How to Use Highway Miles: Free Truck GPS App Tutorial
Plan multi-stop truck routes, find truck stops and check weather
Highway Miles is a free truck GPS app for iPhone and Android. This tutorial shows CDL drivers how to plan a multi-stop truck route, find truck stops along the route, check weather and share trip progress. Follow the steps alongside our video to learn the truck GPS navigation app on your own trip.
Watch the Highway Miles video tutorial
Watch on YouTube · Published October 1, 2026 · 5 minutes 26 seconds
The phone-navigation plan is free to use and supported by advertising, with no subscription required for the released phone features covered here.
Watch the full demo, or use the timestamps to jump to a feature. Set up the trip and practice the controls while safely parked. Check your vehicle profile before navigating; the video introduces that screen after building the stop list.
See the free truck GPS features and our free phone-navigation plan guide for details.
1 Save favorites and use trip history
Start with places you already know. Favorites and trip history help you reuse a customer location, terminal or preferred stop when planning a new truck route.
Swipe through your saved favorites, or open a recent trip to see its stops.
Use the bookmark to save a place with a name or note that will help you recognize it later.
Keep saved places in a list, then choose a destination from your history to begin a new route.
For a customer with several facilities, use a recognizable name and a useful note, such as the city or receiving entrance. Check the address when reusing a saved place so the new trip starts with the location you intended.
2 Plan a multi-stop truck route and reorder stops
Build the full stop list before choosing a route. The video searches for Tampa, then adds another location using coordinates. You can use the same workflow for pickups, deliveries and planned service stops.
Search for a city or address and select the matching result. You can also enter coordinates, as shown in the demo.
Add each destination to the stop list so you can review the trip together.
To change the order, drag a stop by its handle and move it earlier or later in the list.
Match the numbered map markers to the stop sequence, then review the order before creating the route.
Put stops in the order your work requires. For example, keep a pickup ahead of its delivery and leave room for any scheduled fuel stop. The multi-stop truck route planner also supports route optimization; this video demonstrates manually arranging the stop list.
3 Choose map categories and compare truck routes
Choose the services you want to see, then compare the available routes. The map categories shown in the video cover truck stops, rest areas, parking, fuel, weigh stations, repairs, truck washes and scales.
Turn the relevant map categories on or off. These are points of interest, often called POIs.
Tap Route to calculate the available routes while keeping the stops in your plan.
Review the stop list above the map and compare the routes by distance and travel time.
Open Street View for a closer look at a stop, then return to its distance and arrival information on the map.
Use Street View to orient yourself before reaching an unfamiliar location. For example, look at how the stop connects to the road and compare that view with the facility's truck-access instructions. Imagery can help with preparation, but it does not establish current entrance rules.
4 Set your truck profile for commercial truck navigation
Commercial truck GPS starts with an accurate vehicle profile. Highway Miles uses truck height, weight and other profile details to inform routing. For a semi-truck trip, review the profile whenever your tractor, trailer or load changes.
Open the vehicle profile and review weight, axle count, dimensions such as height and length, and maximum speed.
Choose the route preference and applicable hazardous material categories.
Check the road types or crossings you want to avoid, and confirm the details match your vehicle and trip.
Review the profile and calculated route, make any final changes, then start navigation. The next turn appears above the map.
Follow posted restrictions and current road conditions alongside the app's guidance. A vehicle profile helps inform routing; it cannot guarantee that every restriction or temporary change is known. Read the Highway Miles truck GPS overview for more on truck navigation.
5 Find truck stops along your route with the Look Ahead Wheel
The Look Ahead Wheel puts upcoming places beside your active route. It helps you compare where you could stop next without losing the context of the trip.
Rotate the Look Ahead Wheel to explore farther ahead, then bring it back to nearby options.
Use the stop icons and time labels to compare the choices ahead.
Tap a stop to inspect its location and available parking and fuel details.
Choose Add Next when you want that place included as your next stop.
For another way to browse, open the upcoming places list. Filter its categories and compare the names, distances and travel times together.
For example, compare two fuel stops by their location, travel time and listed services before choosing one. Our guide to finding truck stops and driver services along your route explains the available categories. Parking details describe the location; they are not a live count of empty spaces.
6 Compare next stop and destination arrival times
After adding an upcoming stop, keep its arrival information in view alongside your original destination. This helps you distinguish the next service stop from the place you are ultimately headed.
Compare the arrival information for the next stop and the original destination.
Open Street View to inspect the next stop.
Return to the stop details for its address, contact options and available ways to change the stop.
The separate Next Stop bar is for a POI selected along the route. Regular scheduled stops use the main navigation information. Read the location label with the ETA so you know which place the estimate describes.
If a fuel stop is 20 minutes away, that does not mean your delivery is 20 minutes away. Compare both destinations and allow for the time you expect to spend stopped.
7 Check truck weather radar and adjust voice guidance
Review weather alongside the route map before deciding where to stop. This part of the video also shows the audio controls for navigation.
