as being new to truck driving, i wonder which is best a sat nav,or good old fashioned map book,i have both,only done a couple of local trips nothing major easy to do,but agency asked for long distance multi drop work, so my question being sat nav or map book, if sat nav then which one is good for trucks, thanks paul
Good old map and a bit of common sense, if that fails . . stop and ask.
Maps for me 
I use a combination of both a map to route plan and then program the route I want in to my Sat Nav, save keep looking at a map. But then I’m not using a sat van designed for trucks, so I need bridge heights etc and avoid certain routes that the Sat Nav would send me down.
Proper trucker atlas every time to check bridge heights and weighs. But sat nav is ok used with said made for final approches to destinations in built up areas. That rare thing comman sence needs using too as well as eye site if the sat nav want to send you down some town street you better not venture down.
Suedehead:
Good old map and a bit of common sense, if that fails . . stop and ask.
Ditto.
Sat Nav’s are brilliant,but only if
A.You have the correct postcode
B.You are capable of programming it properly (sounds daft but they are only as good as the operator)
Problem with non HGV systems are obviously Height & Weight restrictions etc
a combination of both
if its multi drop as one per town then move on
you can get away with the sat nav and atlas
once you visit cities and have to do a few drops then the old A to Z
will be useful
i always carry my London and Brum A to Zs
I dont use either a map or an electronic map (sat nav 
) Im old skool and use these.
igadam:
Sat Nav’s are brilliant,but only ifA.You have the correct postcode
B.You are capable of programming it properly (sounds daft but they are only as good as the operator)Problem with non HGV systems are obviously Height & Weight restrictions etc
i useing the tomtom 7000 truck,and this seems to be doing the job,it has all the stuff in it,all the warnings are there but i suppose common sense is the only way forward
Both. Truckers Road Atlas with low bridge heights to get you to the town, Satnav to get you to the destination. Satnav to use as a SUGGESTION for a route from one town to the other if you’ve no idea where anything is in the UK but always followed up by a check in the road atlas to make sure its suitable.
Don’t listen to these old ■■■■■ saying Satnavs the spawn of satan. Going by their comments MOST OF THEM HAVE NEVER USED ONE and they’re the kind of muppets who’d follow them blindly and get stuck.
The stupid tossers seem to think that:
a) trying to read an A to Z over several pages whilst driving through a city with the book in one hand, the gearstick in the other and trying to steer and look for the company all at the same time is a good idea.
b) paying over £500 for far far LESS street coverage thats more out of date than a Satnav is a good idea ( I had over £600 of A to Z before Satnav came out and they were nowhere near as comprehensive)
c) Think that ■■■■■■■ a great big box of out of date dog eared A to Zs from one cab to the other is a good idea.
d) Think that every petrol station employee and every person in a town knows where everywhere is in that place where the truth in the matter is 9/10 you’ll get the village idiot.
Both, a proper truckers atlas is essential. I generally use the sat nav to guide me in to the drop once I’m in the town but always carry my London A-Z lot of our drops are in residentially type areas and the sat nav tries to send you down places you wouldn’t want to go.
bubsy06:
I dont use either a map or an electronic map (sat nav
Git, another mouthful of Export over the keyboard ffs 
bubsy06:
I dont use either a map or an electronic map (sat nav
Me too, I find these new fangled map books far too complicated, always taking me down silly little roads.
I have a programme on this here laptop, microsoft streets and trips, I somtimes use that to look at places then draw myself a little map from it, but usually I rely on a good old fashioned map book
a good map book and a proper truckers atlas and just a little common sense. i use tomtom 720 with downloaded truck software but i check the map book before going somewhere new.
Conor:
Both. Truckers Road Atlas with low bridge heights to get you to the town, Satnav to get you to the destination. Satnav to use as a SUGGESTION for a route from one town to the other if you’ve no idea where anything is in the UK but always followed up by a check in the road atlas to make sure its suitable.Don’t listen to these old ■■■■■ saying Satnavs the spawn of satan. Going by their comments MOST OF THEM HAVE NEVER USED ONE and they’re the kind of muppets who’d follow them blindly and get stuck.
The stupid tossers seem to think that:
a) trying to read an A to Z over several pages whilst driving through a city with the book in one hand, the gearstick in the other and trying to steer and look for the company all at the same time is a good idea.
b) paying over £500 for far far LESS street coverage thats more out of date than a Satnav is a good idea ( I had over £600 of A to Z before Satnav came out and they were nowhere near as comprehensive)
c) Think that ■■■■■■■ a great big box of out of date dog eared A to Zs from one cab to the other is a good idea.
d) Think that every petrol station employee and every person in a town knows where everywhere is in that place where the truth in the matter is 9/10 you’ll get the village idiot.
You’re spot on with what you say, the sat nav is a lot easier than maps, you get regular updates, they’re double handy if you get stuck in traffic for finding alternative routes, but as you say, you have to use a bit of common sense and your eyes too, the old custom of asking for directions must be a nightmare now, as well as the village idiot you have women who don’t know their left from their right (a scientific/biological fact 
) and all the recent non English speaking arrivals, you can bet your life you find a bunch of these before you find the old boy who grew up in the street your looking for, of course it was all trees and fields back then 
i use sat nav but do check the route via truck map, but as said common sense and eyes are the best… if your not sure either get out have a look or if very near to drop contact customer and ask… though don,t trust what everyone says as some folk including fellow drivers like to watch someone struggle… i,ve known one driver send a colleague through narrow streets and over a tight bridge just to see if he could manage it… when there was a much easier route… a learning curve that he now does,nt listen to anyone elses advise and plans his own routes…
phil the book:
Suedehead:
Good old map and a bit of common sense, if that fails . . stop and ask.Ditto.
+1
Both - AA Truckers atlas and a regular tomtom with low bridges,width and weight limits added 