CB Radio: Still a vital tool despite its recent reputation as "old school"...

^^^^ Agreed. Mostly BS and that DOES suck. But last year, when I was hauling an OS/OD load out of asphalt season to Cleveland, the CB saved my butt TWICE. In one day. We (wife and I) picked up the pre-loaded concrete on a Sunday and the securement sucked, as did the trailer . . . it was like coat hangers on concrete secured to a tripod on a bed of holes. It was probably prior-refused, ergo Sunday.

We get on the interstate, and I had 3 truckers raising me up, saying "HAY TRIPOD, YOUR TRAILER BRAKES ARE SMOKIN'" .. one was, on the passenger side of the trailer. Wife should've seen out the mirrors, but... didn't. Pulled over, fixed that. Thanked them boys big time.

Then, when we got OFF the I71 into CLE, made a left turn, and wife was like "how did the trailer hop, with that much weight?" again, her side. It didn't hop ... another fire-up on the CB from a tanker behind me, "HAY TRIPOD, YOUR CONCRETE IS SLIPPING OFF" . . . two miles from destination, in a busy part of town; pulled over and did the best I could to re-secure/salvage the load. That was a close call. Should have been properly fastened on by United Precast, but not ~ obviously!! Glad I carry extra straps and chains, etc, along with the CB!

Needless to say, I don't haul for them anymore. They keep calling, and I keep refusing. Lol. Much respect for those of y'all that do that stuff; ie: @TripleSix and all you other big guys. (Wonder if he has a CB still?)

Good thread tho. Thanks, OP. I'll squelch out the idle ####-chat best I can, and keep it fired up for necessities.

 

I turn mine down sometimes and forget to turn it back up, but never off, and never will.

 

Mine is always on in the background. Hearing is way more important than talking. I do agree if your chatting hit another channel, course there is always that break 19 if you need to put out something worth hearing

 

I guess im old school my cb is on at all times. I use it primarily to listen thats why ive been using a bearcat 980 for the last couple of months because the recieve is great, but it has good transmit when i do talk. There is alot of stupid hash and trash out there, cussing, singing, just stupid stuff but its best just to ignore it, it my experience the radio has benefited me more than it has bothered me.

 

Yep....awhile back a driver laid over his rig, blocking both lanes and the shoulder....well, another big truck ran into the first truck, killing the second driver ( at night) Imagine tooling along @ 70 mph, then seeing the underside of a trailer just ahead.

 

I don't mind listening to the BS on the radio as long as I'm the first one to know about a rolled over big truck an hour ahead of me so I have plenty of time to plan my detour

 

That's around 60 miles ahead! HTF!?!

 

As an Amateur Radio operator, it bothers me that the FCC enforcement has been reduced to just a couple of field monitors. They let CB bands go, unless REALLY bad interference can be reported and found.

Would be a great idea to certify a few truckers in factual reporting of violations to the FCC. They want us to watch out for Terrorist activity, why not illegal CB use? They empower Amateur Radio folk to police ourselves. But I suppose that is because we are licensed.

When I get back on the road, I'll have a CB. But I'll get a newer one with weather bands. At least until I can figure out putting my ham radio in the truck.

 

Hardly. I had one truck with a CB radio. Couldn't shut it off quick enough. If I want to listen to morons talk and argue I'll watch for news.

 

So bliss then?