PC Miler 430 GPS

[TeamCaffee]

http://www.alk.com/pcmiler/pcmiler_navigator.asp

This Dash GPS has just been introduced and is all ready impossible to find in the truck stops. The cost is around $350.00

Finally a truck friendly GPS where you put in your dimensions and what you are hauling and then the GPS routes you. After listening to the interview last night between Kevin Rutherford and the vice president of marketing we could not wait to check one out. Well they are all ready sold out in the TA's due to the talk show.

This GPS has all of the classes of HazMat routing and even over size routing. Has the scale locations, rest areas, and cat scales. Even has the Wal-Marts and all of the POI. Is touch screen and a 4.3 inch screen. Great company and I bet a great product.

If anyone has found one can you let the rest of us know what you think? We are on the hunt for one.

 

[pelicn]

If this is as good as it sounds, we may finally break down and buy a GPS unit

 

[TeamCaffee]

Judy I swear the more they talked about what all this system will do I think I was almost drooling! It is very nice and I think will be awesome in the truck especially with a HazMat load.

 

[pelicn]

It will be nice to hear some "real world" usage stories, so when you get one Linder............

 

[ATeam]

Well, ain't that a kick in the head?

We bought a Garmin Nuvi 750 not long ago which was our first dash-mount GPS device. Becoming sold on it we just paid our Volvo dealer to route the power wire to a power supply inside the dash. That was to preserve the clean, uncluttered look we like to maintain on the dash.

Now, just days later, comes the product we really want (perhaps). Not one to be the first on the block to try the latest and greatest new technology device, I'll let other truck drivers field test the PC Miler 430. It would be great if the software became available for download onto a Garmin device. Maybe that day will come if Garmin sees sales lost to PC Miler.

But even if that happened, I would not rush to buy it. We have PC Miler on our laptop (CoPilot Truck) and use it almost never.

For someone starting fresh with no GPS device, the PC Miler 430 may be the way to go.

 

[LDB]

I am hopeful but this is from the same folks who give us the mediocre CoPilot Truck product. Large percentages of addresses entered into that product are unknown and yet 99.997% of them show up in Streets and Trips 2008. That's also the product that as you come into Indy from Dayton on 70 west will take you to take 465 east when the choices are north and south. It does the same at many of the loops around most major cities. It also will route you on a state road in MA to a 12' clearance bridge. Yes, it does the 53' limits, hazmat etc. but it has numerous shortcomings as well. One can only hope they've gone to 21st century map data for this product. I'd love to have one if it works correctly and am hopeful it's finally been gotten right but considering their past offerings I'm leery.

 

[piper1]

Phil, did you notice any difference in the routing between Co-Pilot and your Garmin? Reason I ask is I bought a new radio that came with a nav unit in it and it uses Tele-Atlas maps. I find it really out to lunch on how it routes you (often adding upwards of 10% more miles). I was looking at Co-Pilot for some other reasons and wonder if the rouiting is as good as a Garmin.

 

[ATeam]

I'm afraid I can't tell you. As I said above, we use CoPilot Truck almost never. I have never compared Garmin routing with CoPilot or Delorme Street Atlas USA, which we also use.

Having been doing this for five years, we have a pretty good idea where the truck stops are, and the scales, and the truck routes, and the parkways to avoid, and the tunnels to keep HAZMAT out of, and where the Wal-Marts are or how to find them. Delorme was our first product of choice and we got used to it. Then came CoPilot, which has some OK features but became less and less needed as we learned our way around.

Next came Garmin which I love, not for routing reasons, but for the way she (we call her Gertrude) guides you through the last mile or two to your pickup and delivery. You can keep your eyes on the road instead of looking around for street signs and house numbers. She's good on a foggy night too. You can see on the screen the upcoming curves that you cannot see with your headlights (and no, I do not overdrive my headlights in fog).

Along the way, CoPilot just fell out of use. We go online to find the stores we need. A pocket-size directory in a cubby hole above the dash tells us where the truck stops are. The TA phone list tells us where the discounted fuel is.

We do routing the old fashioned way. We look at the carrier-provided route, look at maps (usually with Delorme because it is easy to use), adjust the route to taste, write it down on a notebook that sits on the dash, and roll along.

If Gertrude gets too chatty about our selected route, we turn her off until we approach the pickup or delivery. It is easier to turn her off than to add vias. Our notes tell us where the next turn is. Map tracing the route ahead of time gives us a better sense of where we are going than giving an address to Gertrude and relying on her to bring us in.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, we hauled freight using paper maps. Amazingly, it can still be done. Thus my reluctance to rush in to buy the latest and greatest GPS device.

 

[TeamCaffee]

One of the features that sounding really awesome with this system was the voice to text. Instead of hearing turn right in .5 miles this system will tell you to turn right on a street name! I like that idea a lot.

