How useful is a CB radio these days for police/traffic updates on the highway? Is there much chatter at all, useful or otherwise? Am I better off sticking with Waze?
CB Radio vs Waze
Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by docomo, Feb 18, 2016.
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Can a CB tell you what to plan for 300 miles ahead? No. Can your phone? Yes.
thejackal and TequilaSunrise Thank this. -
I'll always have a CB....most of the time it's ######## coming thru, but it's helped me before and I've helped others.
OLDSKOOLERnWV and JReding Thank this. -
Can Waze tell you there's an alligator in the road, someone broke down in the right lane, or a bad accident ahead on your side of the highway? If it was up to me, a CB would be a required safety item. Think of how many lives they save.
OLDSKOOLERnWV, poppapump1332, gwilli89 and 9 others Thank this. -
I couldn't tell you how many times I've found out about all kinds of road hazards just before I got to it because of the CB radio. If there's a group of deer standing in my lane just over the next hill in the dark, I want to know about it before I get there. If there's an accident blocking a couple of lanes of the interstate, I wanna know where and what lane I need to be in BEFORE I get there. Many other things.
Just the other day I was north bound on I-35 in San Antonio, TX. A southbounder hollered at me. Traffic was backed up for several miles up ahead. I was able to jump off on I-10 and run over to 1604 north thru Universal City and jump back on the big road. Nice drive, and I bypassed the whole mess. That's how trucking is supposed to be. Help each other out. If we don't look out for each other, who will?
And of course I always warn others of anything they need to know about, but 90% of trucks never respond. I still try anyway.
What the heck is Waze, anyway?RockinChair, cnsper, OLDSKOOLERnWV and 7 others Thank this. -
Waze is an Android app for traffic. What happens is, when you see something (car on side of road, accident, bear, whatever), you fire up the app and report it. Everyone within range sees the report with the location on a map moments later.
It's useful (I use it myself) but there are a couple of drawbacks: Waze allows you to go into detail about whatever you're reporting but hardly anyone does (for example, Waze may report an accident a couple of miles from you but you won't know which lane(s) are blocked because the reporter never mentioned that - happens all the time). Also, Waze isn't necessarily trucker-specific (is the upcoming chicken coop open? 80% of Waze users are 4-wheelers and wouldn't know what a coop was in the first place). You also tend to get quite a few nonsense reports (vehicle on side of road? So what?) But it can be useful if you know how to filter out the nonsense.
I find Waze, plus another, more trucker-oriented app (Trucker Path ) can make for a effective combination, but nothing beats the helpful details you get from another driver over the CB. -
Regs prohibit using your phone while driving, so that app is a no-go. Get caught entering or reading info on it while driving and the penalty is pretty steep. CB, on the other hand, is perfectly legal.
RockinChair, cnsper, OLDSKOOLERnWV and 8 others Thank this. -
Anyone that thinks a CB isn't necessary needs thier head examined. Take a look at all these morons (driving too fast for conditions for one) that probably work for companies that don't allow CB's for "safety"
OLDSKOOLERnWV, poppapump1332, Timin770 and 2 others Thank this. -
I won't turn a wheel without my radio(CB). It's an essential of a tool as gloves and a map. Anyone who needs to debate this can jump off a cliff as far as I'm concerned.
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has the chatter on box changed, last time I listened in all were blaming a student driver and trainer that caused a a few trucks and rv's to wreck when it was the wind gust with dust that blew em all over. or so the report released said
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