Best Truck GPS – Expert Review and Guide

In the last few years, our dependence on GPS, or “Global Positioning System”, has increased a lot. But that’s not exactly a handicap, because the reliance on GPS not only helps you plan your drives and stops better, but it also means your drive can be safer and more efficient as well. If you’re looking at it from the trucker’s perspective, the benefits of GPS devices over a good, old-fashioned map are substantial. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that these digital navigation devices have become an important part of the driving experience. Here are a few good options for GPS for truck drivers.

The 5 Best Truck GPS:

1. Garmin dezl Truck GPS Navigator – the best truck gps
2. Garmin dezl 580 LMT-S
3. Rand McNally – OverDryve 7 Pro (Renewed)
4. TomTom GO Professional 620
5. YoJetSing GPS Navigation Device

Our Recommendations

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REVIEWS YOU CAN TRUST 

All the information and opinions you find on Mechanicguides.com come from a team of automotive journalists and an independent mechanic, Steve “Whip” Whipple with 11 years of auto industry experience. We look at the latest market research, talk to experts, and draw from our own practical experience to bring you reviews and guides that reflect what you’ll encounter in your garage. For more information about the team, see here.

7-inch wonder: Garmin dezl Truck GPS Navigator – the best truck GPS

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Boasting a 7-inch touch screen, the Garmin GPS Navigator brings along many features including free maps of North America (for life), road warnings, and an onboard speaker. It’s also Bluetooth-compatible and comes with an ability to understand voice commands. On top of this, you can also use the GPS navigator’s screen as a display for the backup camera.

Special truck-specific features

But the reason why it’s meant for truck owners is its array of truck-related features. To start with, you can keep a service log. The dezl offers customized truck routes, which means it keeps in mind the truck-related restrictions, like its dimensions, and offers you the best routes. You’ll need to add your truck’s data to make the most of it. In addition to that, the device also has truck-specific POIs (points of interest) and services — from parking to weigh stations.

What do we think of it?

Exceptionally useful for truck owners, the Garmin dezl doesn’t skimp on navigation basics, either. It has Active Lane Guidance, can also be connected to a smartphone to get further real-time updates, and it also has notifications to show you nearby services without you having to leave the navigation screen. The Garmin eLog app can be particularly useful for fleet owners which requires an additional purchase.

Users appreciate how it offers truck-specific features, but keep in mind the unit isn’t trouble-free. While most people have reported that it runs smoothly, for the most part, some have reported a handful of instances where it crashes and doesn’t recognize addresses. Garmin offers a one-year limited warranty with the dezl.

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Small but powerful: Garmin dezl 580 LMT-S

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Available with a slightly smaller screen (5-inch), the Garmin dezl 580 is an ideal GPS navigator for truck drivers who don’t want, or need, to invest in a larger device. The smaller size has its benefits and drawbacks. For instance, it doesn’t take up too much space, is easier to carry, and if you can mount it correctly, you won’t miss a larger display. The drawback is that the information you get will need to be spread out over more pages so that it’s not cramped on the screen. This means you’ll probably need to change the pages on screen a little more often than if you had a larger device.

Works with backup camera

Look beyond that and the dezl is a near-perfect device. It has everything from free live traffic, weather forecasts (you’ll need to connect to your smartphone), customized truck routes (ability to find an alternative route if there are truck restrictions on your way), truck-specific POIs, and voice control. The preloaded map of North America covers the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, and Mexico. With the help of in-built Wi-Fi, you can update to the latest maps as well. And there’s the Garmin eLog app that can help you keep track of work hours, duty status, etc. But that will require an additional purchase. Like the larger Garmin dezl, it also works with the backup camera.

What do we think?

It’s a very useful device that doesn’t take too much space inside the cabin. If you can live with a screen smaller than most smartphones these days, this makes for a good choice. Users have mentioned how feature-rich it is. A few users have also mentioned that the GPS doesn’t work as desired, which adds to the overall journey time. Check with the seller about the warranty.

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Popular choice: Rand McNally – OverDryve 7 Pro (Renewed)

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Amazon lists this as a ‘Renewed’ product and that means this is a verified and inspected pre-owned device. It’s the 7-inch-screen model from Rand McNally and works as a standalone GPS device for your truck. It comes loaded with SiriusXM, and to make the most of that, you can hook this up to the truck’s stereo system.

