Now that you’re a virtual expert on how to run a basic route (and how to get around Iowa), we can start taking a look at the many advanced features of PC*MILER. One such feature, the Location Radius tool, can help with rate determination and pre-operations planning by finding stops that are near a particular location.
1. Click Manchester, IA to highlight it on the stop list for the route you just ran.
2. In the Routes tab, click Location Radius to open the Location Radius dialog box. You’ll see Manchester entered in the City field. Any valid PC*MILER location can be entered for a location radius search.
3. Enter “15” as the number of miles for a Geographical Distance around Manchester, uncheck Cities and check Postal Codes instead.
4. Click Find. All postal codes within 15 miles of Manchester will be listed:
5. Now we’ll select some points on the list to plot on the map: holding the Shift key down, click the first location on the list (Manchester) then click Ryan, IA 52330 to select it and all the postal codes in between:
6. Click Plot Points. You’ll see the points plotted on the map, represented by small red squares. At this point you could also Save the highlighted points in a text file, or click Add Stops to add them as stops in the active route window, replacing Manchester.
7. Now we’ll close the Location Radius window without saving the search results: click the “X” in the upper right corner of the window.
More Search Options
In addition to the Location Radius tool, PC*MILER allows you to search for places of interest (POI) such as fuel stops (including fuel prices where available), rest areas, and truck services – all right from your handy route window. Your search can be conducted within a specified radius around a location or along a corridor on a route.
In the route window, use the stop type drop-down and select Place of Interest, from there use the fields provided to search for POIs. Go here for more on this feature including detailed instructions. (Streets address data must be licensed and installed to use this feature.)