AWS Partner Network (APN) Blog
Harnessing HERE Explore Truck Map Style and Amazon Location Service for Large Vehicle Transportation
By Zach Elliott, Sr. Specialist Solutions Architect – AWS
By Erwin Soekianto, Developer Evangelist – HERE Technologies
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| HERE Technologies |
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In the dynamic world of transportation and logistics (T&L), ensuring the safe and efficient travel of large vehicles poses significant challenges.
Bridge heights, travel restrictions, and compliance with truck-specific regulations are just a few of the obstacles T&L companies face daily. Navigating these complexities can lead to delays, increased costs, and potential safety risks.
In a previous AWS blog post, we discussed efficient truck routing using Amazon Location Service powered by HERE Technologies. In this new post, we’ll explore the HERE Explore Truck map styles to help customers better visualize routes in real-time on Amazon Location Service.
HERE Technologies is an AWS Specialization Partner and AWS Marketplace Seller with Competencies in Automotive Software, Supply Chain, and Public Safety. HERE Technologies is one of the world’s leading location data and technology companies, offering a location-centric platform that’s open and secure with privacy at its core.
Amazon Location Here Explore Truck Map Style
The Here Explore Truck style is a detailed, neutral base map of the world. The street map builds on top of the HERE Explore style, and highlights truck restrictions and attributes (including width, height, and HAZMAT) with symbols and icons) to support use cases within transport and logistics.
The HERE Explore Truck map type is specifically designed to meet the requirements of applications tailored for the challenges of driving large vehicles, such as considering bridge heights and travel restrictions. By providing crucial information such as bridge heights and HAZMAT-restricted roads, the HERE Explore Truck maps ensure users have all the necessary data for safe and secure travel in larger vehicles.
Truck Restrictions and Attributes
The HERE Explore map style includes icons indicating the type of vehicle restriction, and a purple line on the map which indicates the extent of a vehicle restriction along a street. Restriction icons include:
- General truck restriction
- Trailer restriction
- Hazardous materials
- Hazardous materials for water
- Hazardous material permit required
- Speed limit
In addition, truck attributes are considered and can be viewed on the map as well:
- Height
- Width
- Length
- Weight
- Weight per axle
- Number per axle
Figure 1 – HERE Explore Truck Map restriction icons.
Localization
Country-specific requirements demand a specific appearance of a truck restriction icon based on local rule. For T&L companies operating across multiple countries, maintaining accurate and localized information is essential for efficient fleet management and operational visibility. Implementing a localized truck icon feature on their mapping system can provide numerous benefits, ensuring seamless tracking, effective communication, and enhanced operational control.
The accurate localization of truck icons on the HERE Explore Truck Map is crucial for providing T&L companies with real-time visibility and precise tracking of their fleet, enabling efficient decision-making, optimized routing, and effective resource allocation. For example, a localized map of Japan will include symbols specific to the country; for example, Hazardous Material.
Figure 2 – HERE Explore Truck Map localization for Japan.
In the United States, attributes such as height, axle count, and width are represented by different symbols, and the HERE Explore map style will provide those localizations.
Figure 3 – HERE Explore Truck Map localization for United States.
Viewing HERE Explore Truck Map on Amazon Location Service
The easiest way to view the HERE Explore Truck map using Amazon Location Service is to visit the demo site located at location.aws.com/demo. From the Data Selector menu, in the top right, select the Explore Truck style.
Figure 4 – Amazon Location demo map style selector.
Searching for a specific location in the demo app, you can view the truck restrictions present. For example, in New York City you can see multiple routes that are restricted, as well as height restrictions due to overpasses and tunnels.
Figure 5 – Amazon Location Service demo.
If you’d like to include the HERE Explore Truck style in your geospatial application using Amazon Location Service, follow the steps listed in the Developer Guide to create a Map Resource using the HERE Explore Truck Style.
Conclusion
The HERE Explore Truck Style with Amazon Location Service provides a rich set of truck specific information critical for transportation and logistics applications and operations.
By combining the Explore Truck map style with HERE’s rich truck routing capabilities available through Amazon Location Service, T&L companies can take advantage of safe, efficient, and compliant transportation throughout the world.
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HERE Technologies – AWS Partner Spotlight
HERE Technologies is an AWS Specialization Partner and one of the world’s leading location data and technology companies, offering a location-centric platform that’s open and secure with privacy at its core.