It doesn’t take long for a novice Truck Driver to realize they can’t navigate. Unlike a car, the places where you can turn around a 23-metre (75 ft) vehicle are few and far between, so getting lost has a whole different meaning than it does in your personal vehicle. Navigation skills are something that are acquired over time, and the reality is that it’s an on-the-job learning curve.
In the novel Bridges of Madison County, Robert Kincaid had a rule: "Three different people have to be asked to determine correct directions." In truth, this is good advice for Commercial Drivers as well.
The Three-Step Navigation Process
Before GPS, drivers in the 1990s followed a reliable three-step process for finding any delivery or pick-up location:
- 1Check the map — Determine your approach highway and identify the general area of your destination using a road atlas.
- 2Call the receiver — Always talk to the shipper or receiver directly — not just any employee. Ask for specific directions from the highway, including landmarks.
- 3Cross-reference — Compare the directions you were given against the city inset map to verify they make sense before you start driving.
A shorthand notation system kept things quick: ‘SL’ for stoplight, ‘RR’ for railroad tracks, and circled capital ‘L’ and ‘R’ for left and right turns. This system still works well as a backup today.
When GPS Gets It Wrong
Commercial Drivers often get lost even when they know where they’re going. GPS systems are wrong for a variety of reasons and will not tell you the location of loading docks or which driveway leads to them. A fellow driver named Jim knew the way to a Summerland winery perfectly well but was talked into following his GPS on departure. The GPS route led to a steep, narrow single-track road where the trailer climbed an embankment, destroyed a tractor tire, and caused the load to arrive late.
Another time, being lost in New Jersey for four hours looking for a construction site led to encountering a low overpass, having to back out blind-side into traffic, and getting wrong directions from multiple people.
- •Despite modern GPS technology, always consult multiple sources for directions.
- •GPS systems won’t tell you about low overpasses, weight-restricted roads, or loading dock locations.
- •Talk to the actual shipper or receiver — never rely on a random employee’s directions.
- •Keep a road atlas in the cab as a backup at all times.