loner1
Seasoned Expediter
I agree with you. Thanks for your input. Sorry they jumped you. Your post provided the information I was looking for. Happy Driving.
Microsoft Streets and Trips?
- Thread starter loner1
- Start date
I agree with you. Thanks for your input. Sorry they jumped you. Your post provided the information I was looking for. Happy Driving.
flattop40
Expert Expediter
No problem, glad I could help. Just seems as tho some target whatever I post on here. Guess they really DON'T accept apolgies.
We have came through a whole procession of navigational tools and for the last few years have not changed our routine.
We started with the Deluxe Motor Carriers' Road Atlas only (we still refer to this often) we then added Delorme. Next we added a GPS antenna to Delorme and tracked our route that way. Neither one of us cared much for this system. When I wanted to use the computer Bob would be using it to watch our route. I also did not care for our computer to be setting up front running all of the time. We finally broke down and bought our Lowrance Iway500c.
The Lowrance took a huge burden off of my shoulders which in turn took a burden off of Bob's shoulders. One of my biggest fears when we started was getting lost in a truck! I thought that would be close to the end of the world while I have since learned different. When you have to make a few interstate changes going through a city while the traffic is heavy and having the GPS tell you in advance which side of the interstate the exit will be on and how many miles in front of you is awesome.
I still use Streets and Trips and look up our overall route and our final directions into our delivery and pickup. We have both found that this overall glance of the route and our locals helps us. Our GPS is an aid in getting our job done smoother and more efficient the GPS is not the last word on our route we are. Sometimes we need to over ride the GPS as she likes to route us on roads that say "NO TRUCKS". This is why we turned the voice down as we can concentrate on our route and not argue with her, she can just keep re routing us until we both agree on the road. This is another thing we found with our Lowrance is that the GPS is much quicker at re routing us then the Delorme was.
Bob hard mounted our Lowrance on the dash in front of an air vent to help keep her cool or warm as needed. She is just another one of the gauges we constantly scan while going down the road.
We started with the Deluxe Motor Carriers' Road Atlas only (we still refer to this often) we then added Delorme. Next we added a GPS antenna to Delorme and tracked our route that way. Neither one of us cared much for this system. When I wanted to use the computer Bob would be using it to watch our route. I also did not care for our computer to be setting up front running all of the time. We finally broke down and bought our Lowrance Iway500c.
The Lowrance took a huge burden off of my shoulders which in turn took a burden off of Bob's shoulders. One of my biggest fears when we started was getting lost in a truck! I thought that would be close to the end of the world while I have since learned different. When you have to make a few interstate changes going through a city while the traffic is heavy and having the GPS tell you in advance which side of the interstate the exit will be on and how many miles in front of you is awesome.
I still use Streets and Trips and look up our overall route and our final directions into our delivery and pickup. We have both found that this overall glance of the route and our locals helps us. Our GPS is an aid in getting our job done smoother and more efficient the GPS is not the last word on our route we are. Sometimes we need to over ride the GPS as she likes to route us on roads that say "NO TRUCKS". This is why we turned the voice down as we can concentrate on our route and not argue with her, she can just keep re routing us until we both agree on the road. This is another thing we found with our Lowrance is that the GPS is much quicker at re routing us then the Delorme was.
Bob hard mounted our Lowrance on the dash in front of an air vent to help keep her cool or warm as needed. She is just another one of the gauges we constantly scan while going down the road.
Guess I am an ole fashion guy...I use S & T...and confirm with Google and compare against the QC. With Google with satilite street level you can see the building, what it looks like and overhead you can see where the truck entrance is most times.
Then pad and pen WRITE down from highway exit to delivery. or is it is a sub highway from city limit to delivery.
IMHO...if ya can't remember how ya got to the address and can't get out..ya ain't no driver!!
Then pad and pen WRITE down from highway exit to delivery. or is it is a sub highway from city limit to delivery.
