Mike Forbes at Electric Compass explains how a Truck version of GPS Navigation can help your enterprise mobility deployment.
There are usually problems when trucks go where they are not supposed to. From penalties for driving on restricted roads to the danger and costs of a high truck meeting a low overpass, the costs can be extreme in a monetary, productivity and physical sense.
Ouch II !!
Our recommendation is not to use a navigation solution designed for cars in a situation with a tractor trailer or other large commercial vehicle. Trucks and cars require different approaches to route creation and using the wrong solution with a larger commercial vehicle creates a dangerous and potentially costly situation.
Cars are very different from trucks and other commercial vehicles. They fit under low bridges and have virtually no road usage restrictions. On the other hand, routing trucks is a much more complex process with many additional variables in play – truck configuration, size (in multiple dimensions), and even the type of load being carried.
To effectively create routes for trucks the navigation solution needs access to truck-specific map data (such as Tele Atlas Logistics) and then needs to incorporate multiple cost models based on specific truck dimensions, legal restrictions and/or the cargo being carried. These restrictions result in a different “shortest path” from origin to destination for a truck than for a car.
Factors that need to be addressed in truck routing fall into three broad categories:
1) Physical Restrictions based on interplay of vehicle dimensions and physical infrastructure such as underpass height, road width, vehicle length, bridge capacity, etc…. If these restrictions are ignored, vehicle and/or infrastructure damage can occur, in addition to violations.
2) Provisional Restrictions, such as roads where commercial vehicles are not allowed by law, rather than because of physical restrictions. Failure to observe these restrictions can result in a non-compliance violation and associated fines.
3) Hazardous Materials Restrictions are specific materials banned from certain bridges, tunnels and other locations such as flammable, volatile, radioactive and caustic material and their individual category classifications.
A navigation solution for trucks and commercial vehicles needs to take these additional components into account when creating a route. But even then, drivers must remain vigilant and look for road signs and other warnings to avoid problems. GPS navigation solutions provide a great guide and can increase productivity and cut costs, but they should never overrule the driver’s observations and common sense.
Now that we’ve examined some of the issues involved in routing trucks with a GPS navigation solution, I’ve included information below on Electric Compass’s Enterprise Navigator TRUCK product which is designed to meet the challenges of commercial truck navigation.
Enterprise Navigator™ TRUCK – GPS Turn-by-Turn Navigation for Commercial Trucks for Windows Mobile Handheld Computers
Enterprise Navigator TRUCK software offers turn-by-turn navigation software with voice guidance for commercial trucks including support for truck attributes (Height, Length, Width, Weight) and truck restricted roads. It delivers the GPS satellite navigation features enterprises need, plus an API for integration with third-party mobility applications.
FEATURES
Dynamic Route Guidance: Provides audible, “spoken,” turn-by-turn directions.
Automatic Route Recalculation: The driver misses a turn, a new route is calculated automatically to reach the destination.
Voice Prompts: Clear voice instructions give you the distance to your next turn.
Map Display: Provides high-visibility graphics of maneuver instructions and other information.
Routing by Truck Attributes: Avoid low overpasses and other hazards and restrictions with truck routes created based on Vehicle Height, Width, Length, ¬Weight, Axle Weight and maximum vehicle speed.
Driving Safety: Configure Enterprise Navigator to avoid U-turns and set alerts to warn driver when the speed limit is exceeded.
Auto-Zoom: Map automatically zooms in as driver approaches the next maneuver.
Time and Distance: ETA/Distance to destination.
Points-of-Interest: Access to points-of-interest and import your own custom locations.
Simplified Installation and Licensing: Designed for enterprise deployments.
Map Availability: USA, Canada and UK. Contact Electric Compass for more information.
Language Support: English, French, Spanish and others.
INTEGRATION
API for integration with third party applications Supports C++ and .NET development environments including C#, Visual Basic, etc…
Automate Destination input, Configurations, etc…
BENEFITS
Reduce unnecessary mileage and fuel costs by providing accurate driving directions
Improve productivity by reclaiming unproductive time
GPS navigation that avoids low overpasses and restricted roads
Improve on-time performance as drivers are less likely to get “lost” or follow inefficient routes
Increase safety with “Eyes free” voice interface
Reduce vehicle engine idling time as drivers lookup customer locations on maps
Shorten training time for new drivers
TECHNICAL
Device running Windows Mobile 5/6;
1-2 GB SD Card recommended for map storage
For more information or an evaluation copy please contact us at:
In EMEA: nav@mobileworxs.com.
In US/LATAM: sales@electriccompass.com
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