Rand McNally TND 730 Review

I had a chance to use both Garmin dezl 560 and Rand McNally 730 that, by all accounts, are the 2 best truck gps units available. I have to say I like the Rand McNally much better. First of all the Garmin stopped working after 2 weeks which is why I bought Rand McNally. Garmin seems to have reliability problems. Both units have nice, big screens that are very readable, but the 730 shows more detailed info on the screen. It’s also more customizable and you can pick what you want to see on the screen. My one complaint about Rand McNally is the $20/year they charge for traffic updates.

I’ve been a trucker for only a year now and constantly rely on this GPS to direct me to the destination. Quite frankly I can’t imagine how the older generation of truckers were able to drive without GPS, respect to those guys. This GPS not only givse you the right directions, it also logs your trip, gives you fuel cost, and when you’re connected to wifi it gives you weather and traffic updates. Other GPS units from Garmin and TomTom I used before don’t even come close to RM 730.

The first one I bought I returned after a few days. It worked fine over the weekend when I was setting it up and testing but when I went to put it in my truck on Monday it wouldn’t register my touches on the screen until the cab had warmed up for about 30 minutes. It wasn’t even very cold for Chicago. It was 40 to 50 degrees outside and gets much colder than that a lot of the time. The second day in a row it did this convinced me to return it. My previous Garmin nav unit always worked fine even in temps well below 0. The sales associate said that they had not heard of this being a problem with the TNDs but convinced me to exchange it for another one and give it a week to see how I liked it. He said if I still don’t like it after that time I can swap for the Garmin Dezl. I almost purchased the Garmin to begin with but the reviews on it are a mixed bag. So I am going to leave this unit in my truck overnight and see what happens.
The second unit worked fine after a night in the cold. In fact since it has been up and running it is the best GPS I have ever used. The routing and logging is accurate and the profiles are easy to setup. I would say that Rand McNally has the best mapping software available right now. I called tech support about getting the cross streets to display and they were very fast and helpful. They walked me through setting custom zoom levels so now all I have to do is hit one button to change from HWY view to city.
I have had some problems trying to connect it to my home Wi-Fi network but it connects to my phone as a mobile hotspot for traffic updates just fine. I would like it better if it had a warning when it loses network or times out. As it is it says nothing it just stops updating traffic. Once I set my phone to no time out I haven’t had a problem with it though.
After having it for about 2 months the speakers have developed a slight cracking noise. I disabled spoken directions and that cut down on it. I hope in the future they will upgrade the software to allow for Bluetooth connectivity to allow me to use external speakers. I have tried to use both powered and non-powered speakers hooked up through the headphone jack but neither option puts out enough sound to hear it over cabin noise. Luckily the unit is under warranty I just don’t want to be without it while they fix it over this one issue.
Six months in and I am still loving my TND. After a firmware update the interface and options are much improved and they were good to begin with. It really seems like Rand McNally actually listens to customer feedback and continually improves the product by giving actual truckers what they want. After this amount of time and many trips I can honestly say that their routing is the best I have ever used. I can’t praise this company enough for their support and for actually caring about what the customer wants and needs.

I bought this one about a week ago and already I am having issues. The routing and speed limit data is not very accurate in my limited experience with this particular unit. All my driving has been done in Indiana and Michigan but I assume that makes little difference where you are in the country. It will not connect to my home Wi-Fi but picks up mobile hotspot form my phone so I am not sure the reason for even having Wi-Fi on it. It does let you suggest changes to speed limits and similar data for warnings but it will not actually let you alter it in the unit. I have to turn my volume off on some roads because the limit is incorrect and it will just alert the whole time. Having the sound off is inconvenient since I like spoken directions and would like to hear actual warnings. From my experience it seems like it is pretty much even with the Garmin Dezl on the cost/benefit scale but the TND does have a larger 7” screen where my Garmin only had 5.

After comparing this unit to the Garmin I owned previously, here is how it shakes out.
Pros:
– The search function is much better at finding what I am looking for. It includes whether or not the POI has truck parking which is a big help
– The maps are quite a bit better and the routing for trucks is far more consistent than what I got from Garmin.
– The screen is very responsive and the menus are easy to navigate even when on the road. I like being able to switch between options with a light touch rather than having to pull over and punch around for a few minutes.
– The construction and weather warnings are right on the money most of the time and have saved me hours by letting me avoid delays.
Cons:
– Live traffic is not included with the unit and requires an additional receiver along with a subscription plan. Since I usually left this deactivated on my Garmin due to the popup ads anyways it is not that big of a loss.
Overall I would say go with Rand McNally over Garmin. They seem to have a better grasp on what makes a GPS useful to truckers.