IMHO...if ya can't remember how ya got to the address and can't get out..ya ain't no driver!!
hondaking38
Veteran Expediter
i use a tom tom and delorme on the pc...its mounted on a stand..i prefer it over the tom tom because of the screen size...as far as people being concerned about taking there eyes off the road?? so do you, or at least you should, you look at your gauges dont ya, looking at a window mounted tom tom still takes your eyes off the road,unless you have one eye shooting off to the left side of your face...oh wait theres more, mirrors, hmm do ya use them..lets not get piddly on watching the road, or a pc might cause a accident...but then again some of you might not be capable of doung two things at once..
Scuba
Veteran Expediter
I use the DeLorme myself and I love it with a jotto desk I have it set up so it sits just below my line of sight to the right of the wheel. It takes me a lot less time to scan it than trying to focus on a 4 inch screen. And I get a lot more info on my large screen. I didn’t like s&t at all i gave my copy away to each their own.
mjolnir131
Veteran Expediter
if you learn where the F3 key is just hit that and streets and trips will reload and tell you how far to the next turn. why F3 and not F5 i don't know but thats what it is.
Yesteryear
Expert Expediter
Yep, agree with Turtle. We use it as a back-up to our Magellan, it is a great program. Most of the time if our Magellan can't get us there on locals I pull out the Microsoft Streets & Trips and it gets us there. Also, it is great for seeing where your at (exactly) for making turn-arounds when the Magellan is piping "whenever possible make a legal u-turn". 
Another good one I use it for is routing when the Magellan wants to take us a couple hundred miles out of the way I use the MS&T for route points and program the Magellan with those points. Don't know about the rest of you but our Magellan will take us hundreds of miles out of the way if there is a tollway it can put us on and no matter how much I chastize it the silly thing won't change it's mind. Hubby thinks it's a gps conspiracy to make us pay tolls. heeheehee But I would never try to drive and use the computer at the same time.
Another good one I use it for is routing when the Magellan wants to take us a couple hundred miles out of the way I use the MS&T for route points and program the Magellan with those points. Don't know about the rest of you but our Magellan will take us hundreds of miles out of the way if there is a tollway it can put us on and no matter how much I chastize it the silly thing won't change it's mind. Hubby thinks it's a gps conspiracy to make us pay tolls. heeheehee But I would never try to drive and use the computer at the same time. 
I can't imagine using the bulky laptop instead of the small, easy to use Garmin. I'm anxious to hear how the 465 works.
When time permits, I'll run the routes on the Garmin on four different ways:
Truck - Shortest Route
Truck - Fastest Time
Car - Shortest Route
Car - Fastest Time
And then also run the route on Streets & Trips using Shortest, Fasted and Preferred. (Sometimes, especially if there is a significant mileage discrepancy between the load offer and what these routing options give, I'll then run it on PC Miler).
After the 4 Garmin options and then the Streets and Trips option, I'll end up with 3 or 4 distinctly different routings. The Garmin usually produces the most desirable route, but not always. Sometimes it's Streets and Trips. In those cases I'll use the S&T routing, either on my own or by forcing the Garmin to take that specific route.
I wouldn't want to rely solely on one or the other, that's for sure. But after having done plenty of routes on both the Garmin and Streets and Trips, I know for sure that over long term usage, the Garmin saves more time and miles than Streets & Trips does. Otherwise I'd be using Streets & Trips.
While driving, the Garmin wins hands down because it gives you precisely the information you need at a glance (where you are, next turn and when, and final ETA) without any unneccesary, distracting information as you find on the S&T screen. One touch of the screen gets you to other information on a couple on different screens, which is the same information that is generally displayed on the S&T screen all at once. All at once is nice, but it's more distracting just the same. You cannot take it all in at a glance, you must refocus, and zero in on the information you are looking for, and then process it.
