Newbie to cb in a co. truck

The only guy on the west coast I know that is reputable is off I-10 Ontario Ca. I'm sure there must be others, maybe someone can chime in.

 

Far and away the single most important component of any factory stock (non-amplified) cb setup is the antenna and nothing else even comes close. I consider a 4 foot long antenna as the minimum acceptable length. A 4 1/2 foot Francis model CB-25, a 5 1/2 foot Francis model CB-26 or a 5 foot long antenna from anyone would be an upgrade over the stock antennas that come installed on the truck.
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If you are going to run a single antenna setup, a factory stock (non-amplified) cb setup will work acceptable well with common RG58. I suggest 12 feet or shorter. RG 8 or mini 8 as it is sometimes referred to is another good choice. Personnally I feel that the added expense for RG 8 is unnecessary for a factory stock setup. If you are going to run an amplifier that is completely different.
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The dirty little secret about CB radios is that virtually all the factory stock condition radios put out about 3 watts of power. More money gets you a more pretigious brand name and more features but not more power. While the radio does the majority of the work, the antenna is what gets you the range. Spend more time and money on selecting your antenna. Which radio you select is less important than the antenna.