I purchased a 730 last month after my 2 year old 720 bit the dust. I like some features the 720 doesn’t have but it has issues that Rand McNally doesn’t want to deal with. First, it locks up at least one a day and has to be rebooted. The other issue is that sometimes the speed and/or destination distance doesn’t change while the rest of the screen remains active. This has been confusing a few times until I realize what’s happening. I’ve tried talking to Rand McNally and their only suggestions are to A) take it up with the place I bought it; which has a 30 day return policy that’s expired and B) keep rebooting it when necessary. I’m totally upset with this attitude but after laying out $400 I’m not about to trash it. However, the next one will definitely be a Garmin. I’ve had several non trucking ones and even the first one I bought 20 years ago still works flawlessly. Sorry Rand McNally but you’ve lost a customer and $400 every few years.

Same issues, after shelling out $400 bucks for a gps that’s supposed to be top of the line, freezes up every day, no traffic updates unless you spend $20 bucks a year, and have to have WiFi to operate it, go to Walmart and buy the cheapest one you find, has more quality features than this piece of junk, another dissatisfied customer who will never buy another rand McNally product, only thing it’s good for, paperweight or fishing weight

Piece of junk. Was Cutting off multiple times a day, only 6 weeks old and will not function at all now. Called customer service and was told to buy a new cord. Did that and guess what, it is not the cord. Very dissatisfied with this product, how many people do I have to warn to feel I’ve gotten my $400.00 back?

i have had the rand mcnally since 2011 and it hs sent me to 4 low clearences. The routes are horrable on just about every occation. Be carefull don’t trust it at all! I would not recomend it to my enemy.

its freezing up, dos not recognize Winnipeg streets,
mistakes in routing … several over 10 days,
good routing in usa bigger cities not updated to canada

Only 3 weeks old and I get that nav.exe error at least 10-12 times per route. Called Rand Mcnally and they sent me a SD card to reset the os and that has not worked. Unit freezes at a whim. So you’d be driving and don’t realize that damn thing isn’t moving anymore. I think I’m going to buy a dezl.

Well I have had mine for over a year, having problems with the charger connection… They won’t warranty out until I try a couple charges first… The first one didn’t work any better than the charger that came with the device… I unpluged the device quite a few times in a year’s time, guess it’s my fault… I did notice they went with a different charging connection on the TND TABLET… Interesting!!!

I had a Garmi Dezl 570 LMT and because it made a couple of mistakes in routing me I took it back. The clerk at the Pilot truck stop told me I had to upgrade to something more expensive So I got the Rand McNally 730. What a mistake that was, this G.P.S. from Rand McNally is a piece of junk, it doesn’t route me right most of the time. The customer today was 1 right turn and then on the right side and the 730 wanted me to go around the block. Everyday that I use it I get a program error. Going through the one town I go through it’s a city ordinance to stay on state routes , the 730 wants me to turn right on a regular city street. Even the Garmin had more sense than to do that in that town. This G. P.S. is a big disappointment and a waste of money. I have been doing the downloads and doing the diagnostics on it, if it doesn’t get any better I will be selling this G.P.S. cheap and going back to Garmin.

This is the the third rand McNally I’ve bought over the past six or seven years or since they entered the gps game. The first one was great no issues, but I was persuaded to upgrade when they brought out the big screen. That one was fine for a couple years then started freezing up every day, so I replaced it with this piece of crap. I have the same issues with mine most of the other reviews have and have only had it two months. Only now it doesn’t recognize any touch screen input. Seems to me the more crap they try and program into these things the more issues your going to have, and four hundred bucks is a lot of money to throw away for junk. Like another writer here, I’ve got an old ten year old nuvi that never misses a beat! Just keep it simple guys.

I bought this GPS to give to my husband for Valentine’s Day. Well when he turned it on he played with it a little bit and it started freezing. I took it back exchanged it for another. He opened it, played around with it, charged it, and it wouldn’t cut back on. Took it back again and got a Garmin 770 LMTHD. Haven’t had a problem with the Garmin. I couldn’t believe that I paid $400 for the Rand McNally and it wouldn’t even work. Do not waste you money. I’m telling you. Do not.

I agree with most of the negative comments on here. They are spot on. For me, the straw that broke the camels back was when it told me to turn into a one way street the wrong way. Man, if I had blindly obeyed this piece of junk, I could have killed someone.

It gives the craziest routes. There is an entrance into the place I need to go to in plain sight next to mw and it wants me to go 2 miles and make a u-turn.

