PC*MILER®

Version 14
Routing, Mileage and Mapping Software

USER’S GUIDE

ALK Associates, Inc.

1000 Herrontown Road • Princeton, NJ 08540
a s s oc i at e s

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed,

stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language, in any form or
by any means electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, or otherwise,
without prior written permission from ALK Associates, Inc.

Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

IBM and PS/2 are registered trademarks of International Business

Machines Corporation.

PC*MILER and BATCHPRO are registered trademarks and RouteMap is a

trademark of ALK Associates, Inc.

Hazardous material routing restriction/designation information taken from

the State Hazardous Materials Manual, © Copyright 1994 by J.J. Keller &
Associates, Inc., PO Box 368, Neenah, WI 54957-0368.

ALK Associates, Inc. reserves the right to make changes or improvements

to its programs and documentation materials at any time and without prior
notice.

© Copyright 1994-2000 ALK Associates, Inc.

1000 Herrontown Road, Princeton, NJ 08540

Printed in the United States of America

March 2000
 Table of Contents

PC*MILER END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT ............................................. i

1.0 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................... 1
1.1 What is PC*MILER? .............................................................................. 1
1.2 What can PC*MILER be used for? ........................................................ 3
1.3 The PC*MILER Family of Products ....................................................... 3
1.4 How does PC*MILER generate mileages and routes?.......................... 5
1.4.1 Database ....................................................................................... 5
1.4.2 Distance Calculation...................................................................... 6
1.4.3 PC*MILER Practical Routes.......................................................... 7
1.4.4 PC*MILER Shortest Routes .......................................................... 8
1.4.5 PC*MILER National Network Routes ............................................ 8
1.4.6 PC*MILER Toll Discouraged Routes ............................................ 9
1.5 How do I file PC*MILER-based tariffs?.................................................. 9
1.6 About This Manual................................................................................. 10

2.0 INSTALLATION PROCEDURE AND STARTUP....................................... 11

2.1 System Requirements ........................................................................... 11
2.2 Installing PC*MILER .............................................................................. 11
2.2.1 Installing PC*MILER To Your Hard Drive...................................... 12
2.2.2 Network Installation ....................................................................... 12
2.3 Starting PC*MILER ................................................................................ 13
2.4 On-line Help and User’s Guide for PC*MILER ...................................... 14

3.0 BASIC ROUTING ....................................................................................... 15

3.1 Menus and the Tool Bar ........................................................................ 16
3.1.1 The File Menu ............................................................................... 16
3.1.2 The Edit Menu ............................................................................... 17
3.1.3 The Map Menu .............................................................................. 18
3.1.4 The Route Menu............................................................................ 19
3.1.5 The Report Menu .......................................................................... 20
3.1.6 The Tools Menu ............................................................................ 20
3.1.7 The Windows Menu....................................................................... 21
3.1.8 The Help Menu.............................................................................. 22
3.1.9 PC*MILER Function Shortcut Keys............................................... 23
3.1.10 For Former DOS Users: A Comparison of Functions.................. 24
3.2 Entering City Names.............................................................................. 26
3.2.1 City Name and State Abbreviation ................................................ 27
3.2.2 Using the Spelling Helper.............................................................. 28
3.2.3 Entering 5-digit ZIP Codes ............................................................ 29
3.2.4 Using the ZIP Code Helper ........................................................... 29
3.2.5 Canadian Postal Codes................................................................. 30
3.2.6 SPLC Codes.................................................................................. 31
 3.2.7 Rapid City Lookup ......................................................................... 32
3.2.8 "Point and Click" Feature: Entering Stops from the RouteMap
Window .......................................................................................... 33
3.2.9 Input Errors Encountered .............................................................. 33
3.2.10 Old Geocoding Mode .................................................................. 33
3.2.11 Duplicate City Names.................................................................. 34
3.3 Synonym Table...................................................................................... 35
3.3.1 Modifying the Synonym Table ....................................................... 36
3.4 Border Crossings ................................................................................... 37
3.5 Highway Junctions................................................................................. 38
3.6 Highway Exits ........................................................................................ 39
3.7 Latitude/Longitude Points ...................................................................... 40
3.8 Truck Stop Locations ............................................................................. 40
3.9 Inserting and Deleting Stops.................................................................. 42
3.10 Using the Custom Place Manager to Customize Location Names...... 42
3.11 Creating Custom Latitude/Longitude Points in the Database.............. 44
3.12 Generating A Route ............................................................................. 44
3.13 Generating Multiple Routes ................................................................. 45
3.14 Duplicating a Route for Easy Comparison........................................... 45

4.0 OPTIONS AND ADDITIONAL FEATURES................................................ 47

4.1 State/Country Mileage Summary Report............................................... 47
4.1.1 Order of States in the State/Country Mileage Summary Report ... 47
4.2 Detailed Route Report (Driving Instructions) ......................................... 48
4.3 Comparison Report................................................................................ 49
4.4 Printing Reports ..................................................................................... 50
4.4.1 Changing the Font in Your Report ................................................ 51
4.4.2 Changing the Column Width in Your Report ................................. 51
4.5 Saving and Copying Reports ................................................................. 52
4.6 Using the Options Dialog Box................................................................ 52
4.6.1 Route Name .................................................................................. 53
4.6.2 Routing .......................................................................................... 54
4.6.3 Distance in (Miles/Kilometers Conversion) ................................... 54
4.6.4 Use Ferry Distances...................................................................... 54
4.6.5 Order Report (Alphabetical/Route Order for State/Country
Listing) ........................................................................................... 55
4.6.6 Report Memo (Customized Reports) ............................................ 55
4.6.7 Region ........................................................................................... 55
4.6.8 Trip Costs (Per-mile Cost for Empty and Loaded Miles)............... 56
4.6.9 Stop Costs (Time and Cost Estimate for Individual Stops) ........... 57
4.6.10 Break Time .................................................................................. 57
4.6.11 Average Road Speeds (Estimated Travel Time)......................... 58
4.6.12 Hazardous Material Routing........................................................ 59
4.7 Creating Your Own Default Options ...................................................... 62
4.8 Route Resequencing ............................................................................. 62
4.9 Reversing the Order of Stops ................................................................ 63
 4.10 The Hub Distance Generator............................................................... 64
4.11 Custom Routing ................................................................................... 64
4.12 Saving and Retrieving Trips................................................................. 65
4.13 Saving, Appending and Loading Routes in Text Format ..................... 66
4.14 Saving Your Workspace Settings ........................................................ 66
4.15 Exiting PC*MILER................................................................................ 67

5.0 GRAPHIC DISPLAY: USING THE ROUTEMAP™ WINDOW ................... 69

5.1 First Run a Route................................................................................... 70
5.2 Zoom Feature ........................................................................................ 70
5.3 Hiding, Displaying and Layering Map Features..................................... 70
5.3.1 Using the Mouse To Turn Map Labels On/Off .............................. 72
5.3.2 Using the Mouse To Pick Stops .................................................... 72
5.4 Picking Roads to Avoid or Favor ........................................................... 73
5.4.1 Overriding Truck-Restricted Roads............................................... 73
5.4.2 Hazardous Material Routing on Maps........................................... 74
5.4.3 Using the Custom Roads Manager ............................................... 75
5.5 Legends ................................................................................................. 77
5.6 Other Map Menu Commands ................................................................ 78
5.6.1 Printing a Map ............................................................................... 79
5.6.2 Copying a Map to the Clipboard.................................................... 79
5.7 Saving Map Settings.............................................................................. 79

6.0 TECHNICAL SUPPORT ............................................................................. 81

6.1 Database Support.................................................................................. 81
6.2 PC*MILER Updates ............................................................................... 82
6.3 Frequently Asked Questions.................................................................. 82

7.0 ALK ASSOCIATES OVERVIEW ................................................................ 85

INDEX ................................................................................................................ 87

APPENDIX A: ACCESS POLICIES FROM NATIONAL NETWORK

ROUTES TO TERMINALS AND SERVICES .......................... 93

APPENDIX B: CANADIAN CODES FOR DUPLICATE CITY NAMES ........... 97

 i

PC*MILER END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

1. Grant of License: Subject to the terms, conditions, use limitations and

payment of fees as set forth herein, ALK Associates, Inc., the Licenser,
grants the end-user, the Licensee, a software license allowing the end-
user to install PC*MILER on a single personal computer. Use by
several users at separate terminals accessing a single copy of the
PC*MILER Software is strictly prohibited unless the appropriate multi-
user or corporate license fee has been received by the Licenser. Any
use of the single-user or multi-user licensed PC*MILER software on an
internet or intranet site is permitted only in accordance with the terms
of a supplemental agreement between Licenser and Licensee, which
will specify the number of permitted users within Licensee's
organization, and the hardware platforms on which the software or its
data will reside or to which the software or its data will be transferable.
Grant of license for operation on internet or intranet sites will occur
only after the appropriate licensing fees are received by Licenser. Any
use of the single-user licensed software on additional machines is
permitted only in accordance with the terms of a supplemental
agreement between Licenser and Licensee, which will specify the
number of copies of the PC*MILER software that will be made
available to Licensee, the number of permitted users within Licensee's
organization, and the hardware platforms on which the software or its
data will reside or to which the software or its data will be transferable.
Grant of license for operation on additional machines will occur only
after the appropriate licensing fees are received by Licenser. The
licensee may make one (1) copy for backup purpose only.

2. Limitations on Program and Materials Use: Licensee acknowledges

that the PC*MILER computer programs, concepts, graphics, system
documentation, manuals and other materials by or developed by
Licenser, including but not limited to program output in machine
readable form, are the exclusive property of Licenser. All such
programs, concepts, manuals, reports, graphics and documentation
are very valuable to Licenser, and their use or disclosure to third
parties without prior written approval of Licenser is prohibited. Licensee
does not secure any title to the PC*MILER Program, or to the data
which is integrated into the software package. Licensee agrees that it
will not use the batch processing capabilities of the
PC*MILER/BATCHPRO program to extract PC*MILER data other than to
input the extracted data into software programs resident on the same
computer on which PC*MILER is installed. Licensee is prohibited from
transferring PC*MILER data from a single-user environment to a multi-
user environment either directly or through the use of other software
programs that allow such transfer to occur. The extraction of
ii PC*MILER User’s Guide

PC*MILER data for use in providing information or services to any third

party is strictly prohibited under the terms of this agreement. Licensee
agrees that Licensee will not directly or indirectly lease, license, sell or
otherwise transfer the PC*MILER Program, documentation, program
output or any other information supplied by Licenser to third parties
and that Licensee will not offer services to third parties utilizing the
PC*MILER software, program output or other materials furnished by
Licenser without Licenser's written consent. Licensee agrees not to
remove any notices including copyright information and product
identification, designating Licenser, from materials furnished by
Licenser including the PC*MILER Program and documentation. The
PC*MILER software, documentation, program output and other
materials furnished by Licenser to Licensee in accordance with this
License Agreement shall be used solely for the internal non-
commercial purposes of Licensee. Licensee further agrees that the
PC*MILER Program shall not be used in whole or in part in connection
with any commercial software or hardware product, without the
consent of Licenser, and that Licensee shall not rewrite the PC*MILER
Program in another computer language or attempt to otherwise modify
the PC*MILER Program if the result or purpose of which is to void or
diminish the copyright or proprietary rights of Licenser. Licensee
agrees to exercise all reasonable controls to provide for the security of
the PC*MILER Program. Licensee shall not copy, reverse engineer,
interrogate or decode the PC*MILER software, program output or
attempt to defeat protection provided for preventing unauthorized use
of the PC*MILER software or to derive any source code or algorithms
therefrom. Licensee acknowledges that unauthorized use or
reproduction of copies of the software, program output or unauthorized
transfer of any copy of the software is a serious crime and are grounds
for suit for damages, injunctive relief and attorneys' fees.

3. Unauthorized Acts: Licensee agrees to notify Licenser immediately of

the unauthorized possession, use, transfer or sale of the PC*MILER
Program or other materials furnished by Licenser.

4. Acceptance of the Program: Licensee will be deemed to have

accepted the Program upon receipt of the same.

5. Warranties: Licenser represents and warrants that:

A. PC*MILER software, when delivered and properly installed, will

function on an IBM PC microcomputer purchased independently by
Licensee. This warranty shall expire ninety (90) days from
purchase by Licensee. If, during this ninety (90) day period, a
defect in a diskette should occur, Licensee may return the diskette
to Licenser with proof of date of purchase, and Licenser will replace
License Agreement iii

the diskette without charge. If a failure of a diskette has resulted

from accident, abuse, or misapplication of the product, then the
Licenser will have no responsibility to replace the diskette under
this limited warranty.

B. THE FOREGOING WARRANTIES ARE IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER

WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING ANY
WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY WARRANTY FOR
A PARTICULAR FITNESS OR USE. THE PC*MILER PROGRAM
AND DOCUMENTATION IS SOLD "AS IS". IN NO EVENT SHALL
LICENSER BE LIABLE TO LICENSEE OR TO ANY THIRD PARTY
FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES SUCH AS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS IN
CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF THE EXISTENCE OF
THE FURNISHING, FUNCTIONING OR LICENSEE'S USE OR
ANY ITEM OF SOFTWARE OR SERVICES PROVIDED FOR IN
THIS AGREEMENT. IN THE EVENT THAT A COURT OF
PROPER JURISDICTION DETERMINES THAT THE DAMAGE
LIMITATIONS SET FORTH ABOVE ARE ILLEGAL OR
UNENFORCEABLE THEN, IN NO EVENT SHALL DAMAGES
EXCEED THE CONTRACT PRICE. THIS WARRANTY SHALL
NOT ACCRUE TO THE BENEFIT OF THIRD PARTIES OR
ASSIGNEES. NO WARRANTY OF TITLE TO THE PROGRAM IS
MADE BY LICENSER.

6. Termination: Licenser may terminate this Agreement upon ten (10)

days prior written notice. Licenser may immediately terminate this
Agreement by a written notice to Licensee, effective on the date
specified in the notice, if any of the following events occur:

A. Licensee makes an assignment for the benefit of, or a composition

with its creditors or another arrangement of similar import, EXCEPT
to its successors in interest of a part of all of the assets by way of
merger, consolidation or sale of substantially all of its assets,
divestiture pursuant to an order or decree of a court, or similar
corporate reorganization;

B. Proceedings under any bankruptcy or insolvency law are

commenced by Licensee or are commenced against it and are not
discontinued within ten (10) calendar days;

C. Licensee breaches any terms, conditions, use limitations, or any

other terms of this Agreement. Within five (5) days of receipt by
Licensee of such notice, Licensee shall return the PC*MILER
Program and all other documentation provided by Licenser and any
iv PC*MILER User’s Guide

and all copies thereof to Licenser and shall certify to Licenser that
all copies including modified or updated versions have been
returned to Licenser. Termination or expiration of the Agreement
shall not be construed to release either party from any rights,
remedies or obligation which existed prior to the date of such
termination or expiration.

7. Indemnification by Licensee: Licensee hereby expressly agrees to

indemnify, defend and hold Licenser harmless against any and all
liability, loss, damage, cost and expense, including reasonable
attorneys' fees in connection with all claims in contract or in tort
including negligence arising by Licensee or third parties in connection
with Licensee's use of the PC*MILER software.

8. Miscellaneous: This Agreement shall be construed and applied in

accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey. The Courts of
the State of New Jersey shall be the exclusive forum for all actions or
interpretation pertaining to this Agreement. Any amendments or
addenda to this Agreement shall be in writing executed by all parties
hereto. This is the entire Agreement between the parties and
supersedes any prior or contemporaneous agreements or
understandings. Should any provision of this Agreement be found to
be illegal or unenforceable, then only so much of this Agreement as
shall be illegal or unenforceable shall be stricken and the balance of
this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

9. Disclaimer: PC*MILER’s suggested routings are based on official

highway maps, the Code of Federal Regulations, and information
provided by state governments. They are provided without a warranty
of any kind. The user assumes full responsibility for any delay,
expense, loss or damage which may occur as a result of their use.
 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Congratulations! By purchasing a PC*MILER product, you have made a
cost-effective investment in a high quality software package that's simple
to learn and easy to use.

Before you go any further please read the License Agreement that starts
on page i. It details the terms under which ALK Associates, Inc. grants
you a license, ALK's copyrights, and your rights as a licensee. Also,
please fill out the warranty registration card you received with your
package. ALK Associates, Inc. must have this card on file before you can
receive any free technical support.

YOU MAY MAKE ONE COPY OF THE CD-ROM FOR BACK-UP

PURPOSES ONLY. THE SOFTWARE LICENSE CONTAINED IN THIS
MANUAL LIMITS THE NUMBER AND TYPE OF COMPUTER ON WHICH
YOU CAN LEGALLY USE PC*MILER. BY OPENING AND USING THE
PC*MILER CD-ROM, YOU HAVE ACCEPTED THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS OF THE LICENSE AGREEMENT. ALK ASSOCIATES,
INC. WILL TAKE PROPER LEGAL ACTION AGAINST ANY ILLEGAL
USE OF THE PC*MILER SOFTWARE.

