I know there are many posts on here regarding sat navs, I know a lot of you hate them and prefer the good old paper map. What I want to find out is, which sat nav is the best out there for class 1 work around the uk. I’m looking good precise locations, precise traffic updates etc.
Tucker9037:
I know a lot of you hate them and prefer the good old paper map.
I don’t hate them…
I just don’t understand new drivers almost total reliance on them. There was a thread here some time ago with a driver appearing like a deer in the headlights because he didn’t have a Satnav.
I use Google maps on my phone for the last mile or two into a new drop.
if you want to go and spend hundreds of pounds on a new one i’m unable to help you further, although the shopping site ‘very’ seemed to be selling good ones for a fair price
The trouble is even the expensive ones send you round ridiculously longer routes, especially if you are delivering residential rather than industrial.
Scenario 1.
From St Albans North Orbital Rd to Gainsborough Ave St Albans - the very latest Garmin, a 6yr old Snooper 8000 and Scania in built sat nav all give you a route via HATFIELD!
Scenario 2.
From J4 A1M to Gustard Wood, our expensive kit wants to send you up to J6 and then down through the very difficult lanes of Kimpton and Whitwell. Instead of the much shorter route to Wheathampstead and up.
They are good, but not the silver bullet they would have you believe…
Try a phone app ,there are a few ,far cheaper than an outlay for a satnav .or google maps
or…try looking for 1 of the 90000 threads on whats the best satnav here that have been flogged to death already.
possibly not thinking about the possibility of looking for yourself would make you an ideal candidate for blindly following the one you eventually bung in?
technology is only as good as the human using it…look at a map…work it out in your head,and use the satnav for the last bit into the doorstep…that way you will learn instead of just relying on it.
by the time some of them on here would check the postcode,look it on the satnav…then look for low bridges,then look at google earth,followed by google street view,then look at the truckers atlas,then keep checking for traffic updates,you could have driven half your shift by that time…use your brain.then use the satnav for the last bit.if your heading london to somewhere in glasgow,then theres not much to remember apart from M1…M6…and follow your nose…why use the satnav for 400 miles.itl only be the last 10 miles that you wouldnt know.
i always wonder about night trunkers that do the same trunk with one stuck on the dash.
Tom Tom 6000 truck, with traffic and speed camera alerts, after having live traffic on this it didn’t take to long for me to renew traffic subscription when it expired, it’s right more times than its wrong and gives you the opportunity to take an alternative route long before you get to the snarl ups,
I like the look of the co pilot truck app. Anyone use it?
Navs are ok as an aid ONLY, theres nothing like a paper map. I have one, a Garmin Nuvi58 and its very good, only i never use it for complete routes, ill only ever set it up once i get near a destination . As Dieseldog says just use them for the last few km’s to find an address and theyre fine. Use them for a complete route at your peril…
You missed the Tom Tom 6000 from Very for about £150+ a month or two back.
Just as good but much cheaper are apps for your smartphone for example co pilot truck. Or at the cheaper end there’s Aponia all work on android or apple
This isn’t answering your question but you did hint on this so I’m going to say my bit
Satnavs are good for departure and close to approach stuff - the beginning and the end. Old a-zs were time consuming.
For distance you can’t beat a map for situational awareness, always as a back up if nothing else. It’s a skill. It’s learnt and makes a better navigator. It’s becoming a bit too trendy with those of the age of hipster comb over haircuts to find that anything technology based overrides manual.
You learn to look out the best route in your mind and what feels/looks wrong and you don’t need to look at a satnav or map for the middle bit once you’ve the route committed to your mind’s eye. Instead of following satnav blindly you know that A66 deep Dec could be a bad idea 
- judgement if you will, that looking at the topography, locale, etc, a map gives. I’m still an advocate for maps. Bring on anyone that says otherwise and I’ll give you a case in point why one of the multi billion dollar space age transport industries in the world still has to have certified maps inspite of very expensive “satnav”
Chris @ hgvtruckingtables.co.uk 
iirc £64.99 plus £4 postage and packaging = £ 68.99! Merry Xmas. 
Google Maps, gives you everything a dedicated satnav does and a whole lot more besides. Its the only navigation tool I use now
Freight Dog:
This isn’t answering your question but you did hint on this so I’m going to say my bitSatnavs are good for departure and close to approach stuff - the beginning and the end. Old a-zs were time consuming.
For distance you can’t beat a map for situational awareness, always as a back up if nothing else. It’s a skill. It’s learnt and makes a better navigator. It’s becoming a bit too trendy with those of the age of hipster comb over haircuts to find that anything technology based overrides manual.
You learn to look out the best route in your mind and what feels/looks wrong and you don’t need to look at a satnav or map for the middle bit once you’ve the route committed to your mind’s eye. Instead of following satnav blindly you know that A66 deep Dec could be a bad idea
I’m still an advocate for maps, I adore paper maps and in fact collect old OS ones but you do know that satnavs and apps are just maps presented on a screen rather than paper? Being on paper doesn’t make them automatically better. Maps, however they’re presented, are only as good as the map reading skills of the user. I don’t carry paper maps anymore as I don’t see the point. One thing I love about Google Maps is the fact I can explore anywhere in the world in my mind while I look at the maps and satellite images. Sounds sad but I’ll often spend an hour of two of an evening exploring random parts of the world through Google Maps. I used to do the same as a kid with OS Landrangers, saving up my pocket money to buy new interesting ones! Anyhow I’m rambling. ONWARD
switchlogic:
Freight Dog:
This isn’t answering your question but you did hint on this so I’m going to say my bitSatnavs are good for departure and close to approach stuff - the beginning and the end. Old a-zs were time consuming.
