pro trucking version

[len2052]

i would love to see a pro trucking version of your software and am somewhat surprised that you havent already offered it.

im sure that there are plenty of commercial truck targeted businesses ie repair shops, diesal fuel stops, truck stops that would sign on to your poi program to help offset costs.

To be able to route knowing i wouldnt have to worry about low overpasses, bridge weight limitations would be of great value to us on the road and i would certainly buy it.

Any other truckers out there that feel the same- this is the spot to leave delorme a note!

[peteandrews]

I am sure that this is possible as Pro Miles has this available but the cost is out of the question for most individuals. Here is an idea as a full time OTR driver I need the most up to date maps, how about being able to buy an update to the current version of mapping. Insted of buying a whole new program it would be nice to get updated every 6months. but the truck stops POI catagory would be nice I thought I remembered it in a previouse version maybe 2003? thanks for listening Pete...

[smkaplan]

The truck stop category was phased out when the company that supplied the services data tried to increase prices dramatically just prior to the release of 2005. The current version (as well as the unfortunate 2005 version) contain an internally maintained database.

On the issue of truck routes, it is rumored that next year's improvements will include an integrated means of reporting error and omissions, perhaps it will allow users to submit low clearance etc.

-Steve

[Dan Lawyer]

The Discovery Owners folks have some low clearance draw layers and lots of other stuff that you can add to your maps. DeLorme has done a pretty good job with the Flying Js, Love's, Pilot Travel Centers.

Nedra, one of the Guru's here and her husband have been professional drivers for years and have used the app pretty exclusively. You might do some searches in the forums (top right) using
- keywords "truck professional"
- Search for all terms
- Author = Nedra
and read some of here posts, something may help you. As you know, the Truckers apps are very expensive, but your paying for a lot of exclusive data that has been pulled together.

[oakwood]

I felt a need to add to this forum and suggest that the topic be expanded to include not only professional drivers but also diesel powered RV's and trucks pulling travel trailers since oftimes the issues are the same:

I just came back from a three week vacation in the SouthWest (our first, but not the last). And it took that long for me to get the SA2005Plus and HH GPS set up on my wife's computer so bear with a newbie!

First, POI's need to be expanded with a GOOGLE search engine and/or make POI user definable. Having a limited number of POI categories and WalMart defaulted as the POI for shopping is silly. It looks like they paid to get first in line. (I personally think it's almost unpatriotic to shop at China's largest US retail outlet and would NEVER go there).

Second, a "gas" station is useless to the RV crowd since almost 100% of them are diesel powered. We need to know where the semi's are filling up (cheap fuel, air hoses, dump stations, etc.)

Third, my co-pilot wife and I were baffled why we couldn't find a Whole Foods store in our hometown (pop. 200,000 plus) nor anywhere in the U.S. where we were. We did not rely on POI"s even though we thought that's what we were getting in SA2005 Plus. (What's the "Plus" for anyway?)

Finally, totally bummed that SA2006 runs only on MS2000 SP3 and not on my loyal old Win98 SE. If I want to run and continually update my OS for no useful reason using MonopolySoftware why wouldn't I just buy their map program?

If future DeLorme versions only run on MonoplySoftware, I'm outta here. I don't mind sending money to DeLorme for an update; but I see no reason to update my OS just to run your latest map and GPS versions. Linux...forever!

[Nedra]

Steve,

What happened is the company Delorme bought the data base from (recommended to them by me) went out of business. The company who bought out the bankrupt company is the company who jacked the price up. So Delorme went to the truck stop companies and requested they provide a list of their sites to get as much of the data back as possible in 2006.

Unfortunately, they didn't realize it was critically important to leave the POI category "truck stops" in the POI list. This has caused some heartburn.

The truck stop category was phased out when the company that supplied the services data tried to increase prices dramatically just prior to the release of 2005. The current version (as well as the unfortunate 2005 version) contain an internally maintained database.

-Steve

[Nedra]

I have often stated the RVers need to be included with trucker's concerns. Actually, farmers and others who use diesel vehicles need to be considered as well. While truck stops do also sell gas, many of us need to be able to pull up truck stops or diesel fuel stops (as two separate items). RVers, truckers, farmers with trailer, fishermen pulling a boat, all of these and more need to know WHERE the truck stops are for the access requirements of pulling a trailer. Gas stations do NOT have access in MANY cases for those pulling a trailer of ANY kind.

What you're getting in the PLUS version is the phone data base and some added advanced capabilities. This includes a LARGE database.

