Cobra Unveils 5550 PRO Navigation System for Professional Drivers

CHICAGO, March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cobra Electronics Corporation (Nasdaq: COBR), a leading manufacturer of Navigation systems for professional drivers, today announced the Cobra 5550 PRO, its new 5-inch navigation unit specifically designed for the professional driver.  The new 5550 PRO will be on display at the Mid-America Trucking Show taking place in Louisville, KY from March 30 through April 2, 2011.  With features nearly identical to its larger sibling— the Cobra 7750 Platinum — the 5550 PRO offers enhanced graphics, Junction View with Lane Assist, State Mileage Log, and Hours-of-Service Log, along with the industry's best last-mile routing for unmatched road coverage on secondary highways.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110315/CG63769)

The enhanced graphics and menu options on the 5550 PRO offer superior visibility in bright sunlight, along with a highly intuitive interface for optimized efficiency when scrolling through searches and configuration settings. The handy Quick-Tabs feature puts critical information — such as the distances to weigh stations, travel centers, rest areas and mile markers — at the driver's fingertips.  Junction View with Lane Assist provides drivers with 3D images of upcoming highway junctions as well as lane guidance and enhanced turn-by-turn directions.  Also, the 5550 PRO has a State Mileage Log feature that monitors miles driven within a state for IFTA reporting and an Hours-of-Service timer that makes it easier than ever for drivers to track their On-Duty, Off-Duty, and Driving Time.  

"At Cobra, we have been designing products for the professional driver for over 50 years.  We understand what drivers want and use this knowledge to create the most intuitive, efficient, and powerful line of truck-specific GPS products on the market," said Sally Washlow, senior vice president of marketing and sales, Cobra Electronics.  "With the 5550 PRO, we've taken virtually all the power and functionality of the award-winning 7750 Platinum unit and paired it with a 5-inch LCD screen.  The result is one of the most impressive navigation systems on the market for professional truckers."

The Cobra 5550 PRO also features the map rated highest in route quality and reliability, based on the results of certified quality testing. The map in the 5550 PRO delivers more than 1 million additional miles of road coverage in the US than the competing map, plus 17x more last mile (dock-to-dock) coverage and 4x more trucking attribute coverage on secondary highways.

Like its predecessor, the Cobra 5550 PRO includes more than 12 million standard points-of-interest (POIs) plus 33,000 truck-specific POIs—the most truck-specific POIs in the industry.  The truck-specific data, supplied by ProMiles® Software Development Corporation and TruckDown™ Info International, Inc., is tailored for professional drivers and includes: routable travel center locations, detailed amenity information, fueling stations, restaurants, heavy duty towing, truck and trailer repair shops, truck-friendly hotels, weigh stations, and the location of certified scales.  

Owners of the Cobra 5550 PRO also receive 3 months of unlimited downloads from Cobra's exclusive AURA™ Camera & Driving Hazard Database, which alerts drivers to the locations of fixed speed and red-light cameras, dangerous intersections, and known speed traps.

The Cobra 5550 PRO will be available at travel centers nationwide beginning in April 2011 for a suggested retail price of $349.95. For more information, please visit Cobra in Booth #17084 at the Mid-America Trucking Show, March 30 through April 2, 2011, or visit http://www.cobra.com.

About Cobra Electronics

Cobra Electronics is a leading global designer and marketer of communication and navigation products, with a track record of delivering innovative and award-winning products. Building upon its leadership position in the GMRS/FRS two-way radio, radar detector and Citizens Band radio industries, Cobra identified new growth opportunities and has aggressively expanded into the marine market and has expanded its European operations. The Consumer Electronics Association, Forbes and Deloitte & Touche have all recognized Cobra for the company's innovation and industry leadership. To learn more about Cobra Electronics, please visit the Cobra site at www.cobra.com.  Follow Cobra on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CobraElectronic and become a fan at www.facebook.com/CobraElectronics.

About ProMiles

ProMiles Software Development Corporation, based in Bridge City, Texas, develops various types of desktop (CD) and Web applications such as Route/Stop Optimization, Fuel Tax Reporting, Fuel Management and Fuel Purchase Optimization. Companies such as Penske, Werner, Old Dominion, Ryder, Dominos Pizza, Pepsi, AutoZone, Bridgestone/Firestone, PACCAR, Volvo, Wal-Mart, Ocean Spray, Bayer and US Postal Service have benefited from the use of ProMiles applications. ProMiles is also used by auditors in over 40 jurisdictions to verify log book, fuel tax and other data. For more information on ProMiles Software Development Corporation, visit www.ProMiles.com.

About TruckDown

Since 1997, TruckDown Info International, Inc., has been compiling and maintaining a database of vendors that provide service to on highway fleets.  Such services include heavy duty towing, tire service, truck repair, trailer repair, mobile repair, and many other services required to keep fleets rolling safely.  User-friendly search access to this database is provided via www.TruckDown.com through standard Internet connections and wirelessly to web enabled cell phones and PDAs.  Registered and Advanced TruckDown user accounts have been issued to thousands of fleets operating throughout the USA and Canada.  Included with these user accounts are tools fleets use to identify preferred vendors, provide instant vendor feedback and/or update requests to TruckDown, manage their own user groups and request vendor additions as needed.  Fleets can also call upon TruckDown's professional verification staff to help them update their internal vendor contact databases.  For vendors TruckDown provides the opportunity to showcase their services to fleets active in their service area, even if the fleet is based thousands of miles away.  For more information please visit www.TruckDown.com.

SOURCE Cobra Electronics Corporation