Google Maps for trucks and caravans: NaviTruck vs Google Maps
By the NaviTruck team · Updated 15 October 2026
Google Maps is great for finding a place in a car. But the Google Maps app does not know how tall, wide or heavy your vehicle is, so it cannot keep a truck, a motorhome or a caravan away from a low bridge. Here is what changed in 2026, and what did not.
Why drivers choose NaviTruck over Google Maps
- Your vehicle is taller, wider, longer or heavier than a car
- You want routes that avoid low bridges, weight limits and narrow roads
- You want warnings even when you are not navigating
Feature by feature
| Feature | NaviTruck | Google Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle height, width, weight in the app | Yes | No |
| Avoids low bridges and weight limits | Yes | No |
| Restriction alerts with no route set | Yes, even with the app closed | No |
| Caravan & motorhome profile | Yes | No |
| Offline maps | Yes | Yes |
| Apple CarPlay & Android Auto | Yes | Yes |
“Not stated” and “Not documented” mean we could not find it in the app’s listing or help pages, not that it definitely lacks it.
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What Google's 2026 large-vehicle routing is, and isn't
In August 2026 Google launched Large Vehicle Routing: truck-aware routes that take height, weight, length, width, axles and hazardous goods into account. It is a developer service in the Routes API, Route Optimization API and Navigation SDK, generally available in the United States, for companies building their own fleet apps.
It is not a setting in the Google Maps app on your phone. As FreightWaves put it, this is not a free app you download. Waze, also from Google, offers only private car, taxi and motorcycle vehicle types.
Using both
Plenty of drivers keep Google Maps for finding a business or checking traffic, and use a truck or caravan sat nav for the drive itself. That is the safe combination: one app for search, one that knows your vehicle.
Common questions
Can I use Google Maps in a truck or lorry?
Not as your only sat nav. The Google Maps app has no vehicle height, width or weight setting, so it cannot avoid low bridges or weight-limited roads. Google's 2026 large-vehicle routing is a developer service for fleet apps in the US, not part of Google Maps.
Is Google Maps safe when towing a caravan?
For directions on main roads it is usually fine, but it does not know your outfit is 12 metres long or 3 metres tall, so it can send you down lanes or under bridges you do not fit. A caravan profile in a sat nav app avoids that.
Does Waze have a truck mode?
No. Waze offers private car, taxi and motorcycle vehicle types only.