The most important item your not taught in training

You make some very valid points. CB's are relatively cheap and offer instant two way communication.

(WARNING: This is going to be long. QUICK SUMMARY: Don't neglect your tools and have a well stocked toolbox)

My previous truck had a malfunctioning CB hook up and the company shop supervisor told me they don't repair those. It was a little daunting going out on the road without a CB. I got by without it, but I did missed it occasionally.

I remember getting distracted when removing the fuel nozzle and switching to DEF and forgot to put the fuel cap back on. When I discovered my mistake a few hours later, I remember thinking, "it sure would have been nice to have a CB so another driver might have alerted me of my error." Of course, that implies that another driver would have even cared or paid attention.

I've had trailer lights fail while driving and had other drivers alert me. A quick stop at the next rest area or truck stop for inspection/repair is better than getting dinged at the scale.

Even if you have the CB turned off, an alert driver can pull up along side and hold up their microphone to indicate that they have something to tell you. I remember the first time I did this with a fellow company driver who had a problem and several other drivers tried to communicate to him. I slowed down to get along side, held up my mic and he just put his hand up and pointed to the empty spot where a CB would go. He didn't even pull off at the next truck stop to give his truck a quick walk around and see what might be wrong. I guess a CB can't fix willful ignorance.

In addition to a CB, I have many other tools. The GPS companies have invested many millions of dollars in developing fairly useful devices. Trusting a strange voice coming from the chatterbox called CB can be far more dangerous at times. My GPS isn't perfect and I have been able to figure out when it is lying to me by reading the signs and looking out the big window on the front of my truck and planning ahead.

The vast majority of "my GPS said to go this way" incidents that I have seen happened AFTER the driver already missed a turn and put themselves in a non-truck environment. Then the GPS will do whatever it can to get you back to a truck route, but the driver must use these "suggestions" with extreme caution, unlike the driver who drove over two pedestrian bridges in Milwaukee.

So yes, the CB is still a useful tool that is cheap. Other useful tools include things like New York City truck route maps, available from the NYC website and mailed to your home for FREE. Absolutely indispensable for any driver going into the burrows of NYC. Every driver who ever goes to the northeast should get them. It is easy, but takes about 2 weeks to have them delivered. Much easier to get them before you need them rather than ending up in a jam when you need them and don't have them. Of course, you have to use them to plan your route BEFORE going into the city.

 

Seems developing patience and teaching the dynamics of tandems sliding (Weight manipulation) also seems to not be taught in training.

 

Will a cheap cb $100 or less be ok? I see uniden cb's on amazon for as low as $40

 

I always used my fathers old tram diamond 40. It was a 23 channel (fixed) so it would get all 40 channels. I still have it, but not using any CB now that I am retired.

 

Some companies have new rules,No CB radios,if the boss sees it "Get that outta there".Make you sign a paper "No talking on cell phone while driving" (even hands free,no dash cams allowed.Seriously

 

My first day driving was yesterday. Drove for 8 hours, Lenexa KS to Brazil Indiana. When I got there I had a question for my boss. Tried calling. Tried texting. No luck. No signal. No cb radio. From reading this thread I have 2 questions to start. First, what's the range of the cb? Second, what's the best cell phone carrier for national coverage? Sorry to hear that the cb has been misused to the extent that it is no longer a valuable tool anymore for so many. Sounds like it was once. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

A CB with no amp will maybe get out 3 or 4 miles if your lucky. One with an amp might get 10 to 15 miles or more depending on conditions. As for the best cell phone company well everybody has an opinion on that. I use Verizon.

 

CB's are almost useless in many of the newer Freightliners that have the "antenna" embedded in the truck shell and ran through the cheapest coax cable the builder can buy. They can get across the interstate but that's about all but you still need one if for nothing else other then to have at a handful of operations that communicate to drivers with CB.

If you want optimal CB operation, go to a CB shop and have them sell you a complete setup and bypass any factory antenna/wire

Verizon or ATT is the carrier of choice for the nationwide, OTR truck driver.