It's very frustrating to drive for 11 hours and finally get to the truck stop that you're going to spend your 10 hour break at and find out that you have a weak or worse, - no cell service. This has happened to me before. I couldn't communicate with my family back home, I couldn't utilize any entertainment options like Netflix and my wife had no idea where I was in the world.
I recently found out about the app "OpenSignal" which crowd sources data from its 20 million users, taking billions of real world measurements from the app. The app is available for iPhones and Androids. A Verizon employee told me about the app when I was inquiring about better service around my home.
Here's how the app can benefit truckers:
- Research on the app the area that you want to spend your 10 hour break
- Search by your Service Provider to see strength of 4G signal at desired location
- If desired location has a weak signal, pick an alternate location to take your break
- Actual cell phone towers for your Service Provider can be located on the app