Which GPS best for multiple locations calculating sorting best route?

After checking the owner's manual for your 265wt on the Garmin site I'd say the answer is no. It doesn't appear you can set up multiple waypoints on the GPS (as you can with some other models) then have the device reorder them.

I know that feature is available in the 700 series (my 760 will sort points). Other models probably do too.

Cheers

...I don't believe the 265WT supports multiple routes

I think the nuvi models that support saved routes are 465, 5xx, 7x0, 7x5, 8x0, 8x5, 14xx, 1690, 5000

From Garmin : "Can I enter multiple via points on a 205 series device?

Answer:

The 205 series devices can support more than one via point entry per route. In order to add a via point to your route please follow the instructions below:

While navigating a route, touch the icon to return to the Main menu.

Touch Where to.

Use the Address menu to enter an address or locate the via point through the Point of Interest menu.

When you find the via point, touch Go.

A menu prompt displays with two options: Add as a Via Point and Set as New Destination.

Select Add as a Via Point.

If you would like to add another via point, follow the instructions above again. When a via point is placed in the unit it is placed as the point before your end destination.You cannot edit the order of the via points once they have been entered on a nuvi 205 series device."

I have a 255W and have in the past added 4 via points to my route without a problem. It might not be as sophisticated as other series that support multiple point routing but for me it works just perfectly.

Cheers

The 255W model still has quite a bit of juice to work with!

There are some subtle differences about routes, I'm finding. I don't know when this info from the Garmin site was last updated, but I got it about a week ago-

'With the nuvi 3xx, and 6xx series, you can add one via point per route. With all other nuvi devices you can add several via points per route.'

I can confirm that the 200W can also add multiple via points as described by canuk for the 255. Now that's just talking about adding via point(s), NOT that the unit can sort or optimize them within a route, or SAVE the route.

I think that only the 4xx, 5xx, 7xx, 8xx, 14xx, 16xx, 5000, and zumos can 'Auto sort multiple destinations (provides most direct route)', and as alandb mentioned save routes.

But double-check the Garmin site.

Charlesd45 discovered that in the older 2X0 series if the unit took a micro sd it would take multiple via points. At least that's what he found with his units. I had a 200 with a large SD card and it would only take a single via point. One of the reasons I upgraded.

It's true that the 205 series cannot save routes but I do the following and BASICALLY accomplish the same thing.

If for example I want to go to Florida I'll punch in my final destination and see the route it gives me. I already know ahead of time that I'll be stopping at the Flying J in Pennsylvania for gas so I look at the route the unit is giving me.

Now lets say from the very beginning it's taking me on a certain back road which I don't want to take to get onto the highway. I make a category and call it Penn. south. I then go on mapsource and get the coordinates of the the road I want to use to go onto the highway. Once that's done I verify the route and if I need to do any other changes I proceed the exact same way. For this particular category I can have 1,2 or several via points.

From the Flying J in Pennsylvania I already know that my next stop will be at the Flying J in Virgina. I create a new category called Virgina south. I add via points if necessary so that it follows the route I want to take.

I'll put the unit in simulation mode (starting point from Flying J Pennsylvania to Flying J in Virgina) to see if the routing is correct.

From the Flying J in Virgina I'll add another category called Flying J South Carolina. I,ll continue making categories until I reach destination.

It was long & somewhat tedious creating the entire route using 6 different categories for the 1600 mile trip but I've created my own personalized route.

When I stop for gas, it doesn't take long to program the next "route" once everything is well organized within a category.

I can also tell you from past experience that when I use 4 via points, the unit will always follow correctly 1 via to to the next in the proper order.

Perhaps if I was doing delivery and adding via points closely together optimizing would be an important feature but for my specific needs it isn't.

Cheers

I have an oil pick up business and I want to automate my routing for the daily pick ups. I have all my clients in google contacts and can click to directly map them on google maps one at a time. On google maps I can click send to GPS. This method works good for one address at a time on my Garmin Nuvi 205, but I cannot do more than one address.

My question is, which GPS would support sending multiple points to, calculate and sort them into the best most efficient route, and be able to save the route for the next week. I run the same routes on the same day every week.

Is this possible and which GPS would this work best with?

These units all have route planning some 10 others 100.Depends on what you need and other features to go with it. See https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134 and put check mark in Multiple point routing on left of screen.

To add to Charlie's advice ...
Please note that even if you have a nuvi that supports Custom Routes, Google does not allow direct transfer of multi-point routes. It still just transfers the destination as a single point like it does with your 205. There are third party utilities that will convert the Google route to a nuvi multipoint GPX route file, but that method takes some extra steps. The other alternative is to use Mapquest instead of Google to plan the route. Mapquest does support direct creation of multi-point GPX route files that are compatible with the nuvi's supporting Custom Routes.

As a suggestion for the Nuvi 205 until you get a unit that supports routes.

1.Take all your locations and make a custom poi file.Add the location that your trucks will leave from.
2.Open custom poi file in Extra Poi Editor http://turboccc.wikispaces.com/Extra_POI_Editor
3.Once the list comes up in EPE highlight the the location the trucks leave from.This is needed to sort from start point.
4.Click on tools and select sort by best route.Then view on map.
5.Save copy as Garmin Csv for your gps and also print it out.
6.You now have list for your drivers in the order that you need them to follow.
7.Select the location from the custom poi file loaded to your gps that matches the location from the number stop on the list.Just go down the list.
8.A short cut would to bring up the custom poi file on your gps(clear your recently found first from gps) and select the last stop first from the list.Don't touch go.Repeat same process for each one working from bottom of the list to top until completed.
9.Select Where to on gps then recently found.Your list should now be in the order you need to make your stops.

It sounds like you have all the info in your favorites.You can also use EPE to get your favorites.
1.Connect gps to computer.
2.Using EPE select under file open Garmin Favorites.
3.Once list comes up save as Garmin CSV on your computer.
4.Delete everything out from the CSV file except your contacts.Then just save as a CSV file that you can load to Gps as a custom poi file.

I've been using the Garmin 265wt for just this every week.
I have to perform safety inspections at 10 - 20 different addresses in Staten Island & Brooklyn every Saturday. Each time the addresses are different.
I usually set my home as the destination and the various addresses as waypoints.

I previously used my old Mio for the same thing and it performed flawlessly.

The Garmin seems to calculate your next stop based on what is closest to your current location. Sometimes this works fine and sometimes it is a disaster but if you are aware of this, you work around it.

Since my Garmin is fairly new (1 month), I have a tendency to play with it and try different things while it is setup for my work. I have lost my route a number of times and had to start entering addresses again. Thank goodness for the "Recently Found" locations list. I miss the feature to be able to delete waypoints if I so choose.

Ihor