By: J Rowe,
Salt Lake
All smart phones have applications you can download for individual local radio stations as well as NPR where you can listen when you have a connection. But the free app “tunewiki” connects you to thousands of stations around the world by category.
Most Droid phones come with a free GPS app that looks like a wrinkled map icon on the phone. Open the application and press the menu button to select “Find my current location” or “Set current Location”. You can search maps at the top of the page for things like your address or “tool stores”. Results will be red dots on the map. Double clicking on these will offer driving navigation or street view by google.
If you google “podcast” and the name of a foreign or American network, you can watch news and shows saved to your phone over the road.
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Response from Vicki:
Thanks, J.
We wonder if having GPS service on a cell phone could save a driver the cost of buying a separate GPS unit to install on one’s truck.
Unless there is a way to mount the phone on the dash, there may be a question about the size of the screen and whether or not holding a cell phone with GPS capability counts as a violation of cell phone laws in some states.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has compiled cell phone and texting laws by state.
Also, we wonder if having radio capability on a cell phone would at all replace or supplement Sirius XM radio service.
Be sure that your cell phone service allows you these capabilities under your plan and that you don’t get surprised by charges you weren’t expecting on your cell phone bill. If you have questions, get in touch with your cell phone provider. More money saving tips about telephone services and telecommunications are on our website here.
Drivers, if you use this money saving tip, please let us know how it works for you. We do not have this technology, so we cannot comment on it.
We wish you safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.
Best regards,
Vicki Simons
https://truck-drivers-money-saving-tips.com/
—– Comment —–
Cell phone use by Anonymous Winston
Date: Aug 08, 2011
Most smart phones have one form or another of GPS built in and you can download free apps for others that work well. One problem, they are general GPS and not trucker friendly. Radio is already there with Pandora and Live 365 available. For that you are better off with a trucker GPS . My concern is battery usage. You would need to keep yor phone plugged up to a charger constantly a I’m not sure the battery will hold up to continuous use and charge. Besides that, I think music on the phone is a great idea. They have find of storage for your music like an ipod too and will plug into an external speaker unit. A dash mount could be made if not bought. Just my thoughts!