You should have received the following with your purchase of PC*MILER:

• PC*MILER User’s Guide

• One CD-ROM.

⇒ NOTE: This manual contains instructions on how to use

PC*MILER/HAZMAT. However, PC*MILER/HAZMAT is not included with
the purchase of PC*MILER; it is a separate add-on module that can be
purchased directly from your sales associate.

1.1 What is PC*MILER?

PC*MILER generates point-to-point mileages, routes, and driving

instructions over complete highway systems in North America, Puerto
Rico, Bermuda, and Greenland. PC*MILER will calculate an unlimited
number of routes and mileages on a single personal computer or a
network installation.

PC*MILER calculates point-to-point mileages for an origin-destination pair

of locations with intermediate stop-off points. PC*MILER provides leg and
cumulative mileages, time and cost estimates, state-by-state mileage
2 PC*MILER User’s Guide

summaries, and Practical, Shortest, National Network, or Toll Discouraged

mileages over the entire North American truck-usable highway network.

PC*MILER includes the following major features:

• Addition of over 14,000 miles of highway

• Addition of 100,000 cities, towns, and points of interest,
including over 24,000 in Canada and Mexico
• Ability to customize routes to avoid, favor, or override specific
road segments (section 5.4). Create and manage multiple sets
of roads to be avoided, favored, or overridden when routing
(section 5.4.3).
• Addition of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Bermuda, and Greenland
• County name designations for all US locations
• Ability to save and simultaneously view multiple reports for
routing, mileage, fuel tax, etc.
• Reports and maps that can be exported via clipboard for use
with spreadsheet, word processing and database software
• Multiple route generation with on-screen comparison to
determine best route
• Ability to customize place names to conform to the name of your
facilities and customer locations
• RouteMap, "the electronic road atlas" that generates map
quality graphics
• Ability to point and click on the map to select origin, stop-offs
and destination
• Mouse-driven map customization
• Ability to enter different cost and time estimates for empty or
loaded miles
• Hub mode determines routing, total mileage and state mileage
summaries from a central origin point to unlimited destinations
• Unlimited number of stop-off locations
• Optimal sequencing of stop-offs
• DOT hours of service breaks included in driving instructions
• State/Country mileage summaries including ferry miles
• Latitude/Longitude routing that generates point to point routes
and mileages between Lat/Long coordinates
• Ability to add custom routing points
• Automatic saving of map and window workspace settings
• Speed limits by state and province
• Easy to use, comprehensive on-line Help
• U.S. Depatement of Defense compliance
 Introduction 3

1.2 What can PC*MILER be used for?

You can use PC*MILER for:

• Mileage calculations for Shortest, Practical, National

Network and Toll Discouraged Routes
• Dispatching/Routing
• Driver pay
• Rate determination
• Instant customer quotes
• Fuel tax reporting
• Trip time and/or cost estimation
• Empty and loaded mile reporting
• Sequencing stop-offs in optimal order
• Freight bill auditing
• IFTA and IRP auditing
• FHWA safety auditing
• Hazardous material routing (PC*MILER/HAZMAT,
available as an add-on data module)

1.3 The PC*MILER Family of Products

PC*MILER is part of the PC*MILER family of products, which includes the

following:

PC*MILER/STREETS is the first-ever commercial street-level routing,

mileage and mapping software. It includes all the features and
functionality of PC*MILER, with the underlying road network containing an
enhanced U.S. street-level network. It automatically provides precise turn-
by-turn directions and drive times between 100 million U.S. addresses.
PC*MILER/STREETS can maximize operational efficiencies with user
customized street-level routing preferences, unlimited stop optimization
within ZIP codes and cities, and map quality graphics that enable you to
visualize operations at the street level.

PC*MILER/WORLDWIDE generates point-to-point distances between

locations in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and
Oceania. The PC*MILER/WORLDWIDE database includes over 330,000
locations and over 6 million kilometers of road.

PC*MILER/HAZMAT generates point-to-point routes, distances, and driving

instructions over North America. It contains all the features of PC*MILER,
plus the ability to generate routes constrained by US federal, state, and
local hazardous materials restrictions. PC*MILER/HAZMAT enables users
4 PC*MILER User’s Guide

to run Practical, Shortest, National Network and Toll Discouraged routes

for the following types of hazardous materials: General, Explosives,
Inhalants, and Radioactives.

PC*FUELTAX® is the only fuel and mileage tax reporting software with
current on-line tax forms and rates for all jurisdictions. Its unique
seamless PC*MILER interface generates state mileage summaries within
the on-line trip sheet. PC*FUELTAX fully automates all aspects of fuel and
mileage tax tracking, calculation and reporting for motor carriers, private
fleets and owner/operators.

PC*MILER/EUROPE is the first-ever European commercial routing,

mileage, and mapping software. It provides highway routing between all
European countries within Eastern and Western Europe, Great Britain,
Scandinavia, and the former Soviet Union. It features the same
functionality as PC*MILER.

PC*MILER/SPREADSHEETS generates point-to-point mileages and drive

times within spreadsheet software. PC*MILER/SPREADSHEETS provides
instant mileage calculations to assist in price quotes, driver pay, load
matching, billing, driver log auditing, lane analysis, rate negotiation, bid
preparation, logistics analysis, strategic planning, freight cost analysis and
freight bill auditing.

PC*MILER/MAPPING enhances PC*MILER by adding the ability to display

routes and geographical data on maps for real time dispatch and
operations analysis. Spreadsheet and database software users are able
to plot data as icons, lines and customized routes from data within
Microsoft® Excel® and Microsoft Access®. Software developers can also
include PC*MILER/MAPPING commands in their own custom applications.
PC*MILER/MAPPING lets users:

• Visualize geographic relationships in your data

• Integrate PC*MILER functionality into a Web-based software
solution
• Integrate real-time maps into your dispatch operation
• Create "what-if" scenarios for complicated logistics problems
• Track equipment location and status in real time
• Display detailed fleet and facility data in a pop-up window with
the click of the mouse
• Customize icons and colors on the map to differentiate your
data
 Introduction 5

PC*MILER/SERVER offers transportation professionals and software

developers access to the full range of PC*MILER routes, mileages and
reports, including driving times, state-by-state mileages, detailed driving
instructions and stop optimization. It is designed to fulfill all the routing
and mileage reporting needs of Windows-based transportation and
logistics management software systems. PC*MILER/SERVER can also be
used to integrate PC*MILER functionality into a Web-based software
solution.

PC*MILER/ETASERVER works with PC*MILER to continually calculate a

vehicle’s estimated time of arrival while it is en route. It also instantly
performs Out of Route calculations to determine new times, directions,
and distances when a vehicle deviates from the planned route. By using
PC*MILER/ETASERVER, tracking a fleet becomes a more accurate,
immediate, and flexible process.

PC*MILER/BATCHPRO is an optional add-on batch processing module for

PC*MILER that can read/write ASCII text files. PC*MILER/BATCHPRO
allows PC*MILER to be integrated with most transportation and logistics
management systems. It also permits the simultaneous processing of
large volumes of origin/destination pairs, entered as city/state
combinations, ZIP codes, or latitude/longitude points.
PC*MILER/BATCHPRO offers exceptional speed, ease of use, and flexibility
and can be integrated with standard database and spreadsheet software.

PC*RAIL® is the only North American railroad routing and mileage

software. It includes 210,000 miles of rail line, 53,000 freight stations and
over 580 railroads. PC*RAIL Connectivity Products also allow full
integration of PC*RAIL routing and mileage information with your
transportation and logistics management software systems.

SPLC and Canadian Postal Code add-on modules are also available for
use with PC*MILER. These modules enable PC*MILER users to enter
SPLC’s and Canadian place names as stops on a route.

1.4 How does PC*MILER generate mileages and routes?

Following is a description of the PC*MILER database, and how the

program calculates distances and routing.

1.4.1 Database

All PC*MILER products are based on ALK Associates' proprietary

computer representation of the North American highway system. The
mileages contained in PC*MILER are derived from official State highway
 6 PC*MILER User’s Guide

maps, State DOT maps, county maps, local maps, and information
received from thousands of industry contacts.

All Interstate, Federal and all truck-usable State highways are included.
The present North American Network contains over 656,700 miles of
highway throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It contains
over 284,400 locations which allow PC*MILER to generate billions of
origin-destination mileages and route listings. These locations include
13,500 US and Canadian exit numbers, as well as all US 5-digit ZIP
codes, approximately 1,700 state border crossings, 4,000 truck stops, 850
US Department of Defense military installations, all highway junctions and
more than 303,800 cities, towns, and points of interest. ALK now offers
separate add-on data modules containing 734,000 six-digit Canadian
Postal Codes and more than 108,000 SPLC Codes.

1.4.2 Distance Calculation

Distances and routing directions are calculated by first determining which

roads a vehicle will travel over to get between two points and then adding
up the distances over each section of road to arrive at a total mileage,
similar to the manual task that one might follow if using an atlas.

Exact distances and driving instructions are generated if both origin and
destination points are Key Cities on the ALK Highway Network. If one of the
points is not a Key City, then the nearest Key City, in the direction of the
other point, is selected to calculate the exact portion of the trip using actual
roads. A distance estimation for the local portion of the route is then
calculated. This distance is generated from the chosen Key City to the
geographic center of the non-Key City point and added to the total distance.

al DESTINATION
I-80 Loc
I-80 3.7
27.0
30.0
ORIGIN

Due to the large number of Key Cities (at least one per county), the local
portion of any mileage calculation is usually a very small percentage of the
total distance.
 Introduction 7

1.4.3 PC*MILER Practical Routes

PC*MILER Practical Routes represent distances and driving routes that a

driver would normally take to minimize time and cost. Practical Routes
model the trade-off between taking the most direct path and staying on
major, high quality highways. Interstate highways are given a higher
priority than toll roads, which in turn are given a higher priority than
secondary highways, and so on. Routing instructions and mileages can
be used when actual travel distances and directions are needed.

PC*MILER Practical routings consider distance, road quality, terrain,

urban/rural classifications, truck-restricted roads, and designated principal
and secondary through routes.

PC*MILER Practical Route mileages and state-by-state mileage

breakdowns can be used to supplement your regular fuel tax reporting
documents for many states. Many state audit departments have
purchased licenses to incorporate PC*MILER into their audit procedures.

⇒ NOTE: A PC*MILER user may still be assessed additional taxes even

by those states using PC*MILER in their audit procedures. However,
your chances of being assessed additional taxes greatly diminishes by
utilizing a computerized mileage system in conjunction with your driver
logs, trip sheets, invoices, and bills of lading.

In order to minimize the possibility of significant tax assessments, you

must verify that the PC*MILER-generated route is the same as that
reported on your driver logs and/or trip sheets. In addition, the carrier
must add the appropriate vicinity miles to the PC*MILER generated
mileages so that the following equation is true:

TOTAL ODOMETER MILES = PC*MILER Miles + Vicinity Miles

⇒ NOTE: PC*MILER accounts for some vicinity miles if non-Keypoints

(generally ZIP code locations and/or place names not associated with the
downtown metropolitan area) are used as stop-off locations.

ALK Associates continues to work closely with the member states of the
International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) and the International Registration
Plan (IRP). Currently there are over 40 IFTA/IRP states using PC*MILER
as an auditing tool in their fuel and mileage tax audit procedures.
 8 PC*MILER User’s Guide

1.4.4 PC*MILER Shortest Routes

PC*MILER Shortest Routes represent distances and driving routes that a

vehicle would take to minimize total distance travelled while still following
a reasonable route. For instance, Shortest Route mileages and routes will
also avoid truck-restricted roads and, in some cases, may favor a beltway
rather than travelling directly through a city.

ALK maintains that carriers and shippers alike would all be better served
by using a mileage tariff based on actual miles travelled (i.e. similar to
those generated using the PC*MILER Practical Route option), which
would more accurately reflect true transportation costs.

1.4.5 PC*MILER National Network Routes

The National Network is a government-designated system of highways

originally established by the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of
1982. This routing option is based on the federally-designated National
Network system updated in the April, 1992 Code of Federal Regulations,
Part 658, Appendix A. The National Network includes the Interstate
System (several minor segments are not included), and many selected US
and state highways. Highways continue to be added to the National
Network by federal and state governments.

PC*MILER represents distances and driving routes which are most

reasonable and legal for the larger trucks authorized by the Surface
Transportation Assistance Act of 1982.

National Network routing stays on the National Network to the maximum

extent possible. Given that many areas are not directly served by the
National Network, the origin and stop-offs of your route may not be on the
National Network. In these cases PC*MILER will take the shortest
reasonable path from the origin and stop-offs to the Network. PC*MILER
National Network routing will flag with a question mark (?) any road
segments not designated as National Network in the detailed route report.
Those road segments should be checked before travel.

National Network mileages tend to be higher than Shortest or Practical mileages.

These designated highways permit, at a minimum, 102" wide, single 48 ft.

trailers and tandem 28 ft. trailers. The Interstate system and most, but
not all, remaining designated routes are open to 80,000 pound vehicles.
Certain states, notably Arkansas and Mississippi, have designated certain
National Network segments with less than an 80,000 pound capacity.
 Introduction 9

In addition to the National Network highways, access routes and access

policies are components of routing STAA dimensioned trucks. The
Federal government has mandated that no state may prohibit travel from
the National Network for a minimum of one road mile unless safety
restrictions apply. Additionally, no state may deny reasonable access to
terminals and facilities for food, fuel, repairs and rest.

Several states maintain more generous access policies and lists of

specifically designated access routes to terminals and facilities. (See
Appendix A for the current status of access policies. For detailed
information about pre-approved access routes, contact the individual
states). Should you need to travel beyond the National Network and
beyond the access roads, you must acquire the proper permit.

⇒ NOTE: These suggested National Network routings are based on official

highway maps, the Code of Federal Regulations, and information provided
by state governments. It is provided without a warranty of any kind. The
user assumes full responsibility for any delay, expense, loss, or damage
which may occur as a result of its use.

⇒ Also NOTE: There are no National Network road segments in Mexico

and Canada.

1.4.6 PC*MILER Toll Discouraged Routes

For carriers who desire to avoid long stretches of toll roads, ALK provides
a Toll Discouraged routing option. Based on PC*MILER Practical Routes,
Toll Discouraged routing will avoid long stretches of toll roads but will not
take long, impractical detours to avoid toll bridges and tunnels. For
example, a routing from Boston, MA to Albany, NY will avoid the
Massachusetts Turnpike, but a routing from Camden, NJ to Philadelphia,
PA will include a toll bridge.

1.5 How do I file PC*MILER-based tariffs?

The ICC Termination Act of 1995 has eliminated tariff filing requirements
for motor carriers. Therefore, by simply owning a legal copy of PC*MILER
you may use the mileages contained therein for your rate determinations.
There is no need to participate in a mileage tariff and therefore no need to
file a Power of Attorney.

⇒ NOTE: There may be some federally mandated filing requirements if

there are joint motor-water rates and shipments that involve going to or
from non-contiguous U. S. states or territories.
 10 PC*MILER User’s Guide

1.6 About This Manual

This manual is divided into seven parts. Part 1 is a general introduction to

PC*MILER. Part 2 gives detailed installation instructions and other
information about getting started. ALL users should review Part 2,
Installation Procedure and Startup, before installing PC*MILER.

Part 3 details the basic operation of PC*MILER. Part 4 describes all the
special additional features found in PC*MILER. Part 5 describes how to
use the RouteMap window for graphic display of generated routes. Part 6
contains information about PC*MILER technical support and updates.
Part 7 gives you a general introduction to ALK Associates, Inc.
 11

2.0 INSTALLATION PROCEDURE and STARTUP

Before trying to install PC*MILER, please make sure that you have the
proper hardware and software configuration needed to run the program.

2.1 System Requirements

• IBM Personal Computer 486 (or better) or 100% IBM compatible

personal computer
• Random Access Memory: 8 Megabytes necessary; 16 Megabytes
recommended
• Hard Disk: At least 55 Megabytes of available disk space
• Windows 95/ 98/ 2000 or Windows NT
• Printer (optional)
• A graphics adapter card must be installed in your PC in order to run
Windows. At least a VGA card/color monitor combination is
recommended. If you are unsure of your equipment configuration,
check with your computer dealer.
• A 100% Microsoft compatible mouse
• (Strongly recommended) A math coprocessor will provide much faster
RouteMap response time for graphic display of generated routes.
• All PC*MILER software, databases and auxiliary files are provided on
the installation diskettes or the CD-ROM which accompanied this
manual.

2.2 Installing PC*MILER

PC*MILER is available on a CD-ROM. You must install the program on

your local hard drive or on a network in order to run it. Before installation,
you should verify that your Windows system is working properly. To do
this, try using the notepad and running a test print.

Section 2.2.1 explains how to install PC*MILER from the CD-ROM to your
local hard drive. Section 2.2.2 covers network installation, and section
2.2.3 describes how to create a batch file that enables network
adminstrators to install the application on multiple workstations without
having to go around to each one.
 12 PC*MILER User’s Guide

2.2.1 Installing PC*MILER To Your Hard Drive

To install from a CD-ROM to your hard drive, follow these steps:

STEP 1: First start Windows, then place the CD-ROM in the appropriate
drive.