On the other hand, before during and after a trip, when you need to use an Atlas to get an overview of things, maybe to figure out where you might go after delivery, whatever, Streets & Trips beats a paper Atlas up pretty bad, and a Garmin is beyond useless at an Atlas. Being able to zoom in, zoom out, move around, see what's close by, see the geographical overview of things, to use the map as a map, it was something I got used to, got comfortable with, got proficient with, and that's what I had the most dificulty with when I went from the laptop to a standlone. I'd be willing to bet that this is a large part of the reason people are reluctant to give it up, and so passionately (which is really funny, I gotta tell ya) defend its use, especially the ones who say they love the big screen. It's not the screen size as much as the fact you can do more on that screen at the once, and you can actually use the map as a map. Whether you're looking at a standalone or a laptop's big screen, whatever you're actually looking at is about the same size regardless, about 6 square inches. A laptop screen may have 110, 200, 255 or even more square inches, but I promise you, when you look at it, you're looking at just about 6 square inches (at arm's length). That's why the ones specifically designed for large vehicles, like an RV or a truck, tend to be large, because they are usually mounted further away, and thus require a larger screen in order to equate to 6 square inches at a distance. The screen size of these standalones is not by accident.
Audio feedback is pretty much the same either way, so making a case for S&T over a standalone because of audible spoken directions isn't much of an argument. Saying they are both a distraction isn't much of an argument, either, since we all know distracted driving is distracted driving. It's merely a case of which one has the potential to be more or less distracting. The only argument that can be made is which one is safer. People are gonna use whatever they feel comfortable with, whatever they prefer, but don't kid yourself into thinking that just because you prefer a laptop that it means the laptop is just as safe, or worse, safer, 'cause it's not. As a fellow driver sharing the roads with y'all, all I ask is that if you're going to use a laptop while driving that you keep it's risks in mind.
"I'm an excellent driver" - Raymond Babbit
Raymond Babbit NEVER had an accident.
Sorry, man, I just couldn't let that one go by.
Truck - Shortest Route
Truck - Fastest Time
Car - Shortest Route
Car - Fastest Time
And then also run the route on Streets & Trips using Shortest, Fasted and Preferred. (Sometimes, especially if there is a significant mileage discrepancy between the load offer and what these routing options give, I'll then run it on PC Miler).
After the 4 Garmin options and then the Streets and Trips option, I'll end up with 3 or 4 distinctly different routings. The Garmin usually produces the most desirable route, but not always. Sometimes it's Streets and Trips. In those cases I'll use the S&T routing, either on my own or by forcing the Garmin to take that specific route.
I wouldn't want to rely solely on one or the other, that's for sure. But after having done plenty of routes on both the Garmin and Streets and Trips, I know for sure that over long term usage, the Garmin saves more time and miles than Streets & Trips does. Otherwise I'd be using Streets & Trips.
While driving, the Garmin wins hands down because it gives you precisely the information you need at a glance (where you are, next turn and when, and final ETA) without any unneccesary, distracting information as you find on the S&T screen. One touch of the screen gets you to other information on a couple on different screens, which is the same information that is generally displayed on the S&T screen all at once. All at once is nice, but it's more distracting just the same. You cannot take it all in at a glance, you must refocus, and zero in on the information you are looking for, and then process it.
On the other hand, before during and after a trip, when you need to use an Atlas to get an overview of things, maybe to figure out where you might go after delivery, whatever, Streets & Trips beats a paper Atlas up pretty bad, and a Garmin is beyond useless at an Atlas. Being able to zoom in, zoom out, move around, see what's close by, see the geographical overview of things, to use the map as a map, it was something I got used to, got comfortable with, got proficient with, and that's what I had the most dificulty with when I went from the laptop to a standlone. I'd be willing to bet that this is a large part of the reason people are reluctant to give it up, and so passionately (which is really funny, I gotta tell ya) defend its use, especially the ones who say they love the big screen. It's not the screen size as much as the fact you can do more on that screen at the once, and you can actually use the map as a map. Whether you're looking at a standalone or a laptop's big screen, whatever you're actually looking at is about the same size regardless, about 6 square inches. A laptop screen may have 110, 200, 255 or even more square inches, but I promise you, when you look at it, you're looking at just about 6 square inches (at arm's length). That's why the ones specifically designed for large vehicles, like an RV or a truck, tend to be large, because they are usually mounted further away, and thus require a larger screen in order to equate to 6 square inches at a distance. The screen size of these standalones is not by accident.