Onboard cameras

The device features truck-specific navigation, which will vary your route depending on the truck restrictions. You also get truck POIs, lane guidance, toll logs, warnings, etc. The system can be operated with the help of voice commands, but if that’s not your cup of tea, you can also use the high-res touchscreen to swipe through menus. As a truck driver or a fleet manager, you can keep track of the costs with a corresponding ELD (sold separately) and use the system’s E-log feature. But the feature that stands out the most is the presence of a dash camera on the device (two cameras are available on the device: one rear-facing and one front-facing). It can also be connected to the Internet for weather and other updates.

What do we think of it?

Since this is an Amazon Renewed product, it’s backed by a 90-day limited warranty. It comes with a lifetime supply of maps and the coverage includes the USA and Canada. Users like the way it performs. But it still has its share of the usual annoyances: signal drops and freezes. These aren’t too common, and the pros outweigh the cons. Some users have reported that the mount could be better. On the plus side, you can download some of your favorite apps on the device.

If you wanted to pick up a new device, instead, here’s the link:

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For the budget-conscious buyer: TomTom GO Professional 620

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As a GPS navigator for a budget-conscious buyer, the TomTom GO Professional 620 gets the job done. It comes with lifetime maps (for North America), can be updated over Wi-Fi, will update you about traffic and speed cameras, and will also send alerts for stopped traffic. Once connected to a smartphone, the device will also offer TomTom Traffic, show you messages/texts on its 6-inch display, let you handle calls, etc.

Siri and Google Assistant compatible

It’s now compatible with iOS and Android (and their respective voice assistants: Siri and Google Assistant). You can use the software TomTom MyDrive to plan a journey and then sync it onto the device. For truck drivers, the TomTom Go Professional also offers dedicated points of interest and specially customized maps.

What do we think of it?

The TomTom Go Professional/Trucker 620 looks like a decent GPS navigation device, but it gets mixed reviews. It looks good, and the current form factor puts it between the 5-inch-screen devices (which may be a touch too small for some users) and the larger 7-/8-inch GPS navigation units. Users have appreciated the device’s performance and the quick boot-up time. On the other hand, users have mentioned that the device sometimes has issues in figuring out the perfect route for trucks. As for warranty, you’ll need to contact the seller because the Amazon listing lacks that information.

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Basic but does the job: YoJetSing GPS Navigation Device

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The YoJetSing is an inexpensive GPS device that can be mounted on to the dashboard/windscreen. It has a 7-inch touchscreen, comes loaded with the United States, Canada, and Mexico maps. It also has voice announcements, which mimic the screen instructions. Like other devices mentioned here, the GPS navigator can be programmed to decide a route taking into account the road’s restrictions, truck size, height, and weight.

30-day money-back guarantee

The system also includes video, audio, game, calculator, and FM radio functionality. It runs on WinCE and is easy to operate. There are other features like voice alerts for speed warnings. However, features like Bluetooth, detailed information about the road ahead, and voice activation are not included. It’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 12-month warranty. 

What do we think of it?

It doesn’t cost a lot, so that’s a solid point in its favor. But at the same time, it’s not the most comprehensive one. Users have appreciated the low cost, but the lack of features makes it only worth considering if you’re on a tight budget. Truck-specific POIs are absent as well.

What is the best truck GPS?

GPS devices are really helpful when it comes to finding the right route — and more so if you’re driving a truck. That’s because the list of restrictions for trucks is much longer. The right GPS will not only help you with the best route, but it can also tell you if there’s construction on the roads ahead.

A good alternative to standalone GPS devices can be something like Google/Apple Maps. But while the smartphone maps are in some ways ahead of the game, they’re still catching up when it comes to getting the basics for trucks right. Depending on the device, there can be inconsistent service, and you’re always dependent on the strength of the cell phone network. 

GPS devices work best when always connected to power. With minimal battery life (about 1 hour or so), these aren’t going to last as long as a cellphone. But given the small size, you can easily take the device with you when parking the truck.

Among the options here, YoJetSing is a generic product, and so the most inexpensive one. It lacks a lot of important features but if you’re tight on a budget and want to give something cheap a shot, this can very well be it. Move up the ladder, and there’s the TomTom 620. It comes with decent features, and with a six-inch screen, it’s neither too large nor too small.  The popular choices include the Rand McNally unit because it’s loaded with features. Keep in mind that it’s an Amazon-renewed product, but we’ve included a link to the new one as well. But talking of features, it’s hard to beat the overall functionality and feature set of the Garmin dezl duo (the 7” screen and the 5” screen modes). Like some of the other devices here, you’ll get truck-specific features like POIs, navigation restriction alerts, etc. It also displays active lane guidance and can be connected to your smartphone for real-time updates as well.