STEP 2: Now follow the instructions on your screen. To move between

entry fields use your mouse or the Tab key. Enter your name,
company name and serial number. Select the appropriate drive
and folder where you want PC*MILER installed.

STEP 3: The installation will create a new "PC*MILER 14" folder in the
Windows Start menu under Programs. It will also place a
PC*MILER icon on your desktop.

If you are upgrading from an older version of PC*MILER, be sure to

delete the older version after installation of the new version is complete.
The older version will be in a different folder. Delete all files from that
folder, or run the uninstall program on your PC if it is available (look in the
Control Panel for Add/Remove Programs).

⇒ IMPORTANT NOTE: If you want to retain the Custom Places and Custom
Roads from your older version of PC*MILER, be sure to copy the
appropriate files first. (See section 3.10, Using the Custom Place
Manager, or section 5.4.3, Using the Custom Roads Manager for
instructions.)

2.2.2 Network Installation

⇒ NOTE: For network administrators who would like to install PC*MILER on

multiple workstations without going to all of them individually, section 2.2.3
describes how to create a batch file that can be sent via e-mail to users.
Users can then easily install PC*MILER themselves.

Follow the steps for installing PC*MILER on your hard drive (section
2.2.1), but select your network drive instead of the hard drive when
indicating where you want the program installed (Step 2). Make sure that
you have write permission to the folder you want to install to.

After installing PC*MILER to the network drive, you must run Setup on
each individual PC or workstation. To do this, in the Windows Program
Manager, choose Run from the Start/File menu and type

n:\pmw140\ setup <ENTER>

 Installation Procedure and Startup 13

where "n" is the letter that designates the network drive and "pmw140" is
the PC*MILER folder on the network.

On each PC, the installation will create a new “PC*MILER 14” folder in the
Windows Start menu under Programs. It will also place a PC*MILER
icon on your desktop.

⇒ Also NOTE: If you have installed additional PC*MILER add-on modules,

the setup program will configure each workstation to run all of the
PC*MILER components.

2.2.3 Batch Installation For Network Administrators

For network administrators who would like to install PC*MILER on multiple

workstations without going to all of them individually, the steps below
describe how to create a batch file that can be sent via e-mail to users.
Users can then easily install PC*MILER themselves.

STEP 1: Install PC*MILER to the file server, e.g. F:\pmw2000.

STEP 2: On one workstation go to Start > Run and type:

F:\pmw2000\setup.exe [space] –r
(The “-r” prompt creates a file in \Windows or \Winnt called
setup.iss that holds the answers to the ishiled prompts.)

STEP 3: Move setup.iss to F:\pmw2000.

STEP 4: Create a batch file called pmwinst.bat which would contain the
following:

F:\pmw2000\setup.exe [space] –s
Exit

STEP 5: Send users the batch file through e-mail and have them double-
click on the attachment. It will invisibly run the mini-setup on their
workstations and install PC*MILER, they won’t need to do anything
more.

2.3 Starting PC*MILER

To start PC*MILER once the installation is complete, click the “PC*MILER

14” icon your desktop OR click the Windows Start button, select
Programs, choose “PC*MILER 14”, then select “PC*MILER”.
 14 PC*MILER User’s Guide

2.4 On-line Help and User’s Guide for PC*MILER

PC*MILER includes a complete system of on-line Help that's easy to use.

Use the Table of Contents, index, or word search to navigate to the topics
you need (these features are now accessible from the same window as
the topic text). You can also click on the green underlined words in the
topic text for more information.

On-line Help can be accessed through the Help menu or by clicking on the
Help button in a PC*MILER dialog box or panel. PC*MILER Help buttons
are context-sensitive, which means that the Help invoked with a button will
pertain to the open dialog box or panel. From there, you can search for
Help on other subjects if you like.

From the Help menu, selecting Contents will open a help window with two
panes. The left pane will display a Table of Contents that lists topics of
general interest. Click any plus sign next to a topic to see the “pages”
underneath. Double-click on any page to open it in the right pane of the
help window. For more information on Help, select Using Help from the
Help menu.

In addition to on-line Help files, the PC*MILER installation gives you the
option of installing Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 so you can view this
User’s Guide on-line and print it. If you choose not to install Acrobat along
with PC*MILER, you may want to install or reinstall it at a later date. To
do this, run the ar40eng.exe file, located in the Acrobat folder inside the
folder where PC*MILER was installed (usually pmw140 by default).

⇒ NOTE: Users of Acrobat Reader 3.0x or earlier will have to exit the
Reader 4.0 installation, uninstall their earlier version of Reader, and then
reinstall version 4.0.
 15

3.0 BASIC ROUTING

When you first open PC*MILER, an active route entry window is displayed
inside the PC*MILER main window as shown below:

Menu Bar
Tool Bar

Route Options
Stop Entry

Stop List

RouteMap
Window

Initial View of PC*MILER

You'll be using the Stop field in the route entry window to enter stops
along your route. The stops you enter will appear in the stop list, which
can be scrolled if necessary. After you run your route, the mileage, time
and cost information generated for the route will appear in the columns to
the right of the stop list.

You will also see an icon for the minimized RouteMap window under the
route entry window. Click on this icon (or the Map button on the tool bar)
to open the RouteMap window.

At the top of the screen is a menu bar containing eight pull-down menus.
Below the menus you'll see a tool bar containing buttons. Clicking on any
one of these buttons will quickly issue the command or function it
symbolizes. To see a brief description of each of these functions, pass
your cursor (by moving the mouse) over each button without clicking. As
your cursor touches each button, a description of its function appears in
the message area (lower left corner of the screen). Try using the New
button to open a new route entry window. Then close it again using the
Close Route command in the File menu.
 16 PC*MILER User’s Guide

⇒ NOTE: If you're working in VGA mode, you may not be able to see the
whole tool bar (the right end may be cut off). To see the whole tool bar,
you need to select Small Buttons from the sub-menu of Tool Bar in the
Tools menu. This will shrink the buttons on the tool bar so the whole bar
is visible. You'll notice when you do this that the written captions on the
buttons will disappear.

3.1 Menus and the Tool Bar

All menu commands in PC*MILER are listed and briefly explained on the
following pages. If a button on the tool bar can be used in place of a
command, a picture of that button appears next to the command. You
may want to read through this section now to get an overview of the
program, or use it later as a general reference.

3.1.1 The File Menu

Using the File menu, you can open, close, save and duplicate routes; print
graphics and reports; and exit the PC*MILER program.

New Route Open a route entry window for a new

route.

Duplicate Route Open a new route entry window and

enter a duplicate of the route in the
currently active window.

Open Route… Open a previously saved route.

Close Route Close the active route (the route will not
be saved)

Close All Routes: Close all open routes without

saving.
Reports: Close all open reports without
saving.

Save Route Save the active route with the current

filename.
Save Route As... Save the active route with a new user-
specified filename.
 Options and Additional Features 17

Print Report/Map… Print the report or map in the active

window; this menu item will say Print
Report or Print Map depending on which
window is active.

Page Setup... Open the Page Setup dialog box to

control print options.

Exit Exit PC*MILER. When you exit, all active

windows are saved as they appear on
your screen for the next time PC*MILER
is opened.

3.1.2 The Edit Menu

Use the Edit menu to copy a map or report to the clipboard for export to
another program; to insert and delete stops in the active route entry
window; and to reverse the order of all stops in the stop list.

Copy Report/Map Copy report or map to clipboard for use

with other programs; will say Copy Map
if the RouteMap window is active; or
Copy Report if a report or route entry
window is currently active.

Insert Stop Insert a stop above the one that is

highlighted on the stop list in the route
entry window.

Delete Stop Delete the stop that is highlighted on the

stop list in the route entry window.

Delete All Stops Delete all stops in the route entry window.

Reverse Stops Reverse the order of all stops in the stop

list.
 18 PC*MILER User’s Guide

3.1.3 The Map Menu

Use the Map menu to control the level of detail, the view and the contents of
the map in the RouteMap window, and to enable stop entry using the mouse.

Zoom In Zoom in by a factor of two; can be

repeated for closer views; increases detail.

Zoom Out Zoom out by a factor of two; can be

repeated; decreases detail.

Frame Choose from the sub-menu to zoom in on

and frame Routes, Bermuda, Canada,
Greenland, Hawaii, Mexico, NA, Puerto
Rico, or US window; Auto Frame Route
automatically frames all routes when they
are generated.

Features... Invoke the Features dialog box to control

which features are drawn on the map.

Redraw Redraw the current display in the

RouteMap window.

Pick/Label Choose one from the sub-menu:

Pick Stops: select to pick stops with the

mouse for route entry.

Label Cities: select to label and remove

labels from locations with the mouse.

Label Roads: select to label and remove

labels from roads with the mouse.

Favor Roads: select to mark roads to be

favored for a route.

Avoid Roads: select to mark roads to be

avoided on a route.
 Options and Additional Features 19

Toggle Overrides: enable the user to turn

certain restricted roads on and off.

Adjust for Permits: enable the user to

turn hazmat restricted roads on and off.
(For PC*MILER/HAZMAT only.)

Clear Labels: delete all labels that have

been added manually.

Detail Add to, reduce or return to the default

number of roads and place names drawn
on the map (choose More, Less, or Default
from the sub-menu); choose Use Shape
Points to show curves in roads in more
detail when zoomed in.

Stop Labels Choose whether to label stops by Name

Only, Number Only, or by Name &
Number.

Legends Show/Hide the Route Legend, Road

Legend, Scale of Miles, and/or
Restriction Legend (for PC*MILER/
HAZMAT only) (choose one or more from
the sub-menu).

3.1.4 The Route Menu

Use the Route menu to generate a route; resequence stops; and invoke
the Options and Default Options dialog boxes for setting options and
routing parameters.

Run Generate a route using the origin,

destination and stops listed in the active
route entry window.

Resequence Stops... Resequence the stops listed in the active

route entry window to achieve an optimal
stop order.
 20 PC*MILER User’s Guide

Options... Invoke the Options dialog box to set

options and routing parameters for the
current route.

Default Options... Invoke the Default Options dialog box to

set default options and routing parameters.

3.1.5 The Report Menu

Use the Report menu to generate reports; save a report to a file; and
choose the size and style of the font (characters) for reports.

Detailed Generate a Detailed Route Report for the

active route.

State/Country Generate a State/Country Mileage

Summary for the active route.

Comparison Generate a Comparison Report that

includes all open routes.

Save to File... Save the report in the active Report

window to a file (invokes the Save Report
dialog box).

Font... Choose the size and style of the font

(characters) to be used for reports..

3.1.6 The Tools Menu

Use the Tools menu to create your own custom name for a location; edit
mileages; control the appearance of the tool bar; and see a pick list of all
ZIP codes for each location entered in the route entry window.

Manage Custom Places... Open the Custom Place Manager dialog

box to assign custom names to locations
in the database.

Manage Custom Roads... Open the Custom Roads Manager to

view and edit road preferences for
custom routing.
 Options and Additional Features 21

Tool Bar Choose Large Buttons, Small Buttons,

or None from the sub-menu to expand,
shrink or hide the tool bar.

Multiple Name Instances Use Default Name: Where multiple city

names exist, use PC*MILER's default
choice.
Provide Pick List: Open a pick list of all
cities matching the name entered in the
Stop field.

Old Geocoding Mode If it is inactive, activate the old geocoding

mode used in previous versions of
PC*MILER. When activated, the city
name and state abbreviation do not need
a comma between them.

Save Preferences... Open the Save Preferences dialog to

save your workspace settings for future
use, or to automatically save these
settings each time you exit PC*MILER.

3.1.7 The Windows Menu

The Windows menu is a standard Windows feature that enables you to

rearrange the display of open windows or icons and activate minimized or
inactive windows. Open windows are shown as numbered items at the
bottom of this menu.

Cascade Cascade windows from upper left corner.

Tile Open RouteMap, Route Entry and Report

windows and organize them in a "tile"
(side by side) arrangement.

Arrange Icons Organize icons in lower left corner.

1 Route 1 Activate the route entry window for the

named route (in this case Route 1).

2 RouteMap Activate the RouteMap window if it is

minimized or inactive.
 22 PC*MILER User’s Guide

3.1.8 The Help Menu

The Help menu is a standard feature of Windows. PC*MILER's Help

menu gives you different ways to access a complete system of on-line
Help.

Contents & Index Open PC*MILER's on-line Help at the

Table of Contents (click on the Index tab
to see an index, use the Search tab to
search for a specific word or phrase).

Topic Look Up Open Help for the open dialog box or

window.

Menus Open the Menu Reference section of

Help (includes tool bar equivalents of
menu commands).

Keyboard Open a list of function keys in PC*MILER

(includes a list of equivalent functions in
DOS and Windows versions of
PC*MILER).

Using Help Open a Windows file that explains how to

use Help.

State/Country Names... Open a scrollable list of state/country

abbreviations and names (this list can
remain open as you work in PC*MILER).

About... Display general information about

PC*MILER, including version number,
serial number and name of the licensed
user.
 Options and Additional Features 23

3.1.9 PC*MILER Function Shortcut Keys

The following is a list of keystrokes in PC*MILER that provide shortcuts to

various menu commands.

Key(s) Function
F1 Invoke Topic Look Up in on-line Help
F2 Invoke the Custom Place Manager
Alt-F2 Invoke the Custom Roads Manager
F3 Open a scrollable list of state abbreviations
Alt-F3 Invoke the Options dialog box for the active route
F4 Generate a Comparison Report
Alt-F4 Exit PC*MILER
Ctrl-F4 Close (delete) the active route entry window or report window
F5 Display the Detailed Route Report for the active window
F6 Display the State/Country Mileage Summary Report
F7 Insert a stop above the one highlighted on the stop list
F8 Delete the stop that is highlighted on the stop list
Alt-F8 Delete all stops in the route entry window
F10 Generate routes and distances (Run in the Route menu)
Alt-F10 Resequence stops in an optimal route
Alt-Bkspace Undo typing in any entry field
 24 PC*MILER User’s Guide

3.1.10 For Former DOS Users: A Comparison of Functions

The table below may be helpful to former users of the DOS version of
PC*MILER who are now using PC*MILER. The last column shows you
what to do in Windows to accomplish what you used to with a function key
in DOS. Some of the function keys are the same in both versions.

KEY(S) Function in DOS What To Do In Windows

F1 Help Menu Same

F2 Exits PC*MILER Choose "Exit" from the File

menu

F3 State/Country abbreviations Same

list
F4 Change route type Go to the Options dialog
box
(use the Options button in
the route entry window)

Alt-F4 Borders open/closed menu Go to the Options dialog

box
(use the Options button in
the route entry window)
F5 Detailed Route Report Same

Alt-F5 Miles/Kilometers toggle Go to the Options dialog

box
(use the Options button in
the route entry window)

F6 State/Country Mileage Same

Summary

Alt-F6 Hub/Normal mode toggle Go to the Options dialog

box
(use the Options button in
the route entry window)
Options and Additional Features 25

KEY(S) Function in DOS In Windows

F7 Inserts stop above cursor Same

F8 Deletes the highlighted stop Same

Alt-F8 Deletes all stops in the Same

route entry window

F9 Prints reports Choose "Print Report..."

from the File menu while the
window containing the
report is active

Alt-F9 Appends multiple reports Use "Save to File" in the

Report menu, then print the
file

Ctrl-F9 Ejects a page from printer -----

F10 Generates the route ("Run") Same

Alt-F10 Resequences stops Same

Ctrl-F10 Reverses the order of stops Choose "Reverse Stops"

in the route entry window from the Edit menu

Alt-B Lists states in route- Go to the Options dialog

through order in the box
State/Country Mileage (use the Options button in
Summary the route entry window)

Alt-D Deletes a saved route Use the File Manager (a

Windows feature)

Alt-L Loads a saved route Choose "Open Route..."

from the File menu, use the
Save Route dialog box

Alt-M Memo field input Go to the Options dialog

box
(use the Options button in
the route entry window)

Alt-O Edit startup settings -----

 26 PC*MILER User’s Guide

KEY(S) Function in DOS In Windows

Alt-P Set stop-off time and cost Go to the Options dialog
box
(use the Options button in
the route entry window)

Alt-R RouteMap display Double-click on the

RouteMap icon if the
RouteMap window is
minimized

Alt-S Save Route to File Use the "Save Route" or

"Save Route As" command
in the File menu

ESC Exit pick lists and dialogs -----

3.2 Entering City Names

To generate distances and driving instructions for a route, you must first
specify an origin and destination(s) in the route entry window that appears
when you open PC*MILER. (Note that the SPLC check box in the
illustration below will only appear in the route entry window if you have
purchased the SPLC code add-on module.)

Entering Stops in the Route Entry Window

 Options and Additional Features 27

You may enter an unlimited number of stops. PC*MILER will always

consider the first stop listed in the route entry window to be the origin of
the route and the last stop to be the destination, unless you are generating
hub distances (see section 4.10).