Audio feedback is pretty much the same either way, so making a case for S&T over a standalone because of audible spoken directions isn't much of an argument. Saying they are both a distraction isn't much of an argument, either, since we all know distracted driving is distracted driving. It's merely a case of which one has the potential to be more or less distracting. The only argument that can be made is which one is safer. People are gonna use whatever they feel comfortable with, whatever they prefer, but don't kid yourself into thinking that just because you prefer a laptop that it means the laptop is just as safe, or worse, safer, 'cause it's not. As a fellow driver sharing the roads with y'all, all I ask is that if you're going to use a laptop while driving that you keep it's risks in mind.
"I'm an excellent driver" - Raymond Babbit
Raymond Babbit NEVER had an accident.
Sorry, man, I just couldn't let that one go by.
transporter
Expert Expediter
I use streets and trips and love it. the large screen mounted on a laptop stand. I have tomtom used 2 days no compettion S/T
wins. speed of input, larger screen, and voice if used.
It is not perfect. I have not touched a paper map in 4 years.
And no wrecks.
I appreciate the info on the update you can buy never showing any walmarts was annoying.
It is not truck friendly but I used it back when I was in A truck
and found it very useful.
wins. speed of input, larger screen, and voice if used.
It is not perfect. I have not touched a paper map in 4 years.
And no wrecks.
I appreciate the info on the update you can buy never showing any walmarts was annoying.
It is not truck friendly but I used it back when I was in A truck
and found it very useful.
sweetbillebob
Seasoned Expediter
We use DeLorme Plus 2008, getting ready to upgrade to a newer version and picking up a wireless sensor. I love the way I can get all the truck stops on the route I have picked out, or just a specific chain. The Plus version effectively adds a phone book to the system. Thus we can find just about anything we are looking for on route or within a given radius. If I want to find Thai food or a restaurant by a specific name "Village Inn", it's all there. We do have to check out the trip "she" has planned for us and make adjustments to the route with relative frequency. I love the big screen that is broken into a zoomed in level and an overview. We have a "D" Freightliner and us a stand that is mounted right up against the dash with two swivel arms. We just move it where we want it, driver or passenger, push it away at night to alleviate the glare from the screen. The stand also has a vertical adjustment, so it can be placed such that not much to glancing down and back to the road. And the address book puts identifiers on the map. We have express centers, favorite restaurants, favorite campgrounds, hard to locate shipping locations. (Like that IBM 20 miles NW or Mahway NJ.) Just click on the identifier and it becomes a start/stop/finish.
sweetbillebob
Seasoned Expediter
It is a "Jotto Desk" probably the most expensive of the bunch, but the versatility is worth it. It is meant to be mounted next to the seat, using the seat mounting bolts to secure it. We found it was too hard to get up and down from the respective seats this way. I used two pipe clamps and attached it directly to the dash, right in the middle. I leave all rotating points loose so that you can just move it were you want it, or out of the way with one hand. Equally accessible from either seat.
Given the convenience, our computer is always on. It is integral to our operation. GPS, Driver Logs, Excel, Quick Books, Internet, Printer/Scanner. I know the exact effect of taking a run just by entering the miles, pay and delivery date. How it effects the month, and the year averages and projections. I can quickly compare taking a run today that delivers tomorrow at $1.35 to taking one that picks up tomorrow and delivers the following day at $1.50. (For me it is better to take the run today if it is less than 1350 miles, over that take the one for tomorrow. That is at my income/expense ratio.)
Point is, if your computer is always available, you will continue to us it for more and more, making your driving more profitable.