 

[dabluzman1]

We have had a TomTom, then a Garmin and now a TomTom.
We gave our original TomTom to our Daughter last year and thought we'd try Garmin.
Linda and I like the TomTom over the Garmin so we returned it for another TomTom.
We got use to the layout of the TomTom and the info it gives out. It was a better fit for us.

We also use Streets and Maps w/ the GPS.
It has been helpful on occassions when our TomTom was "confused".
Doesnt happen often, its nice to have other resources, I mean who wants
to look at maps at night.

We will also wait until the reviews are are out on the 430GPS.

Sounds like a nice product if it can produce.

 

[ATeam]

One of the features that sounding really awesome with this system was the voice to text. Instead of hearing turn right in .5 miles this system will tell you to turn right on a street name! I like that idea a lot.

The Garmin 750 has that feature.

 

[nightcreacher]

I guess since I've been trucking so long,only having a map for reference,the new technology works well for those that need it.I have a Garmin, and Streets n Trips with GPS in my lap top.I also have a GPS system in my sprint cell phone.To tell the truth,my lap top is never turned on in the truck.When im in a motel room, I may use the Street N Trips to check the mileage with the load offer,or to see if there may be a shorter route to follow,but My atlas is my best friend when it comes to routing,although my co-driver call me Mr.Map,as I can go most places without looking it up.Now in contradiction to what I have posted,I do use the GPS thats in the cell phone,not for routing,but for local directions.You ask why,One good reason,it will tell me when to make my turns when I'm running on the city streets,and I dont have to look for the street signs.It gives me the street name and which way to turn.yes Ive become old and lazy.
But remember one thing if you dont learn anything else,The one that dies with the most toys wins

 

[rollnthunder]

I use Co-pilot truck 11 everyday.I compare miles that Tri-state tells the load is to co-pilot and its either dead on most of the time or with in 5-10 miles.It all depends on how you set it up.I have been using it for almost 3 years.But you do need to use some common sense with it.I have a garmin in the wifes car and i have noticed small routing glitches as well.

 

[CharlesD]

Well, I finally broke down and got a Tom Tom, if you count beating the Stacker game at the Flying J and getting the free one that was hanging there as one of the major prize choices.

It's pretty good for the most part, but it does give some goofy routes at times and it seems to really like to get you off the interstates. I'm one of those people who wants to stay on the interstate as much as possible. I still use my Rand McNally for the routing into whatever city I'm going to and then I turn on the GPS when I get close for the last few turns. I've found that approach to work best.

 

[backhaul]

I'm afraid I can't tell you. As I said above, we use CoPilot Truck almost never. I have never compared Garmin routing with CoPilot or Delorme Street Atlas USA, which we also use.

Having been doing this for five years, we have a pretty good idea where the truck stops are, and the scales, and the truck routes, and the parkways to avoid, and the tunnels to keep HAZMAT out of, and where the Wal-Marts are or how to find them. Delorme was our first product of choice and we got used to it. Then came CoPilot, which has some OK features but became less and less needed as we learned our way around.

Next came Garmin which I love, not for routing reasons, but for the way she (we call her Gertrude) guides you through the last mile or two to your pickup and delivery. You can keep your eyes on the road instead of looking around for street signs and house numbers. She's good on a foggy night too. You can see on the screen the upcoming curves that you cannot see with your headlights (and no, I do not overdrive my headlights in fog).

Along the way, CoPilot just fell out of use. We go online to find the stores we need. A pocket-size directory in a cubby hole above the dash tells us where the truck stops are. The TA phone list tells us where the discounted fuel is.

We do routing the old fashioned way. We look at the carrier-provided route, look at maps (usually with Delorme because it is easy to use), adjust the route to taste, write it down on a notebook that sits on the dash, and roll along.

If Gertrude gets too chatty about our selected route, we turn her off until we approach the pickup or delivery. It is easier to turn her off than to add vias. Our notes tell us where the next turn is. Map tracing the route ahead of time gives us a better sense of where we are going than giving an address to Gertrude and relying on her to bring us in.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, we hauled freight using paper maps. Amazingly, it can still be done. Thus my reluctance to rush in to buy the latest and greatest GPS device.

I just purchased PC Miler 430 on Sunday at Love's in Jonestown, PA. For the most part it is working pretty good except that some roads it has the information on like going straight instead of making turn. It still uses the TravRoute software which is not always the best and I do not think they corrected their mistakes from 1998 yet when I used Door to Door by TravRoute. The GPS has had to shut down the software twice now saying that it was OUT OF MEMORY and I will check with Alk on Monday to see if I have a defective unit or that just happens sometimes.

I too use Delorme Street Atlas 2009 and which I wish I would of just purchased a laptop mount and used that. You can block the roads you are not allowed on and with the PLUS version($60) you can search phone #s and all plus in both versions you can add your own routable roads which is nice when they add a road someplace or even showing driveways at a shipper or receiver. Delorme also make routes that can transfered to a Garmin GPS.

