Less than a month after the debut of its new 511 traveler information mobile application for smartphones, MnDOT has again improved the real-time service for truckers and others seeking the best route from Point A to Point B.
With the department’s new full-featured truckers’ page (http://tr.511mn.org/truckers.jsf, over-the-road drivers will now be able to plot their trips from origin to destination. The new app, accessed from the 511 homepage, also will alert them to information about possible restrictions along their chosen route, including roundabouts, postings that prohibit overweight vehicles or lower bridge deck clearances. The program only works for trips within the state, although some neighboring states including Iowa and North Dakota have similar programs.
Truck drivers can personalize their routes to include numerous stops along the trip. Once an account is created, drivers enter their trip information and then will receive a response with details about their chosen route.
“The extra information feature targeted specifically to the trucking community will allow drivers to better plan their routes to move freight more efficiently through the state by avoiding potential obstacles,” explained Ted Coulianos, oversize/overweight permit supervisor with MnDOT’s Office of Freight & Commercial Vehicle Operations.
Additional changes and upgrades make it possible for all travelers to use the trip routing feature found atwww.511mn.org to plan trips around road construction and incidents on the highway system. By signing up for the new Alerts feature, users receive personalized text and/or email messages containing real-time traffic alerts affecting the routes and areas they have saved to their account.
The low bandwidth site, for slower internet connections, also has been improved and now more closely mirrors the full-featured high bandwidth used by higher speed connections. Although still a static site, users will now find more concise listings of traffic information and larger, improved camera views.