Google Maps for HGV: What It Misses and How NSRoute Differs

Short answer (as of October 2026): the Google Maps app has no truck mode. There is no setting for vehicle height, weight, width or length, so it cannot plan a route around a low bridge or a weight limit for your truck, and it shows no truck toll costs or HGV driving bans. Google's new truck routing for businesses is an API available in the United States and, experimentally, in Japan — not in Europe.

A truck-aware planner routes for the vehicle you enter and estimates tolls, fuel and driving bans before the trip. Try the truck route planner for Europe free for 10 routes a month, or see the truck route planning software for dispatch teams.

Does Google Maps Have a Truck Mode?

Not in the app you use on your phone. As of October 2026, the consumer Google Maps app does not let you enter a vehicle height, weight, width, length or axle count, so it routes a 40-tonne articulated lorry the same way it routes a car.

On 17 August 2026 Google announced Large Vehicle Routing on Google Maps Platform. It is a product for businesses, not a setting in the app: it works through the Routes API, the Route Optimization API and the Navigation SDK. According to Google's documentation (updated 5 October 2026), it is generally available in the contiguous 48 US states, experimental in Japan, and offered to a limited set of customers who must contact Google. It is not available in Europe.

So for a European HGV driver or dispatcher, the practical answer to “can Google Maps do truck routes?” is still no.

Key Takeaways

• No vehicle profile in the Google Maps app — no vehicle height, weight, width or length input.
• No truck toll costs. Google Maps can flag toll roads, and in some countries shows a toll estimate for passenger cars, but it does not calculate truck tolls, which depend on weight, axles and emission class.
• No HGV driving bans. Weekend and holiday bans for heavy vehicles are not part of its routing.
• Oversized cargo (permits, escorts, permitted routes) is outside the scope of consumer navigation apps; NSRoute gives indicative permit and escort guidance as a planning aid.
• NSRoute combines truck routing, toll and fuel cost estimates, driving ban alerts and oversized-load planning support, in 22 languages.

Plan a Truck Route Through Europe in 90 Seconds — Tolls, Driving Bans & Fuel (Free Tool)

Car Navigation and Truck Routing Are Two Different Problems

It is tempting to think of truck routing as “car routing, but for a bigger vehicle”. It is not. A commercial route has three layers that do not exist for a passenger car:

• The physical layer. Bridges have clearance limits, roads have weight limits (sometimes per axle), and old town streets have geometry a long vehicle cannot negotiate. A truck router has to ask “will this vehicle fit?” at every segment; a car router never does.
• The legal layer. Heavy vehicles face driving bans on Sundays and public holidays in many European countries, restricted city zones and — for oversized transport — permits, permitted routes and escort vehicles. Ignoring them can be an offence.
• The cost layer. Tolls and fuel are major variable costs of every haulage job, and they differ by country and routing choice. A route that looks shorter on the map can be more expensive once truck tolls are counted.

A consumer navigation app does not model these layers, because its target user does not need them. That is not a flaw in Google Maps — it is a difference in purpose.

What Google Maps Does Well

To be fair, it is a strong consumer navigation product:

• Live traffic — congestion detection and rerouting for cars.
• Address and POI search that finds most businesses and industrial estates by name.
• Coverage and familiarity — works almost everywhere, many languages, no learning curve, free.
• Street View — useful for checking what a delivery gate or loading site looks like before dispatch.

The gap is narrow but important: none of these strengths replace the missing vehicle profile. Google Maps cannot avoid a low bridge it does not know your truck cannot pass, and it cannot warn about a driving ban it does not model.

Feature Comparison: NSRoute vs the Google Maps App

NSRoute prices are taken from the NSRoute pricing page. For other navigation apps, check the current features and prices on the vendor's own website.

Why the Vehicle Profile Is the Whole Point

Every parameter in a truck routing profile exists because a real restriction depends on it:

• Height. Railway bridges and underpasses have hard clearance limits. Enter the real travel height — including any load above the trailer deck — not a spec-sheet figure.
• Weight and axle count. Bridges and secondary roads carry weight limits, and some restrictions depend on axle load rather than total mass.
• Width. Narrow roads, roadworks lanes and old bridges restrict width. For oversized loads, width is often what triggers permit requirements first.
• Length. Determines whether the vehicle can negotiate tight turns, roundabouts and village transits.

In NSRoute, the route for vehicles above 3.5 t takes the entered height, width, length, weight and axles into account using HERE map data, and the planner shows warnings about restrictions on the result. Vehicles up to 3.5 t are calculated like a car, so their dimensions do not change the route. Map data can be incomplete, so restrictions are always confirmed by the signs on the road.

The discipline this demands: the profile must match the vehicle actually assigned to the job. A route planned for one truck is not automatically valid for another — when the vehicle changes, re-check the route.

4 Typical Scenarios Where a Car Route Fails a Truck

The scenarios below are illustrations of common risks, not reports of specific incidents.

Scenario 1: The Low Bridge

Imagine a car route through a city centre that passes under a railway bridge with 3.2 m clearance, while the truck is 4.0 m high. A car app has no way to know the truck does not fit. The result can be a damaged vehicle and load, a blocked road and a missed delivery.

With a truck planner: enter the real vehicle height before planning. The route takes it into account according to the map data, the planner shows restriction warnings, and the driver still checks clearance signs on the way.

Scenario 2: The Toll Cost Surprise

A truck from Rotterdam to Milan can cross the Alps through Switzerland or through Austria. Each option has a different truck toll system and a different total. A car app shows neither truck total, so the quote is a guess until the toll invoice arrives.

