Truck and commercial vehicle routes for Google Maps.
View Prototype

Problem

Truck GPS systems are nowhere near as sophisticated and efficient as Google Maps. The truck GPS systems I've used don't seem to update themselves on road changes and are constantly making me take routes that are unnecessary and time consuming.

Goal

To have a feature on Google Maps where you can easily switch to truck and/or commercial vehicle mode and navigate with a much more mature and developed GPS system that is being updated in real-time.

Target Users

Truck drivers
Commercial vehicle drivers
People that rent or have oversized vehicles

Role

· UX/UI Designer
· Illustrator

Timeline

· 80 Hours

Tools

EMPATHISE

Have you ever been misled by a trucking GPS?  
Here is what my participants had to say:

“Yes! Hahahaha, oh yeah!  The GPS will take you on a roundabout and circuitous routes.  It'll just take you on truck routes, but not necessarily routes that accept trucks.”                                      
                   
                     -Chad Jones (Business Owner)

“Absolutely!”

-Val  Karuskevich (Art Handler)

“Yes! One time we went on a bridge that we weren't supposed to be on. If we had gotten stuck, it would have cost us a lot of money."                                     
              

                    -Matt Sears (Production Director)
“Infinitely, endlessly, so many times!”                                   
              

                                 -Spencer Compton  (Artist)

Next I asked, “Do you use your phone as a GPS when trucking?"

  • Every participant I interviewed was unhappy with their GPS systems, leading them to use multiple devices at a time in order to get things done safely and efficiently.
  • 100% of the participants used at least two different satellite navigation systems. One GPS is used for efficiency, accurate real-time traffic updates, and multiple route options, while the other is used to navigate restricted areas for trucks and commercial vehicles.

Lets also take a look at the competitor's analysis:

After analyzing my competitors I gathered that the most used systems of navigation have something better than the others but non have all the features required to make a great and sufficient GPS.
Some are great at gathering real-time data but have no truck restriction features and the ones that have truck routes don't have a good real-time database.

And, ta-da! with these research findings these two personas were created.
Meet The Art Handler and the Road Dog!

DEFINE

According to my participants, the best GPS navigation should offer quick real time updates and versatility similar to Google Maps in addition to the capability to add vehicle dimensions, weight, and any other vehicle restrictions a typical trucking GPS offers.

Wireframes

Now let's visualize our roadmap. The most important things I'll need to design will be the truck restrictions input field and the icons representing the trucking features. These must fit in visually with the Google Maps aesthetic.

Icons

High Fidelity

Prototype & Usability Testing

The prototype consisted of 6 participants and 2 task flows. The tasks were to search for a specific location and choose the truck routes mode. This takes the user to an options menu of truck restrictions. I asked each participant to plug in specific restrictions, save their settings, and apply. Next, I asked them to start navigation, but that's not all. Finally, as they were navigating I told them they needed to find a weigh station.
Prototype

Usability Test Findings

The participants loved the Google Truck Routes feature and were able to complete the task in a quick and smooth manner. They believed the feature integrated nicely and was on brand with the Google Maps aesthetic. One of the constructive criticisms I got was that the truck navigation system map was too visually crowded so I decided to make it so you would only see warnings of low bridges and restrictions if you made a wrong turn or were near a restricted area.

THE FUTURE

There are more trucks on the road than ever and they make up 10% of highway miles traveled in the world. The feature has a great potential to keep growing due to trucking and commercial vehicles making up 4.3% of vehicles on the road. my next step to this added feature would be improving the communication vehicles have on the road in order to warn and advise each other the way truckers do on their CB radios. This feature would make trucking more efficient, would avoid unwanted surprises, and facilitate communication within commercial vehicles.
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Thank you for your time! For collaboration contact me :

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Also, take a look at my other projects!