Given the convenience, our computer is always on. It is integral to our operation. GPS, Driver Logs, Excel, Quick Books, Internet, Printer/Scanner. I know the exact effect of taking a run just by entering the miles, pay and delivery date. How it effects the month, and the year averages and projections. I can quickly compare taking a run today that delivers tomorrow at $1.35 to taking one that picks up tomorrow and delivers the following day at $1.50. (For me it is better to take the run today if it is less than 1350 miles, over that take the one for tomorrow. That is at my income/expense ratio.)
Point is, if your computer is always available, you will continue to us it for more and more, making your driving more profitable.
Streets and Trips is the bomb!!!
My Better Half bought it for me. It talks so I don't have to take my eyes off the road. Good deal.
I follow the directions of the Company I drive for and I put my own way points in and it goes to where I want them following the companies directions.
The Truck also has a garmin. I really don't trust it as much as the Streets and Trips.
Now in New York City, Streets and Trips hands down and using the way Points I talked about. Like I said it talks so if you can "Here and Follow Directions" it works.
Garmin is good to and it resets its self.
Everyone has their favorite mine is Talking Streets and Trips.
My Better Half bought it for me. It talks so I don't have to take my eyes off the road. Good deal.
I follow the directions of the Company I drive for and I put my own way points in and it goes to where I want them following the companies directions.
The Truck also has a garmin. I really don't trust it as much as the Streets and Trips.
Now in New York City, Streets and Trips hands down and using the way Points I talked about. Like I said it talks so if you can "Here and Follow Directions" it works.
Garmin is good to and it resets its self.
Everyone has their favorite mine is Talking Streets and Trips.
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Marvin_H
Seasoned Expediter
Hi guys,
Just a heads up that the new version of Microsoft Streets and Trips 2010 has been just released, and it is in stores now.
Just from the top of my head, new features include:
There is more. Perhaps more than I have discovered so far.
If anyone interested, I posted a Review: Streets & Trips 2010
Just a heads up that the new version of Microsoft Streets and Trips 2010 has been just released, and it is in stores now.
Just from the top of my head, new features include:
- Better management of pushpins. It is now possible to toggle show/hide individual pushpin sets, as well as show/hide all pushpin information balloons.
- Impord/export GPS files
- More info available to the driver: remaining driving time to destination, distance to next stop, and distance to end destination
- Export route to GPS devices
- More pushpin symbols
- Pause Windows Media Player during spoken navigation instructions
- Search for highway exits
There is more. Perhaps more than I have discovered so far.
If anyone interested, I posted a Review: Streets & Trips 2010
jrcarroll
Expert Expediter
As a solo driver I've used streets & trips on lapyop for years.
bigger screen, many options, + still can use laptop for other things.
It sets on passaNGER SEAT. I scan the screen just like I check mirrors!!!
In the Larger cities IE miami, Atlanta, I'll turn n the sound and let the 'puter talk to me.
Truckstopsplus givs more tools than MS S&T for a driver
and it also comes with the large cities marked as avoid zones.
My main purpose is to log the trips, as we are paid miles from S&T!!!Address to Address, not zip 2 zip. I can go back and look at trips I've made and use that info for a current trip
WoW...an real carrier!! I am impressed....I don't know why more carriers don't rate this way....I figure I am out approx. $2,000 a year minimum...and just think what the carrier is losing....
Why not charge the customer the true miles?
Indeed, when you consider more and more shippers are using fuel surcharge "justification" services that allow them to negotiate the FSC down on loads. It's time for carriers to fight back a little and either get real miles, or start charging proper waiting times and other "accessory" charges. If a shipper is going to those kind of lengths to bargain the carrier then they should get it back in return.
I’ve been using Streets & Trips to do all my trip planning and navigation for years. You can’t beat it.
I’ve tried the Delorme Streets Atlas, but it is 10 times harder to learn and use. It’s also very slow to use, the maps suck big time, and I finally got tired of watching me drive through fields and streams instead of roads.
