Life on the road is full of stress and unpredictable situations. You never know what lurks around the corner, especially after a long day behind the wheel of a multi-ton truck.
We live in a time of rapid technological development, everything we do is often dependent on technology, and it is technology that helps us avoid a lot of different inconveniences. Rapidly evolving applications have penetrated almost every aspect of everyday life and have made things easier for us. We've picked out some of the best truck apps useful for every driver. Make your life easier with them too!
7 important features in a truck navigation app
Navigating the roads as a truck driver involves unique challenges and requires reliable tools to manage unpredictable situations. In a world where technology greatly aids in avoiding various inconveniences, specialized truck navigation apps have become indispensable for drivers.
These apps not only provide the best routes but also cater to the specific needs of heavy vehicles, making for a safer and more efficient journey. These are 7 features to look for when picking the navigation app that works best for you:
Customized route planning: Tailors routes based on truck size and type for safe and optimized navigation.
Offline map availability: Allows for reliable navigation even in areas with limited internet connectivity.
Real-time traffic updates: Provides live traffic information to help avoid traffic jams and other types of delays.
Parking and fuel station locators: Assists in finding truck parking spaces and fuel stations.
Speed limit alerts: Keeps drivers informed of current and maximum speed limits to help you observe road safety laws.
Points of interest (POIs): Includes essential truck-related POIs such as service areas and restaurants.
Dynamic lane assistance: Offers guidance for complex interchanges and lane changes, crucial for truck navigation
11 excellent navigation apps for truckers in Europe
1. Eurowag - Best GPS app for truckers
The Eurowag app emerges as a critical tool in the arsenal of modern truck drivers, offering a range of features designed to streamline their daily operations on the road. Unlike traditional navigation apps, the Eurowag app extends its functionality to cater to the broader needs of truckers, making it an indispensable partner both on the road and in the office.
Why choose the Eurowag app?
One of the primary reasons to choose the Eurowag app is its dedication to addressing the specific challenges faced by truck drivers. It goes beyond mere navigation, offering services that assist in crucial aspects like fuel management, route planning, and finding essential amenities. This makes it a versatile and practical choice for truckers looking for an all-in-one solution.
How does the Eurowag App assist truck drivers?
The Eurowag app helps truck drivers in several ways. Firstly, it simplifies the process of finding cost-effective fuel options through real-time price comparisons. This feature is particularly good for long-haul drivers looking to optimize their fuel expenditure.
Additionally, the app assists in locating petrol stations, complete with details on the facilities available at each location, such as truck parking and car washes. Moreover, the app supports effective route planning, helping drivers to navigate efficiently and avoid unnecessary delays.
Key features of the Eurowag app:
Fuel price comparison: Provides up-to-date fuel prices, enabling drivers to choose the most economical refueling options.
Petrol station finder: Locates nearby petrol stations, indicating available facilities like truck parking, car washes, and self-service stands.
Route planning support: Offers assistance in planning the most efficient routes for truckers, considering various factors like distance and travel time.
Essential POI details: Delivers information on Points of Interest crucial for truckers, improving the overall convenience of long journeys.
Eurowag Pay: Pay for fuel directly on the app, keeping your transactions secure and your financials organized.
Team management: Easily see and manage your team and assign roles.
Availability in multiple languages: The Eurowag app is available in many European languages.
The Eurowag app is available for Android and iOS. Download and try it for free today!
2. Sygic - Truck GPS navigation
Sygic Truck Navigation is the most downloaded offline navigation app and has many features that truckers find most valuable. With comprehensive settings for trucks, the app can create optimal routes for you to choose from. You'll avoid sharp curves, unsuitable bridges, tunnels and other restrictions that may lurk for trucks on their routes. Sygic also shares information on parking spaces and fuel stations for trucks and buses.
Offline maps are updated regularly in the app, so you don't have to worry about not being able to get around without the internet. Sygic Truck Navigation will also always show you the current and maximum speed limit. Plus, thanks to its extensive speed camera database, it helps you avoid speeding fines.
Key features of Sygic:
Custom routing according to vehicle parameters: Tailors routes for vehicles like trucks, RVs/Buses, Vans, or Cars, allowing customization for size, type, speed, and hazmat level.
Offline maps with truck attributes: Provides dependable navigation without internet, including special truck maps and updates several times a year.
Speed limits and speed camera warnings: Displays current and maximum allowed speeds and alerts for over 60,000 fixed and mobile speed cameras.
Truck stops and petrol stations: Includes millions of POIs like petrol stations, truck stops, service areas, and campsites in offline maps.
Emission zone routing: Helps navigate around or through low emission zones in over 200 cities across 24 European countr
PTV Navigator is an app designed specifically for truck drivers and offers various useful functionalities. Route planning considers the current road situation and vehicle size or weight restrictions, and you'll also find a parking assistant and automatic updates on the time to reach your destination. All these features make the app very popular among truck drivers.
