Trucker GPS Units for the Smart Driver

Technology moves pretty fast, even for truck drivers. But still, functional trucker GPS units have become just another tool for truckers to get their cargo where it’s supposed to be on time and on budget. Should you rely solely on GPS units for guidance – No. The tech isn’t quite there yet. It may never be. Nothing is a substitute for experience, common sense and a good atlas. Having said that, Trucker GPS systems can be quite an asset during the work day.

Which Trucker GPS Unit is For You?

That’s the million dollar question. Fortunately, these bags of tech tricks are becoming more and more affordable all the time. By some trucker estimates, they may pay for themselves after only a year of service. There’s a lot to be said for saved miles from re-routes and less hassle during city rush hours for long haul truckers. If the price of a capable trucker GPS unit only costs as much as a full tank of diesel, we can see how these satellite connected wonders pay for themselves in the long run.

If you would rather search for a trucker GPS unit yourself, just go here. Otherwise, here are some recommendations we have.

Designed with truckers in mind, the 560LMT has a large 5-inch display, extra loud speakers, and external video input for backup cameras. Garmin has also expanded the feature list to include trucking speed limits, truck-specific route highlighting, and trucking points of interest.

With detailed maps providing turn-by-turn directions that speak street names, dezl 560LMT provides specialized routing to support truck-related restrictions in both the U.S. and Canada that are customizable by height, weight, length, width and hazardous materials.

The kings of radar detection have put out a great GPS unit for truckers that keep you safe and informed, due to some stellar software and affordable hardware. The Cobra 5550 GPS unit for truck drivers is a high-tech bargain and features an easy-to-read HUD and full color display. What’s new for 2012?

The enhanced graphics and menu options on the Cobra  5550 offer superior visibility in bright sunlight, along with a highly intuitive interface for optimized efficiency when scrolling through searches and configuration settings. The handy Quick-Tabs feature puts critical information ” such as the distances to weigh stations, travel centers, rest areas and mile markers ” at the driver’s fingertips. Also featured are 3D images of upcoming highway junctions as well as lane guidance and enhanced turn-by-turn directions.

 Rand McNally Intelliroute TND 510

As the standard for mapmakers throughout the world, it should only be a given that they understand their GPS units. The Rand McNally Intelliroute series is a serious go-to model for truck drivers looking for GPS units that are accurate and affordable. What do you get in the Intelliroute TND 510 package?

The IntelliRoute TND 510 provides unique tools to eliminate manual calculation of mileages, an efficient manner to calculate arrival time to your destination.

Export state-by-state and province mileage reporting, an enhanced quick planner, finding destinations by latitude and longitude and viewing current location by mile marker. Truckers talked, we listened!

 Magellan Roadmate 1700 Trucker GPS

They might not be the company that people think of instantly for GPS, but truckers have found that the Magellan line of GPS units are affordable and quite capable over the road. What’s the story on the new version?

Features easy-to-use premium features, starting with it’s 7-inch wide WVGA color touch screen monitor. This ultra-clear display lets you clearly see where you are on your route with four times the detail found in a standard GPS device. Rounding out the premium features are: Magellan’s exclusive OneTouch favorites menu, a high-resolution, QuickSpell with SmartCity search, highway exit point of interest (POI) search, and multi-destination routing with route optimization, just to name a few. Magellan’s attention to detail and driver safety delivers a superior user experience.