So how can you use Google Maps for navigation in truck mode?
In short, you can’t BUT you can come close using one of the following methods. Most of the time GPS navigation apps for Android don’t have 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 the information 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.
On Google Play you’ll only find the official versions of the apps but if you search the internet you can find modified versions that allow you to retrieve a location from Google Maps and use that location when generating a suitable route for trucks.
Method 1: Google Maps Truck Mode using iGO Primo or Nextgen
iGO Primo Truck edition is one of the most popular GPS navigation apps and is used by many truck drivers due to its ease of 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, even though it has very good coverage, it does not manage to be as detailed as Google’s app when it comes to locations, points of interest, and mapped roads.
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 importing from Google Maps) and install it on your smartphone or tablet. You may need special permissions to install it – follow this tutorial:
Go to Settings -> Security.
Check Unknown sources and you’re all set.
After installation, let the app run in the background and open Google Maps.
After you open Google Maps, search for the location you want to go to. Tap the Share icon on the bottom of the screen.
From the list that opens up, select iGO Primo. If you don’t see iGO Primo press the More icon and you should see it.
Now iGO Primo will open and show you the location on its own map screen. From there, choose Navigate to, and select your route settings.
Method 2: Google Maps Truck Mode using Send to Navigation
You can use another app from Google Play – Send to Navigation.
This app takes your location from Google Maps and lets you send that location to your favorite truck GPS navigation app – in our case iGO Primo or Nextgen. If you don’t’ like iGO Primo, you can use Sygic truck or other supported apps:
-MapFactor
-Maps.Me
-Navitel
-TomTom
-Waze
-Yandex.Navigation
Optional:
Install iGO Primo for trucks or iGO form Google Play (the official app), or one of the apps listed above supported by Send to Navigation.
Next, install Send to Navigation from Google Play.
Start all three apps – Google Maps, Send to Navigation and your truck GPS app ( in our case iGO Truck).
Open Google Maps and choose your destination. Slide to the bottom and select Share. Then choose Send to Navigation.
The Send to Navigation app will open and let you send that location to your preferred app (if already installed) or it can point you to Google Play to download an app from the list.
Your truck GPS app will take the Google Maps location and generate an optimized route to your destination. Now you’re all set.
Method 3: Using coordinates from Google Maps and sending them to your truck GPS app
This method involves searching for a location on google maps. Copy the coordinates of that location and paste them to the truck GPS application. iGO Primo or Sygic Truck both have support for coordinates input.
Example using coordinates from Google Maps on iGO Nextgen.
That’s it. Now you know how to hack your way into using 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 for truck drivers worldwide.
wil says
why cant you people just answer the question i don’t need all this bullshit just truck mode
AdminCW says
Hi and thanks for your opinion. For now there isn’t a true truck mode on Google Maps, so we must use some third-party apps to use it as we want. Maybe in the future, Google will introduce some real features for truckers : restriction, vehicle size and dimensions and more.
Janet says
Then stop posting click bait and post that useful fact that it doesn’t exist in the title of the story.
Because right now, your article is at the top of Google search results all because you fibbed about the existance of truck mode routing in order to get clicks.
Stop posting click bait and you’ll get friendlier “opinions”.
Ryan says
That useful fact was located in the first paragraph. This is not click bait. It is useful for people who are willing to use work arounds for now and shows you how. In all actuality this was very informative.
David says
It was super informative… Thank you, you did a good job finding a way to make this work… Don’t listen to toxic people who does nothing.
Lisa Steffens says
Amen Ryan!
PNW trucker says
Will and Janet, you two should get together. You both like to complain about a non-existent problem.
I found this article very informative. Some people would complain if they were with a new rope.
Jonathan says
3 years later….come on Google, please give us the truckers edition GPS. You know that we rely on you heavily already and we need your help on this.. Google maps are so easy and convenient to use for the everyday traveler and we look forward to the truckers edition. Thank you! )
DeVale says
I agree with others I just read. A bunch of reading for nothing. there is no truck setting or app
Emi says
Thanks for your feedback.
The article states ” How to use Google Maps in truck mode” – so it offers an alternative to reach Google Maps locations trough an third party app.
Many truck drivers who can’t reach destinations on regular truck apps( Copilot, Sygic,etc) use this tutorial with success.
Most apps use maps updated quarterly and don’t have all the POI’s or destinations required by a truck driver.
The methods presented in this article are easy to apply until Google Maps decides to introduce a real truck mode.
Have a good day.
Anonymous says
I personal think the article should have said ”How to use Google Maps in a third party app” …that being said, your article was informative.
Dave says
If google ever does make maps for truckers they’ll put Garmin, Rand McNally et al out of business. All of the commercially available GPS units for truckers have major shortcomings.
Anonymous says
They deserve to go out of business , they charge way too much for their products
todd d Hughes says
Does it hurt your brain to read
Anthony Calderon says
Why go through all that I’m sure people and Google are aware of needing a truck mode or they just don’t care and like to blow smoke up our asses is their a date at least in mind
Cameron says
Google Maps is hands down the best GPS app! A Truck Mode feature is greatly needed & would be appreciated. I just can’t go places in my truck and trailer that are ok for passenger vehicles. This article maybe a good work around for now, but then I’ve got to get familiar with ANOTHER app when I’ve literally already have several that function very similarly.