For distance you can’t beat a map for situational awareness, always as a back up if nothing else. It’s a skill. It’s learnt and makes a better navigator. It’s becoming a bit too trendy with those of the age of hipster comb over haircuts to find that anything technology based overrides manual.
You learn to look out the best route in your mind and what feels/looks wrong and you don’t need to look at a satnav or map for the middle bit once you’ve the route committed to your mind’s eye. Instead of following satnav blindly you know that A66 deep Dec could be a bad idea
I’m still an advocate for maps, I adore paper maps and in fact collect old OS ones but you do know that satnavs and apps are just maps presented on a screen rather than paper? Being on paper doesn’t make them automatically better. Maps, however they’re presented, are only as good as the map reading skills of the user. I don’t carry paper maps anymore as I don’t see the point. One thing I love about Google Maps is the fact I can explore anywhere in the world in my mind while I look at the maps and satellite images. Sounds sad but I’ll often spend an hour of two of an evening exploring random parts of the world through Google Maps. I used to do the same as a kid with OS Landrangers, saving up my pocket money to buy new interesting ones! Anyhow I’m rambling. ONWARD
Good man! Glad you’re an advocate of maps. Me too, I really like the old ones. My sister has some really nice old farming maps showing the old boundaries near where she lives.
A slight point. GPS mapping is not just a map presented on a screen. Satnavs aren’t electronic maps. A map in electronic format is, well just an electronic map format.
Paper maps are better for at least one stand out reason. Failure. The reason I highlighted regarding GPS is failure. Well, it happened to me tonight, on a route back from the Middle East to London, our system in built to the avionics that provides GPS mapping data presentation failed. We do have back systems that are non GPS for basic nav, but all the data was lost pictorially. We still have good old back up maps. Guess what, they’re electronic maps, but not GPS. And on common or garden but approved hand held devices.
Until a few years ago these maps were just old singular paper charts - maps really. Then the company went “i”. Now to satisfy the regulator the electronic maps are in triplicate on 3 different devices! Before it was sheets of paper, but such lack of faith the regulator has in even back up devices we have to carry 3. But they are still maps and provide a far more advanced situational awareness than GPS.
Other failures in GPS are unlikely to affect haulage such as RAIM, however GPS does suffer inaccuracies by planning and also failures - I believe the jury is still out on whether the USA still have authority to degrade the system at will
You sound like me with the OS rangers. I used to do the same 
I use Freight Gateway as a route planner and then normal maps. Google Maps for traffic conditions. I bought the 2017 Supreme scale AA atlas yesterday for £6. I like these as they are easy for drawing approved routes on.
Some county councils have downloadable truck maps available, but beware of these; They do show eight limits but also omit roads that they don’t want you to use even if they are legal and suitable.
Fatboy slimslow:
Chris @ hgvtruckingtables.co.uk
+1…If your not worried about having live traffic.Then this sat nav is plenty good enough.
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
dieseldog999:
or…try looking for 1 of the 90000 threads on whats the best satnav here that have been flogged to death already.
possibly not thinking about the possibility of looking for yourself would make you an ideal candidate for blindly following the one you eventually bung in?
A long Sat-Nav thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=128456
dieseldog999:
i always wonder about night trunkers that do the same trunk with one stuck on the dash.
We’re looking for accidents and road closures using live traffic mate…
dieseldog999:
or…try looking for 1 of the 90000 threads on whats the best satnav here that have been flogged to death already.
possibly not thinking about the possibility of looking for yourself would make you an ideal candidate for blindly following the one you eventually bung in?
technology is only as good as the human using it…look at a map…work it out in your head,and use the satnav for the last bit into the doorstep…that way you will learn instead of just relying on it.
by the time some of them on here would check the postcode,look it on the satnav…then look for low bridges,then look at google earth,followed by google street view,then look at the truckers atlas,then keep checking for traffic updates,you could have driven half your shift by that time…use your brain.then use the satnav for the last bit.if your heading london to somewhere in glasgow,then theres not much to remember apart from M1…M6…and follow your nose…why use the satnav for 400 miles.itl only be the last 10 miles that you wouldnt know.
i always wonder about night trunkers that do the same trunk with one stuck on the dash.
Used to wonder this myself but then got one of the tomtom satnavs with traffic. As it doesn’t know where your heading for it only shows traffic for the road you’re on unless your program in a route.
Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
KarlM:
dieseldog999:
or…try looking for 1 of the 90000 threads on whats the best satnav here that have been flogged to death already.
possibly not thinking about the possibility of looking for yourself would make you an ideal candidate for blindly following the one you eventually bung in?
technology is only as good as the human using it…look at a map…work it out in your head,and use the satnav for the last bit into the doorstep…that way you will learn instead of just relying on it.
by the time some of them on here would check the postcode,look it on the satnav…then look for low bridges,then look at google earth,followed by google street view,then look at the truckers atlas,then keep checking for traffic updates,you could have driven half your shift by that time…use your brain.then use the satnav for the last bit.if your heading london to somewhere in glasgow,then theres not much to remember apart from M1…M6…and follow your nose…why use the satnav for 400 miles.itl only be the last 10 miles that you wouldnt know.
i always wonder about night trunkers that do the same trunk with one stuck on the dash.Used to wonder this myself but then got one of the tomtom satnavs with traffic. As it doesn’t know where your heading for it only shows traffic for the road you’re on unless your program in a route.
Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
Same here, I set Google maps routes for every journey I do no matter how far as the traffic info is so useful and usually very accurate