With a truck planner: compare the alternatives with an estimated toll breakdown per country before you quote. Toll estimates depend on the vehicle data entered and are not an invoice.

Scenario 3: The Sunday Ban

A truck over 7.5 t carrying goods commercially is planned to cross Germany on a Sunday. Under § 30(3) of the German road traffic regulations (StVO), such trucks may not drive on Sundays and public holidays between 00:00 and 22:00, with listed exemptions. From 1 July to 31 August the holiday travel regulation (Ferienreiseverordnung) also bans them on Saturdays from 07:00 to 20:00 on listed motorway and road sections. A car app routes the truck anyway.

With a truck planner: NSRoute flags the driving ban on the route so the departure time or stop can be adjusted before the truck leaves.

Scenario 4: Oversized Cargo on a Standard Route

Imagine a 45-tonne industrial press going from Dortmund to Warsaw. A car app sends it along standard motorways. A load like this needs transport permits, it must follow the route set out in the permit, and escort vehicles may be required.

With a truck planner: NSRoute shows indicative permit and escort requirements per country based on the dimensions you enter. The result is a planning aid, not a permit decision — the route and conditions are set by the relevant authority.

How to Plan a Commercial Route Properly (Step by Step)

Whatever tool you use, a professional planning workflow looks like this:

1. Set the vehicle profile first, not last. Height, weight, width, length, axle count — for the actual vehicle doing the job.
2. Enter origin and destination, then look at the route critically. Transit countries bring their own tolls and their own driving bans.
3. Review the toll breakdown per country before quoting. The cheapest-looking route is not always the cheapest route. Compare alternatives with the estimated cost visible.
4. Check the fuel cost estimate. Diesel prices differ by country; where the vehicle refuels on a long international route is a planning decision.
5. Check driving bans against the schedule. A route that works on Thursday can leave a vehicle parked on Sunday. Adjust the departure time before the truck leaves.
6. For oversized loads, treat the permit as the route. The route set out in the permit is the one the vehicle may use, and permit lead times usually define the schedule.
7. Brief the driver with the full picture: route, toll expectation, ban windows, restrictions to watch for.

Common Mistakes Dispatchers Make

• Quoting from a car ETA. Car routing does not reflect truck speed limits, restrictions or driving bans, so times and distances can be wrong for a heavy vehicle.
• Ignoring transit countries. Origin and destination get attention; the countries in between get assumptions. That is where surprise tolls and unfamiliar ban calendars are.
• Reusing last month's route for a different vehicle. Restrictions are vehicle-specific; a saved route is only valid for the profile it was planned with.
• Treating vans as exempt from planning. Vans up to 3.5 t avoid many heavy-vehicle rules and are routed like cars, but city access restrictions and cost planning still apply.
• Discovering tolls on the invoice. If the first time you see the toll cost is when the bill arrives, the quote was a guess. A toll estimate belongs before the price, not after the delivery.

When Is Google Maps Actually Enough?

Sometimes. Driving a passenger car to a customer meeting? Right tool. Its live traffic view is a useful second screen even for truck drivers, and Street View is good for verifying a delivery location before dispatch.

The line is simple: the moment the vehicle has a height, weight or length that a road could restrict — or the moment tolls and driving bans affect your cost and schedule — a car app is the wrong tool for planning the route. Use it for what it is good at.

FAQ

Does Google Maps have a truck mode?

Not in the consumer app. As of October 2026, the Google Maps app has no truck profile. Google's Large Vehicle Routing is a Google Maps Platform API for businesses, generally available in the contiguous 48 US states and experimental in Japan, for a limited set of customers. It is not available in Europe.

Can I set vehicle height in Google Maps?

No. As of October 2026, the Google Maps app has no field for vehicle height, weight, width or length, so it cannot route around low bridges or weight limits for a truck.

Is Google Maps accurate for truck routes?

No. Google Maps does not accept vehicle parameters (height, weight, length, axle count). It routes a truck like a passenger car, which may lead it under low bridges, through weight-restricted zones or along roads closed to heavy vehicles.

Can Waze be used for truck navigation?

Waze is designed for cars. It does not let you enter truck dimensions or weight, and it does not plan for truck tolls or HGV driving bans.

How is NSRoute different from in-cab truck navigation apps?

NSRoute focuses on planning and costing before departure: truck routing, estimated tolls per country, fuel cost, driving ban alerts, an LDM calculator and indicative oversized permit guidance. Compare the current features and prices of any navigation app on its vendor's website.

Can I use Google Maps alongside a truck route planner?

Yes. Plan the route, tolls and schedule in a truck-specific tool, then use Google Maps for live traffic, finding the right gate at a delivery address and Street View checks of loading sites. The mistake is reversing the roles and letting a car app make routing decisions for a commercial vehicle.

Does a route planner replace the driver's judgment?

No. Road signs, temporary restrictions and roadworks on the ground always take precedence over any planned route. Truck-specific planning means the driver's judgment is spent on conditions on the road, not on discovering that the entire route was wrong.

Does NSRoute work on mobile phones?

Yes. NSRoute is a progressive web app that works in mobile browsers such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge. No app store download required.

How much does NSRoute cost?

FREE: EUR 0 with 10 routes a month. PRO: EUR 49/month. FLEET: EUR 99/month. New accounts get 7 days of PRO free, no card required.

The Verdict

Google Maps is a strong product for cars. Trucks are not cars. If you are a truck driver, dispatcher, fleet manager or freight forwarder operating in Europe, plan the route in a tool that knows your vehicle, and keep Google Maps for traffic and Street View.

NSRoute plans truck routes with estimated tolls, fuel costs and driving ban alerts across Europe, in 22 languages.