CoPilot Truck Case Studies
Barend de Wit
Owner-Operator
Admiral Merchants Motor Freight
“I haven’t looked at a map since
I started using CoPilot Truck.”
“You
just type in the address and ZIP Code and that’s it,” says
Barend de Wit. “Whenever I get a load, I don’t need to ask
for directions. With CoPilot Truck, I know I’ll get there easily
- it even lets me know what side of the street my stop is on.”
de Wit, an owner-operator who hauls for Admiral Merchants Motor Freight
of Minneapolis, is referring to the CoPilot Truck GPS-based navigation
software from ALK Technologies that he uses every day. “I don’t
move without it,” he reports, “99.9 percent of the addresses
I deliver to or pick up from are found in the database. I haven’t
called a customer or dispatcher for directions since I started using
the product.”
A driver with 30 years of experience on the road, de Wit began using
CoPilot Truck in January of 2003. This past fall, he beta tested CoPilot
Truck | Laptop 3 and now uses the latest advanced version of the award
winning solution. Covering 100,000 miles per year, almost exclusively
in the US, the British Columbia resident says the CoPilot Truck software
is a constant companion in his truck, a 1995 Kenworth W900L.
“I can’t say enough good things about this system,” de
Wit adds. “I don’t even have a map book in the truck anymore,
I rely on it that much.”
“I’m always looking for something new that will help me
achieve a better bottom line,” de Wit continues. “While I
can’t cite exact figures, there’s no question that CoPilot
Truck is cutting out-of-route mileage because it provides accurate directions
all the time. In addition, it saves time and lowers my phone bill because
I don’t have to call for directions. And maybe most importantly,
it takes away a lot of the frustration I could experience in this job.”
de Wit goes on to relate some of the many instances where CoPilot truck
| Laptop 3’s new and improved functionality has proved highly beneficial. “While
almost every address I enter is already in the ALK database,” he
continues, “if an address doesn’t come up, I just go into
the system’s planning mode and call up a map, find the address,
highlight it and the software generates the most effective, truck-specific
route.”
Routing preferences in CoPilot Truck can be set for Practical, Shortest,
Heavy Vehicle, Light Vehicle, 53’ Trailer, National Network, HazMat,
Toll Avoidance, and International Borders Open/Closed. An Avoid and Favor
Roads function lets drivers tailor routes based on experience.
CoPilot Truck | Laptop 3, de Wit also notes, is loaded with features
that provide enhanced in-vehicle navigation capabilities. “For
example,” he says, “Detour and Selective Routing gets you
around delays and congestion and lets you avoid busy roads. (continued
on page 2)
Recently, after leaving San Diego, I encountered a backup on I-5 due
to an accident. All I had to do was click on CoPilot Truck’s Detour
icon and I was rerouted automatically. I was off and back on the Interstate
very quickly.”
de Wit appreciates CoPilot Truck | Laptop 3’s new user interface,
including its customizable Driver Safety Screen that provides all the
information you need with no distractions. Features include large menu
buttons for easy, instant access and a nighttime illumination function.
According to de Wit, “I haven't looked at a map since I started
using CoPilot Truck. There’s nothing like it.”
About CoPilot Truck
CoPilot Truck combines the industry-standard truck routing, mileage
and mapping capabilities of ALK’s PC*MILER solutions with the award-winning
in-vehicle GPS navigation and route guidance of its CoPilot product line
to create the first on-board navigation system specifically designed
for owner-operators, leased-operators and company drivers. CoPilot Truck
turns a laptop into an in-vehicle navigation and route guidance system
that uses GPS to track progress, and provides spoken turn-by-turn directions
to any address.
Data in the newly released CoPilot Truck | Laptop 3 solution includes
over 7 million miles of U.S. roadways, 31,000 exit numbers and more than
100 million addresses. Canadian map data covers 830,000 road miles and
more than 10 million addresses. Also incorporated, are over 3 million
Points-of-Interest, including truck-specific POIs such as truck stops,
truck washes and weigh stations.
For more information, visit www.alk.com/cpt or call 1.800.377.MILE ext.
1.
ABOUT ALK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Since its founding in 1979, ALK Technologies, Inc., a Princeton, NJ
based company, has recognized the power of information technology
and its direct link to competitive
advantage and customer satisfaction. For over 20 years, ALK has helped companies
and individuals navigate the growth and transformation of transportation
technology through consulting, customized information systems and
packaged software solutions.
For more information on ALK visit www.alk.com.
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