What you hear and see
Tap Go and Fort Route speaks each turn, with the screen kept on for the whole drive. The navigation screen gives you:
- Spoken turn-by-turn directions
- Lane guidance from the turn lanes mapped in OpenStreetMap
- Exit signs with the exit number, the route and the "toward" line
- The current speed limit on a US-style sign, with truck limits where they apply
- What's ahead: the next scale, truck stop and rest area, plus your planned break
The arrival time on screen includes the rests and stop time still ahead, so it reflects the trip you planned, not a nonstop drive. Spoken and on-screen reminders come 30 and 10 minutes of driving before a planned break or rest, and again when you reach the planned stop. The hours-of-service planner is where those breaks come from.
Reroutes that start the way you're headed
Miss a turn and Fort Route reroutes on its own. The new route starts in the direction the truck is already moving, so it doesn't begin with a U-turn. The routing also counts each turn as a cost, which favors simpler routes with fewer turns.
When a route at least 5 minutes faster turns up, Fort Route offers it with Keep and Switch. It never changes routes silently, so you stay on the road you chose until you tap Switch.
In tunnels and dead zones, the arrow keeps moving along your route for up to 2 minutes without a GPS signal, so your position doesn't freeze the moment the signal drops.
Locked to the essentials while you drive
Fort Route treats the truck as moving once it's over 5 mph for 3 seconds. From then on, the Trips, Money and Me tabs and typed search are locked, with a note that they're available when you're parked. The lock lifts after you've been under 2 mph for 15 seconds.
To change your destination on the move, use "Say where to" to search by voice, where your phone supports it. A passenger can tap "I'm a passenger" to lift the lock for that drive. Tapping the hours pill while moving shows one large ring with your driving time left, instead of the full hours screen.
Points you earn are held while you drive and shown as one summary when you park, so reward messages stay off the screen while you're moving.
Limits to know
Keep Fort Route on the screen. During the beta, navigation pauses when the app is in the background, so switching to another app stops your directions until you come back.
Fort Route doesn't use live traffic data, so arrival times don't account for a slowdown ahead. Lane guidance depends on OpenStreetMap turn-lane data, which is missing or out of date on some roads. Map data can be wrong: posted signs and lane markings always come first.
Frequently asked questions
Will a reroute send me into a U-turn?
No, reroutes start in your direction of travel, so the new route doesn't begin with a U-turn. The routing also counts each turn as a cost, which favors simpler routes with fewer turns.
Does Fort Route switch to a faster route on its own?
No, it asks first. When it finds a route at least 5 minutes faster, it shows Keep and Switch, and you stay on your current route unless you tap Switch.
Can a passenger use the app while the truck is moving?
Yes, a passenger can tap "I'm a passenger" to lift the safety lock for the current drive. Without it, the Trips, Money and Me tabs and typed search stay locked while the truck moves. Voice search with "Say where to" works where the phone supports it.
What happens in a tunnel or a dead zone?
The arrow keeps moving along your route for up to 2 minutes without a GPS signal. The screen also stays on while you navigate, so you don't have to wake the phone to check the next turn.
Does Fort Route work with CarPlay or Android Auto?
Not yet. During the closed beta, Fort Route runs on your phone in the browser at app.fortroute.com, and store apps are planned.