The Grand Wazzoo says
Great article. Informative enough for me to try to decide what to download and how to use it. Thanks.
Bobby says
! CLICKBAIT !
There is NO Google Maps Truck Mode.
Anonymous says
If you actually read the article it explains how to use Google Maps data in other truck GPS apps. Which is close enough for most of us.
Sam Kunsman says
The SEO (sear engine optimization) would not be nearly good enough if the writers didn’t title the article the way they did. They knew there wasn’t a true trucker mode in Google maps, and also knew that most transportation workers wouldn’t know to search for “how to use third-party apps with Google maps”. They have the best possible workaround available. And they said in the very beginning of the article that Google maps has no real trucker mode. If they would have titled the article in another way, not nearly as many people would have clicked the link, learned there was no trucker mode, and already had a couple solutions for this problem. They went the extra mile and gave us additional, optional reading after revealing the sad truth. Can you really blame them for that? Anyway, thanks for the info guys
Anonymous says
Maybe Google Street View should use their own videos to read the road signs and see where it says truck routes on the road signs, seems like they could because they can read the street signs and they’re much smaller than the signs that say truck routes.. but what do I know I’m just a dumb truck driver.
Anonymous says
Are you really complaining this much about a service that’s being offered to you for FREE?!! Where did you go wrong in life that you’re so entitled?
Alex says
Very useful to the person who can understand, thanks for posting
Giznp says
Informative but Google Maps don’t have truck mode .
Chris says
Thank you for trying , to complicated for me , thanx for trying though
Gerald Conde says
Does anyone know how to contact the Google Map Street View truck drivers for career day at the school I work at?
Sean says
I am not up on all this app stuff just want google to do a truck map setting so that google maps will take you on main roads and stay on them and not try and take side street would like to know when maybe will happen as we all use owe ph not gps
Marta says
Thanks for the very useful work around. I wonder why app developers don’t use Google Maps as the base for their applications. maybe because they would need to use to sets of language tools to develop the app.
I’ll try it next time I’m on the road in my MH.
dave says
Every thing in our lives comes off a truck.I am sure that a truck app would be very popular and profitable.Have a look google.
Stephen Lee says
I feel sorry for the author here. He has come up with a superbly imaginative solution yet a bunch of entitled idiots feel clever enough mock him. Maybe some truck drivers ars thick after all. I am now keen to try ot out where I live in rural England.. THANK YOU.
Mike says
It says it right in the captions, Google maps doesn’t have a truck mode, but there’s a way to make it work.
I don’t understand the negative comments. Thanks for the time and trouble you put into this article.
Graham says
Because it should have said, ‘Google maps doesn’t have a truck mode, but there’s a way to open a location from Google Maps in another app if your only issue was finding that location.’
Given my issue isn’t finding the location, but having up to date maps and traffic info for the best route, it doesn’t help me at all.
Lori Ann Kern says
I got a lot out of your article. Thanks for the work you put in to this. Don’t understand why people are being so mean about it. If they read the first sentence it states, Google does not have truck maps BUT.
thanks for you help
Bams jean,Claude says
Thank you verry much for this explanation. It gives me an alternative for what I was looking about. Google maps don’t have truck mode and I use a good GPS but sometimes adresses are not on my gps and have to fall back on google maps with the result of car route. Low bridges, small streets and so on. This may help me out in the most critical situations.
Many thanks for your exolenations.
Derek Crawford says
When will Google have truck satnav
Henry says
Android only. Second reason this article doesn’t live up to the headline promise.
Jorge Mateus Mendes says
Em verdade não há como mapas em papel. Nem google, nem outro traça rotas optimas para camião. Ou é o mais rápido ou mais curto. Se vc navegar na Bélgica com GPS da camiao você vai andar muito fora da lei, pois todas as limitações de peso são ignoradas.
Marc says
To the others, I’m smart enough to distinguish clickbait from free information that has ads. This information is helpful to me. For now, I run my Garmin, Waze and Google maps all at once. On three different devices. Pretty easy to navigate. Just looking for an all in one. Thanks for the information.
Bryan says
Can Google start with adding a filter called (Low Bridge) to the “Avoid” check box to start off with? Or is that info not available yet??
Bryan says
I was looking for a way to make google maps work for trucks, not use google maps for other gps apps. Some how through all the explaining I am still confused to know how to use Google maps for trucks.
YAGBT says
There is a way to make your own route in Google maps. If you are looking to route your truck on an interstate, highway or even a hazmat truck that can take only certain routes there is a feature that you can use and it’s called
“add a stop”. You can add a stop anywhere even in the middle of a road. When you reach that stop, Google maps asks you if you want to continue and gives a button to click which will continue you on your way. By proper planning before leaving on your route you can add stops just beyond each turn on every road you know you must take and when you hav reached that stop (or I likento call them waybpoints) and click the continue button when it appears, you can have a completely safe and accurate route each and every time. It takes a little playing with it to get down where to place each stop or way point but once you figure this part out it will never let you down. Good luck Drivers! Hope this helped!!
Brett says
You don’t understand the trucking industry at all. We all have electronic logging device has bile off in our trucks which include a truck route GPS. So we don’t need any of these programs but the main thing is what’s good about Google Maps and why we use it is because it is live you totally missed that point Google is live giving you slow down and traffic info that’s going on right now and reroutes you around it. No truck driving GPS can do that