maps, at least they are not going to go down with a technical problem…
Im in favour of satnav, however i do try to cross check the details with a map. one of the best features ive found using TT5 navigator for PDA is the navigate to a point on a map feature, which is very useful if you have been given a hand drawn map, you can cross check the details you have been given, then you can drag/drop on TT to a point, then zoom in to an un-named road, ind est, or load bay in a town centre etc. Some details that generally you don`t get by typing in an address etc, can be found this way
on a slightly different note, I trying to find 2 cables to use with my PDA mount,
to power up by TT bluetooth GPS square dongle - RJ11 - 2.5/3.5mm power pin
to connect a holux GR213 GPS reciever RJ11 - round DIN plug (Male end req`d)
an RJ11 looks like a mini square telephone plug, the type you use on dial up PC modems to connect you computer to the phone line
But in my opinion the key thing is not to let it erode your awareness and common sense. I totally agree with 8wheels about the ease of reading a printed map and being able to have a “Plan B” …just in case things go slightly Pete Tong as they very often tend to in this job! With anything electronic there is always the possibility of failure - from signal interference to dying batteries, but with paper there is none (other than being a dummy and losing it!) I’ll always keep the trusty paper map beside me even once i’ve got my tom tom. It’s complete with all my own personal abridgements including the low bridges where i learned the hard way 
and restricted entries etc… 