Used CoPilot 9 for a while also and liked it for the most part, but again the maps sucked big time, so you had to use it in conjunction with Streets & Trips, and it never did what you paid the big bucks for, which is truck routing.
When I checked my routes beforehand as I always do, it routed me down restricted route roads and roads with low clearances all the time. You can take Streets & Trips, set it to use only major roads, and it does a much better job of pseudo truck routing than CoPilot does.
Anyway, when I later upgraded to CoPilot 11, I quickly sent it back and got my money back because they just plain screwed everything up. I hear their standalone truck specific CoPilot version is a real doozy as well.
Some other poster already said that adding the Truck Stops Plus add-on template to Streets & Trips was the best money he ever spent. I just want to second his endorsement for the Truck Stops Plus template.
Add the Truck Stops Plus template to Streets & Trip and together you have the best solution available anywhere bar none, and the beauty of it is it is by far cheaper than spending $500 or $600 for a device that advertises that it is truck specific, only it doesn’t do truck specific routing and its truck specific POI database sucks.
And for the dude hyperventilating in livid color, settle down dude! The world won’t end tomorrow. Some of us brains don’t operate nearly as slowly as yours apparently does.
I tried one of those newfangled standalone Garmins and it was so small I couldn’t see it. It now sits in my wife’s car. As for as I’m concerned, Garmins are great for cars, but for 18 wheelers like I drive, I need something much more flexible and capable and that also gives me a panoramic view that you can’t get with a standalone GPS device.
Not to mention that with Streets & Trips you can do 10 times more things with it as well. In fact, most of my friends that use Garmins and Tom Toms use Streets & Trips to do all their trip planning, which is now going to be much easier because I hear Streets & Trips 2010 exports gpx files directly into Garmin and other gpx compatible GPS devices. Thus, if you are smart, you will be using Streets & Trips to do your trip planning as well.
I’ve tried the Delorme Streets Atlas, but it is 10 times harder to learn and use. It’s also very slow to use, the maps suck big time, and I finally got tired of watching me drive through fields and streams instead of roads.
Used CoPilot 9 for a while also and liked it for the most part, but again the maps sucked big time, so you had to use it in conjunction with Streets & Trips, and it never did what you paid the big bucks for, which is truck routing.
When I checked my routes beforehand as I always do, it routed me down restricted route roads and roads with low clearances all the time. You can take Streets & Trips, set it to use only major roads, and it does a much better job of pseudo truck routing than CoPilot does.
Anyway, when I later upgraded to CoPilot 11, I quickly sent it back and got my money back because they just plain screwed everything up. I hear their standalone truck specific CoPilot version is a real doozy as well.
Some other poster already said that adding the Truck Stops Plus add-on template to Streets & Trips was the best money he ever spent. I just want to second his endorsement for the Truck Stops Plus template.
Add the Truck Stops Plus template to Streets & Trip and together you have the best solution available anywhere bar none, and the beauty of it is it is by far cheaper than spending $500 or $600 for a device that advertises that it is truck specific, only it doesn’t do truck specific routing and its truck specific POI database sucks.
And for the dude hyperventilating in livid color, settle down dude! The world won’t end tomorrow. Some of us brains don’t operate nearly as slowly as yours apparently does.
I tried one of those newfangled standalone Garmins and it was so small I couldn’t see it. It now sits in my wife’s car. As for as I’m concerned, Garmins are great for cars, but for 18 wheelers like I drive, I need something much more flexible and capable and that also gives me a panoramic view that you can’t get with a standalone GPS device.
Not to mention that with Streets & Trips you can do 10 times more things with it as well. In fact, most of my friends that use Garmins and Tom Toms use Streets & Trips to do all their trip planning, which is now going to be much easier because I hear Streets & Trips 2010 exports gpx files directly into Garmin and other gpx compatible GPS devices. Thus, if you are smart, you will be using Streets & Trips to do your trip planning as well.