While I support your RV / diesel driver / trailer pulling concerns, I recommend you upgrade your operating system. Win98 is not really as reliable as Win2000 Pro or XP. Many programs aren't really supporting Win98 any more. There are major differences in how things work and that o/s is no longer supported by Microsoft as far as I know. My husband gets a copy of MS ST periodically because it has the full Canadian map database. He'd tell you it's not worth getting as it's still not as user friendly.

I felt a need to add to this forum and suggest that the topic be expanded to include not only professional drivers but also diesel powered RV's and trucks pulling travel trailers since oftimes the issues are the same:

Second, a "gas" station is useless to the RV crowd since almost 100% of them are diesel powered. We need to know where the semi's are filling up (cheap fuel, air hoses, dump stations, etc.)

We did not rely on POI"s even though we thought that's what we were getting in SA2005 Plus. (What's the "Plus" for anyway?)

Finally, totally bummed that SA2006 runs only on MS2000 SP3 and not on my loyal old Win98 SE. If I want to run and continually update my OS for no useful reason using MonopolySoftware why wouldn't I just buy their map program?

[cfbbadmin]

Hello,

Just as with Canadian data, RV/Truck Driver friendly data comes up annually. This will again be on the table for SA2007.

Dan B

[rbrumfield]

<Snip>

Second, a "gas" station is useless to the RV crowd since almost 100% of them are diesel powered. We need to know where the semi's are filling up (cheap fuel, air hoses, dump stations, etc.)

<Snip>

I do not know if I can agree with this statement or not. It is true that several RVs are diesel powered but I do believe, just from personal observation, that most are actually gas or towed by "gassers". As someone mentioned, I think it is more a question of accessability as opposed to fuel type. I generally try to use Flying J stops since they have it right about accessability be it gas or be it diesel. I do have a diesel tow vehicle but in my opinion, we "oil burners" are the minority...

[oakwood]

I stand corrected, sir. We reside in the Upper Midwest (Wisconsin). When we travel to the East Coast (Carolinas, Maryland) there are a great many gasser RV's and trucks pulling travel trailers. When we travel West (Oregon, California, Arizona and points in between) most of the larger RV's and travel trailer pullers in the parks where we stayed were diesel.

[crazytex]

I bought Delorme for the lower cost GPS reciever so that I may use MSST as I soon found out that Delorme's version of mapping was not very good for the Dallas/Fort Worth area and had many roads off by a quarter mile from physical presence and lack of more updated roads seeing as how I am leased to Swift Transportation and their 'new' Lancaster Terminal showed no roads to my physical location and the fact that there was a bus barn and another trucking company right there on the same road.....Delorme tried routing me out the north fence to get back on I-35E nb..... I would love to see a more trucker friendly(GPS capable) program out here, but as some know I do believe the 800$ Promiles does not have GPS capabilities altho it is supposedly geared for the drivers.....
I will say that between Delorme and MSST that whomever can accomodate the professional Truckdriver with an add-on patch/download the quickest will have my running vote and readily approval, because I am the type of person who will verbally recommend to any other driver a program or service that is a reasonable cost and caters to our industry in the best mode available.....
Also, I found that in Irving Texas, the Wal-Mart where I was parked at was not listed on the proper side of the Freeway but on the wrong side of the Access road on the Westbound side when the Wal-Mart and myself were on the Eastbound side of the freeway (114)...... that is very poor mapping datacrunching


Why doesn't Delorme combine forces with the "Rand Mcnally" crew????? to create a more "Trucker Friendly" Database??

[Nedra]

I have been asking for a Pro-Trucker version of SA for years now, but Delorme needs to hear from those who need it to know they have a large enough customer base to make it worthwhile.

Please note, if you read my notes on this topic that I have always included RVers, and others who have similar needs to professional drivers. This can include horse people, farmers who take livestock to market, people who are hauling their boats, etc. etc. I don't know the ratio of diesel to gas but suspect it may be 50/50. Pulling a towed trailer is the critical point.

However, diesel vehicle owners really do need to know where to find diesel. Truck stops always sell diesel. They also want diesel stops designated for gas stations that sell diesel and this is another valid concern.

Truck Stop groups, major food chains, Walmart, major pharmacy chains, that you frequent should hear from YOU the users of SA200x with a request that they provide to Delorme a FULL list of ALL their locations along with exact street addresses AND lat/lon location information. It would be in their best interest because it would be FREE advertisement for them so YOU their LOYAL CUSTOMER can FIND their stores to buy at as you travel. If they hear from the consumer they are more likely to realize that this FREE ADVERTISEMENT of having ALL their locations listed in a major mapping program is to their benefit, as well as the benefit of their loyal customers who won't be forced to support their competitors by not knowing where their store locations are.

