Can Google Maps Avoid Low Bridges? Truck Routes on Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps

Fleet Navigation Guide · Independent guide · Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Affiliate disclosure

"How do I avoid low bridges on Google Maps?" is one of the most common questions new truck and box truck drivers ask. The honest answer is that the everyday map apps on your phone are built for cars, and a car doesn't need to know how tall it is.

What the consumer map apps can and can't do

• Google Maps: route options cover things like avoiding tolls, highways and ferries. There is no setting in the consumer app for vehicle height, weight or length, so it has no way to know a bridge is too low for you.
• Waze: lets you pick a vehicle type for things like toll and lane rules, but none of the options carries your height or weight.
• Apple Maps: the same limitation. Routes are planned for cars, with no truck profile.

App features change, so check your own app's route settings. But if you can't type in your height, the app can't route around a clearance based on it.

Workarounds people try, and why they fall short

• "Avoid highways." This usually makes things worse. Local roads and older city streets are where many low clearances and truck-restricted roads are.
• Adding stops or dragging the route. You can force the route onto roads you know are safe, but only if you already know every clearance along the way. On an unfamiliar trip, that's the part you don't know.
• Street View checks. Useful for looking at a dock entrance, not for checking every bridge on a 300-mile route.
• Following truck traffic. Not a plan. The truck ahead may be shorter, lighter or lost too.

"How do I set a truck route on Google Maps?"

In the consumer app, you can't set a truck profile. The closest you can get is planning the route by hand along roads you have already confirmed are safe for your height and weight, then adding them as stops. That works for a regular lane you run every week. It doesn't work well for new destinations, detours or closures, which is exactly when drivers get into trouble.

What to use instead

A truck navigation app asks for your vehicle's height, weight, length and sometimes hazmat status, and plans the route around restrictions that don't fit. Our guide to truck GPS vs regular GPS explains the difference in more detail, and truck route restrictions covers what it is avoiding.

1. Measure your real height, with the trailer, box or any rooftop equipment. See how to avoid low bridge strikes.
2. Enter it in the truck app before the trip, and update it when the equipment changes.
3. Re-route from the truck app if you miss a turn or hit a closure. Don't switch to a car app for the detour.
4. Signs win. If a posted clearance looks too close, don't attempt it, whatever the app says.

For fleet owners

If your drivers are using their personal phone map apps today, that is the gap to close first. Put the whole fleet on one truck navigation tool, with each truck's dimensions set up, so nobody is relying on a car route. A dedicated device or an app can both work; the key is that it uses truck dimensions.

FAQ

Can Google Maps avoid low bridges?

Not reliably. At the time of writing, the consumer Google Maps app has no setting for vehicle height, so it cannot route around a clearance that is too low for your truck. Use a navigation app that routes by your vehicle's dimensions.

Does Waze have a truck mode?

Waze lets you choose some vehicle types for things like toll rules, but at the time of writing none of them takes your height or weight, so it is not a substitute for truck navigation.

Can Apple Maps avoid low clearance bridges?

No. Apple Maps plans routes for cars and has no truck profile for height or weight.

Is it safe to drive a box truck with Google Maps?

It is risky. Box trucks are tall enough to hit low bridges, and car map apps do not know your height. Use a truck navigation app with your real dimensions entered, and follow posted signs.

Disclosure: This site is independent and is not Trucker Path. We may earn a commission if a company we introduce becomes a Trucker Path customer. This does not change what you pay. App features described here reflect the consumer apps at the time of writing and can change; check your app's current settings.