Oct/Nov 2006

Map&guide Truck Navigator, one of the only real-time navigation systems aimed specifically at truck drivers, has been upgraded by its German developer, and is now said to be easier to use and more versatile.

The system can now provide cross-border door-to-door navigation across Europe. It does this by using high-level road map of Europe as a whole, into which smaller-scale country maps can be "inserted". The basic routes use only major roads, which map&guide says is a virtue, since it saves drivers from attempting to use potentially unsuitable small roads.

In Germany the system can also take account of factors that might affect large vehicles when planning its routes - road closures and height and weighs restriction, for instance. This feature will be also available for France in the autumn.

The system now comes with four pre-configured maps that distinguish between different vehicle profiles in terms of length, height, width, weight and axle load. They can also optionally reflect dangerous goods restrictions.

 

The application interface can be adjusted to the screen sizes and requirements of handhelds such as those from Psion Teklogix, Gotive, Unitech and Symbol. Truck Navigator also runs on Pocket PCs and PDAs, and can integrate with ERP systems, order processing systems or any other applications via its remote control interface.