Rand McNally, a provider of commercial truck routing software, announced today, Aug. 17, the launch of a truck navigation device designed for professional truck drivers and owner-operators. The company says its IntelliRoute TND 500 boasts nearly 13,000 truck-related geocoded points of interest, while the inclusion of The Trucker’s Friend National Truckstop Directory provides more than 50 searchable amenities for each location.
“Rand McNally’s more than 70 years of research and experience serving the commercial transportation market uniquely positions us to create an in-cab truck navigation device that delivers accurate routing,” says Donna Koppensteiner, vice president of Enterprise Solutions for Rand McNally, based in Skokie, Ill. “The combination of truck routing and business tools in one device enables professional drivers and small fleets to save miles, time and money.”
The navigation device is designed specifically for the over-the-road professional truck driver for routing and real-time navigation. Leveraging the proprietary databases of Rand McNally, the device is designed to calculate a route based on truck attributes (length, width and height) as well as type of route desired (quickest or shortest, tolls or no tolls). A route can be optimized for multiple stops for the most efficient use of miles and fuel expenses, and then provided to the trucker via turn-by-turn spoken directions. The company says the device is flexible enough to use for multiple vehicle sizes, from a 53-foot combination truck to a car.
Rand McNally says it worked with truck drivers from across the United States to help design and optimize the product. “IntelliRoute TND 500 is designed from the ground up with professional drivers in mind,” says Dave Marsh, director of product management for Rand McNally. “It is not simply a repurposed consumer GPS unit, but a business tool that will make truckers more comfortable and confident while driving. Better drivers with better information lead to better customer service, and a more profitable business.”
Rand McNally says the unit delivers more than simply truck navigation, and that the IntelliRoute TND 500 also provides unique trucker business tools that allow truckers to reduce time-consuming calculations and save money, including:
Rand McNally also plans to provide real-time overlays and additional products such as RoadWork construction updates designed to allow the user to route around construction delays.
Rand McNally will be demonstrating IntelliRoute TND 500 at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, set for Thursday, Aug. 20-Saturday, Aug. 22; visit the company’s booth, #13111. The product will be available in October in truckstops, dealers and online at www.randmcnally.com/truckgps.
The Rand McNally IntelliRoute TND 500 also will be available in October at more than 400 Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star dealers throughout the United States.
