Trip log

[gtblum]

Anyone else using this or something like it?

I just upgraded to the pay to play. So far, so good. Check it out.

http://bizlogapp.com/features.html

[Jim Katen]

From the site:

Turn on GPS, plug in to power, and drive at a speed more than 5mph. TripLog will pick up the sequence of events and automatically start the trip without pressing any button. No more "Oops, I forgot to turn on the GPS."

So what happens when you forget to turn on the GPS? Isn't the first instruction, "Turn on the GPS" ???

I find the explanations very confusing.

[Tom Raymond]

I rarely remember to log my mileage and I use my GPS for more personal driving than company so any logging it does is too muddled to be useful.

I just Map Quest any gigs I'm missing info for.

When I had my remodeling company my monthly oil change receipts were my mileage log. 80% business, 20% personal.

[Mark P]

Everytime I get in my van and enter an address into my GPS it shows me how many miles to that address. I then write that number down on the top of my appoitment sheet and later enter it in an excel spreadsheet I use to track everything.

[Scottpat]

My Garmin GPS keeps track and allow me to download to an Excel spreadsheet every trip I entered into it. Logs the date, time of travel, address and mikes driven. I have Been using this feature for several years.

[gtblum]

From the site:

Turn on GPS, plug in to power, and drive at a speed more than 5mph. TripLog will pick up the sequence of events and automatically start the trip without pressing any button. No more "Oops, I forgot to turn on the GPS."

So what happens when you forget to turn on the GPS? Isn't the first instruction, "Turn on the GPS" ???

I find the explanations very confusing.

That's the one thing that puzzles me, too. Other than that, it seems to do what it claims to.

I Emailed a spread sheet to me yesterday, to see how it worked. Done deal. It was all there. Just save to file.

That in itself, is worth the ten bucks.

[gtblum]

I figured it out. When you open the app, there's a shortcut for the GPS, Bluetooth, and other, on a toolbar above it. It saves you from going back and forth through the phone settings to start the process.

The free version is manual input, only.

Other than changing the starting odometer if needed, everything works automatically. When you're done, you unplug it from the truck and it ends. You still need to click the GPS and Bluetooth off from the toolbar.

If you want a report for the day, monthly or whatever, you click on "reports" and have it email a completed spreadsheet with everything recorded and totaled, to you or your tax people.

It also keeps track of tolls, oil changes, maintenance purchases, fuel, and other stuff I'm too lazy to likely to forget bothering to write.

Sounds similar to what Scott uses without having a separate GPS???

[mlparham]

Anyone else using this or something like it?

I just upgraded to the pay to play. So far, so good. Check it out.

http://bizlogapp.com/features.html

I guess I'm old school. I have a stand installed next to my seat in the van and simply write down the miles I drive every day in a 3x5 note pad. My note pad has never crashed.

[Marc]

Anyone else using this or something like it?

I just upgraded to the pay to play. So far, so good. Check it out.

http://bizlogapp.com/features.html

I guess I'm old school. I have a stand installed next to my seat in the van and simply write down the miles I drive every day in a 3x5 note pad. My note pad has never crashed.

Can't beat it for reliability. The smart phone I previously used for taking notes during my inspections got replaced with a clipboard, paper and pen a few years ago. Haven't lost anything since then AND it's actually faster.

Marc

[gtblum]

Anyone else using this or something like it?

I just upgraded to the pay to play. So far, so good. Check it out.

http://bizlogapp.com/features.html

I guess I'm old school. I have a stand installed next to my seat in the van and simply write down the miles I drive every day in a 3x5 note pad. My note pad has never crashed.

Can't beat it for reliability. The smart phone I previously used for taking notes during my inspections got replaced with a clipboard, paper and pen a few years ago. Haven't lost anything since then AND it's actually faster.

Marc

Yeah, I know what you mean. Seems like it took forever for me to finally trust refrigerators. I got along just fine salting my meat and cooling my drinks in the creek.

I not sure what could be faster than plugging in to my truck and forgetting about it while it does ALL of the work, and backs itself up, but I thought I'd share it with y'all after I played with it and found out how well it worked.

You guys want to buy some pencils from me? []

[Jim Katen]

Why does it need to have the bluetooth on? Is it communicating with the car?

What happens when you lose GPS? I travel out in the middle of nowhere once or twice per week - no GPS, no cell service, nothing.

[Erby]

I run into the lack of cell service fairly often when traveling in the boonies but find it odd that you run out of GPS. I thought that came from satellites? Mine does. The roads on the GPS unit don't always adequately reflect where I am but I've always got the latitude - longitude readings.

[gtblum]

Why does it need to have the bluetooth on? Is it communicating with the car?

I don't think it needs the bluetooth on. I turn it on because the truck is set up with it for the phone. (I discovered that three months after leasing the truck.)

What happens when you lose GPS? I travel out in the middle of nowhere once or twice per week - no GPS, no cell service, nothing.

I guess you're using your pencil that day. At least you know that might happen. Sooner or later, it's going happen to me. Even then, you could go back and put it in manually so it will show up on your spread sheet with the rest of the trips.

If I knew why and how it all worked I'd be in a different business.[]

They were quick to get back to me about a question I had. Ask them about it. The support reviews are good. They seem to take their product seriously

Load it up and play with it like I did. You'll either like it, or you won't.

Spend the ten bucks. Don't waste time on the free app, like I did. Jump right in. It's an office supply, not a game. Your tax man should be able to write it off whether you love it or hate it.

You don't think I'd open my belly to you wolves if I hadn't checked it out first, do ya?

[Jim Katen]

I run into the lack of cell service fairly often when traveling in the boonies but find it odd that you run out of GPS. I thought that came from satellites? Mine does. The roads on the GPS unit don't always adequately reflect where I am but I've always got the latitude - longitude readings.

That's cause I use Google Maps. Unless I cache the map, it needs a cell connection to work.

[gtblum]

GPS is through the satellites. As long as you have clear view of southern sky, GPS will pick up signals. The app only looks up street address at the origin and destination of the trip. That part needs internet access. So you need either cell data coverage or wifi at that time.

Ted

On Saturday, October 12, 2013, Gary Blum wrote:

Hi,

What happens if your trip takes you to an area with no phone coverage? Does the GPS continue to work? Does the app continue to record the trip?

[Marc]

My android map app can work without GPS. It gives you the option of GPS or cell tower locations to learn where you are.

Marc

[mlparham]

I run into the lack of cell service fairly often when traveling in the boonies but find it odd that you run out of GPS. I thought that came from satellites? Mine does. The roads on the GPS unit don't always adequately reflect where I am but I've always got the latitude - longitude readings.

That's cause I use Google Maps. Unless I cache the map, it needs a cell connection to work.

I had an early GPS on my old HP pocket pc. Remember those? Back then the mapping was terrible. Now I just look it up on Google or Bing the day before I go and write down the last few turns on by steno booking pad that sits next to me on the stand in the van. That way I have a "big picture" in my mind of were I am going. Every now and then I find a great little hole in the wall for lunch.

Someone mentioned pencils. These are perfectly sharpened and only $35 a pop.

I can not get the link to work so Google "perfectly sharpened pencils".

[Marc]

Someone mentioned pencils. These are perfectly sharpened and only $35 a pop.

Pencils

What in heck is this guy smokin'?

Marc