Who can recommed a GPS Map for Service Trucks?

We're going broke buying Mapsco's and roaming up and down streets for a service call. I think having one would save at least 45 minutes a day looking up addresses, pulling over to read maps, and misspelled street names.

What's the best bang for the buck in GPS's for a service truck? Garmin,Magellan,?

Non-Negotiables:
Something under $200, no subscription fees, large color screen and easy to use.

These would make you a good present from the little woman or kids for Christmas.

Thanks

If you are already carrying a laptop, Microsoft Streets and Trips is a good solution with a USB GPS receiver. You can usually find the software bundled with the receiver for less that $100.

Pretty much all of the mapping software is based on the NAVTEQ base map, so shop based on what user interface you like.

try this at google go to mobile home at bottom of page. http://www.google.com/goog411/

I know the Garmin I used in Miami for vacation was great except when you got around high buildings then it lost it's signal. However there was a detour and the thing was amazing about re routing us. super easy to use. Around $400 was the price for that unit. It came with the rental car.

If you can avoid getting lost it might be worth getting the annual subscription fee. 45 mins a day X 5 = 225 minutes a week in lostwood. 225 mins a week X say 48 weeks a year =10800 mins lost a year / 60 = 180 hours lost a year. hold on I'm on a roll 180 x $75/hr = $13,500 a year could be saved. Sounds like a great plan to get one.

I use a Garmin Street Pilot 330(might be a 340 now), cost 400 bucks when I bought it, saw it at Best Buy for like 189 a few days ago. I bought it for a trip I was taking to Milwaukee where they were redoing all the major interchanges off of the several interstates right in the city. It detoured me around the construction no problems at all. Used it in Central Florida when on vacation and use it all the time in Sourthen Maine on jobs. No subscriptions although it cost 60 bucks to update maps

I just bought the model below. JC Whitney has some great prices and the $100 rebate coupon. Not bad. Check out the prices on there.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product/Pr-p_Product.CATENTRY_ID:2016690/c-10101/Nty-1/p-2016690/Ntx-mode+matchallpartial/N-10101/tf-Browse/s-10101/Ntk-AllTextSearchGroup?Ntt=gps

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Search?catalogId=10101&storeId=10101&sku=gps

I don't have personal experience with it but it looks like it does everything my Garmin does for a lot less $.

http://www.thegpsstore.com/Mio-C230...31251&SessionID=pfx8BBvxnR8aKlkNOZR3

PE
I have 2 that I use on a regular basis
unit 1 is a Garmin Street Pilot I-3 great unit if you have a street address to give it. On the small side compared to the newer ones( it is about 2 years old and already out of production) came loaded with maps of North America and Canada, requires no subscription, it does require map updates every 2 years I just put one in it cost about 75 dollars for the update. I am very pleased with this unit.

unit 2 is a notebook computer equipped with DeLorme Earthmate GPS software and usb GPS antenna(got the software and antenna at WAL-MART for about $100.00). This is a great program if you do not have the house number just the street name. This program will also locate a spot using lattitude and longitude coordinates(I use this to find cell phone towers when I work on them, as they usualy have no addresses. No subscription fee for this either, I assume it will need to be updated at some point, but have not gotten an update offer from DeLorme yet. Hope this is helpful to you

I have a cheap Tomtom and love it.

I finally bought a GPS about a month ago. I don't know how I lived without it. I can take phone calls, do an estimate, eat, pick my nose... or any other distraction and I will not miss my turn, pass up an exit or any other time consuming, gas guzzling mistake.

I estimate just this month it has saved me $50 in gas alone.

Garmin Nuvi 650, $300 from Cosco. Any will do before this Garmin I was looking at the TomTom ONE, it was about $140 on sale.

I am at present waiting for delivery of my Garmin Streetpilot c340 (any day now). I got a good deal online at pricegrabber.com. I'll see if it is worth it, but I have heard nothing but good things about it. I have gotten lost three times this week alone!