You may input cities and towns in the route entry window in any of the
ways that are listed below and described on the following pages:

• Type the city name, followed by the state abbreviation

• Type a 5-digit ZIP code
• Type a 6-digit Canadian Postal Code (separate add-on module)
• Type a SPLC Code (separate add-on module)
• Use the Spelling Helper or a Code Helper pick list
• Use the Rapid City Lookup
• Point and click with the mouse on a location in the RouteMap
window
• Use a latitude/longitude point.

3.2.1 City Name and State Abbreviation

⇒ NOTE: PC*MILER, in its default setting, requires a comma separating the

city name and state abbreviation.

In the Stop field, type the city name and the two-letter state/province
abbreviation of the origin of your route. (The city name can be any length.)
Continue to enter stops along the route in the same way as you entered the
origin. PC*MILER will always consider the first stop listed in the route entry
window to be the origin of the route and the last stop to be the destination,
unless you are generating hub distances (see section 4.10).

After you enter a city name and state abbreviation, PC*MILER will return
the corresponding ZIP code for the city or town, providing that the locale
has a ZIP code assigned to it. The corresponding county name will also
be returned. Mexican place names do not have postal codes; Canadian
postal codes and SPLC codes can be entered only with the use of their
separate add-on data modules, available through ALK Associates.
Canadian place names can otherwise only be entered as the city name
and province abbreviation; Mexican place names can only be entered
using the city name and country abbreviation (MX).

The city and state do not need to be capitalized, but do need to be

separated by a comma. A space between the comma and the state
initials is not necessary:

chicago, il or chicago,il
 28 PC*MILER User’s Guide

If you're unsure of the correct abbreviation for a state, press the <F3> key
to bring up a scrollable list of two-letter state/province abbreviations.
Scroll the list if necessary to find the abbreviation you want. NOTE: The
State Names list is a reference list and part of PC*MILER's on-line Help,
not a pick list, so you won't be able to choose an item off the list for entry
in the Stop field. To close the window containing the list, choose Exit from
the File menu for Help.

⇒ HINT: You may want to keep the state abbreviations list open as you
work. To do this, you'll probably need to resize the window containing the
list and the PC*MILER main window.

If the city name contains two or three words, each portion of the city name
must be separated by spaces, for example

los angeles, ca
los angeles,ca
salt lake city,ut

PC*MILER will search through the database and select the ZIP code that
matches the city name you entered. In the case of large cities with
multiple ZIP codes, the match will most often be the main post office.

3.2.2 Using the Spelling Helper

Spelling Helper
 Options and Additional Features 29

If you're not sure how to spell a city name, or if you received an error
message when entering the full city name and state abbreviation, try using
the Spelling Helper. The Spelling Helper pick list can be invoked by typing
the first two or more letters of the city name followed a comma and the
two-letter state abbreviation. You must specify at least the first two letters
of the city name before typing the comma and state abbreviation.

Examples: chic,il
chi,il
los ang, ca
los a,ca

The Spelling Helper will search through the cities in the given state and
find every name that starts with the specified characters. If only one city
starts with the given characters, it will be returned immediately unless
Provide Pick List is chosen from the sub-menu of Multiple Name Instances
in the Tools menu. If multiple cities start with the same given characters,
or if a city has multiple ZIP codes, all matches will be displayed on the
screen. Scroll the list if necessary and highlight the city or ZIP code that
you wish to select, then click on OK.

Place names that are more than 32 characters long will be interrupted in
the pick list by a set of ellipses (…). When highlighted, the complete place
name will appear at the bottom of the pick list, in a scrollable display area.

3.2.3 Entering 5-digit ZIP Codes

Entering any valid 5-digit ZIP code will cause PC*MILER to search for the
corresponding city and state name and display it on the main screen next
to the ZIP code.

If you enter: 60609 PC*MILER will return: 60609 Chicago, IL, Cook

3.2.4 Using the ZIP Code Helper

If you're unsure of a particular ZIP code or if you receive an error message

when using a 5-digit ZIP code, type the first two or more digits and press
<ENTER>.
 30 PC*MILER User’s Guide

ZIP Code Helper

The ZIP Code Helper operates exactly like the Spelling Helper. If there is
only one ZIP code matching the digits you entered, it is returned
immediately unless Provide Pick List is chosen from the sub-menu of
Multiple Name Instances in the Tools menu. If there are multiple ZIP
codes having the same first digits that you entered, they will be displayed
on the screen. Scroll the list if necessary and highlight your choice, then
click on OK.

Place names that are more than 32 characters long will be interrupted in
the pick list by a set of ellipses (…). When highlighted, the complete place
name will appear at the bottom of the pick list, in a scrollable display area.

3.2.5 Canadian Postal Codes

A list of over 734,000 six-digit Canadian postal codes is available as an

add-on data module for PC*MILER. The codes are always a combination
of letters and numbers in the following format: L#L #L#. Entering any
valid Canadian postal code will cause PC*MILER to search for the
corresponding city and province name and display it on the main screen
next to the postal code.

If you enter: K7L 4E7 PC*MILER will return: K7L 4E7 Kingston, ON

This PC*MILER supplement contains a Canadian Postal Code Helper that

works in the same way as the ZIP Code Helper (see the previous section).
Type the first three or more characters of the postal code and press
 Options and Additional Features 31

<ENTER>. The more characters specified, the faster PC*MILER will

return a list of possible selections.

Place names that are more than 32 characters long will be interrupted in
the pick list by a set of ellipses (…). When highlighted, the complete place
name will appear at the bottom of the pick list, in a scrollable display area.

3.2.6 SPLC Codes

A list of SPLC codes is available as an add-on data module for

PC*MILER. A SPLC code can be entered as a stop for any location in
North America that has a SPLC assigned to it. SPLC codes may be six or
nine digits in length. To enter a SPLC, first check the SPLC box located
to the right of the Stop field, then type your entry and press <ENTER>. If
you enter a SPLC code when the SPLC box is not checked, an error
message will appear in the stop list.

Note that when a SPLC code is highlighted on the stop list, the column
heading at the top of the stop list will change from “Zip” to “SPLC”.

A SPLC Helper similar to the ZIP Code Helper (described in section 3.2.4)
is available if you need help finding the correct SPLC for a particular
location. To invoke the SPLC Helper, make sure the SPLC box is
checked, type at least the first three digits of the SPLC and press
<ENTER>.

⇒ NOTE: When the SPLC box is selected, you will not be able to enter ZIP
codes.

Place names that are more than 32 characters long will be interrupted in
the pick list by a set of ellipses (…). When highlighted, the complete place
name will appear at the bottom of the pick list, in a scrollable display area.
 32 PC*MILER User’s Guide

3.2.7 Rapid City Lookup

The Rapid City Lookup feature gives PC*MILER users greater flexibility in
the way stops are entered. This feature is automatically invoked by
entering a two-character state/province abbreviation and pressing
<ENTER>. The Rapid City Lookup screen is shown below:

Rapid City Lookup

After invoking Rapid City Lookup, begin typing the city or town name of
the location you wish to enter. As you key in characters of the city name,
PC*MILER displays a list of matching cities. As more characters are
typed, the matching cities list grows shorter. Once a unique city name is
found, it is automatically entered into the stop list in the route entry
window. This feature is most useful when unique city names exist and
you are able to access the name without keying in more than three or four
characters.

Place names that are more than 32 characters long will be interrupted in
the pick list by a set of ellipses (…). When highlighted, the complete place
name will appear at the bottom of the pick list, in a scrollable display area.
 Options and Additional Features 33

3.2.8 "Point and Click" Feature: Entering Stops from the RouteMap Window

PC*MILER gives you the capability to enter stops in the route entry
window directly from the RouteMap window without typing. You can use
the mouse to select any point on the map. If the point is a node on a
highway, the place name will be returned; otherwise, a latitude/longitude
position will be returned.

⇒ HINT: Pass your cursor over the map without pressing the mouse button.
Notice that its latitude/longitude position is automatically tracked and
appears in the status bar in the lower left corner of the program window.

To do this, first open the RouteMap window if it is minimized. Next, click

on the Pick Stops button on the tool bar or select the Pick/Label
command from the Map menu and then choose Pick Stops from the sub-
menu. Now use the mouse to point to the location you wish to enter and
click once. The selected location will be entered as a stop in the most
recently active route entry window.

3.2.9 Input Errors Encountered

One of several error messages might be returned when entering city

names and ZIP codes. If you encounter an error message then you
should try:

1. Double-checking that you separated the city

name and state abbreviation with a comma
2. Using the Spelling Helper
3. Using the exact ZIP code or the ZIP Helper

In all cases, the ZIP code takes precedence over the city and state name.
As a result, certain suburbs or small towns may not have their actual
names in the database, but rather the name of the larger nearby city. In
these cases, the 5-digit ZIP code for the smaller community will have to be
entered to achieve correct results.

3.2.10 Old Geocoding Mode

Previous versions of PC*MILER used a geocoding format which didn’t

require commas when entering stops or activating pick lists. If you would
prefer entering information this way rather than using the default format of
PC*MILER, select Old Geocoding Mode from the Tools menu.

When Old Geocoding Mode is selected, commas CANNOT be used when

entering stops or accessing pick lists. In this mode, PC*MILER
 34 PC*MILER User’s Guide

recognizes the last two letters of an entry as the state abbreviation. The
following are examples of acceptable formats:

princeton nj
LOS ANGELESCA
chic*IL
@Route 46 Truck Stop NJ

⇒ NOTE: If you are entering a “duplicate city” with its county as part of the
name, you MUST separate the state abbreviation and the county name
with a comma, even in Old Geocoding Mode. The following is the proper
format in Old Geocoding Mode:

Pine Brook NJ, Morris

Even if Old Geocoding Mode is selected, there is still no limit to the length
of place names, unlike some previous versions of PC*MILER.

For more detailed information about properly entering stops in the Old
Geocoding Mode, refer to a PC*MILER User’s Guide version 11.0 or
earlier.

3.2.11 Duplicate City Names

Several states have cities or towns that share the same name. For
example, in the state of Pennsylvania, there are two towns named Hamlin,
one in Wayne County and one in Lebanon County. The PC*MILER
database contains several thousand examples of such duplicates. In
certain circumstances, duplicates can be separately identified by means of
their differing ZIP codes. However, some duplicate towns do not have a
ZIP code assigned by the Postal Service. You can identify your desired
stop from all of its duplicate towns by the county listing in the town name.
In the database, the county name follows the state abbreviation (i.e.
Hamlin, PA, Wayne).

If you are not sure which city is the stop you want, set Multiple Name
Instances in the Tools menu to Provide Pick List, and then enter the city
name and state abbreviation. Select the correct city from the choices
provided.

If you choose Use Default Name in Multiple Name Instances, PC*MILER

will select a default city, predetermined by the U.S. Postal Service. The
default city’s selection is based on such factors as population and
geographic centrality.
 Options and Additional Features 35

If you know the county in which the duplicate city is located, you can enter
that exact city in the stop entry field. Do so by entering the city and state
names in a normal fashion, followed by a comma and the county name.
Your entry must be in one of the following formats:

hamlin, pa, wayne

hamlin, pa,wayne
hamlin,pa, wayne
hamlin,pa,wayne

⇒ NOTE: If you are working in Old Geocoding Mode, you still MUST
separate the state abbreviation and the county name with a comma.

You can also use the Spelling Helper or Rapid City Lookup from the route
entry window to select the correct city based on its county shown in the
pick list. By default, the town with a ZIP code will be entered when using
the city/state entry.

In Canada, duplicate city names are found in the same provinces.

PC*MILER identifies the town by assigning a county or touristic region
code to it. The code is listed after the province abbreviation in the same
way that the county name follows the US city name. A complete listing of
these codes can be found in Appendix B and the on-line Help.

Mexico also contains duplicate names, which can be distinguished from one
another by the states in which they are located. PC*MILER lists all Mexican
stops with their state names included, in the format (city name), MX, (state
name). An example of a duplicate Mexican city name is:

Guadalajara, MX, Chihuahua

Guadalajara, MX, Jalisco

3.3 Synonym Table

When you enter a city name that contains an abbreviated word such as
"Bch" for "Beach" or "St" for "Saint", the Synonym Table helps PC*MILER
successfully locate the city you entered. If you try to enter a place name
that contains such an abbreviation and receive an error message, try
entering the name using a different abbreviation or spelling out the whole
word. But note that only one synonym can be used per place name,
e.g. "E Saint Louis" is valid, whereas "E St Louis" is not.

The following is an excerpt from the Synonym Table. The table is

contained in a file called "SYNONYM.TAB" in the PCMILER data folder.
 36 PC*MILER User’s Guide

BEACH/BCH/BCH./BEAC/BEA/
BLUFFS/BLFS/BLF/BLUF/BLUFS/
CAMP/CP/CP./
CENTER/CTR/CTR./CEN/CENT/
CITY/CY/CY./CIT/CI/CTY/
EAST/E/E./EST/EAS/
FALLS/FLS/FLS./FALL/FAL/
FORT/FT/FT./FRT/
SAINT/ST/STE/SAINTE/ST./STE/

The syntax for each line is:

<translated name>/<possible abbreviations of the translated name>

For example, in the first line, "BEACH" is the translated name and "BCH/
BCH./ BEAC/ BEA" are the possible abbreviations. Note that there is one
forward slash [/] separating each of the abbreviations.

PC*MILER only uses the Synonym Table when an input city name is not
found. For example, if you were to enter "ST LOUIS, CA", PC*MILER will
make the translation to "SAINT" based on the Synonym Table.

3.3.1 Modifying the Synonym Table

Using any standard text editor in DOS or Windows, you can easily modify
the Synonym Table to include more abbreviations. Additional lines must
follow these guidelines:

• Each line in the file can contain abbreviations for only one
translated name.
• The first word in the line must be the translated name or a
ZIP/postal code. This word can be any length.
• All abbreviations for the translated name must be
separated by a forward slash [/] following the translated
name. Each abbreviation can be any length and can
include spaces.
• The total length of each line must be less than 80
characters, and the total number of lines cannot exceed
2,000.
• Each line must end in a forward slash.
 Options and Additional Features 37

3.4 Border Crossings

In PC*MILER, it is possible to access state border crossings using the

PC*MILER border crossing naming convention. Border crossing names
have the following syntax:
XXYY Name, XX

where XX is the two-letter abbreviation of the state that is first in

alphabetical order, YY is the abbreviation of the state that is second in
alphabetical order, and Name is the route name of the route that crosses
the border (there is no limit to the number of characters in a route name).
In cases where the road name is different on either side of the border, the
road name used is the one that lies within the state first in alphabetical
order. For example, the border along Interstate 95 between Pennsylvania
and New Jersey is called

NJPA I95, NJ

To quickly locate all possible border crossings between two states, use
the [*] wildcard character. For example:

NJPA *, NJ

will bring up the pick list illustrated below. This pick list, similar to the lists
generated by the Spelling and ZIP Code Helpers, lists all
Pennsylvania/New Jersey border crossings:

Pick List of PA/NJ Border Crossings

 38 PC*MILER User’s Guide

Border cossing names that are more than 32 characters long will be
interrupted by a set of ellipses (…). When highlighted, the complete place
name will appear at the bottom of the pick list, in a scrollable display area.

3.5 Highway Junctions

PC*MILER allows you to access highway junctions between major road

types in the United States and Canada.

Entering highway junctions is easiest when you use the Spelling Helper as
follows: enter the abbreviation for the state where the junction is located.
This will open the Spelling Helper. Then type “+”, bringing you to the
section of the Spelling Helper that lists all highway junctions. Highlight
your choice, and click OK.

Highway junctions can also be accessed in a manner similar to that used

to access border crossings. In the junction naming convention, the plus
sign [+] designates a junction point. The first route name is the lower
numbered one, and the second route name is the higher numbered one.
The route names are followed by the abbreviation of the state in which the
junction is located. An example of this is:

+I 65 I 465E, IN

To access junctions where road types differ, the higher level road must be
entered first, regardless of road number. For example:

+I 95 LCL505, NJ
+US 1 NJ 18, NJ

As with other PC*MILER features, a pick list can be generated which

displays all the junctions for a particular highway. For example:

+US 1*, NJ

will bring up a pick list of every junction in PA involving I80.

Highway junctions that are more than 32 characters long will be

interrupted in the pick list by a set of ellipses (…). When highlighted, the
complete place name will appear at the bottom of the pick list, in a
scrollable display area.

In cases where two junctions by the same highway pair occur within the
same state, the junctions are designated by a location direction (N,S,E,W)
relative to the location of the other junction. For example:
 Options and Additional Features 39

+I 80 US 206W, NJ

is located one mile west of

+I 80 US 206E, NJ

To designate interstate highways, use the naming convention I. For US

highways, use US. For state or provincial highways, use the standard
two-letter abbreviation. For example:

I 380 or US 101 or PA 100

When using the Rapid City Lookup feature, the highway junctions are
found immediately after the last town in the listing.

⇒ NOTE: There are some highway junctions which are truck-inaccessible.

When you enter an inaccessible junction as a stop, an alert message is
returned in the stop list which reads <<Truck-inaccessible location>>.
This junction will not be recognized as a stop.