The PTV Navigator app also has the advantage of real-time traffic information. This allows the navigation system to suggest a new route based on the situation. In addition, it is very user-friendly and available in 20 languages.
Key features of PTV Navigator:
Truck-specific navigation routes: Tailors routes to truck profiles and vehicle attributes, ensuring suitability for freight traffic and avoiding detours.
Intuitive user experience (UX): Offers a clear interface in multiple languages, with easy address entry for minimal need for support.
Offline maps: Provides local storage of maps for reduced data usage and reliable navigation in areas with poor mobile data coverage.
Historical traffic information: Includes historical traffic patterns for more accurate driving and arrival time predictions.
Live traffic integration with predictions: Uses historical data and AI to predict future delays and suggests alternative routes.
It's hard to compete with navigation giants like Google Maps or Waze, but when it comes to offline use, it's possible. CoPilot GPS is the perfect app for when you're abroad and don't want to spend money roaming or stopping at every gas station with Wi-Fi to update your Google Maps. This app has turn-by-turn voice navigation and provides traffic information.
The availability of offline maps is the only major difference between Google Maps and CoPilot GPS, so if you don't have an internet connection problem, the free Google Maps or Waze apps are preferable.
Key features of CoPilot GPS:
Drivewyze integration: Integrates with Drivewyze for weight station bypass, offering time savings and reduced hassle for truck drivers.
Truck routing profile and mileage reports: Provides specific truck routing profiles and generates mileage reports, optimizing routes based on truck dimensions and weights.
Flexible navigation menus: Features driving, walking, and main menus for easy operation in various contexts.
Advanced trip planning and route editing: Includes tools for detailed trip planning and route customization according to specific needs and preferences.
Live services: Offers weather updates, roadside assistance, ActiveTraffic for real-time traffic updates, and fuel price information.
Arrival and parking assistance: Notifies upon arrival at the destination and assists in finding parking spaces.
Comprehensive settings options: Allows customization through settings for map display, guidance, CommuteMe feature, safety cameras, speed limits, language and voice options, themes, GPS, sound, cellular data usage, motion lock, power saving, screen orientation, unit of measurement, personalization, and restoring default settings.
5. InRoute Planner: Optimal for extended truck journeys
InRoute Planner is a fabulous tool for truck drivers going on long, circuitous routes. It stands out for its intuitive route customization, allowing drivers to strategically plan their stops for rest times, meals, or refueling. This feature is particularly beneficial for managing the rigorous demands of extended hauls.
The app's capability to factor in weather conditions, road curves, and elevation changes makes it a critical aid for heavy truck driving. These considerations are essential for safety and efficiency on the road, helping drivers avoid potential hazards.
With InRoute Planner, truck drivers can confidently tackle lengthy journeys with a well-planned and adaptable route.
Key features of InRoute Planner:
Fastest route for multiple stops: Finds the quickest route between up to 150 stops, optimizing for time and distance.
Customizable routes: Allows creation of routes based on weather, road curviness, elevation, and more, catering to specific driving preferences.
Convenient stop finder: Helps find stops along the route based on driving time, including gas stations, hotels, food, and more, making for easy journey planning.
Sync and share capabilities: Enables route syncing between devices, sharing with others, and exporting to GPX for collaborative trip planning.
Route import options: Allows importing of routes from various file formats like XLSX, GPX, and KML, offering flexibility in route creation.
Voice-guided navigation: Provides turn-by-turn voice navigation compatible with CarPlay and iOS devices, allowing for hands-free operation.
Google Maps is the most handy and well-known navigation app worldwide. If the road situation changes, a real-time update will automatically switch you to a different route. It continuously checks the availability and speed of other options.
The 'Explore nearby' feature helps you find suitable hotels, petrol stations, cafes or restaurants, including reviews from previous users of the app.
Please note: Maps will only work without an internet connection, if you save your route beforehand.
Key features of Google Maps:
Real-time navigation and traffic updates: Offers turn-by-turn navigation with live traffic information to help avoid congestion.
Offline maps: Allows for map downloads for use in areas with limited or no internet.
Street view and satellite imagery: Provides detailed street-level and overhead views for thorough location visualization.
Place search and reviews: Enables searching for places, businesses, and services, with user reviews and ratings.
7. Truck Parking Europe - Best for finding parking
Finding a suitable parking space can be time-consuming, problematic and stressful. Truck Parking Europe is the number one platform for parking heavy goods vehicles. Constantly updated databases with lots of feedback from other drivers will help you choose the ideal parking space in your area exactly to your requirements and without valuable wasting time.
Key features of Truck Parking Europe:
Comprehensive parking area filters: Enables filtering of parking areas based on size, security, comfort, and other facilities.
Extensive database: Includes information on thousands of truck parking areas and service spots throughout Europe.
Location-based search functionality: Allows searching for parking locations by current location and destination.
Detailed parking information: Provides comprehensive details on truck stops, rest areas, and parking locations.
