Most of the time GPS navigation apps for Android have no data as accurate as Google Maps. Truck drivers need precise routes and precise destinations for delivery of cargo without delays or other risks.
There are very good applications that can create routes in truck mode, such as: Sygic, Copilot Truck and other apps.
However, these apps are no match for Google Maps that offers those informations needed especially by professional drivers: postal codes in industrial areas, special locations that appear only on Google maps or precise coordinates of warehouses.
To use Google Maps in truck mode, we need a very good Gps application to take over the locations offered by Google and guide us with the truck on special routes to those locations.
You can use an app like iGO, Sygic or others.
Although on Google Play there is only one official version of the application, if you search the internet you can find modified versions that allows retrieval of a location that we found on Google Maps and use that location when generating a suitable route for truck.
Method 1 Google Maps Truck Mode using iGO Primo or Nextgen
iGO Primo Truck edition is one of the most popular GPS navigation applications used by many truck drivers due to ease in use and very accurate routes depending on the size of the truck you drive.
iGO Primo (or the newest version iGO NextGen) uses maps from Navteq(HERE), one of the global leaders in this segment. However, although it has very good coverage, it does not manage to be as detailed as Google’s application when it comes to locations, points of interest, and mapped roads.
Probably, using iGO in combination with Google Maps is a great solution when it comes to Android GPS applications for truck drivers.
How to use iGO and Google Maps for truck routes ?
Download iGO Primo or NextGen for truck ( a version that supports import from Google Maps) and install it on your smartphone or tablet. You may need special permissions to install it – follow this tutorial.
After installation, let the app run in background and open Google Maps.
After you open Google Maps, search for location you want to go. Tap Share icon on the bottom of the screen.
From the list that opens, select iGO Primo. If you don’t see iGO Primo press More icon and you should see it.
Now iGO Primo will open and show you the location on it’s own map screen. From there choose Navigate to, and select your route settings.
You can use a third app from Google Play – Send to Navigation.
This apps takes your location from Google Maps and then it let’s you send that location to your favourite truck GPS navigation app – in our case iGO Primo or Nextgen. If you do not like iGO Primo, you can use Sygic truck or other apps supported :
MapFactor
Maps.Me
Navitel
TomTom
Waze
Yandex.Navigation
Optional ( if you want to use it):
Install iGO Primo for truck or iGO form Google Play – official app. Otherwise, install your truck gps app supported by Send to Navigation.
Next, install Send to Navigation from Google Play.
Start all three apps – Google Maps, Send to Navigation and truck gps app ( in our case iGO Truck).
Open Google Maps and choose your destination. Slide to bottom and select Share. Choose Send to Navigation.
Send to Navigation will open and let you choose to send that location to an favourite app that is already installed or it can point you to Google Play to download an app from the list.
Your truck gps app will take the location and generate an optimized route to destination. Now you’re all set.
Method 3 – Using coordinates from Google Maps and send to truck gps app
This method involves searching for a location on google maps. Then copy the coordinates of that location and transfer it to the gps truck application. iGO Primo or Sygic Truck have support for coordinates input.
Example using coordinates from Google Maps on iGO Nextgen.
That’s it. Now you can use Google Maps for navigation in truck mode. Until Google decides to add truck driving mode to Maps, this is one of the few alternatives that are helpful to truck drivers worldwide.
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