Do you need one?

"Do I need a CB?"

What kinds question is that?

Last I looked, having a CB Radio in the truck, was not a mandatory requirement to be a Truck Driver... One has nothing to do with the other.

 

I have more than one radio, in my truck. Always! It SNOWS up North. Drivers Freeze to death. CB Radios can save your life. Way it is.

 

I feel better anyway. Thanks. The other post, how many times I heard that "driver you almost ran me off the road with the cap you just shelled off the rear inner trailer tire on the passenger side". Or the time I had to tell a driver about the spark shower and molten metal dripping out of a failed wheel assembly on the rear of his trailer. Especially useful once outside Custer, Mt. on I-94 at 60 below, -113 wind chill, slid off in the snow and ice, fuel jelled engine dead no heat, no cell service (not that we had them in the early 80's anyway), getting a driver to stop for a ride to somewhere warm using you guessed it, a CB.

That was a long sentence.

 

I would get a low cost well proven model like the Cobra 29. Some prefer the 9XX Galaxies like the 949 or 959 but more costly and all you really need is a good well tested reliable for low cost. Plus a good antenna but that you look into once you have the truck obviously. Stay away from the Winnebago models. The small usually black plastic cased models like the Cobra 19, etc.. Vibration takes them apart rapidly so bad choice in a truck. If the mounting location such as a hole in the overhead is small you could try a Cobra 25 but I think having a built in SWR function is better like in the 29, not super accurate but very handy to test out the antenna system without investing in meters and the like. Close enough for most needs in accuracy although many complain they are not that accurate. Moot point in my mind since the built in SWR meter function is more than adequate to get you up and talking quite well, plus saves $. I do not prefer the Uniden counterparts because most use solid pins in the mike jack, split pins are better at avoiding yet another problem, i.e., bad connections in the mike plug.

 

Nice to have one and not need it than to need one and not have it. More options on the road makes dealing with problems or situations less difficult.

 

Ok ..... Well this isn't the 80's

 

Your little high tech toys can fail you at any time, you can be in an area with no coverage as well. Especially true in the very places you are likely to encounter the greatest danger. Such as northern Montana in January and guess what. The winter does not care that the 80's have passed, you can still end up in the ditch in 60 below weather. You can still end up with jelled fuel and no motor means no heat. Before you get to thinking yeah but I carry an emergency propane heater in the side box know this. At those temperatures you cannot get enough pressure out of a fresh propane tank to light a cigarette. Been there done that. Try warming a tank of compressed gas by heating it with a little fire you made from some gathered tinder and the bic that was still working because it was in your pocket. Also been there done that. Not to mention unless you know every cell number and which unknown truck is what number just exactly how do you warn John Q. Public in situations such as has been mentioned like brakes on fire or shelled tires? A little less know it all arrogance, less trusting of modern toys which can fail or be useless, can allow that 5 years to make it to 25 years.

What good will a cell phone be in severe solar disturbances, EMP's from Iran, or any number of disaster scenarios. How useful are they when you need to quickly communicate with unknown strangers on the road? What else I wonder. New construction not in the GPS database or Google earth where a quick shout out to locals in the area can find you a better way to get to your destination.

Even in the worst case of EMP's (looking more likely as time goes by if you watch current events in the middle east like I do) a CB not connected to any wires laying under the bunk will most likely still work when you hook it up. I can think of a thousand scenarios where old is still useful and even possibly lifesaving.