3.6 Highway Exits

To enter a highway exit as a stop in the route entry window, type the
highway name, a comma, and the abbreviation for the state where the exit
is located. For example:

I 95, NJ (note the space between “I” and “95”)

When you press <Enter>, a pick list of all exits on highway I 95 in New
Jersey will open. Make your selection and click OK.
 40 PC*MILER User’s Guide

3.7 Latitude/Longitude Points

PC*MILER enables you to enter latitude/longitude points as stops on a

route. These points can be entered in degrees minutes seconds
direction format (e.g. 0401750N,0742131W) or decimal degrees (e.g.
40.123N,100.333W). Lat/long points will be labelled in the RouteMap
window just like other stops. . Lat/longs can be entered by clicking on the
map wherever a node is not present.

3.8 Truck Stop Locations

In cooperation with Comdata™, the PC*MILER database contains more

than 4,000 truck stops used in Comdata’s GeoFuel 2000™ Fuel and
Routing Optimization Software. These Fuel Stops can be accessed in the
same way as other places in the PC*MILER database, and can be used
as stops on your PC*MILER routings. To access a truck stop from the
main screen, you may type it in directly, use the Spelling Helper, or the
Rapid City Lookup feature.
Options and Additional Features 41

Truck Stop Pick List

The syntax for truck stops is comprised of the "at" symbol [@] marking the
entry as a truck stop, the truck stop name, and the state in which the
truck stop is located. An example is:

@Route 46 Truck Stop, NJ

To find truck stops using the Spelling Helper, you must use the [@]
symbol, the first letter of the truck stop's name, and the two-letter state
abbreviation preceded by a comma. For example, typing @A*, AL will
produce a pick list of all Comdata’s listed truck stops in Alabama
beginning with the letter "A".

Truck stops that are more than 32 characters long will be interrupted in the
pick list by a set of ellipses (…). When highlighted, the complete place
name will appear at the bottom of the pick list, in a scrollable display area.

In the Rapid City Lookup feature, truck stops are listed at the end of the
list, after the highway junction points. To jump directly to the list of truck
stops, press “@”.
 42 PC*MILER User’s Guide

3.9 Inserting and Deleting Stops

Either choose Insert Stop from the Edit menu or press the <F7> key to
insert a stop. The stop will be inserted above the one that is currently
highlighted on the stop list.

To delete a stop, highlight it on the list and choose Delete Stop from the
Edit menu or press the <F8> key.

To delete all stops from the currently active route entry window, choose
Delete All Stops from the Edit menu or press <Alt> and <F8>
simultaneously.

3.10 Using the Custom Place Manager to Customize Location

Names

PC*MILER gives you the capability to assign your own names to locations
in the PC*MILER database. To do this, choose Manage Custom Places...
from the Tools menu or press <F2> to bring up the Custom Place
Manager dialog box.

Enter the name you wish to assign in the Custom Name field (lower left
corner) and the proper name of the location in the Location field. (The
Spelling Helper is available to help you enter city names in the Location
field.) Then click on Add. There is no limit to the number of characters in
the custom name.

Any type of location that can be entered in the route entry window can be
used in the Custom Place Manager. An entry in the Location field can
also be made by clicking on the map.

You will see your entry appear in the list of custom places. Your custom
point may now be entered as a stop in the route entry window. It will
appear on the stop list with an asterisk next to it, enabling you to identify
those stops on a route that have customized names. While the Custom
Place Manager is open, you can enter a custom point as a stop in the
currently active route entry window by highlighting it on the list and then
clicking on Pick Stop.

Custom names and locations that are more than 32 characters long will be
interrupted in by a set of ellipses (…). When highlighted, the complete
place name will appear at the bottom of the list, in a scrollable display
area.
Options and Additional Features 43

Custom Place Manager

To delete a place from the list, highlight it on the list and click on Delete.
Use the Delete All button to delete all custom places. Any changes to the
list of custom places are saved when you exit PC*MILER. An unlimited
number of custom places may be created.

⇒ NOTE: You can convert saved Custom Places from PC*MILER versions
12.0, 12.1, or 2000. Copy the alias.dat file from your older version of
PC*MILER into your new installation by placing it in the NA/Options folder
in the PC*MILER application folder. The next time you start PC*MILER,
the custom places will be converted. (The only points that will not be
converted are those ZIP codes or cities which are not included in the
PC*MILER database. If your old Custom Places file contains any
outdated points, an error file will be created. A dialog box will appear that
informs you that PC*MILER could not convert the file, and tells you where
the error file is located.)
⇒ Also NOTE: Canadian postal codes and SPLC codes can be entered as
custom places, if you purchased the necessary add-on data modules.
Custom places using Canadian postal codes and SPLC codes are created
in the same manner as ZIP codes. However, SPLC customers must be
sure that the SPLC box in the Custom Place Manager is selected before
entering the SPLC code.
 44 PC*MILER User’s Guide

3.11 Creating Custom Latitude/Longitude Points in the Database

You can create custom places in the PC*MILER database by using the
Custom Place Manager (see the previous section) to assign a name of
your choosing to a latitude/longitude point. For instance, you could type
“My House” in the Custom Name field, and “40n,100w” in the Location
field. After you add this name to the list, you’ll be able to enter “My
House” as a stop on your route.

Another way to do this is to click on any point on the map in the RouteMap
window while the Custom Place Manager is open. The latitude and
longitude for the point you selected will be entered in the Location field.
You can then type your custom name in the Custom Point field and click
Add to add it to the database.

3.12 Generating A Route

For a route to be generated, there must be a valid origin and at least one
valid stop entered in the route entry window. To generate the route, click
on the Run button in the route entry window (or press the <F10> key or
choose Run from the Route menu). You will see messages that tell you
which part of the route is currently being processed. Mileages and time
and cost estimates will appear to the right of each stop on the list.

Generated Route in the Route Entry Window

 Options and Additional Features 45

The default route type in PC*MILER is the Practical Route. To change to

a different route type, use the Options dialog box described in section 4.6.

3.13 Generating Multiple Routes

For comparison purposes, you may want to route through different

locations while keeping the routes you already generated. You can do this
by simply opening a new route entry window for each route you run. Use
the New Route command in the File menu or click on the New Route
button on the tool bar.

You may keep up to eight route entry windows open simultaneously. The
active route window will have a highlighted title bar at the top. All routes
will be displayed in different colors in the RouteMap window when it is
open. Use the Route Legend to identify each route (select Legends from
the Map menu).

Reports can be run for each generated route; each report will appear in a
separate window. Using the Windows menu can help you find and
activate a route or report window when you have multiple windows open.

3.14 Duplicating a Route for Easy Comparison

To duplicate an open route (one that you've already entered), choose

Duplicate Route from the File menu either before or after the route has
been run. A new route entry window opens that contains your duplicated
route. This option makes it easy to compare different route types (for
instance, Shortest and Practical) for the same route.
 47

4.0 OPTIONS and ADDITIONAL FEATURES

The following advanced options and features are available in PC*MILER
and are covered in this chapter:

• State/Country Mileage Summary

• Detailed Driving Instructions
• Comparison Report
• PC*MILER Report Customization
• Copy Report/Map to Clipboard or File
• Route Parameters Editing
• Cost and/or Time Estimation for Empty/Loaded Miles
• User Defined Stop-Off Time and Cost
• User Defined Break Time
• Route Sequencing
• Reversal of Stop Order
• Hub Distance Generator
• Trip Saving and Retrieval
• Route Customization

4.1 State/Country Mileage Summary Report

After a route is generated, you can click on the State/Country Report

button on the tool bar (or press the <F6> key or select State/Country from
the Reports menu) to display a table summarizing mileages by state and
country (US, Canada or Mexico) travelled. Toll/free, empty/loaded, and
ferry mileages are listed in addition to total miles.

4.1.1 Order of States in the State/Country Mileage Summary Report

In the State/Country Mileage Summary Report, the states and countries

are normally displayed in alphabetical order (this is the default order,
shown in the illustration on the next page). To display them in the order in
which the route travels through them, click on the Options button in the
route entry window and choose Route Order under Order Report.
States/countries will now appear on the report as they would in a driver
log.
 48 PC*MILER User’s Guide

State/Country Mileage Report

4.2 Detailed Route Report (Driving Instructions)

After generating a route, click on the Detail Report button on the tool bar
(or press the <F5> key or select Detailed from the Reports menu) to
display detailed driving instructions as shown below:

Detailed Route Report

The columns from left to right in the Detailed Route Report give you the
following information for each route segment: state, toll or free road,
 Options and Additional Features 49

direction of travel, route, segment distance, driving time, interchange

point, leg mileage and time, cumulative trip mileage and total trip time. It
also includes time and cost for each stop, and empty/loaded status for
each leg; and indicates when a break should be taken if the number of on-
duty hours allowed between breaks was specified for the route. Stop
times and costs, empty/loaded mileages, and break time information are
calculated using input entered in the Options dialog box (see section 4.6).

Conventions used in the Detailed Report are:

$ -- marks the segment as a toll road.

? -- in the National Network routing option, marks segments

that are not designated as National Network.

For Direction of Travel: N North

S South
E East
W West

The Detailed Route Report for routes generated with PC*MILER/HAZMAT

(available as an add-on data module) includes a Restrictions column. If
you generate a route using one of the hazardous material route types,
restricted route segments in this column will be labelled with the
appropriate HazMat restriction type. Routes designated as preferred for
hazardous materials will not be indicated on the report.

4.3 Comparison Report

Choose Comparison from the Report menu or click on the Comparison

Report button on the tool bar to generate a Comparison Report that lists
the total mileage and cost and time estimates for all generated, currently
open routes.

Comparison Report
 50 PC*MILER User’s Guide

4.4 Printing Reports

To print a report, choose Print Report... from the File menu or click on the
Print button on the tool bar while the window containing the report is
active. The mileage report in the route entry window (after route
generation), State/Country Mileage Summary Report, Detailed Route
Report, and Comparison Report can all be printed.

Before printing, you may want to use the Page Setup dialog box to control
the general appearance of your report. The Page Setup dialog box is a
standard Windows feature and can be opened by selecting Page Setup...
from the File menu.

Page Setup Dialog Box

The fields in the Page Setup dialog box can be used as follows:
 Options and Additional Features 51

• Header: The title of your report appears here. If no header was

entered in the Options dialog box, PC*MILER automatically
assigns a header to your report.

• Center: Choose whether to center your report horizontally or

vertically on the page.

• Scale Fit: Check for automatic default scaling to fit the page or
pages.
• Pages Wide and High: If your report will print on multiple pages,
choose how many pages across and how many pages down to use.
• Scale: Your printed report can be shrunk or enlarged. Enter the
desired percentage of the original size.
• Print Options: These options would normally only be used with
a spreadsheet format such as the one found in Microsoft Excel.
• Margins: Enter your desired margin widths in these fields.
• Page Order: If your report has multiple pages and is more than
one page wide, indicate whether pages should print from top to
bottom or left to right.

⇒ NOTE: In the Page Setup dialog box, Fit To Page is the default format;
the other page setup options are disabled when this is selected. Click
Fit To Page off to activate the other page setup options.

4.4.1 Changing the Font in Your Report

To change the appearance of your report by changing the font, choose

Font... from the Report menu. This will open a dialog box that allows you
to change the size and style of the characters in your report as you would
in any Microsoft Windows document.

4.4.2 Changing the Column Width in Your Report

Because there is no limit to the number of characters in a stop name, road

name, or intersection, sometimes the names can be quite long. Often
these long names are cut off when a report is generated. By adjusting the
width of the columns in the report, you can display any information that
was previously hidden.
 52 PC*MILER User’s Guide

To accommodate a full name, adjust the width of columns by clicking and

dragging the column tabs. The tabs are located directly beneath the
window’s title bar:

A Report Title Bar with Tabs

4.5 Saving and Copying Reports

PC*MILER reports can be saved to disk by choosing Save to File... from

the Report menu. Choose the folder in which you want your report file to
be saved, and type a name for your file in the File Name field of the Save
Report dialog box. If you wish to save the report in Microsoft Excel format,
choose the (*.xls) file type under List Files of Type. Click on OK to save.

In addition, PC*MILER reports can be copied to the clipboard for use with
other Windows programs such as Microsoft Excel. To copy a report,
choose Copy Report from the Edit menu while the window containing
the report is active.

⇒ HINT: Saving a report to an Excel file will retain all the original formatting
(font style, color, spacing). Copying and pasting a report to an Excel file
will retain the original columns and rows, but will not retain other
formatting such as font style.

4.6 Using the Options Dialog Box

The Options dialog box enables you to change the options and
parameters used to calculate a route. Click on the Options button in the
route entry window, or choose Options... from the Route menu, to bring up
the Options dialog box.

When you edit a parameter in the Options dialog box, all subsequent
routes that are run from the currently active route entry window will use
those parameters. If you open a new route entry window, routes you run
in it will use the default options. Note that if you save a route, the options
that were active for that route will be saved along with it.

The Options dialog box gives you a number of choices, grouped in “tabs”.
Tabs are like file folders within a dialog box; that is, when you click on a
tab, a new section of the dialog box opens. General Options, Costs and
 Options and Additional Features 53

Time, and Road Speeds are the tabs in the Options box. (Users of
PC*MILER/HAZMAT will have an extra tab, labelled Hazardous Routing.)

The General Options Tab

Options Dialog Box, General Options

4.6.1 Route Name

(Click on the General Options tab.) You can use the Route Name field
to assign a name to your route that will appear on the title of the route
window, report windows, and map for the route. This prevents confusion
when working with multiple route entry windows, and enables you to
include a route name in the title of your reports.

When you retrieve a saved route, the Route Name field displays the file
name that was assigned when that route was saved as a file. If you enter
another name in this field, PC*MILER will change the file name to the new
name the next time the file is saved using Save Route (in the File menu).
 54 PC*MILER User’s Guide

4.6.2 Routing

(Click on the General Options tab.) The four types of routes that
PC*MILER can generate are listed under Routing. They are Practical,
Shortest, National Network and Toll Discouraged (see Chapter 1,
sections 1.4.3 through 1.4.6 for a description of each type). Select one by
clicking on it. The route type you select will appear in the title of the route
entry window next to the Options button.

Below the group of route types is a checkbox for Hub Routing. Click on it
to choose "Hub" mode. Using the Hub distance generator, it's possible to
generate mileages from one origin to a virtually unlimited number of
destinations which you enter as stops. See Chapter 4, section 4.10, The
Hub Distance Generator.

Under Routing you can also choose Borders Open. This option refers to
Intra-US, Intra-Canada, and Intra-Mexico routing. If Borders Open is
checked, the route you generate will ignore international boundaries when
necessary to come up with the best route. If this option is not checked,
the borders will not be crossed; for example, if all your stops are in the
United States, the resulting route will stay in the United States even
though the most practical or shortest route would normally involve some
Canadian mileage. “Open” or "Closed" will appear in the title of the route
entry window, indicating which option is selected.

If you check the Custom box, the route you run will take into account the
status of roads that have been selected to be avoided, favored, or
overridden. "Custom" will appear in the title of the route entry window,
indicating that Custom routing is in effect. See Chapter 5, section 5.4,
Picking Roads to Avoid or Favor.

4.6.3 Distance in (Miles/Kilometers Conversion)

(Click on the General Options tab.) Choose whether the distances you
generate will be in Miles or Kilometers. This will affect trip costs,
average road speeds, and the distances shown on reports and in the route
entry window when you generate a route.

4.6.4 Use Ferry Distances

(Click on the General Options tab in the Options dialog box.) Click on
Use ferry distances to include ferry distances in mileage and cost
calculations. When turned off, the ferry portion of a route will not
contribute to the mileage and cost. The setting does not affect the actual
route. Travel time is not affected.
 Options and Additional Features 55

⇒ NOTE: The “Total” column of the State/Country report always includes

ferry distances. The other columns may or may not include ferries based
on the status of this option.

4.6.5 Order Report (Alphabetical/Route Order for State/Country Listing)

(Click on the General Options tab.) Choose whether the State/Country

Summary reports that you generate will have states listed in alphabetical
order (by State/Country) or in the order through which the route travels
(by Route). The default is alphabetical.

4.6.6 Report Memo (Customized Reports)

(Click on the General Options tab.) PC*MILER allows you to create

custom reports by providing a Report Memo field. The text you type in
this scrollable field will appear at the top of all printed reports. To go to a
new line when you're typing, press <Ctrl><Enter> (if you press only the
<Enter> key as you would in a word processing program, the Options
dialog box will close).

4.6.7 Region

(Click on the General Options tab.) PC*MILER offers separate add-on

data modules which allow you to expand your routing capability to other
regions of the world. Click on the scroll arrow to open the Region pick list,
then highlight and click on the region in which you will be determining your
route. The standard version of PC*MILER includes most of the North
American continent; therefore, NA is the default setting.
 56 PC*MILER User’s Guide

The Costs and Time Tab

Options Dialog Box, Costs and Time Tab

4.6.8 Trip Costs (Per-mile Cost for Empty and Loaded Miles)

(Click on the Costs and Time tab.) PC*MILER calculates a total cost for
each route generated. This cost estimate is determined by multiplying a
dollar amount per mile by the number of miles; additionally, costs for each
individual stop on a route, defined as either a loaded move or backhaul,
can be entered by the user (see section 4.6.9), and these will be added to
the total cost estimate for the trip. The cumulative cost appears, along
with the total mileage and time estimation, in the route entry window after
the route is generated.