It has absolutely no power. Even if I keep it plugged in the whole trip, it will complain that battery power is low (even when I kept it in the charger all night). And RM told me there was nothing wrong with the battery after 4 weeks. Yes, 4 weeks.

I was told I would get a replacement unit within 2 – 3 days. 4 weeks later I finally got a replacement.

You would not believe the amount of time I wasted on the phone with these guys. Finally after escalating I was sent to a tech guy. I asked for the manager and he says to me “he is the manger”. Turned out he was not only and idiot, he wasn’t even a manager.

Eventually, I got to the manager and got a replacement. The minute I turned it on, it crashed. I was told it was tested when it was sent out. So they told me to reset it. I did … seemed okay. Next morning, crash again. Reset again.

I had it for 1 month after that and that’s when the crazy directions stared. And like I said the straw that broke the camels back is the direction both from the voice and the map to turn wrong way on to a one way street.

Don’t buy these piece of junk. I’m thinking maybe Garmin but not sure which one. At least the Garmin has built in traffic report.

And I also agree with a favorable comment, with $399 for this thing, you think the would have BT, because the video is dark most of the time and the sound is low.

And now the big problem has happened again. It’s hosed and I cannot even reset it.

The tech on the phone this time at least had a brain was sympathetic when I told her even before this I would be told
crazy things like your destination is on the left when its 1 mile away. Or your destination is on the right, when it’s actually on the left. This new tech told me she understood and make it a top priority especially that the last call log showed her it had take 4 weeks before I got one back.

This is thursday. She says she’ll call me Friday. Friday no call. Maybe sick? Wait till Monday. Maybe … decided to give her Tuesday and still not call back.

This thing not only has technical problems; the tech support is worst then worthless. If it didn’t exist you’d say “well I’m on my own … get a new one.” With this tech support, they’ll drag your chain for weeks. That’s what make this worst then worthless.

I’ve been using the TND 730 for only about a week, but it’s made a huge difference in my routes. The volume control is great and voice command works well. I didn’t miss my Bluetooth after all, but the 730 includes a headphone jack. It has a big 7″ screen with several adjustments to tweak day and night illumination modes. You can see the screen very clearly even in complete dark without it glaring like a flashlight. Some models are better than others, but the 730 should be the one in your rig.

I’ve had my TND 730 for over a year now, and have a few things to say about it.

First, the “Traffic Anywhere” subscription is completely useless. If you have fast enough data on your hotspot capable phone, Google Maps provides FAR more detail and ease of use. Save your $20 per year. Also, simply having traffic updates on this GPS has absolutely no effect on your routing. The unit simply does not take traffic into account.

Second, having current weather on the map screen is great! This is one of my favorite features! Again, the unit makes no effort to route you around dangerous weather events, but being able to visualize what you’re heading into is very helpful.

Third: reliability. Well… I believe Rand McNally has fallen in their face a bit, here. My unit was extremely reliable for about a year, but when the warranty expired (almost exactly to the day!), I started having power problems. After repeated tear-downs and hours of frustration, I have determined that the usb power connector in the unit itself is faulty. In fact, it is woefully insufficient in design for the purposes of supplying power in a moving commercial vehicle. It is a fairly simple part to replace, with the proper tools and technique, and replacement parts are shockingly inexpensive… But the port is junk and the way it’s mounted to the main board is insanely weak.

I was driving a 2013 Volvo and now drive a 2015 Volvo… I really don’t believe ride quality is the issue… This is a build quality issue. The good news is that the parts AND TOOLS to complete this repair are available on Amazon for less than the cost (and time) of a factory repair, and you’ll have enough replacements to keep the unit going far longer than it will be useful.

I wanted a new GPS and want to like this one but the first address I needed doesn’t exist in TND 730 world. Old Garmin has guided me there with ease. Worldnav by Teletype, no problem. Rand McNally TND 730LM and Sygic is a no go for
320 Lawrence Station Rd.
Lawrenceville, NJ
Been there multiple times, it’s an old building and address, unfortunately I don’t get a zip code for it but it wasn’t necessary for Garmin or Worldnav. If it can’t get me to my first attempted address I will probably return and go with what works.

It was decent for general planning. But has some major issues. First and foremost is the terrible customer service with RM. The thing locked up FREQUENTLY and in the process of having to reset it the glass cracked getting it off the windshield mount. Only having it 30days the retailer would deal with me because it was damaged. So i called Rand McNally. Their response was the warranty won’t cover the screen and it will be another $100. After $400 you think I’m going to spend another $100 to have you fix something that was obviously defective? Turning into scam artists go with Garmin.

