The new 2005 edition of the Rand McNally Motor Carriers' Road Atlas features thousands of map and trucking information updates — all designed to save truckers time and money.
The 2005 Motor Carriers' Road Atlas line includes the standard Motor Carriers' Road Atlas, the Deluxe Motor Carriers' Road Atlas and, in its second year of publication, the Large Scale Motor Carriers' Road Atlas.
One source of potential savings is updated information on designated truck routes, which are highlighted on the maps for instant reference. Motor Carriers' Road Atlas maps show both the national network of truck-routable highways and additional routes designated by individual states.
For the first time, the 2005 Motor Carriers' Road Atlas offers purchasers free access to online road construction information, telling purchasers how to register at www.mcra.randmcnally.com/register to download enhanced, color-coded online maps showing the extent of each construction project (from shoulder work to complete road closures).
Users can learn the start and stop dates for each project and search for projects by highway number within a state. This lets truckers plan whether or not to route themselves around that project. The 2005 Motor Carriers' Road Atlas also gives updated information on phone numbers and web sites to check on construction in every state, Canada, and Mexico.
Rand McNally also gathered data from government officials to get updates on hazardous material restrictions and to highlight state-designated truck routes with STAA (Surface Transportation Assistance Act) -authorized dimensions.
Information on low clearances and weigh stations is also updated.
Map pages and locator grid references in the standard and deluxe Motor Carriers' Road Atlas versions cross-reference Rand McNally's MileMaker and IntelliRoute transportation software products for more efficient routing.
Another new feature in the 2005 edition is an explanation of this year's revisions of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hours-of-service (HOS) driver regulations.
The standard version is in paperback and printed on heavy-stock paper. The Deluxe Motor Carriers' Road Atlas features laminated pages with write-on/wipe-off ability. Like the standard version, it includes maps of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The Large Scale Motor Carriers' Road Atlas has non-glare, plastic pages with large print maps of the United States that are 32% larger. Both the deluxe and large scale versions have water- and tear-resistant pages, and spiral bindings that allow drivers to view maps flat and more easily maneuver them.
Suggested retail prices of $19.95 for the standard, $79.95 for the deluxe, and $125 for the large-scale version generally are discounted at truck stops.
More information on all three versions of the 2005 Motor Carriers' Road Atlas can be found at www.mcra.randmcnally.com.