LOUISVILLE—Rand McNally unveiled a new in-cab tablet with enhanced navigation and advanced features for professional truck drivers here at the Mid-America Trucking Show.
Engineered with driver input, the TND Tablet 1050 features four key items necessary for professional truck drivers:
- Navigation: New, upgraded Rand Navigation with 33% more truck-specific road data than other GPS providers
- Large format: High-definition 10-in. screen with enhanced mapping and graphics
- Professional-grade strength: Includes a removable tablet guard, a heavy-duty Corning Gorilla Glass screen, and three strong mounting options
- Enhanced trucker tools: Such as an upgraded camera for driver and vehicle inspection reports and receipt tracking
Built from the ground up for truckers—not repurposed from small vehicle devices—Rand McNally said its TND Tablet 1050 has endured hours of input and over-the-road testing with long-haul drivers.
"In spending time and communicating with thousands of drivers, we heard loud and clear what is most valuable to professional drivers," explained Ivan Sheldon, Rand McNally's VP of product management.
"Feature overload is not helpful. Instead, drivers want more accurate mapping and navigation, easier-to-see screens, louder voice guidance, and a more durable device that lessens the risk of breakage if dropped," Sheldon added. "Those were our top goals in creating the TND Tablet 1050."
Navigation device built for truckers
At the heart of the device is new, upgraded navigation built by Rand McNally, whose GIS (Geographic Information System) engineers update and supplement the mapping on a year-round basis maintaining hundreds of attributes on its network, the company explained.
Rand McNally added that its navigation delivers at least 33% more truck-specific road data, helping to ensure drivers won't get routed unnecessarily due to misinterpreted road signs or a lack of weight restricted routes.
The company also said its navigation includes thousands more low bridges, 28,000 more miles of weight-restricted roads, and 15,000 more miles of truck-prohibited roads.
See also: Ways to truck safely through construction areas
The large-format device is trucking tough, the company noted. “Not only is the screen made of Corning Gorilla Glass, which is eight times stronger than conventional glass and four times more resistant to scratches1, the TND Tablet 1050 comes with a sturdy case or guard designed to protect,” according to Rand McNally.
The new device also includes an upgraded camera, with a high-performance image sensor. Whether used to supplement reports or track receipts, the camera makes it simple to record and save on the same device, the company added.
The TND Tablet 1050 is the latest trucking solution from Rand McNally, which, along with its owner TELEO Capital, has spent the last year significantly increasing its investment in solutions for the transportation market.