The Trip Costs fields enable you to assign per-mile costs for empty
(Empty $/Mile) and loaded (Loaded $/Mile) miles. The default cost for
each is $1.10. Type over the defaults to enter your own figures. Note that
if the measure of distance is set to Kilometers in the General tab, you will
be entering $/kilometer rather than $/mile in these fields.
 Options and Additional Features 57

4.6.9 Stop Costs (Time and Cost Estimate for Individual Stops)

(Click on the Costs and Time tab.) The Stop Costs fields enable you to
assign a time and cost estimate for each individual stop on the route. In
the Stop Costs area you also indicate whether the stop time you entered is
on-duty or off-duty, whether to include the time and cost estimate for the
origin in the totals for the route, and whether the leg between stops is a
loaded move or a backhaul.

Combined with the trip costs entered for loaded and empty miles, the Stop
Costs fields determine the total cost estimate for the trip. (This estimate
appears on reports and in the route entry window when you run the route.)
As an example, if your route includes eight stops and you assign a 1-hour
on-duty stop-off time estimate to each one, the total time estimate for the
trip (driving time plus delay time at each stop) will reflect an increase of
eight hours.

Stops must be entered in the route entry window (whether or not the route
has been generated) for the Stop Costs fields to be active. All stops on
the route will appear on a pick list that can be scrolled if necessary using
the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard.

Click on the scroll arrow to open the pick list, then highlight and click on
the stop to which you wish to assign a time and/or cost. Indicate whether
the leg preceding the stop should be considered as Loaded (check if
"yes"), whether the stop time should be considered On-Duty (check if
"yes") and enter the cost and/or time estimate for the stop in the
Hours/Stop and $/Stop fields. Click on the arrow to open up the pick list
again and choose another stop. If you want the origin stop time and cost
included in the totals for the route, check Use Origin $ and Hrs before
closing the dialog box.

⇒ NOTE: If a Break Time is entered (see next section), the points at which
breaks are indicated in the Detailed Route Report will be affected by
whether the hours per stop (Hours/Stop field) are On-Duty for each stop.

The defaults for the Stop Costs fields are Loaded, On-Duty, $0.00 per
stop, and 0 hours per stop using the origin time and cost in the total
estimates.

4.6.10 Break Time

(Click on the Costs and Time tab.) In the Break Time fields, enter the
number of on-duty hours allowed between breaks and how many hours
each break should be. The numbers you enter will determine where
breaks are indicated along the route in the Detailed Route Report.
 58 PC*MILER User’s Guide

Calculations of break times take into account whether time spent at each
stop is on-duty (check On-Duty to count stop time). The default break
time is 0 hours.

The Road Speeds Tab

Options Dialog Box, Road Speeds Tab

4.6.11 Average Road Speeds (Estimated Travel Time)

(Click on the Road Speeds tab) PC*MILER calculates a time estimation

for each generated route. The time estimate is computed by summing up
the estimated time travelled on each road segment for the route plus an
added stop-off time for each stop along the route. Each road segment
falls into one of eight road classes and each road class has a different
average speed parameter assigned to it. Spreading the estimated
average speed over the various road classes allows you to get a more
accurate estimate of the total time travelled based on the quality of the
road used.
 Options and Additional Features 59

The Average Road Speeds parameters can be changed for each

individual state to reflect your own estimates. To do this, click on the
Road Speeds tab. Choose a state from the pick list (click on the arrow,
then use the Tab key to scroll down the list until your choice is
highlighted), then type over any defaults you want to replace with your
own estimates. If you want the changes you make to apply to all states,
click on Update All.

The Hazardous Routing Tab

Options Dialog Box, Hazardous Routing Tab

4.6.12 Hazardous Material Routing

If you purchased the separate PC*MILER/HAZMAT add-on data

module, you can run Practical, Shortest, National Network and Toll
Discouraged routes for various types of hazardous materials. To see the
route options available for hazardous materials, click on the Hazardous
Routing tab in the Options dialog box.

PC*MILER calculates routes for hazardous materials based on nineteen

road categories and four route options. The four route options are:
 60 PC*MILER User’s Guide

General, Explosives (1.1-1.3), Inhalants, and Radioactive. (Click on

one option to select it.) To calculate normal PC*MILER routes, select
None. Table 1 below shows how each route type handles the different
road categories, and Table 2 describes each road category:

TABLE 1: PC*MILER Hazardous Material Route Types and Road

Categories

favor = routing will prefer these segments

no change = routing will not be altered in any way
avoid = routing will go around these segments whenever possible
discourage = a lesser degree of avoidance, used when certain Table 2
hazardous materials (less harsh) are permitted, either with
no restrictions or in specified quantities only, or for tunnels

Road Category Comments General Explosives Inhalants Radioactive

Alternate favor favor favor favor

Preferred favor favor favor favor
Designated favor favor favor favor
Prohibited avoid avoid avoid avoid
Restricted (table 1prohibit, discourage avoid avoid avoid
table 2 restrict)
Explosives (1.1-1.3) CA only no change favor no change no change
Designated
Inhalants Designated CA only no change no change favor no change
Explosive & Inhalant CA only no change favor favor no change
Designated
Tunnel CFR397 discourage discourage discourage discourage
Tunnel & Designated favor favor favor favor
Tunnel & Prohibited avoid avoid avoid avoid
Tunnel & Restricted discourage avoid avoid avoid
(table 1prohibited, table 2
restricted)
Radioactive Preferred no change no change no change favor
Radioactive Designated no change no change no change favor
Radioactive Restricted no change no change no change avoid
Radioactive & General favor favor favor favor
Preferred
Explosives, Inhalant & CA only no change favor favor favor
Radioactive Designated
Radioactive & Explosive CA only no change favor no change favor
Designated
Explosives (1.1-1.3) new no change avoid no change no change
Prohibited
 Options and Additional Features 61

TABLE 2: PC*MILER Road Categories for Hazmat Routing

Alternate Favorable routes designed to route hazmat around

restricted segments
Preferred States prefer transport of hazmat on these routes
Designated Routes which should be used whenever possible for
transport of hazmat
Prohibited Routes in this category prohibit any amount of any
placardable load of hazmat
Restricted (table 1 prohibit, Routes in this category generally prohibit any amount of
table 2 restrict table 1 hazmat and restrict table 2 (the less harsh
hazmat)
Explosives (1.1-1.3) Routes which should be used for transport of explosives
Designated (1.1-1.3)
Inhalants Designated Routes which should be used for transport of inhalants
Explosive & Inhalant Routes which should be used for transport of explosives
Designated (1.1-1.3) and/or transport of inhalants
Tunnel These tunnels do not have any restrictions other than
CFR397.9, which basically states that tunnels should not
be used when a practicable alternative exists
Tunnel & Designated These tunnels must be used, they are located on
designated routes
Tunnel & Prohibited Same as prohibited route
Tunnel & Restricted Same as restricted route, these tunnel facilities often
(table 1 prohibited, table 2 furbish manuals detailing the permissible amounts of
restricted) hundreds of various hazmats
Radioactive Preferred States prefer use of these routes for radioactive
transport
Radioactive Designated These routes should be used for radioactive transport
Radioactive Restricted No radioactive transport is allowed, use alternate routes
Radioactive & General Routes in this category are both preferred for general
Preferred hazmat and especially preferred for radioactive; this
category needs to exist in order to route radioactive
loads properly in Colorado and Arizona
Explosives, Inhalant & Routes should be used for transport of explosive (1.1-
Radioactive Designated 1.3), inhalant, and/or radioactive
Radioactive & Explosive Routes should be used for transport of radioactive
Designated and/or explosive (1.1-1.3)
Explosives (1.1-1.3) These routes are prohibited for any amount of explosive
Prohibited (1.1-1.3)

NOTE: Sources for PC*MILER’s hazardous material routing data include State Hazardous Materials
Manual, © Copyright 1994 by J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc., PO Box 368, Neenah, WI 54957-0368; and
data received directly from tunnel and bridge facilities.
 62 PC*MILER User’s Guide

4.7 Creating Your Own Default Options

To change the default settings in the Options dialog box to ones that you
use frequently, select Default Options... from the Route menu. Enter the
desired default settings in the Default Options dialog box, which contains
the same fields as the Options dialog box. Click on OK to save your
settings. Every time you open a new route, the defaults that you set will
be in effect. Note that default options will not be applied to saved routes
when you open them.

4.8 Route Resequencing

Route Resequencing reorders all the stops in the active route entry
window to minimize the total time (when using Practical routing), the total
distance (when using Shortest routing), total toll distance (when using Toll
Discouraged routing), and distance of the National Network (when using
the National Network routing). In other words, resequencing a route gives
you the optimal order of stops for your route.

The system will allow you to review the sequenced route and make any
necessary changes before generating the distances and driving
instructions. However, resequencing cannot be undone; i.e., the
original order of stops cannot be recovered, so you may want to save the
original route before resequencing. To interrupt sequencing at any time
during processing, click on Cancel.

To resequence your route, choose Resequence Stops... from the Route

menu or press the <Alt-F10> keys to bring up the dialog box shown below.

Resequencing Mode Dialog Box

 Options and Additional Features 63

The Resequencing dialog box gives you the following options:

• Route Through All: Allows PC*MILER to sequence the stops in

any order, with the origin remaining fixed.
• Destination Fixed: Resequences stops, keeping the origin and
destination the same.
• Run route after resequencing: Automatically generates the
route when resequencing is finished.

⇒ NOTE: You need at least three stops to resequence with “Route

Through All” and four stops for ”Destination Fixed”.

4.9 Reversing the Order of Stops

Choosing Reverse Stops from the Edit menu will reverse the order of all
the stops that have been entered. This is especially useful when used in
conjunction with the route resequencing feature, explained in the previous
section. For instance, say you need to make multiple pickups and you
want to start at the farthest one on the route and end up at some other
location. Enter that location first, then enter your pickup points. Next,
resequence your route and reverse the order of stops. This will put your
farthest pickup point first on the list, and your delivery point last.
 64 PC*MILER User’s Guide

4.10 The Hub Distance Generator

PC*MILER enables you to generate mileages from one origin defined as

the "Hub" to a number of destinations at the same time. An example of a
hub route is shown below:

Hub Routing

⇒ NOTE: Cumulative miles are not generated or displayed in Hub mode.

To generate a route in Hub mode, use the Options button in the route
entry window to invoke the Options dialog box. Click on the checkbox for
Hub Routing, and then click on OK. All subsequent routes run in the
current route entry window will be in hub mode. Use the Options dialog
box again to return to "normal" mode.

The Detailed Route Report and State/Country Mileage Summary Report

are both available for hub routing.

4.11 Custom Routing

PC*MILER enables you to choose roads to avoid or favor on routes, and

to designate some truck-restricted roads as accessible. Users of the
PC*MILER/HAZMAT add-on module may also choose to override
hazardous material routing restrictions. For more information, see section
5.4, Picking Roads to Avoid or Favor (Custom Routing).
 Options and Additional Features 65

4.12 Saving and Retrieving Trips

With PC*MILER it is possible to save a route to a file for later retrieval,

either before or after it is generated. This is particularly useful for trips you
run frequently. To save a route either before or after processing, choose
Save Route... from the File menu or click on the Save button on the tool
bar to bring up the Save Route dialog box:

Save Route Dialog Box

This is a standard Windows dialog box for saving your workspace.

Choose the folder in which you want the file containing your route to be
placed, and assign a file name to the file. There is no limit to the number
of characters a file name can contain. All route options wil be saved
together with the route.

To load a previously saved file, choose Open Route... from the File menu,
or click on the Open button on the tool bar. This will bring up a dialog box
similar to the one you used to save your route. Select your saved file from
the File Name pick list and click on OK. All the settings used to create the
file will be restored. However, you will need to rerun the route to see
reports and a RouteMap display of the route.

⇒ NOTE: When route files from PC*MILER Versions 12.0, 12.1, or 2000 are
opened as trips, they are automatically converted to PC*MILER Version
14 format.
 66 PC*MILER User’s Guide

4.13 Saving, Appending and Loading Routes in Text Format

To save a set of points to use with PC*MILER/BATCHPRO™ for batch

processing, you must save your route in PC*MILER text format. To do
this, choose "PCM-DOS Files (*.in)" from the List Files of Type pick list in
the Save Route dialog box.

If the file name that you specify is an existing file, PC*MILER will ask if you
want to append or overwrite the route you are saving onto the route in
the existing file. Note that files in PC*MILER text format do not retain
mileage, cost and time information, as they are intended for use with
PC*MILER/BATCHPRO in order to tally total mileages at some regular
interval.

To load a DOS route file into PC*MILER, bring up the Open Route dialog
box (choose Open Route... from the File menu or click on the Open button
on the tool bar). After locating the drive and folder where the file is saved,
choose "PCM-DOS Files (*.in)” in the List Files of Type field. Then
double-click on the file you wish to open in the File Name list, or type the
complete file name in the File Name field. Click on OK. The route will use
default options.

4.14 Saving Your Workspace Settings

Your current workspace settings can be saved so that the next time
PC*MILER is started they will be the same. Workspace settings include
the size and position of open windows and the Map Window settings
(status of the legends, current picking mode, features, default options, and
aliases). To save your workspace, select Save Preferences from the
Tools menu. This brings up the Save Preferences dialog box.

The Save Preferences dialog box contains two “tabs”, Map and Windows.
Tabs are like file folders within a dialog box; when you click on a tab, a
new section of the dialog box opens.

With the Map tab open, use the checkboxes to select which map settings
from the Map menu should be saved. Click on a checkbox to place or
remove a checkmark. Checked settings will be saved. Checking Save
settings upon exit tells PC*MILER to save the selected settings every
time you exit. To save the current map settings immediately, click on the
Save Now button.
 Options and Additional Features 67

Save Preferences Dialog Box, Map Tab Open

With the Windows tab open, use the checkboxes to select which window
settings to save. As in the Map tab, check Save settings upon exit to
save the selected settings every time you exit, and click on the Save Now
button to save your current window settings immediately.

⇒ NOTE: Default options and aliases will be saved on exit regardless of

whether Save settings upon exit is checked.

4.15 Exiting PC*MILER

By default, you exit PC*MILER by choosing Exit from the File menu or
press <ALT-F4>. When you exit, all active windows, default options,
aliases and custom roads are saved as they appear on your screen for the
next time PC*MILER is opened. (See the previous section for instructions
on how to change PC*MILER exit settings.)
 69

5.0 GRAPHIC DISPLAY: USING THE RouteMap™ WINDOW

RouteMap Window

The RouteMap window in PC*MILER is like an "electronic road atlas". All

of the routes generated by PC*MILER are automatically displayed on a
map in the RouteMap window. This enables you to examine routes in
detail, visually evaluate routing alternatives, and perform a variety of
"what-if" analyses.

The RouteMap window is very easy to use, just like the rest of PC*MILER.
Commands in the Map menu enable you to zoom in and zoom out of the
RouteMap display, to frame routes in the window, and to control such
things as the level of detail and the number of routes, roads, place names
and legends shown on the map.
 70 PC*MILER User’s Guide

5.1 First Run a Route

To use RouteMap, first generate a PC*MILER route by entering an origin,

a destination, and any intermediate stop-off points and then clicking on the
Run button in the route entry window.

Whether or not your RouteMap window is minimized, PC*MILER will

automatically generate a graphic display of the route you just ran.
Maximize the RouteMap window if it is minimized to see the graphic
display of the currently active route. You can do this by double-clicking on
the RouteMap icon or clicking on the Map button on the tool bar.

5.2 Zoom Feature

A special feature of the RouteMap window is an automatic zoom option.

When the cursor is placed inside the border of the map window, it
becomes a cross (unless a pick mode is activated, which will display its
own cursor). You can then zoom into an area by either pressing the
mouse button and dragging a box around the area, or by double-clicking
on a particular location. Double-clicking will zoom in by a factor of 2, and
can be repeated for closer views. The level of detail (number of links and
place names) will increase appropriately when Default is chosen from the
sub-menu of the Detail command in the Map menu.

Zooming in and out can also be accomplished by clicking on the Zoom In

or Zoom Out buttons on the tool bar, or choosing Zoom In or Zoom Out
from the Map menu. These zoom in or retreat by a factor of 2.

5.3 Hiding, Displaying and Layering Map Features

You can control what features are displayed and in what order features
are drawn using the Map Features dialog box. Choose Features... from
the Map menu to bring up the Map Features dialog box:

Using this dialog box, you can hide or display the following map features:
stop names; city names; cities (represented by boxes); road labels;
political boundaries; coastlines; oceans; truck restrictions that may be
overridden; generated routes; hazardous material road restrictions and
permits (with the purchase of the PC*MILER/HAZMAT add-on data
module).
Graphic Display: Using the RouteMap Window 71

Map Features Dialog Box

In the Map Features dialog box a checkmark means "display". After

highlighting a feature on the list, click on the Hide button to remove the
checkmark, click again (the button will now say Show) to make it
reappear. Use the Show All and Hide All buttons to select or remove all
the checkmarks. Click on the Reset button to return to the default setting
(all features are displayed).

