The Little Things: How This Google Maps Rival Makes Navigation Convenient for Trucks

However, it doesn't mean everybody ignores truck navigation. Companies like Sygic have launched professional navigation software specifically aimed at large vehicles such as trucks and caravans, providing customers with advanced guidance based on vehicle dimensions and cargo size.

The main difference between Google Maps and a dedicated truck navigation app is that the routing engine doesn't only look for the fastest route to a user-defined destination. It also considers the vehicle's dimensions, restrictions, speed limits, special cargo, and other factors specific to a large vehicle.

Sygic's truck navigation software also comes with something extra.

The application focuses as much as possible on right turns, trying to avoid left turns when looking for routes.

Here's why.

While many truck drivers still use Google Maps for navigation, which is a big no-no because the suggested route ignores the specifics above, Sygic's software offers dedicated truck routes to make driving a large vehicle more convenient.

One of the least convenient things to do when driving a lorry is to make a left turn. If you're a beginner, you probably know how difficult it sometimes is to make a left turn, especially in a busy intersection.

Incoming traffic makes left turns particularly challenging, so imagine how hard it is for a truck driver to do such a maneuver when carrying a massive cargo. Crossing oncoming traffic is not only challenging but also dangerous with such a large vehicle, so Sygic tries to avoid left turns by always looking for routes comprising mainly right turns.

It doesn't mean you can always avoid left turns. Sygic's truck navigation software prioritizes right turns, but you could still get a route with left turns if there's no other way to reach the destination (especially when dealing with restrictions for your vehicle).

The other great feature you won't find elsewhere is how Sygic always tries to put your destination on the right side. Like in the case of right turns, you don't want to make a U-turn to arrive at a destination. If it's placed on the left, you could also park on the right and then walk to the destination, but when carrying big cargo, getting directly to the destination is mandatory. As a result, Sygic tries to keep your destination on the right side, meaning that the suggested route could be longer (because the application adds extra miles to put your destination on the right) but more convenient.

These features also show why it's important for drivers to always use the correct navigation solution for their needs.

People keep misusing Google Maps and Waze, thinking that they can get them to their destinations faster regardless of the type of vehicle they drive. While Google Maps and Waze do this, thanks to state-of-the-art routing engines and live traffic data, they lack dedicated modes for large vehicles, ignoring everything that could make a journey safer and more convenient in trucks, RVs, and motorhomes.

Users have asked for truck navigation in Google Maps for years, but the search giant expressed no interest in adding this feature. While Google has always remained tight-lipped on this feature request, the main reason for ignoring it is the reduced userbase it'd tackle by adding truck navigation to Google Maps. Most vehicles on the road are regular passenger cars, and targeting a niche with a dedicated truck navigation mode requires tremendous work that wouldn't pay off in a free solution. Google wants to keep Google Maps free, so investing big in a feature that wouldn't bring home the bacon doesn't make sense. Sygic truck navigation software is available for a fee, regardless of the mobile platform where you want to run the application.

The company offers turn-by-turn guidance for passenger vehicles in Google Maps and Waze, so if you drive a truck and use these apps, you could always end up on restricted roads or narrow streets where you don't fit.

Unfortunately, this isn't as uncommon as you'd be tempted to believe. Truck drivers relying on Google Maps and Waze to arrive at their destinations faster ignore the recommendations and follow navigation apps blindly, eventually getting stuck on small roads and making traffic dangerous for everybody on the road. They eventually call emergency teams to pull their vehicles from the small roads, sometimes after damaging the trucks in their attempts to return to the appropriate route without help.

Sygic's application isn't the only solution for truck drivers interested in a dedicated navigation companion to avoid low bridges and weight-restricted roads. Truck GPS navigators are still around, offering advanced navigation based on vehicle dimensions and cargo size. Garmin sells truck navigators with detailed maps and frequent updates, allowing drivers to get to their destinations without relying on their mobile devices for turn-by-turn guidance.