I did own the older 710 and 720 models and liked them, but the TND 730 has them both beat. The processor is much faster, the HD display is impressive, and it will give me fuel prices and weather reports when I have a Wi-Fi connection. It’s also lighter than expected, so I use it every time in my big rig; if not, I’d miss it. There’s so much more to this device that I advise visiting Rand McNally’s site to read up on it. No complaints – love this GPS.

The TND 730 is probably the best trucker navigation system around. There does seem to be some weird programming, but it delivers overall. There are truck points of interest listed on demand, and performance throughout is fast, accurate, and feature-rich. The 730 has a lot to offer. It still needs a little refinement in the mapping, photogrammetry, and coded logic. I say this because of the way mapping and navigation work together a little awkwardly. Still, no other truck navigation device is on this one’s level.

I have had 2 of the 730 rand mcnally. My first one stopped working after the year warranty was up. My second one is just over 6 months and it is starting to do what my first one did. Shutting off, restarting and giving me white screen. Don’t bother buying this gps, for the price it is so not worth it.
The weakest link I think of the gps is where you plug into the gps, not built for being in a truck.

Junk!! I liked my old TND 720. Then it died. So I bought a TND 730. The 1st one would not power up, so I exchanged it. The 2nd froze on the map screen after 29 days, so I exchanged it. The 3rd on froze at the map screen after 31 days and too late to exchange it. After a couple days I tried it again and it worked. Now, about a month later, it is again froze at the map screen.
When they freeze up, the screen displays the “no GPS” symbol, but they it has a clear view of the sky.
JUNK! Do not waste your money.

Worthless and unreliable. Bad directions. Freezes at map screen. This is my 3rd TND 730 in 3 months. All had major issues.

I have to agree with Henry, JUNK!!! I bought my first 730 and it went bad after 3 months with the screen freeze or No GPS error. I had bad luck with the Garmin 7 inch GPS due to it shacking apart after 6 months, So I thought I would go ahead and send the 730 in for warranty and get another one for backup should the problem arise again. The next 730 I bought wouldn’t work out of the box with the same No GPS problem, so I exchanged for another one only to have that one go bad with the same problem only after a few weeks. Now I have two 730s in on warranty at the same time and no working GPS in the truck. So I bought a 5 inch Garmin and so far so good.

I bet the people and Rand McNally are laughing at this stupid trucking for buying their worthless product. But this stupid trucker will never buy another Rand McNally product again.

The processor is faster but the guys programing the routes should be fired because they are horrible and to compare routes is useless

Rand McNally won’t work for you please save your money and hustle! Get Germin at least it’s worth it. Or for real truckers use a map and google map on your phone you will just be fine!

The 730 is junk. All the changes made are horrible. What was a single click on the screen now is a press and hold. No screen alignment so when you press on the screen you have to do it several times to highlight the road, if you want to detour or avoid. The font is so small you can’t read it with roads rough as they are. The magnet mount won’t hold on rough roads. Speaker is horrible, I use an external speaker to make it sound decent. Only thing good with it is it’s fast

Too much money for quality of product and customer service is horrible…get a Garmin, much better all the way around

Less than a year old and getting “Program Memory is Low” message, like many others. Unfortunately, the unit is froze on that screen. It will not respond to anything, including the on/off switch. Like others have said, the routing leaves a lot to be desired, as well. You’d better double-check what it has laid out, before going anywhere. It’s a shame that $400 gets a device that’s only good for a year.

This the worst gps I have ever used. It can’t find addresses. It routes you the most round about way. Have to re-enter route every time I turn it off. I’m sitting in the middle of huge parking lot it won’t even connect to the gps satellite. This is the most expensive paper weight I’ve had. I will never buy another Rand McNally gps.

My experience with the Rand McNally TND730 is poor. I am now waiting for my 2nd replacement to arrive. I purchased in July 2016. About a year later the internal battery failed and the unit quit. Sent back for repair. Unit was unrepairable so a new one was sent.

Less than six months later and the unit kept losing signal. After many resets, I returned the unit to the service centre and once again they cannot repair so a new one is on the way.

I’ve always used Garmin in the past but decided to change to Rand McNally. Never again. Big mistake. AVOID!!!!!!!!

Stay away from the 730. Ive bought 2 in the last four months. 1st one the unit started blacking out. I thought it was just bad luck. I liked the unit so i decided to buy another, the same model, in just 2 weeks I started having the same issues. STAY AWAY PLEASE. DO NOT IGNORE THESE REVIEWS

I have had three Rand McNally’s. Each were great to start. But don’t last much over a year. The last being a 730. Started locking up out of the gate. And then came the white screen. 400 doesn’t buy much with these. I am done moving on to another brand.