⇒ HINT: You may also double-click on lines in the Feature list to toggle
Show/Hide.

The order (from bottom to top) in which the features appear in the dialog
box determines the order in which they are drawn: items on the bottom of
the list are drawn under the ones at the top. Use the Raise, Lower, To
Top, and To Bottom buttons to manipulate the list. So, for example, if
you highlight "City Names" and then click on the To Top button, "City
Names" will move to the top of the list. When the map is redrawn the city
names will be drawn last, on top of all other features. Clicking on OK
closes the Map Features box and redraws the map.

Up to eight routes can be displayed in the RouteMap window at the same

time. You can select which routes to show and which to hide in the Map
Features dialog box. Each route will be drawn in a different color, as
indicated in the Route Legend.
 72 PC*MILER User’s Guide

5.3.1 Using the Mouse To Turn Map Labels On/Off

Individual cities and road segment labels can be turned on and off in the
map by using the mouse.

To label or hide a city, first click on the Label Cities button or choose the
Pick/Label command in the Map menu and then choose Label Cities from
the sub-menu. Now click on any unlabelled city on the map to make it
appear. Clicking again on the same point will make the label disappear.
Locations on the map that can be labelled in this way include all
intersections and points on highways. If no city name exists in the
PC*MILER database for the location you click, the label will show the
name of the route or intersection, for instance "+I-295 US-40".

To label a road segment with a shield or to hide a shield, first click on the
Label Roads button or choose the Pick/Label command in the Map menu
and then choose Label Roads from the sub-menu. Now you can click on
any route segment on the map to make a label appear, or click on a label
to make it disappear. Placing your cursor over a label will give you the full
name in the status bar at the bottom of the PC*MILER window.

Use the Clear Labels button on the tool bar or Clear Labels from the sub-
menu of the Pick/Label command in the Map menu to delete all route
shields and city labels you added manually.

⇒ NOTE: If you zoom out from an area that you have custom labelled as
described above, the labels will disappear as the level of detail decreases.
The good news is that when you zoom back in again, your labels will
reappear!

5.3.2 Using the Mouse To Pick Stops

PC*MILER gives you the capability to enter stops in the route entry
window directly from the RouteMap window without typing. You can use
the mouse to select any point on a highway, labelled city, unlabelled
location, intersection, or latitude/longitude point. (See Chapter 3, section
3.2.8 for a description of this feature.) HINT: Pass your cursor over the
map without pressing the mouse button. Notice that its latitude/longitude
position is automatically tracked and appears in the status bar in the lower
left corner of the program window.

⇒ NOTE: There are some highway junctions which are truck-inaccessible.

When you select an inaccessible junction as a stop, a message box
appears on your screen, alerting you that the route segment cannot be
accessed. The junction will not be allowed as a valid stop.
 Graphic Display: Using the RouteMap Window 73

Truck-Inaccessible Alert Message

5.4 Picking Roads to Avoid or Favor

You may wish to indicate roads that PC*MILER should avoid or favor
when generating a route. To select a road to avoid, first click on the
Avoid Roads button on the tool bar (or from the Map menu, choose
Pick/Label and then Avoid Roads from the sub-menu). Then, on the
map, click on the road to be avoided (zoom in for a closer view if
necessary). The road you chose will be marked with red cross-hatching.
To undo your choice, click on it again.

To favor a road, click on the Favor Roads button (or from the Map menu,
choose Pick/Label and then Favor Roads from the sub-menu), then click
on the road(s) to be favored. Favored roads will be marked with green
cross-hatching.

The roads you chose will only be avoided or favored when the
Custom box is checked in the Options dialog box. Click on the
Options button in the route entry window, and then click on Custom
under Routing. When this option is turned off, road preferences will
remain in the database but will not be activated for a route until the next
time you turn this option on. To view, edit, or print a list of all road
preferences in the database, use the Custom Roads Manager.

5.4.1 Overriding Truck-Restricted Roads

PC*MILER normally routes around all truck-restricted roads. However,

some of these restrictions may be overridden, making the rods accessible.
These roads have a thick yellow highlight drawn over them in the
RouteMap window. (PC*MILER assumes that you have been granted
permission to use these roads from the controlling authority, or that you
are going to be using special equipment.)

To see the road restrictions that may be overridden, turn on the Truck
Restrictions layer in the Map Features dialog box, which will highlight
restricted roads in thick yellow. (See section 5.3, Hiding, Displaying, and
 74 PC*MILER User’s Guide

Layering Map Features for instructions on how to use the Map Features
dialog box).

To override a restricted road, first click on the Toggle Overrides button on

the tool bar, or select Toggle Overrides from the sub-menu of the
Pick/Label command in the Map menu. Then select the road that you
want to override by clicking on it in the map window. PC*MILER will
redraw the road on the map using a thin green outline. To undo an
override, click on the road again, and the thin green line will disappear.
Your overrides will be taken into account the next time you run a route.

To route through overridden restrictions, change your route type to

Custom (click on the Options button in the route entry window, and then
click on Custom under Routing).

When running routes, the roads you chose will only be overridden
when Custom routing is checked in the Options dialog box. When
this option is turned off, your overrides will remain in the database but will
not be activated for a route until the next time you turn this option on.

⇒ NOTE: When you click on a restricted road, you only override that one
segment of the road. Be sure to override all of the segments that you plan
to drive through, or PC*MILER will consider the entire road inaccessible.

As you override each restricted road segment, a record of it is

automatically saved in the Overrides tab of the Custom Roads Manager
(see section 5.4.3, Using the Custom Roads Manager).

⇒ NOTE: If you have overridden a truck-restricted road but PC*MILER still

will not route over that road, the most likely reason for this is that the road
segment is truck-discouraged as well as truck-restricted. (See section 6.3,
Frequently Asked Questions, for an explanation of truck-discouraged
roads.) In addition to overriding the road, you must mark it as favored to
make it fully truck accessible. Select the Favor Roads button on the tool
bar is selected, and then click on all of the road segments in the restricted
road. The next time you run a route, PC*MILER will consider this road to
be accessible.

5.4.2 Hazardous Material Routing on Maps

When you generate a route using the PC*MILER/HAZMAT add-on data

module, the map that is automatically generated will show which route
segments are prohibited or designated. Prohibited segments will be
indicated by red hatch marks, designated segments by green hatch
marks.
 Graphic Display: Using the RouteMap Window 75

These hatch marks can be hidden from view by turning off the Haz
Restrictions feature in the Map Features dialog box (see section 5.3,
Hiding, Displaying and Layering Map Features.

PC*MILER/HAZMAT customers who have obtained permits can change the

status of hazmat prohibited roads. To do so, click on the Adjust for
Permits button (or from the Map menu, choose Pick/Label and then
Adjust for Permits from the sub-menu), then click on the prohibited road(s)
that will now be permitted. The red crosshatch pattern covering the
selected roads will now have a bright green outline. These custom
settings can be removed by clicking again on the same road, or by using
the Custom Roads Manager described in the next section.

5.4.3 Using the Custom Roads Manager

To see which roads are marked in the database as avoided, favored,

overridden as accessible, or permitted for hazardous materials, choose
Manage Custom Roads… from the Tools menu or press <Alt><F2> to
bring up the Custom Roads Manager dialog box:

Custom Roads Manager

The Avoids tab will be open when you open the dialog box. Click on this
tab to see the list of all roads designated to be avoided. To remove a road
from the list of roads designated to be avoided, highlight it on the list and
click on Delete. To clear the entire list, click on Delete All. These
changes are automatically made to the map as well.
76 PC*MILER User’s Guide

Click on the Favors tab to see the list of all roads designated to be
favored. This list can be edited in the same way as the list of avoided
roads.

Click on the Restriction Overrides tab to see the list of all truck-restricted
roads that have been overridden as accessible. This list can be edited in
the same way as the lists of avoided and favored roads.

When a road segment is altered in the map display, this change is

automatically reflected in the appropriate tab of the Custom Roads
Manager.

Custom Sets

The Sets tab enables you to manage multiple sets of roads to be avoided,
favored, and overridden, and allows you to create custom sets. You may
find that custom sets are a useful tool for working with special equipment
you operate, or for seasonal routing requirements.

To create a new set, click New. Enter a name for your set in the Set
Name field of the dialog box that appears, and a file name in the File
Name field. (The file name is saved to the Options folder in your
PC*MILER data folder.) Once you click OK, the name of your new set
appears in the list of available sets.

Please note the following guidelines for creating new set and file names:

• Set names cannot be longer than 50 characters, and

must be comprised of letters and/or numbers.
• Spaces are not allowed in either the set or file names, but
underscores (“_”) are permitted.
• You cannot include the file extension as part of the file
name.
• You cannot use a set or file name that already exists.

Double-click on the set name to activate or deselect the set. An active set
has a checkmark beside it. If a set is active, then the roads within that set
will be marked as avoided or favored in the map display and will be used
when generating routes. These roads will also be listed in the Avoid,
Favor, and Restriction Overrides tabs. If a set is inactive, then its
avoid/favor/override roads are not visible on the map or in the
corresponding tabs and are not used when generating routes.

When more than one set is selected, then all of the avoid/favor/override
roads in the active sets are visible on the map and listed in the
 Graphic Display: Using the RouteMap Window 77

corresponding tabs. However, you cannot add or delete roads to be

avoided, favored, or overridden at this time. Road designations must be
added or deleted when only one set is active. When multiple sets are
active, the Favor Roads, Avoid Roads, and Toggle Overrides options are
grayed out on the tool bar and in the Map menu.

To remove a set from the list of sets, highlight it on the list and click on
Delete. These changes will be automatically reflected in the map as well.

Users of the PC*MILER/HAZMAT add-on data module will also see a Haz
Permits tab. This tab works independently of the other four tabs in the
Custom Roads Manager, so permitted roads cannot be included in sets.

To remove a road from the list of permitted hazmat roads, highlight it on

the list and click on Delete. To clear the entire list, click on Delete All.
Note that as you delete each road, it will return to prohibited status, as
indicated in the RouteMap window.

Custom route names that are more than 32 characters long will be
interrupted by a set of ellipses (…). When highlighted, the complete place
name will appear at the bottom of the list, in a scrollable display area.

⇒ NOTE: You can convert saved Custom Roads from PC*MILER versions
12.0, 12.1, or 2000. Copy the avoid.dat file from your older version of
PC*MILER to your new installation by placing it in the NA/Options folder in
the PC*MILER application folder. The next time you start PC*MILER, the
data will be converted.

5.5 Legends

There are three legends available in the RouteMap window: Road, Route
and Scale of Miles (Restriction is a fourth legend, available to
PC*MILER/HAZMAT users). All legends can be moved around within the
map window by dragging. They can be hidden or shown using the Legend
command in the Map menu. Choose one or more options from the sub-
menu. When all legends are "on" (have a checkmark next to them) in the
Map menu, the Road Legend appears when roads are displayed; the
Route Legend appears after a route window is opened; and the Scale of
Miles legend always appears as part of the map. Road types that are
included in each classification in the Road Legend are shown below:

Interstate Multi-lane toll free and urban highways

Toll Toll roads and urban highways
Divided Divided highways, urban access roads
 78 PC*MILER User’s Guide

Primary Non-divided highways

Secondary Non-divided highways, urban access roads,
ferries
Rstrctd/Dscrgd Truck-restricted/truck-discouraged roads
Ferries Ferries

5.6 Other Map Menu Commands

The Frame command selects an area of the map to frame in the

RouteMap window. Choose from the sub-menu to zoom in on and frame
Routes, Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, Hawaii, Mexico, NA, Puerto Rico,
or US window. Auto Frame Route, when checked, will frame all routes
automatically as they are run, until it is turned off again.

Redraw initiates a redraw of the current display.

The Detail command controls the number of links and place names that
are drawn on the map, and contains sub-menu options:

To add detail to the map, select More from the sub-menu or click
the More button on the tool bar. To remove detail from the map,
select Less from the sub-menu or click the Less button on the tool
bar. Continue to add or remove more detail as needed by either
using the Map menu or clicking on the depressed tool bar buttons.
(Both of these buttons will stay depressed to indicate that you are
displaying more or less than the default details.) When the map
has reached its maximum or minimum level of detail, the
corresponding button and menu option will be grayed out.

⇒ NOTE: To label specific cities and/or roads without changing the

level of detail shown on the whole map, use the Pick/Label
command in the Map menu or the Label Cities and Label Roads
buttons on the tool bar (see section 5.3.1).

Default will return to the default number of links and place names. The
Default setting automatically increases the amount of detail when you
zoom in on a particular area.

Use Shape Points tells PC*MILER to show road curves in more detail.

The Stop Labels command determines how the names of your stops will
appear in the map, and contains three options in its sub-menu:

Selecting Name Only labels stops with their names alone.

 Graphic Display: Using the RouteMap Window 79

Number Only labels stops with their orders in the trip. The route’s origin is
labeled “O”. The final stop is labeled “D” (for destination). The
intermediate stops are labeled in the format “S#”, so that, for example,
Stop 1 would be labeled as S1.

Name & Number labels stops with both their names and orders in the trip.
The route’s origin is labeled “O:”, followed by the stop name. The final
stop is labeled “D:” (for destination), followed by the stop name. The
intermediate stops are labeled by their stop number, followed by the stop
name, so that, for example, Stop 1 may be labeled as 1: Princeton, NJ.

5.6.1 Printing a Map

To print a map that is currently displayed in the RouteMap window,

choose Print Map... from the File menu or click on the Print button on the
tool bar while the RouteMap window is active.

5.6.2 Copying a Map to the Clipboard

Maps can be copied to the clipboard for retrieval in other Windows

programs. To do this, choose Copy Map from the Edit menu while the
RouteMap window is open and active. When the RouteMap window is
not active, the Copy command in the Edit menu will say Copy Report.

5.7 Saving Map Settings

Map settings can be saved for future use or you can choose to have them
automatically saved when you exit PC*MILER. To do this, choose Save
Preferences from the Tools menu to bring up the Save Preferences dialog
box. See section 4.14 for more information.
 81

6.0 TECHNICAL SUPPORT

ALK Associates offers free technical support to all registered users of
PC*MILER. If you're having a problem with the program, please check
section 6.3 (Frequently Asked Questions) before contacting us.

To print additional copies of this manual, use the Adobe .pdf version that
was placed on your PC by the PC*MILER installation program. Click the
Windows Start button, then go to Programs > PC*MILER and select the
.pdf file from the sub-menu.

If you have any questions about PC*MILER or problems with the software
that cannot be resolved using this manual, contact our staff at the phone
number or E-mail address below.

PC*MILER Technical Support Staff

Hours: M-F, 8:30 am-5:30 pm EST
Phone: (609) 683-0220 E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.pcmiler.com

When calling, ask for PC*MILER Technical Support. Please be sure to

have your PC*MILER serial number, version number, Windows version
number, and hardware configuration information (manufacturer,
speed, and monitor type) available before your call. Please include this
information in your message if you are contacting us by E-mail.

6.1 Database Support

ALK Associates' North American Highway Network, the primary database

used by PC*MILER products, undergoes constant revision. Revisions
include: addition of new roads, upgrades of improved sections of highway,
and addition of new Key Cities.

ALK Associates is dedicated to maintaining a highway network of the

highest quality and welcomes user input and comments. If you encounter
any problems related to mileages, routing or highway names, please print
a copy of the route listing highlighting the problem (such as incorrect road
name, mileage, city name, ZIP code) and send it to:

PC*MILER Products Division, ALK ASSOCIATES, INC.

1000 Herrontown Road
Princeton, NJ 08540
FAX: (609) 252-8108 E-mail: [email protected]
 82 PC*MILER User’s Guide

6.2 PC*MILER Updates

PC*MILER updates are offered on an annual basis. Updates may include

revisions to the PC*MILER software, updates to the North American
Highway Network database, and updates to the US ZIP code database.
To order your update contact ALK Associates, Inc. or your PC*MILER
dealer.

The PC*MILER Bulletin Board is available on the Internet for you to

download any new executables and program files available for your
version of the software developed since its initial release. To access the
bulletin board, enter the PC*MILER website at www.pcmiler.com, and
click on the shield labelled Support at the bottom of the screen. The
Technical Support page will post several options, one of which will be to
access the bulletin board.

6.3 Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What is the difference between a truck-restricted road and a truck-

discouraged road in PC*MILER?

Answer: A truck-restricted road, as determined by the controlling governmental

authority, prohibits most kinds of truck use. Such a road is highlighted
with a thick yellow line in the PC*MILER map window. In accordance with
these regulations, PC*MILER does not use truck-restricted roads when
routing. However, you can override some of these restrictions using the
Toggle Overrides feature, described in section 5.4.1.

A truck-discouraged road is one that is not very compatible with truck use,
as determined by PC*MILER. The road may be discouraged because it is
winding, or not well paved, or for a variety of other reasons. This type of
road is usually drawn as a thin yellow line in the PC*MILER map window.
PC*MILER avoids routing over truck-discouraged roads whenever
possible, with the following exceptions:

• If the destination is located on such a road

• If avoiding the truck-discouraged road will add significant time
and distance to a route
• If you have marked the road to be favored.
 Technical Support 83

Question: I have overridden a truck-restricted road, but PC*MILER still will not
route over that road. Why is this happening?

