We mentioned the imminent launch of ALK’s CoPilot Live v8 Truck back in June, but now this ‘van-friendly version of the sat-nav software for smartphones is now available.
Although aimed at commercial drivers, CoPilot Live v8 Truck’s ability to plot routes that are suitable for certain vehicle dimensions obviously makes it ideal for anyone heading out with a caravan in tow. If necessary, calculated routes will avoid low bridges, narrow roads and the usual need for a U-turn if you miss a turning.
Roads with height, weigh and length limits can be avoided, too. Settings can also be saved as profiles, so you can quickly switch between caravan and car-only modes once you’ve pitched up.
Although CoPilot Live v8 Truck will make use of a smartphone’s 3G data connection if there’s one available, it isn’t needed for route-planning — maps are built-in, as is information on roads with crawler lanes and such useful ‘points of interest’ as truck stops and rest areas.
The bad news is that CoPilot Live v8 Truck is currently only available for Windows Mobile smartphones and versions for the iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones won’t be available until later this year.
CoPilot Live v8 Truck with a single European map costs £114.99, while the complete European map versions costs £159.99. We’re hoping to get our hands on a review copy of the software soon, but until then, here are a couple of videos that show it in action:
