Which GPS model is suitable for you and your trucker needs?
In a world where smartphones rule a GPS review may be a tad old fashion, but when it comes to driving an eighteen-wheeler safety is critical. The Garmin dezl series is made with long-haul truckers in mind. Offering trucking-dedicated navigation, including custom truck routing and road warnings, this is an all-in-one durable device Business owners can have a piece of mind when sending trucks across the country. This review will focus on models 500, 700, and 1000 of the dezl series and give side-by-side (by side) comparisons.
The Basics
The Dezl models range from 500 to 1010. The 500, 700 and 1000 are practically the same devices with only a few minor differences- the biggest being the size. Each increase in model number gives you an increase in body and screen size. The 500 is 5.40″x 3.0″x 0.70″ with a 4.8″ x 2.7″H display and a resolution of 1280x 720 pixels. The 700 is 6.97″ W x 4.17″ H x 0.75″ D with a screen display of 6.0″ W x 3.5″ H and 1024 x 600 resolution. The 1000 is 9.65″ W x 6.06″ H x 0.83″ D, with a screen size of 8.5″ W x 5.3″ H and a resolution of 1280 x 800.
All three models have a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that lasts up to 2 hours for the 700 and 1000 model or up to 1 hour for the 500. The 1000 comes with a magnetic mount while the 5 and 700 do not. Every model comes pre-loaded with street maps, has voice-activated navigation, can connect to a backup camera, and many other features a truck driver may find useful.
The Advantages
So what are the people saying? Many online review state that the screen is clear and has a good resolution. ( I would hope so) The favorite features though are the apps. This GPS is more like a smartphone and offers many options like weather, miles driven, and a few others that are useful when reporting back to a company. The 1000 model comes with a magnetic mount included. That is a fan favorite, allowing the user to plop the GPS anywhere they please.
The Disadvantages
Nothing is going to be perfect and everything comes with a few bugs (especially technology). The main issue people have with these GPSs is the Garmin software itself. For example some addresses can’t be found and you may need to retype them in several different variations to be found. (for example, if a town has different or multiple mailing addresses). Sometimes curved roads will show as straight – which can definitely affect the way you drive. Occasionally some had issues with an automatic zooming and the gps north not locking on north. The last software issue is updates. It seems Garmin does not release enough updates and therefore road closures or changes are not always accurate.
There were a few complaints about the device as well. Many stated that the voice command was always listening and could light up at any time- potentially distracting the driver. The 500 and 700 models do not come with a mount which leaves the driver to purchase one themselves or figure out how to balance the GPS of their dash (hopefully they have a co-pilot! I personally feel as though one to two hours is not enough to have a battery last. I am not even a trucker and most of my drives last upwards of 2 hours! I suppose the device could be left plugged in but then what is the point of a battery?!
The Economics
There is a lot going on in this tiny device. With smartphone-like features, it’s hard to imagine this being a cheap device. As the model numbers (and therefore size) go up so does the price. These are definitely not as affordable as your standard GPS, but with all the extra specific trucker add-ons I’d say the price hike is reasonable.
The People
So who is going to buy this? Truckers who want to get to where they need to go safely, so basically every trucker! This Garmin device seems to be the perfect little device that all truckers should have or all companies should supply. This device is definitely heftier than your average GPS so before you buy one for your road trip across the country maybe you should just pull out your phone and save a couple of hundred dollars.
A lot of people on social media and amazon had competing views on the price. Everyone agreed it was expensive, but some thought it was worth the buy while others felt cheated. One person stated. “Expensive but you will enjoy this new GPS.” While another claims buying this GPS was “A horribly expensive and mostly useless disappointment”.
Conclusion
All in all the three of these GPSs are an okay product by Garmin. This brand GPS comes equipped with all of the needs of a trucker and offers multiple advantages that make delivering cross country simpler and safer. However many customers complained about software and updates being an issue. Being as software is the main component of a GPS the problems seem to outweigh the advantages or are noticeable enough to at least warrant wanting a new device.
These three devices share the same features so the choice between them can be chosen over size and price. If you are looking for something more economic then the 500 would be your best bet. However, if you have a hard time seeing screens ( or maybe you have fat fingers) perhaps the bigger options are better for you. With the pros and cons now in hand, I would have to say I would not recommend buying these GPS, especially in the time of smart devices it feels a little dumb to spend money on a smart device simply for driving.