CoPilot uses a Vehicle Routing Profile to generate an optimal route by considering the type of vehicle that you are driving, as well as your preferences for how that vehicle should be routed. For example, if you are driving a truck, CoPilot will calculate a route that considers:

  • Physical restrictions, such as low or weak bridges.
  • Legal restrictions, such as the maximum dimensions, weight and speed that apply to the vehicle.
  • Whether you are carrying a hazardous cargo.
  • The need to avoid lower classes of roads and U-turns.


In this article:

 

Preset Vehicle Routing Profiles

Because CoPilot tailors your route to the type of vehicle that you are driving, you must make sure that you have selected the correct vehicle profile before embarking upon a trip. (If you are running CoPilot on a company issued device, this profile may be set in advance by your fleet administrator using Account Manager.)


CoPilot comes with several preset vehicle routing profiles. The list of preset profiles that are available to you is determined by the version of CoPilot that you have. For example, the following profiles are available in CoPilot:

  • Auto (automobiles)
  • RV (recreational vehicles)
  • Motorcycle
  • Bicycle
  • Walking


If you have a license for truck routing, you will have access to a wide range of routing profiles depending on your worldwide region. A full list of those profiles is available here. 


Select a Profile

  1. Go to Main Menu > Settings > Vehicle Routing Profiles.
  2. If you are using a company device, you may see two tabs: Company Profiles and My Profiles. Company Profiles are the profiles created by your account administrator in Account Manager. My Profiles include the CoPilot predefined profiles and any profiles created on the device.
  3. Select the vehicle routing profile that you would like to use.
  4. Tap the back arrow to return to the Settings menu, and tap it again to return to the Home screen.


Create a Vehicle Routing Profile


NOTE: If you are running CoPilot on a company issued device, the profiles available may be set in advance by a fleet administrator using Account Manager. The instructions below are for creating a new profile on the device where CoPilot is installed.


If you have already selected a vehicle routing profile, but would like to create a new one, tap Create Custom Profile at the top of the Vehicle Routing Profiles screen. 


The Select Vehicle Type screen is displayed, allowing you to select the vehicle type that most closely resembles the vehicle that you will be driving: Heavy Duty, Medium Duty, Light Duty, or Auto. The vehicle type that you select will be used as the basis for the new profile that you are creating.



Below are the routing profile settings that you can make once you have selected a vehicle type. 


Vehicle Dimensions

Vehicle dimensions are only applicable to truck-based vehicle routing profiles. They specify the restrictions that apply to a truck according to its height, width and weight.


For a truck of any type, you can specify the:

  • Trailer/Straight Length 
  • Max Height
  • Max Width
  • Total Weight
  • Maximum weight per axle group
  • Axles



Hazmat

If you have selected a heavy-duty or medium-duty truck profile, you can specify whether or not you will be carrying any hazardous materials.



If you are carrying hazardous materials, you might additionally be able to specify which categories of tunnel your truck is prohibited from entering. (Certain Regions Only)


For example, in Europe


Show Restrictions on the Map

If you have selected a heavy-duty or medium-duty truck profile, you can specify whether or not CoPilot will display road restrictions on the map. 


This includes physical, legal and hazmat restrictions. Tunnel codes will also be provided with information on the category of that tunnel.



Only for profile

This means that, for example, if a road has a height restriction, but the maximum height setting in your vehicle profile is below that height, the restriction will not be displayed on the map.


All

All restrictions will be displayed on the map.


None

No restrictions will be displayed on the map.


Routing Type

Routing Type allows you to specify the type of routes that you want CoPilot to calculate. Depending upon the type of vehicle that you have selected, you can choose from one of three ways for CoPilot to calculate routes—Practical, Shortest or Fastest. (Fastest is not recommended for Truck profiles.)



Practical

A practical route is the quickest route that is suitable for a truck. It favors major roads and primary roads, and only uses local and secondary roads if they are essential to reaching your destination. Practical routes consider distance, road classification, terrain, urban or rural classifications, and truck-restricted roads.


Shortest

The shortest route is the one that CoPilot calculates to minimize the total distance traveled. This setting generates a straighter route; depending upon the roads that the route consists of. The journey may take longer than the other routes that are available.


Fastest

If ActiveTraffic (additional license required) has been enabled, Fastest uses historical road speeds to help improve the route selected by avoiding historically slower routes. For more information relating to ActiveTraffic, see Viewing Real-Time Traffic Information.


Toll Roads

For all modes of transport (except bicycle or foot), you can specify whether you want CoPilot to avoid or use toll roads when it calculates routes.



Always Avoid

CoPilot will calculate routes that avoid toll roads, even if the routes are much longer or much less practical as a result.


Avoid if Possible

CoPilot will try to calculate routes that avoid toll roads, unless it deems that a route that contains a toll road is much shorter, quicker or more practical than the alternatives.


Use

CoPilot will not avoid toll roads when calculating routes if it deems those routes to be shortest, quickest or most practical


Environmental and Congestion Zones (Certain Regions Only)

If you have selected a heavy-duty or medium-duty truck profile, you can specify whether or not CoPilot should calculate routes that avoid or include environmental zones, such as the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London. (Available in CoPilot 10.14 and Higher.) These are usually found in major cities where emission levels are restricted.


For all modes of transport (except bicycle or walking), you can also specify whether or not CoPilot should calculate routes that avoid or include areas where there are congestion charges or restrictions.



Avoid

CoPilot will calculate, where possible, routes that avoid environmental or congestion zones. It will provide a warning if the route has to enter the zone.


Allow

CoPilot will calculate routes that pass through environmental or congestion zones if it deems those routes to be shortest, quickest or most practical. This will disable the notification pop up.


Warn when driving

CoPilot will calculate routes that pass through environmental or congestion zones if it deems those routes to be shortest, quickest or most practical. However, it will give you a warning if the route that it calculates passes through, or ends in, an environmental or congestion zone.


Truck Warnings (Certain Regions Only)

You can specify whether or not CoPilot will display warnings about road features that require care to be taken when you approach them.



For example, if you select On, you will see a warning when you are approaching a tight bend in the road.


Avoid Ferries

For all modes of transport (except walking), you can specify whether you want CoPilot to avoid ferry crossings when it calculates routes.



International Borders (Certain Regions Only)

For all modes of transport (except cycling and walking), you can specify whether international borders can be crossed.


This is only relevant when your starting location and destination are in the same country. Sometimes, the best route involves driving through a different country to reach your destination. When Allow International Borders is selected, CoPilot will therefore use the best route.


To avoid crossing a border, Allow International Borders must not be selected.



Apply Governor Speed to ETAs

You can select whether CoPilot will use a governor speed in ETA calculations.


CoPilot calculates ETA by taking into consideration road speeds along your route. Road speeds are based on real-time traffic or average historical traffic—if you are licensed for traffic data—or CoPilot's default average road speeds.


A governor speed sets the maximum average road speed to be used in ETA calculations. This speed overrides all other road speeds used in ETA calculations when they are higher than the governor setting. For example, if the average speed for a road is 60 mph, and the governor speed is set at 55 mph, 55 mph will be used in ETA calculations. 



Elevation Routing (North America Only)

Elevation Routing sets a customized limit on the elevation of the roads CoPilot will use when generating a route. Elevations at or above this height will be avoided on a route unless 1) it is extremely impractical to do so; or 2) a stop or destination on the route is located at the higher elevation.