Why doesn't Delorme combine forces with the "Rand Mcnally" crew????? to create a more "Trucker Friendly" Database??

Finally, totally bummed that SA2006 runs only on MS2000 SP3 and not on my loyal old Win98 SE.

Sorry friends but those are not realistic requests. Delorme & Rand McNally are competitors in the mapping market, and Microsoft's not supporting Win98 SE any more.

All you pro drivers, RVers and other transporters, farmers, boaters, horse people... keep asking ... the more who ask the more likely our pro driver version will become a reality...
BUT...
Don't be surprised if it costs at least $200. ALK's pro-trucker version costs $300. I don't recall what ProMiles costs. You can't buy those truck specific databases and charge the same as SA200x Plus costs! Keep that in mind... be realistic and willing to pay more if you want a pro driver version.

[crazytex]

Nedra,

Rand Mcnally yes is in the mapping market with their books for trucks but I've searched throughout their website and did online searches to try and find a GPS capable mapping program and it does not exist other than the pieces of junk they oversell to Large fleets that have more features than needed for an owner/operator such as myself along with the fact that apparently what they issue to the trucking companies (i.e. Swift) is so inaccurate on miles that I'd have to run thru some pretty illegal territory just to come close on the miles..... the ProMiles new version which from what I understand doesn't support GPS costs around 800$ and that is money I dont have due to fuel costs ........

I'd be highly willing to buy a Service Pack/Add-On for around a 100-150$ that is pro-trucker/rv'er/farmer/etc....

I found a T/A listed in London, OH on the program but can't change the lat/long seeing as how it was on the wrong side of the freeway......

from what I can tell Delorme has their intentions right but programming all wrong and unless something is brought out that is more feasible for someone like me, then I will continue to use the competitors and just use Delorme for the cheap GPS reciever.......

[Nedra]

The point on RM is you don't work WITH competitors to improve databases. It's just not done.
RM had a trucker's mapping program on CD. I don't recall but I thought it was gps usable. BUT... Microsoft may have squashed that... You know the 1000# gorilla theory.

As an o/o I've used Delorme for many years... since SA3 and MNG4. I thought ProMiles was $800. I didn't realize it doesn't support a gps. Trouble is the PRICE they have to pay for those data bases... Your "add-on service pack" for SA200x for $100 to $150 for Pro Drivers MIGHT appeal to Delorme as a viable alternative to a totally separate version of the program. Thank you for suggesting it. I think it's a great alternate solution that might get us a pro-driver version sooner.

For the TA... put your own waypoint to mark it and go to Delorme's revisions webpage and report that error, please.

I'd be curious if you'd PM me what competitor's program you're using. We've used MS_ST and still find Delorme preferable. But that's our personal preference and belief that it's best.

Nedra,

Rand Mcnally yes is in the mapping market with their books for trucks but I've searched throughout their website and did online searches to try and find a GPS capable mapping program and it does not exist other than the pieces of junk they oversell to Large fleets that have more features than needed for an owner/operator such as myself along with the fact that apparently what they issue to the trucking companies (i.e. Swift) is so inaccurate on miles that I'd have to run thru some pretty illegal territory just to come close on the miles..... the ProMiles new version which from what I understand doesn't support GPS costs around 800$ and that is money I dont have due to fuel costs ........

I'd be highly willing to buy a Service Pack/Add-On for around a 100-150$ that is pro-trucker/rv'er/farmer/etc....

I found a T/A listed in London, OH on the program but can't change the lat/long seeing as how it was on the wrong side of the freeway......

from what I can tell Delorme has their intentions right but programming all wrong and unless something is brought out that is more feasible for someone like me, then I will continue to use the competitors and just use Delorme for the cheap GPS reciever.......

[alpiner]

Any chance of getting SA 200x to include information on RV-unfriendly routes, like
-narrow lanes (less than 10')
-low headroom (11' to 13' 6")
-LP gas restrictions
-weight limits (4 to 40 tons)?

Even better, of course, would be the ability to put these as preference items.

There ARE other sources for truck stops, at least the major brands; but I'm not aware of other sources for route limitations (besides the RMcA Motor Carrier's Atlas, which is clumsy to use and incomplete).

Nedra has suggested an extra-price "module" to include truck information. I'm not sure what the price point should be. For what it's worth, I've chosen NOT to buy the Plus version, because the cost/benefit ratio is unfavorable for my needs; but having RV-friendly information would change that.

Keep fighting the good fight, Nedra!