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.