Community features: Offers digital interaction with fellow drivers, check-ins at parking areas, and locating colleagues and friends.
Driving time and rest period management: Shows parking options within allowable driving time for efficient planning.
Real-time parking information: Delivers up-to-date information on available parking spots, prices, opening hours, and facilities.
The ROAD LORDS app offers two specialized variants catering to the trucking industry's many needs. The ROAD LORDS Dispatcher is designed for efficient fleet management. It offers online planning, traffic management, an integrated toll calculator, and facilitates effective communication between fleet managers and drivers. This variant is particularly suited for companies managing extensive truck fleets.
On the other hand, the ROAD LORDS Driver is a dedicated GPS navigation system for truck drivers. It features route navigation, parking assistance, and alerts on potential route hazards. A key aspect is its ability to download premium offline maps, covering Europe, Turkey, and Russia, ensuring reliable navigation for long-haul freight transport where internet connectivity may be spotty.
Key features of ROAD LORDS:
Customizable for different vehicles: Tailored routing based on specific truck or van profiles.
Truck-specific information: Provides relevant data like environmental zones and Hazmat restrictions.
Live traffic and alerts: Offers real-time traffic information, police patrols, and speed camera warnings.
Route customization: Allows adding waypoints and choosing routes based on preferences like toll avoidance.
Truck parking finder: Shows nearest truck parking places with availability and specific features.
Advanced navigation tools: Includes dynamic lane assistance and advanced lane guidance.
Community and personalization: Users can add new places to the map and save favorite routes and locations.
TomTom GO Navigation, known for its GPS solutions, offers features tailored to truck drivers. It includes offline maps for areas with limited internet access, real-time traffic updates to circumvent congestion, speed camera alerts for legal speed compliance, and dedicated truck maps that consider vehicle size, weight, cargo, and speed for optimal routing.
Key features of TomTom GO Navigation:
Offline maps: Useful in regions with poor internet connectivity, ensuring uninterrupted navigation.
Real-time traffic information: Helps drivers avoid traffic jams and delays.
Speed camera alerts: Assists in maintaining the legal speed limit.
Dedicated truck maps: Routes customized based on truck size, weight, cargo, and speed.
MapFactor Navigator stands out with its voice navigation in various languages, providing a better user experience for a global audience. The app's door-to-door route planning and detailed overview of upcoming maneuvers directly on the screen provide drivers with precise and easy-to-follow directions.
One of the key advantages of MapFactor Navigator is its provision of free offline maps, which can be installed on the device or SD card, eliminating the need for an internet connection while traveling. This is particularly useful in areas with poor or no internet connectivity. The app also includes points of interest, aiding drivers in easily finding locations like gas stations, restaurants, and more. The optimization of waypoints contributes to efficient route planning, saving time and resources.
Key features of MapFactor Navigator:
Voice guidance: Offers intuitive navigation in various languages.
Door-to-door route planning: Facilitates detailed and precise route planning.
Upcoming maneuver overview: Displays an overview of the next maneuver and its distance.
Free offline maps: Easy navigation without the need for an internet connection.
Points of interest: Includes various points of interest for easy location finding.
Waypoint optimization: Improves route efficiency.
2D/3D mode: Provides realistic map displays.
MapFactor Navigator pros and cons:
You can get Mapfactor Navigator for Android and iOS.
11. Waze - City-based GPS navigation
Although not specifically created for truck drivers, the Waze app is still an excellent choice for urban navigation. It offers online updates on traffic jams, accidents, closures, police checks and other important aspects. If there are any changes to your route, Waze will find a better one and automatically reroute you. You can search for places not only by address but also by name, which gives you the advantages of quickly finding cafes and shops. The downside is that you need an internet connection to use Waze and it's not optimized for trucks.
Key features of Waze:
City-driven design: Designed primarily for city driving, Waze offers online GPS navigation and offline maps, although offline maps lack real-time traffic updates.
Real-time location and voice navigation: Provides real-time tracking, voice-guided navigation, alerts for roadblocks and speed cameras, and is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Route planning with multiple options: Allows planning of routes with multiple stops, features a speedometer to track speed limits, and includes a gas station locator.
Integration with Spotify and Google Assistant: Integrates with Spotify for music streaming and is compatible with Google Assistant for voice-activated controls.
Community platform and social integration: Functions as an online community platform, allowing integration with social media and ride-sharing apps.
Scheduling and customization options: The 'Arrive At' feature suggests the best departure times based on traffic, syncs with calendars, and offers map customization options like color schemes and voice recording for navigation commands.
It’s hard to imagine how truckers managed in the days before navigation technology existed, and with so many great options on the market, you don’t have to! When choosing the app that’s right for you, remember to look for features that best suit your needs – whether you’re a driver, a dispatcher, or just in need of a good parking space, our comprehensive list of the best GPS apps for truckers has something for you.
Find out why the Eurowag app is the best navigation tool for trucking companies!
