Dec. 14, 2023

Enhanced Features

This release includes multiple improvements to tooltips, warning messages, and icons.


Dec. 4, 2023

Enhanced Features

The Vehicle Routing Profiles feature has been updated so that you can:

  • View a profile's settings in the Routes panel. Hover the cursor over the abbreviated settings in a Route card to view the full list.
  • Select a profile as the default to be applied to all newly created routes. In the Routing Profiles panel, check the Use for New Routes box next to the profile you want to use as your default. The default profile will appear in the profile field each time you open a new route.

The Add Stop pop-up, which appears when you click a location on the map, now displays detailed location information, if available, for Trimble Maps Places.



(Europe only) Hazmat tunnel restriction codes can now be added to a Vehicle Routing Profile. Tunnel codes determine which tunnels can be driven through based on the types of hazardous goods the vehicle carries. 


Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an incorrect toll value in Ohio.
  • Fixed issues with the Last Login displayed under Current Users in the Account Settings screen.
  • Fixed the Route Snapping on Map feature. 


Nov. 20, 2023

Enhanced Features

Three new settings are now available in Routing Preferences when creating a Routing Profile:




  1. Use Sites: Check this box to include Site information, such as entry and exit gates, when calculating distances, travel times,  and driving directions. A Site extends a location from just a name and address to include a boundary polygon around its perimeter, entry and exit points (gates), and other valuable information. For example, a Site could be a warehouse, a shopping mall, a distribution center, a yard, a business park, and more. Sites are created in Content Tools and shared with PC*MILER for use in route planning. Use Sites is turned on by default when creating a new profile. It must be turned on if you want to add it to an existing profile.
  2. Highway Only: The Highway Only option calculates routes using an air distance from the midpoint of the truck-usable highway segment that is nearest to the destination postal code or city/state. Routes to stops that include a street-level address are calculated to the truck-usable highway-level road that is closest to the entered address. This setting is intended only for generating distances between cities or postal codes. Highway Only is turned off by default.
  3. Hub Routing: Hub Routing generates routes from a single starting place (origin) to multiple destinations. Hub Routing is turned off by default.


Bug Fixes

  • Fixed display issues in places pop-ups on the map.


Nov. 9, 2023

PC*MILER Web was updated to the last version of Trimble Maps. Updates include:

  • Dwell time data can now be displayed in a Place pop-up if that data is available for a location.  Dwell time
  • When routing to a Trimble Place or a Custom Place, the route line is drawn on the map directly to the place, rather than to the nearest road link. 


Oct. 19, 2023

PC*MILER Web software patch updates options for routing trucks with 53-foot trailers

With this software patch, PC*MILER Web users now have two ways to generate routes for trucks with 53-foot trailers, including an additional option that creates more direct routes by taking advantage of state exemptions to the U.S. National Network. This option reflects a reduction in enforcement of the U.S. National Network and State Extensions in many states.


This patch is automatically available when you set the reports version to Current, the default, or PC*MILER 37, the latest version released.


The two options are:

  1. (Recommended) Select the Heavy Duty Semitrailer vehicle routing profile or set the truck’s Length to 53 ft. in a custom routing profile (new version of PC*MILER Web) or in Route Options (legacy version), before running a route. With this option, the routing algorithm takes into account state-by-state exemptions to the requirement that 53-foot trailers adhere to the National Network. This option was introduced in the June release of PC*MILER 37, and it produces more direct and sometimes shorter routes that are safe and legal.
  2. Select State + National Network as one of your Route Options or in a vehicle routing profile. With this option, the routing algorithm always adheres to the National Network and does not take advantage of the state exemptions. This matches the behavior of PC*MILER 36 and lower. It was added in this patch release and not available in the June release of PC*MILER 37. It resolves some differences users may have seen in mileage calculations between PC*MILER 36 and 37, when using the National Network setting alone, without entering the vehicle’s length.


Oct. 5, 2023

New weather layers were added to the map to display content ranging from doppler radar to wind speeds and direction. The layers can be toggled on or off as needed.



Traffic data can now be applied to ETA calculations without setting an arrival or departure time for the trip. To incorporate traffic, toggle on the Apply Traffic button under the Arrive/Depart drop-down in the route card. PC*MILER searches for traffic closures when selecting the route and uses historical traffic patterns to calculate the trip’s ETA and travel time. 



Sept. 29, 2023

Modern Redesign of PC*MILER Web

A modern, redesigned version of PC*MILER Web was launched with a new look and updated features that allow you to plan and visualize the best possible routes for your vehicles.


Watch a demo of the new PC*MILER Web.


June 22, 2023

PC*MILER 37 Version Release

CONTENTS


Routing enhancements

The PC*MILER routing algorithm is improved with every version release. Highlights for version 37 include:


Improved routing for 53-foot trailers

U.S. federal law dictates that truck/trailer combinations with width greater than or equal to 102 inches, trailer length greater than or equal to 53 feet, or both, must stay on designated State and National Network roads to the maximum extent possible. 


Many states, however, provide specific exemptions to this national rule. Recent improvements to the PC*MILER routing algorithm account for these exemptions. As a result, the algorithm generates more practical routes with increased freedom to travel off the network in areas where exemptions exist.


Enhanced turn restrictions

In order to help prevent trucks from taking potentially unsafe U-turns, hundreds of thousands of new turn restrictions have been added to our North America map data. This results in better routing in downtown areas with complex road networks and turn structures.


Enhanced road closure support

Several improvements were made to help ensure the routes PC*MILER selects avoid road closures and more strictly adhere to other Routing Preferences:

  • Settings such as Elevation limits, Vehicle Type restrictions, and Hazmat restrictions, as well as data such as time-based closures, now effectively act as road closures in most cases. Previously, these settings would greatly influence the route PC*MILER selects, but they would not always result in strict closures on certain roads. 
  • Indefinite road closures are now avoided in routes whether or not the trip has a departure date. Previously, they were only applied when a trip had a start date. 


Routing bug fix

  • Fixed an issue that prevented Gate Path routing to a Site from being properly applied in some cases.


Map Data enhancements

Our road map data in North America is updated with every version release. Some highlights for version 37 include:

  • 413 new construction road projects were added
  • Over 49,000 new POIs were added to the Places Database
  • Over 43,000 new site locations were coded, including distribution centers, retail storefronts, manufacturing plant, and truck stops and service centers
  • More than 8,700 miles of new highway-level network was added to the United States
  • Truck through-travel restrictions were updated within over 850 city limits
  • More than 11,000 customer-reported issues were fixed


For more detail, please see our North America map data release notes. (This PC*MILER release includes all of the map data updates between starting at Q2.1 2022 and ending with Q2 2023.)


Using PC*MILER 37

If you are a legacy Standard subscriber, PC*MILER 37 map data and routing software are used for all calculations. (Standard is no longer available for new subscribers.)


If you are a Premium subscriber, PC*MILER Web defaults to Current data. Current always has the most up-to-date road maps and routing software, making it ideal for route planning.  The standardized “numbered” annual version releases are mostly used by shippers and carriers when generating distances for freight rating and billing. It helps ensure they are generating the same PC*MILER distances for the same trucking lanes, and that distances match those returned by our installed “on premise” versions of PC*MILER.


If you are using PC*MILER to calculate distances for rating, you can select any version—from PC*MILER 18 to PC*MILER 37—in the Reporting Preferences tab of the Route Options. However, the route path drawn on the map and driving directions will always use PC*MILER 37 data.