Satellite navigation provider Garmin Inc., Olathe, Kan., on Jan. 9 unveiled its latest navigation handheld device for truck drivers.
The new unit is called “dezl” — pronounced “diesel” — and will be available for sale later this quarter, Garmin said in a statement.
There will be two versions of the dezl navigation handheld: the 560LT and the 560LTM. The 560LT will retail for $469.99 and the 560LTM for $529.99, Garmin said.
The 560LTM model includes lifetime map updates. Users of the 560LT will not get free map updates.
In a first for Garmin’s trucker handhelds, the dezl series can incorporate historical traffic data into its routing software. That functionality allows the device to “learn” traffic conditions along different routes, which should yield more accurate estimates of travel time for truck drivers, Garmin said.
Dezl devices, at 5.4 inches wide and 3.3 inches high, are larger than Garmin’s first Global Positioning System handheld for truckers, the nuvi 465T. That unit was 4.8 inches wide and 2.9 inches high
Like the Garmin nuvi units, the dezl model’s battery will hold a charge for about four hours, according to the company.
The devices also include a list of “points of interest” specifically selected for truckers, such as interstate rest stops and truck maintenance facilities.
The dezl’s points of interest directory, in a first for Garmin handhelds, also includes the location of more than 30,000 repair facilities compiled by National Truck and Trailer Services.
