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Report: Cheap truck drivers are using GPSes that make them dumb enough to crash into low bridges
By adamg on Fri, 09/26/2014 - 8:24am
WBZ takes a look at truck drivers using smartphone-based GPSes rather than getting more expensive systems aimed at truckers that include hazards such as, oh, Storrow Drive.
Ed. note: But let's not forget that cheapo GPSes are making car drivers stupider, too.
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Comments
Sometimes, a little common
Sometimes, a little common sense also goes a long way. Learn from Michael Scott:
Wow , such inspectoring !
Wow , such inspectoring ! However did we get stuff before all the igadgets and smart stuff? Maybe , just maybe , this is the result of de- regulation, years ago. There's more to trucking than shinny wheels and electronic wizardry. But at least we got power steering and air conditioning out of it. Roll on.
all time fave
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8173308.stm
A Swedish couple in search of the isle of Capri drove to Carpi, an industrial town in northern Italy, because they misspelt the name in their car's GPS.
Italian officials say the couple asked at Carpi's tourist office where they could find Capri's famous Blue Grotto.
The car's sat nav system had sent them 650km (400 miles) off course to Carpi. [LL's Correction, the nav system did not 'send' them anywhere!]
"Capri is an island. They did not even wonder why they didn't cross any bridge or take any boat," said a bemused tourism official in Carpi.
Once they realised their mistake, the couple got back in their car and headed south, the official added.
This is how you know they
This is how you know they weren't Americans:
Americans would have blamed the Carpi tourism officials for being the wrong town in the wrong place.
A Quick Look
A quick look in the Google Play store for "GPS Truck" brought up quite a few free and paid navigation apps that are made to keep trucks off of restricted roadways. The Apple App Store seems to have some options as well (mostly paid).
Shouldn't be that hard.
What's funny is how
a client will get in my car and say, "You don't have a GPS?" To which I always reply, "Ma'am/Sir, if you wanted a driver who does not know where they are going, may I suggest Uber? Or Boston Coach?"
My wife's uncle was a trucker
Even retired, he would never use a GPS. You get your directions from a good source and use them. Machines are a lot more fallible than people think.
To be honest, I find some GPS directions off. They'll ignore to tell you of a turn, but on the highway they'll say "keep left on interstate 90."
Of course, in your field, lack of GPS shows knowledge, which is a bonus. When I take my little cab rides home from time to time, I would probably be turned off if the driver fired up a GPS.