Answer: Most likely, the road segment is truck-discouraged as well as truck-

restricted. In addition to overriding the road, you must mark it as favored
to make it fully truck accessible. Make sure the Favor Roads button on
the tool bar is selected, and then click on all of the road segments in the
restricted road. The next time you run a route, PC*MILER will consider
this road to be accessible.

Question: With previous versions of PC*MILER, I was able to move the program
to a different directory, modify the .INI file, and the program worked. In
PC*MILER 14, I can no longer find those entries in the .INI file. How can I
accomplish the same thing?

Answer: The best and most strongly recommended way to do this is by

uninstalling PC*MILER and reinstalling it to the new location. Running the
workstation setup program from the new directory on the client machines
will update them with the new location. Note that the files which are
created in the process of working with PC*MILER (such as aliases,
attributes, options and routes) will not be deleted by the uninstall process,
and you can move them to the new location.

PC*MILER uses Windows Registry to store much of the information which

was previously contained in the .ini file. PC*MILER stores
its data under the Registry Key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
//SOFTWARE//ALK Associates //PCMILER. The location information is
stored further along the same hierarchy. However, WE DO NOT
RECOMMEND MODIFYING REGISTRY ENTRIES DIRECTLY, since your
entire system depends on the Registry being correct.

Question: PC*MILER crashes on large routes or swaps a lot. What can I do?

Answer: Close other applications while running PC*MILER.

Make sure you let Windows manage its virtual space. To do this, open the
My Computer folder, then Control Panel | System. Click on the
Performance tab. Click on the button that says Virtual Memory... .
Make sure “Let Windows manage my virtual settings” is selected.

Also turn off shape points. Using shape points gives greater detail to the
curves in roads at close-up zoom levels on the map. Removing them will
free up memory and won't affect map drawing except at close-up zoom
level. Under the Map menu choose Detail and click the checked command
Use Shape Points in the sub-menu to deselect it.
 84 PC*MILER User’s Guide

Question: I see my route on the map on the screen but not on my black and
white printouts.

Answer: PC*MILER draws routes in light colors so that the underlying roads may
be seen. Some black and white printers do not print these colors well. If
this is the case you need to edit the file styles.ini, which is located in the
grdata folder of the PC*MILER installation, as follows:

• If no routes are printing at all, then find the line Name:

RouteStyle and add this line below it: PrintBlack: True. This
will force all the routes to print in black.

• If any individual routes are not printing, then add the line
PrintBlack: True to the corresponding style for the route. For
example, if Route 1 is not printing (light green), add the line
PrintBlack: True under the line Name: Route1Style in the
styles.ini file. The same applies for the other seven routes.

Question: My reports are too wide to fit on the screen.

Answer: Adjust the report font to a smaller or proportional font. A non-

proportional font is one in which each character takes up the same
amount of space. These fonts take up more space across the page. A
proportional font (such as Arial) can put more characters in the same
space than a non-proportional font (such as Courier).

Font size and type are changed in the Font dialog box, which is opened by
choosing Font... from the Report menu. When a font type and size are
selected they will affect all reports. When you exit PC*MILER your font
changes will be saved.

Question: My reports are too wide to print on a single page.

Answer: Under the File menu choose Page Setup.... In the Scale area of the
dialog box check Fit to Page, and fill in the number of pages wide and
high you would like your printed report to be. Now your font will
automatically be scaled to fit these specifications. Each report can be set
up individually in this way.

Question: When I enter a city and state, I receive the message <<No matching
records found>>.

Answer: Double check that your city and state information is accurate, and your
spelling is correct. Also remember that in this latest version of PC*MILER,
the city name and state abbreviation must be separated by a comma.
 85

7.0 ALK ASSOCIATES OVERVIEW

ALK Associates, Inc. is an industry leader in decision support systems for
the transportation and logistics industries, and develops computer
mapping and navigation software for commercial and consumer
applications. Founded in 1979 and based in Princeton, New Jersey, the
firm is one of North America’s largest technology development companies
serving the transportation industry.
 87

Index
access routes and policies, 9 hazardous material routing
Acrobat Reader installation, 14 maps, 74
ALK Associates, Inc., about, 85 Options Dialog Box, 59
appending route files, 66 highway exits, how to enter as stops, 39
avoiding or favoring roads, 54, 73 hub routing, 54

batch processing, 66 installation, 11

border crossings, 37–38 for network administrators, 13
intersections, entering for a route, 38
Canadian place names, entering, 27
Canadian postal codes, entering, 5, 30 keystroke commands, 22–26
city names, entering, 26–35 kilometers to miles conversion, 54
Comparison Report, 49
copying a report to clipboard, 52 labelling cities and roads on the map, 72
Custom Points Manager dialog box, 42 latitude/longitude points
custom points, creating, 42–44 as custom points, 44
Custom Roads Manager, 75 entering as stops, 40
Custom routing, 54, 73 tracking in the RouteMap window, 72
legends in the RouteMap Window, 77
database for PC*MILER, 5 less detail, 78
default options, creating your own, 62 License Agreement, i–iv
deleting stops, 42 loading a saved route, 66
Destination, entering, 26 local mileage, 6
Detail Report button, 48
detail, in the RouteMap display, 78 Map Features dialog box, 70
distance calculation, 6 Map icon, 15
DOS format, saving and loading a route maps. see RouteMap window
in, 65–66 menus, 16–22
driving instructions, 48 Edit menu, 17
duplicate city names, 33–35 File menu, 16–17
Help menu, 22
empty/loaded per mile cost, 56 Map menu, 18
error messages during stop entry, 33 Report menu, 20
Excel format, saving reports in, 51, 52 Route menu, 19
exiting PC*MILER, 67 Tools menu, 20
exits on highways, how to enter as Windows menu, 21
stops, 39 Mexican place names, entering, 27
more detail, 78
favoring or avoiding roads, 73 mouse
framing routes, 78 entering stops using, 33
fuel tax reporting, 7 using to turn map labels on/off, 72
multiple routes, 45
generating a route, 44
 88 PC*MILER User’s Guide

National Network routing, 8–9 printing, 50, 84

Network Installation, 12 saving, 52
New button, 15 saving in Excel format, 51, 52
State/Country Mileage Summary, 47
Old Geocoding Mode, 33 resequencing stops on a route, 62–63
opening a saved route, 65, 66 restrictions, overriding, 73
Options retrieving a saved route, 65, 66
alphabetical/route order for road speeds, estimating, 58–59
state/country listing, 55 route
average road speeds, 58 generation, 44
borders open/closed, 54 generation, multiple routes, 45
creating your own defaults, 62 National Network, 8–9
ferry distances, 54 Practical, 7
hazardous material routing, 59 resequencing stops on, 62–63
hub routing, 54, 64 saving and loading, 65–66
miles/kilometers, 54 Shortest, 8
per mile cost for empty and loaded Toll Discouraged, 9
miles, 56 type, changing, 54
route name, 53 route entry window, entering locations
route type, 54 in, 26–35
time/cost estimate for individual stops, Route Report, 48
57 RouteMap window, 69–79
Origin, entering, 26 copying a map to clipboard, 79
Overriding truck-restricted roads, 73 hiding and displaying features in, 70
legends, 77
PC*MILER Versions 11.0, 12.0, Map menu commands, 78
&12.1,converting files from, 43, 65, 77 printing a map, 84
Pick Stops button, 33, 72 saving map settings, 66–67, 79
Practical Route, 7 shape points in, 78
preferred roads (Custom routing), 54, 73 zoom feature, 70
Print button, 50, 79 Run button, 44
printing
maps, 79, 84 Save Preferences dialog box, 66–67
reports, 50, 84 saving a route, 65–66
saving map settings, 79
Rapid City Lookup, 32 shape points, 78
highway junctions in, 39 shortcut keys, 23
truck stops in, 41 Shortest Route, 8
redrawing graphics, 78 Spelling Helper, 28
reports using for truck stops, 41
changing column width of, 51 SPLC codes, entering, 5, 31
changing font used in, 51 SPLC Helper, 31
Comparison, 49 starting PC*MILER, 13
copying to clipboard, 52 State/Country Mileage Summary
Detailed Route, 48–49 Report, 47
memo field in, 55 changing the order of states in, 47
 Index 89

state/province abbreviations list, 28

stop entry, 26–42
inserting and deleting stops, 42
reversing the order of stops, 63
Stop Labels, 78
stop-off time and cost, 56–57
Synonym Table, 35–36
system requirements, 11

tariff filing, 9
taxes, avoiding additional, 7
technical support, 81
Toggle Overrides, 73
Toll Discouraged routing, 9
tool bar, 15, 16
truck stop locations, 40–41
Truck-Discouraged Roads, 82, 83
Truck-inaccessible locations, 39, 72
Truck-Restricted Roads, 73, 82, 83

updates to PC*MILER, 82
Use Ferry Distances, 54
Use Shape Points, 78
uses of PC*MILER, 3

warranty registration, 1

ZIP Code Helper, 29

ZIP codes, entering, 29
Zoom buttons, 70
 91

APPENDICES:
A: Access Policies for the National Network

B: Canadian Codes for Duplicate City Names

 93

Appendix A: Access Policies from National Network Routes

to Terminals and Services
AL 1 Mile from National Network

AK 5 Miles from National Network

Does not apply to (1)Johnson Rd, near Delta Jct., intersecting
AK2 (2)Kalifornsky Beach Rd. (3)Kenai Spur Rd. (4)Bridge
access Rd. and other postings.

AZ Extensive permissions on state designated 102" wide network.

AR Open Access, several exceptions are incorporated into PCM database.

However, be aware that many National Network AR highways have
weight limits significantly less than 80,000 pounds.

CA 1 Mile for Services when signed, and the entire Network

of Terminal Access routes - these are posted and a map is available
from CA DOT.

CO Open Access, several exceptions incorporated into PCM database.

CT 1 mile; however, 48 ft tractor semi-trailer is legal throughout CT

DE 1 mile; anything greater requires a permit.

DC Access by Permit Only

FL Open Access, several exceptions incorporated into PCM database.

GA 1 mile and GA designated access system, map available from GA DOT

ID Open Access, however, there are several 65 ft length limitations.

IL 5 miles, additional IL designated system map available from IL DOT.

IN Open Access
 94 PC*MILER User’s Guide

IA 5 miles off the Interstate system

1 mile from all other designated roads
Roads and Streets within cities connected to the National Network
are also considered access routes; as well as cities with the
following distances:

Distance Population
3 miles less than 2,500
4 miles 2,500-25,000
6 miles 25,000-100,000
8 miles 100,000-200,000
10 miles greater than 200,000

KS Open Access

KY 5 Miles

LA 10 Miles

ME 1 Mile in Federal Aid Urban Areas/ 2 Miles in rural areas. Official lists of
approved access routes, available from ME DOT (207) 289-3775

MD 1 Mile for services; shortest practical route for terminal access,

with the exception of US2 between US50 & I695 between 6am and 9pm.

MA 1 Mile

MI 5 Miles on state highways. Additional travel permitted throughout

the Michigan Designated Network. (map of MI designated network
available from MI DOT)

MN On approved access routes only. Additional travel for many STAA

dimensioned vehicles on the Twin Trailers Network. Contact MN DOT
for listing of approved access routes and map of TTN.

MS Open Access; however, many highways have weight limits of

significantly less than 80,000 pounds.

MO 10 Miles

MT Open Access

NE Unlimited access on US, State & Local roads, except US159 from Rulo
to MO; US34 from 6th and Main in Plattsmouth to IA; and N370 from
Bellevue to IA.
 Appendix A: Access Policies for the National Network 95

NV Open Access, except US93 from SR500 north of Boulder City to AZ;
SR208 from Mason, NV to CA; and SR226 from Jack Creek to
Mountain City NV.

NH 1 Mile

NJ 1 Mile and throughout the New Jersey defined route system, 102"
standard trucks may travel 2 miles off of the route system.

NM 5 Miles for food, fuel, rest and repair;

20 miles to terminals for delivery, loading, or unloading;
and predesignated access routes.

NY 1 mile, except the New York City area which is limited to 750 feet.
There is an extensive list of designated access routes available from
the NY DOT, Truck Access Program. (518) 457-7436

NC 3 Miles

ND 10 Miles

OH Open Access

OK 5 Miles

OR 1 Mile

PA 1 Mile and extensive list of predesignated access routes

(list available from PA DOT)

RI 1 Mile for twin trailers, truck-tractor trailers are permitted

open access.

SC 5 Miles and the state designated system of reasonable access routes.

SD Open Access

TN Open Access

TX Open Access

UT Open Access

VT 1 Mile
 96 PC*MILER User’s Guide

VA 1 Mile and state designated access system. 1 Mile access does not
apply in Arlington & Henrico counties, incorporated towns and cities.
Access is additionally available on predesignated access routes
(map available from VA DOT).

WA Open Access, except vehicles over 5,000 # may not travel in

Mt. Rainier National Park, nor on WA 410 from the Park to the
American River, nor on WA 123 from the Park to WA 12. The Yakima
Canyon Route (WA 821) is closed to commercial truck combinations
from May 15 to Sept 15.

WV 2 Miles and the State Designated Truck Access Routes.

WI 5 Mile access; additional travel on state designated system.

WY Open Access

Notes:

Moving to or from the National Network, the shortest practicable route should be used.

All miles listed are road miles.

All access policies apply to Interstate, US and State highways. Check with local
authorities for other roadway policies.

All the Access policies listed above hold true unless otherwise posted.

Engineering surveys and other situations may find specific road segments unsuitable for
STAA dimensioned vehicles. The PC*MILER database incorporates some of these
exceptions, however, there are certainly other exceptions posted on the National
Network.

You may petition states for permission to travel beyond National Network and existing
access routes. You may also petition to permanently add a specific access route in
many states.
 97

Appendix B: Canadian Codes for Duplicate City Names

Province Counties & Touristic Region

Alberta (Contains no Touristic Regions or

Counties)

British (Contains Tourism Regions)

Columbia
VANCOVER ISLAND
VANCOVER COAST AND
MOUNTAINS
OKANAGAN/ SIMILKAMEEN
KOOTENAY COUNTRY
HIGH COUNTRY
CARIBOO
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
PEACE RIVER/ ALASKA
BC ROCKIES

Manitoba (Contains no Touristic Regions or

Counties)

New Brunswick (Contains Counties)

ALBERT
CARLETON
CHARLOTTE
GLOUCESTER
KENT
KINGS
MADAWASKA
NORTHUMBERLAND
QUEENS
RESTIGOUCHE
ST. JOHN
SUNBURY
VICTORIA
WESTMORLAND
YORK
 98 PC*MILER User’s Guide

Newfoundland (Contains no Touristic Regions or

Counties)

Northwest (Contains no Touristic Regions or

Territories Counties)

Nova Scotia (Contains Counties)

ANNAPOLIS
ANTIGONISH
CAPE BRETON
COLCHESTER
CUMBERLAND
DIGBY
GUYSBOROUGH
HALIFAX
HANTS
INVERNESS
KINGS
LUNENBURG
PICTOU
QUEENS
RICHMOND
SHELBURNE
VICTORIA
YARMOUTH

Ontario (Contains Counties)

ALGOMA
BRANT
BRUCE
COCHRANE
DUFFERIN
DURHAM
ELGIN
ESSEX
FRONTENAC
GREY
HALDIMAND - NORFOLK
HALIBURTON
HALTON
HAMILTON - WENTWORTH
HASTINGS
HURON
KENORA
 Appendix B: Canadian Codes 99

KENT
LAMBTON
LANARK
LEEDS - GRENVILLE
LENNOX - ADDINGTON
MANITOULIN
MIDDLESEX
MUSKOKA
NIAGARA
NIPISSING
NORTHUMBERLAND
OTTAWA - CARLETON
OXFORD
PARRY SOUND
PEEL
PERTH
PETERBOROUGH
PRESCOTT AND RUSSELL
PRINCE EDWARD
RAINY RIVER
RENFREW
SIMCOE
STORMONT, DUNDAS, AND
GLENGARRY
SUDBURY
SUDBURY RM
THUNDER BAY
TIMISKAMING
TORONTO
VICTORIA
WATERLOO
WELLINGTON
YORK

Prince Edward (Contains counties)

Island

KINGS
PRINCE
QUEENS
 100 PC*MILER User’s Guide

Quebec (Contains Touristic Regions)

ABITIBI-TEMISCAMINGUE
BAIE-JAMES
BAS-SAINT-LAURENT
CHARLEVOIX
CHAUDIERE - APPALACHES
COEUR-DU-QUEBEC
DUPLESSIS
ESTRIE
GASPESIE
ILES-DE-LA-MADELEINE
LANAUDIERE
LAURENTIDES
LAVAL
MANICOUAGAN
MONTEREGIE
MONTREAL
OUTAOUAIS
QUEBEC
SAGUENAY - LAC-SAINT-JEAN

Saskatchewan (Contains no Touristic Regions or

Counties)

Yukon (Contains no Touristic Regions or

Counties)
ALK14-001