Steering Clear of Trouble: Exploring the Challenges and Solutions for Large Vehicle Drivers using Waze App

The Waze GPS navigation app is very popular among motorists around the world thanks to its accuracy, user-friendly interface and real-time updates. However, this application presents a major gap for drivers of heavy goods vehicles and motorhomes: it does not offer specific assistance for these types of vehicles. In this article, we will highlight this problem as well as propose alternatives to Waze suitable for large vehicles.

Waze and limitations for heavy goods vehicles

Waze was designed primarily to meet the needs of motorists traveling by car. Consequently, it does not take into account certain restrictions which only concern larger vehicles such as trucks or motorhomes:

• Height : Low bridges can pose a serious problem if a truck or campervan attempts to pass under them. The maximum permitted height varies depending on local legislation.
• Weight : Large vehicles are subject to weight restrictions, which may vary depending on roads and bridges. Waze does not provide information about these limitations.
• Width : Certain narrow streets or restricted passages are not accessible to trucks or motorhomes. Here again, Waze does not take this into account in its routes.

These problems can lead to dangerous situations for truck and motorhome drivers as well as other road users. Additionally, they can cause significant delays and increase the fuel consumption of the affected vehicle.

Alternatives to Waze for truck and motorhome drivers

Fortunately, there are several GPS apps designed specifically for drivers of large vehicles. Here are some of the best options available:

Copilot Truck Europe

Copilot Truck is a paid application dedicated to professional truck drivers in Europe. It offers a route calculation adapted to the dimensions of the truck (height, width, length) as well as legal restrictions (tonnage). In addition, it includes a large number of useful options such as displaying the time remaining before the next mandatory break according to the European regulation on driving times.

Sygic Truck Navigation

Sygic is another paid navigation application specially designed for trucks and motorhomes. It offers itineraries adapted to the dimensions of the vehicle as well as the legal restrictions in force. In addition, it offers an exhaustive database of points of interest (service stations, rest areas, restaurants) specific to professional drivers or motorhome travelers.

Campercontact

Campercontact is a free app for campervan owners. It does not offer integrated GPS functionality but provides a very complete database of parking areas and services dedicated to this type of vehicle (electrical terminals, waste water drains, etc.). Users can also share their experiences and give their opinion on each referenced place.

So, conclusion?

Although Waze is an excellent tool for classic car navigation, it is not adapted to the specific needs of truck or motorhome drivers. It is therefore essential for them to use dedicated applications which take into account the limitations specific to their type of vehicle in order to avoid any unnecessary risk on the road.

Copilot Truck Europe and Sygic Truck Navigation are two paid alternatives offering a complete service for professional truck drivers or motorhome travelers. Campercontact is an interesting free option for those who are mainly looking for information on parking areas and services dedicated to the world of motorhomes.

Thus, by choosing the application best suited to their needs, drivers of heavy goods vehicles and motorhomes will be able to benefit from a secure and optimized navigation experience.