CHICAGO — One of the best parts of summer is the succession of in-season favorites: strawberry season, blueberry season, watermelon season, cherry season, apple season.
It may not be mouthwatering, but professional truck drivers always look forward to the first day of summer, because it’s right around then that Rand McNally released updated editions of the guide that has been helping them navigate North America for decades, Rand McNally’s Motor Carriers’ Road Atlas.
The 2020 edition of the atlas – available in paperback, and a version with laminated pages and a spiral binding – was released June 18, and are available at travel centers, in bookstores on e-commerce stores, or you can pick them right off the tree, so to speak, at Rand McNally’s online store.
Despite all the technological innovations over the years designed to help drivers find their way, professionals still like to keep an updated printed edition on hand to provide the big picture and a fail-safe backup for truck-accessible routing, state trucking regulations, and cross-country tolling information.
“The Motor Carriers’ Road Atlas is an essential item that drivers keep in their truck cabs,” said Stephen Fletcher, CEO of Rand McNally, in a press release. “Although Rand McNally provides advanced fleet management and logistics technology, it’s also critical to our customers that we provide updated and upgraded atlases each year.”
This year’s atlases include:
- Revised U.S. state and Canadian province maps
- Updated restricted routes, low-clearance, and weigh station locations
- An updated fuel tax chart, as well as revised state and province information including weight and size limitations, registration guidelines, and phone numbers and websites for state police and operating authorities
- Hotlines for road construction and conditions
- Updated toll-system contact information for each state, and
- An updated review of Hazmat regulations.
In addition, the atlases feature fresh new covers that celebrate the truck and the open road.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Heck, I doubt any driver under the age of 40 can even READ let alone READ A MAP, geography and cursive writing isn’t a requirement in schools, GPS has replaced maps, The old Rand McNally us becoming a dinasour! I ordered mine for my motorhome! Still live a trucker’s Atlas!