Sat Nav, am I the only driver that doesn't have one ?

[StuntmanMike]

After a chat with another driver yesterday, I realised that I do not know a single driver that hasn't got one.
This bloke is an owner driver, he has a lovely 143 Scania, I would definitely call him old school, as we are talking he starts programming a ducking Sat Nav, I couldn't believe it, so am I the only one left who can be arsed finding his own way or not?

[Humper]

Yes, probably, I'd be lost without mine.....

Nowt wrong with making life easier, i still like to use maps but satnavs def make life easier.

[powerstroke]

I love my maps like to know my way round and the relationship
Of places to each other and our roads , like to plan my own route with maps and build my own knowlage but the sat nav is a boon for the last mile into a new customer for the first time..

[toon10]

My sense of direction is terrible, I'd literally be lost without one. In the good old days I used maps and didn't have too many issues although it was just much more of a hassle planning a trip. It would have to be done the night before and then I'd have to stop on occasion to check the map and see what junctions I needed, etc. Now if I had to drive to Lands End, I'd just jump in the car, hit a few buttons and drive.

Looking back there was this one time around Cirencester when I pulled in for fuel. I drove nearly 50 miles back the way I came before realiseing I'd gone the wrong way out the service station. On reflection, I shouldn't be allowed out without sat nav.

[alpha channel]

Your not the only one, I don't have a sat nav nor do I use my phone for such duties, a quick look at a paper map or google map it the day before and I'm good to go (helps that I've got a fairly good sense of direction though).

[StuntmanMike]

alpha channel said:

Your not the only one, I don't have a sat nav nor do I use my phone for such duties, a quick look at a paper map or google map it the day before and I'm good to go (helps that I've got a fairly good sense of direction though).

Just us then, in fairness friends of mine just use it as a back up.

[grumpy52]

One of our guys does all of Europe without a sat nav .
Me ? I've got three plus two smart phones, but I also carry truck friendly maps and London A to Z ,
My truck nav has never taken me into anywhere unsuitable for my vehicle , it can also be programmed for ADR routing which is very handy .

[chilistrucker]

I use 1, but only as a guide, but still never leave home without my maps, and hand written notes I've made over the years.

[mike-r]

I don't own one personally, but I have access to one. Useless because there's always traffic jams or road closures/works, so I whip the phone out and use Google maps to find alternate routes I'd say 50% of the time. Would never buy one myself, unless I could shout 'avoid this fking road' at it and it'd actually understand and not try and force me back onto it a mile later.

[StuntmanMike]

grumpy52 said:

One of our guys does all of Europe without a sat nav .

So do I.

[GEARJAMMER]

Your not alone, i don't own a Sat-Nav, i tramp Mon-Fri and use map books all the time, i carry a laptop for the evenings out so if i ever do get stuck i can have a nosey at Google maps, but its rare i do, although i do quite often use google street view to look at bridge heights and to see if i can park outside custermers places at night.

[LukeDM]

I normally only use my phone for sat nav for the last few miles, I quite enjoy doing it the old fashioned way and I'm only 22! (Courier)

[Plastic chicken]

Tried Google Maps on the smartphone once (in Southport), but it didn't know I was in an artic & tried to direct me across a 7.5 tonne limit bridge, then through a housing estate. My big fear is following it to a low bridge with nowhere to turn round.
Also, sat nav may get you from town to town, take you to the street, and even to the number in the street; only then do you discover that the loading area is in fact round the back, through the one-way system (Glasgow city centre being a good example)...
Wherever possible, I'll Google the customer's number (on the aforementioned smartphone), & ask for directions.

[Nickyboy]

Not owned one, don't intend to either.

Have used one on occasion but hated it, i hate the idea of following directions with no idea on where you're going. Having never really used one i pick up landmarks easily, i always check Google Maps first. I can always find my way to where i'm going, quick check on GM again once i'm close normally gets me there.

[offspring86]

Not a driver myself, but I work for a big logistics firm (think worldwide) and my contract deals with store deliveries for a very well known fashion store (400+ stores UK and Europe). None of our drivers are permitted to use sat navs. They are provided with a map of the area they are delivering to and have to sort the rest of the journey themselves.

[civicduty]

And how, prey tell, do you police that?

[offspring86]

civicduty said:

And how, prey tell, do you police that?

I don't. My job doesn't involve dealing with drivers - I'll ask the transport manager next time he's up our end of the building!

[cossy400]

offspring86 said:

civicduty said:

And how, prey tell, do you police that?

I don't. My job doesn't involve dealing with drivers - I'll ask the transport manager next time he's up our end of the building!

Id be interested in how they police it.

When we had a new transport man he asked us all, (in passing, more of a nosey ask you could say) how we got around whether it be map or sat navs.

My reply was ive spent north of £300 on a proper truck one but ive got a decent pair of eyes and can read a map but choose to cross ref the map with the route of the nav.

Yes I know 20 yrs ago you had no choice but in this day and age I don't much fancy tryin to get somewhere ive never been to (possibly in a town centre) with 40 ft behind me and tryin to read a map.

He saw me point,

[Truckosaurus]

I have a built in satnav that has data which is a couple of years out of date so often doesn't have roads I regularly use on it.

Even when I'm going to somewhere I don't know the route for I will work out the route on Google Maps (can't remember when I last looked at a paper road map) and even check Streetview to see what certain junctions look like, so I don't have to rely on the satnav.

However I always use an OS map and compass when walking/hiking - wouldn't trust an electronic device in the actual outdoors.

[iva cosworth]

Never used one.

I do own a lot of now mostly out of date map books.

I replace my London map regularly because it falls apart due to how much use it gets.

Now that I only do South East deliveries ,I also have lots of County maps upstairs at home not ever used.

I have also toured Europe in my cars without one,regularly getting lost especially in Italy.