I will get back on the PC Miler once I have tested it more.

Also KEEP AWAY from the TELETYPE WORLDNAV, this is no way practical for a truck driver. It adds 10-20% or more to your route, you can't add stops or vias. It is also very slow. Maybe because your able to search by phone # which would probably slow down the unit in total. The phone and trip info at the end are the only things I liked about this unit.

 

[TeamCaffee]

One of the options I heard about was that if you turn onto a NO TRUCKS road the road changes color and will try to re route you off of that road. It sounds as if the 430 has tons and tons of options and you can turn many features off and on.

 

[LDB]

I just purchased PC Miler 430 on Sunday at Love's in Jonestown, PA. For the most part it is working pretty good except that some roads it has the information on like going straight instead of making turn. It still uses the TravRoute software which is not always the best and I do not think they corrected their mistakes from 1998 yet when I used Door to Door by TravRoute.

This is what I'm fearful of in buying this unit. I already have their Copilot 9 that has outdated maps and is error filled. Why should I believe they put out a product any better when their own track record is so poor. They're in business more because they're the only choice not because they're the best choice. If they had a true competitor I don't know how long they'd survive. I have no idea why Garmin doesn't look at our market and see opportunity. It isn't like they'd have a lot of competition from these guys.

 

[Turtle]

Thanks for the informative update, backhaul.

I share the same reservations as Leo on this one. ALK puts out PC Miler and CoPilot, but they are very, very different products. They use a completely different routing engine. Looking at the specs of the latest PC Miler 22 and comparing them to the PC Miler 430, it appears that both use the same underlying mapping data, which is a good thing, but it's the routing software that makes all the difference.

I was hopeful that this new 430 would be essentially the same as PC Miler, but two things keep nagging at me. One is the "Powered by CoPilot" label on the PC Miler 430, which means it's using the same routing engine as CoPilot (which used to be called TravRoute).

The other is, how can they come out with a standalone hardware solution for PC Miler|Streets+HAZMAT, and price it as a fraction of a fraction of the cost of the software-only version? This hardware standalone is MSRP'd at $399, yet the software version of the PC Miler|Streets+HAZMAT will cost several times that. Doesn't make sense.

The answer is, of course, that the PC Miler 430 is merely an updated CoPilot and is not the same product that carriers and customer use for routing when they fire up their copies of PC Miler. The PC Miler 430 is obviously an affordable compromise of PC Miler, to make it affordable and competitive with the current standalone models. The HAZMAT routing and custom vehicle weights and dimensions options of the PC Miller 430 is huge, and is a strong attraction for those desiring those features. But the compromise is less accurate routing and addressing on the non-restricted roads. Less accurate than PC Miler, for sure, and less accurate than, say, a Garmin or a TomTom. But then again a Garmin or a TomTom isn't perfect, either.

All things being equal, we all should be using PC Miler out here, because the vast majority of carriers and customers are using it. But all thing are not equal, as there is no cost analysis that you can come up with to justify the high cost of the full PC Miler software for an individual vehicle or even a handful of vehicles.

There are times when the Garmin and the Microsoft Streets and Trips cannot duplicate the mileage shown on a load offer regardless of the different routing options that are chosen. But I do have PC MilerStreets+HAZMAT (ver 20, doesn't have the customized vehicle dimensions and a few other of the newer features), and I'll check the mileage and routing in there and there ya go, matches up perfectly.

There is no question that a standalone GPS device mounted on the dash or the windshield (except in Minnesota and California) is a safer solution than is driving while using a laptop or having a Motor Carrier Atlas atop the steering wheel. All GPS routing devices and software have their flaws, including PC Miler, so all of them have to used used with common sense and a skeptical eye so as to not blindly follow it into a lake or a river or a 9 foot bridge.

A additional about DeLorme, the DeLorme POI databse is rather complete, showing industrial business locations, warehouses and even LTL terminals right on the map. That's pretty kewl. It's been several versions ago since I've had that installed on my laptop. I need to grab that and add it to the mapping arsenal.

 

[ATeam]

This thread got me to thinking about our Garmin Nuvi 750, and all the things it can do, and all I have left to learn about it. Like a lot of folks, I suppose, I learned just enough about our new GPS device to get it working and then let the manual sit.

It takes some time but learning how to fully utilize a GPS device provides one delightful surprise after another. In another post, Open Forum member Tempest shared sources for point of interest information (Wal-Mart locations, rest areas, truck stops, etc.) that can be downloaded to GPS devices. This stuff is way cool and worth exploring if you have not yet done so.

 

[arrbsthw]

I have downloaded the rest areas and Walmarts. Sure makes it
easy when u gotta go! Knowing where the next rest area is.. (don't have a built in potty ..u see) *lol*