Open the weather control to see conditions, hourly forecasts and alerts.
Use the radar switch to review radar with the route map.
Check the forecast for the area you plan to reach.
Choose voice, alerts or mute, and adjust the volume for your audio setup.
Make weather part of the stopping decision: check conditions where you are headed as well as where you are now. Use current official alerts when assessing severe weather. See the truck weather radar guide for more on the feature.
8 View weigh station details and hide upcoming stops
Use the side arrow when you want a clearer map view. You can tuck away the upcoming stops display while keeping the route and navigation visible.
Tap the side arrow to hide the upcoming stops display.
Tap it again to bring the display back.
Select another type of place to inspect its details. The video uses a weigh station and shows its location, parking and scale information.
Review the stop options below the details before deciding what to do with that location.
This control changes the display. Use the trip's stop controls when you want to change the itinerary. Weigh-station location and facility details should not be read as confirmation of live open or closed status.
9 Drop a pin and use Route Through Here
Use a dropped pin when you want to work with a specific point on the map. The video shows both routing through a point and reviewing other actions for a pinned location.
Find the location on the map, then press and hold to drop a pin.
Choose Route Through Here when you want the trip to pass that location.
Check the marker to confirm where you placed the point.
At a pinned location, review the available weather, favorite, add-stop, route-through and avoid options.
After changing the route, review the result and the approach. A pin near a building may land on a passenger entrance or a road unsuitable for your truck. Use the facility's instructions and our guide to finding the right truck entrance when planning the final approach.
10 Share your truck route and review turn-by-turn directions
Share trip progress when a dispatcher, customer or family member needs it, then use the route panel to inspect the planned turns and destinations.
Open route sharing and choose how long to share your location.
Add optional truck, trailer or load references to help identify the trip.
Open the sharing options and choose how to send the link to the intended recipient.
Open the route panel and expand a stop to see its upcoming turns. Collapse it to compare the remaining destinations.
Review each entry's distance and travel time. Select another stop to inspect its arrival details or make a change.
Recipients can view shared trip information without installing another navigation app. Choose a sharing duration that fits the trip and include only the references the recipient needs. Read more about Highway Miles route sharing for truck drivers.
11 Check truck road conditions and weather at your stops
The final feature section brings together reported incidents and weather at your stops. Use it to review conditions that could affect the next part of the trip.
Open the incidents panel to review reported roadworks and other route updates.
Select an entry to locate it on the map, then return to the panel to read the condition and road information.
Open the weather list to compare conditions and alerts at your stops.
Check the route forecast as part of your trip review.
Review changing conditions before committing to the next leg or stopping plan. Incident reports are useful context alongside posted controls and official updates. See truck traffic and road conditions for the wider feature overview.
Questions about using Highway Miles
Can I use Highway Miles free truck GPS with no subscription?
Yes. The free phone-navigation plan is supported by advertising and includes the released phone features shown in this tutorial. The optional Ad-Free plan removes in-app advertising and is currently advertised at $5.99 per month. No subscription is required to use the free phone plan.
Is the free truck GPS app available for iPhone and Android?
Yes. Highway Miles is available for both iPhone and Android. The free, ad-supported phone plan includes the route planning and navigation features covered in this tutorial.
How do I change the order of stops in Highway Miles?
Open the stop list and drag a stop by its handle. Move it earlier or later, then compare the numbered map markers with the list before creating your route.
Can I enter coordinates in the truck route planner?
Yes. The video demonstrates adding a location using coordinates after searching for a city. Check the resulting location on the map before using it in your trip.
How do I add a truck stop from the Look Ahead Wheel?
Rotate the wheel to browse upcoming places, tap a stop to inspect its location and details, then choose Add Next. You can also use the upcoming places list and filter its categories.
Can someone follow my shared route without the app?
Yes. Recipients can open the shared trip information without installing Highway Miles. Choose the sharing duration and optional trip references before sending the link.
What should I check when choosing the best truck GPS app?
Compare truck-profile routing, stop planning, navigation controls, weather, service locations and the cost of the features you need. Use a familiar trip to see whether the workflow fits your day. Our best truck GPS app comparison for 2026 explains documented features and costs across Highway Miles and other options.
Plan your first route with free truck GPS
Watch the closing section at 5:14
Try the workflow with a familiar trip: save a destination, add and reorder stops, compare routes and confirm your vehicle profile. Then practice the Look Ahead Wheel, weather controls and route panel while parked.
Download Highway Miles for iPhone or Android and plan your next move. Free to use, with no subscription required for the phone-navigation plan.
For the story behind these tools, explore Robert Phillips’s conversation with Bruce Outridge about building Highway Miles for everyday truck-driving needs.
For a closer look at costs and alternatives, read our guides to Trucker Path alternatives, Hammer GPS pricing and Garmin truck GPS vs. phone apps.