There are a lot of options out there for truck drivers to use for their truck GPS navigation and trip planning needs. Using your phone for GPS navigation is efficient and easy, and there are lots of accessories that make navigating by phone safe and easy. We’re going to break down our favorite trucker GPS apps below to help you make an informed decision. All of these are available for both Apple (iOS) and Android phones.
Yes! The trucking industry is heavily reliant on GPS navigation apps. There are several paid and free apps on the app store or Google Play store specifically for CDL drivers to help plan best routes, find parking spots, and get around spots that don’t allow heavy trucks.
When choosing a GPS navigation app for yourself, consider what features you might need. Road closure notifications, speed limit notices, real-time updates, fuel station locations, lane guidance, hazmat restrictions, toll road avoidance, turn by turn directions, and points of interest are all features that are available in various GPS apps.
Below are a few options and their costs. Many of them are free to download or offer a free trial period so you can try out each one and see which truck driving GPS app works the best for you.
This is one of the most popular apps for truck drivers. The route planner enables you to plan your route in minutes, get live updates on gas station fuel prices, see traffic updates, rate and review point of interest locations, see how busy truck stops and rest areas are, and more.
Truckbook offers a lot of features truck drivers will find helpful. You can easily navigate around truck restrictions, locate truck parking, find points of interest along your route (including repair services, toll booths, weigh stations, truck washes, and more), and it even provides access to emergency roadside assistance.
With TruckMap you can plan routes, avoid low clearance bridges, find weigh stations, rest stops, view up-to-date fuel prices, and much more. You can even search for truck stops that have amenities that you need.
This mobile app allows you to enter your truck height and weight so you can set route preferences to avoid areas where your truck dimensions would not fit or be allowed. It shows rest stops, weigh stations, CAT scales, live traffic information, and points of interest along your route.
This truck GPS app is 100% free and offers tons of options for customizing your route. You can avoid difficult turns, tolls, low bridges, and more. Offline maps are also available for those areas where cell signal is unreliable. The trip planning tools include fuel prices, parking information, truck stop amenities, and more.
A very familiar and popular navigation app on both iPhone and Android, Waze offers crowd-sourced traffic, road conditions, gas prices, accidents, speed traps, and more. Unfortunately Waze doesn’t offer a robust list of features specific to professional truck drivers, and you cannot route your trip around areas where trucks are not allowed.
Sort of. Google Maps can do multi-stop routes, but it won’t optimize the route, and you can’t set it to avoid roads with weight or height restrictions. If you’re familiar with Google Maps, you might be tempted to use it when truck driving. With constant map updates and real-time traffic, the familiar and very popular app is great for navigating when driving a car, but it doesn’t have as many CDL-specific features as some of the other apps on this list, so you might end up having to take a detour to avoid a low clearance spot or a highway that isn’t suited for the weight of your semi. It can, however, be useful when you’re taking your break, looking for restaurants or laundry facilities, or navigating around an unfamiliar city.
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