The most important item your not taught in training

Yeah I sorta agree with you Mack, I use to have a CB, but living in the most densly populated state, NJ, there is a lot of nonsense that goes on the air. I mean how many "Bubbas" can you listen to on the air, or listening to someone saying "Bababooie" over and over again. And besides, I've had a lot a local jobs that put me well past the 300 mile radious. And I personally don't mind being stuck in traffic, since I'm paid hourly. Driving in the NE, I'm probably gonna be stuck in traffic at some point anyway. Mind as well get paid for it.

 

The free maps link :
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/trucks.shtml

 

You work for Sysco or Maines Paper?

 

I carried my dads old weather radio with a magnet attena just for good luck.

Only used it twice ever one to give a smokie report like I did as a kid & another one because I had 500 ppl ask me why we were stopped on the interstate for hours and noone else had a radio.

Then we all went and built a snowman in the median of i40 lol.

The company I'm with now has them bolted only turned it on once to say follow me ########!!!
I took them around the roundabout in Columbus Indiana instead of sitting on 65. Had like 8 of em follow me after I flew past em in the third right lane why they played with their GPS prob headed to 31 like suckers xD

Its primitive technology but handy in a pinch like that tree blocking the road.

 

No. Black Horse Carriers.

 

And the you're breaking the first cell phone rule. Always communicate on the same forum. If someone calls, you call back. If someone texts you, you text back.

Not really. Waze is built into Google maps. So when you have your tablet on navigation it will route you around the traffic jam. Also youre able to see when scales are open or closed and how much parking is available. If you're still stuck on paper maps and CBS I feel bad for you.

 

I don't hate CB. It'd be great if it weren't for the majority of people just #####ing and being generally insane on it. I don't need to hear a story about the last lot lizard you picked up, I have audio books if I'm in the mood for a story. If it was used as intended I'd probably like it much more.

 

Spend your money on the antenna noobs, buy the right mount for your truck, get the tallest top loaded antenna you can run, spend too get it tuned to YOUR TRUCK AND MOUNT.

A $29.00 Walmart or pawn shop radio will talk as far and farther than 90% of the idiots with "big" radios.

Antenna, coax, and getting it tuned to your truck is the key.

My cobra 29 is 35 years old and has saved me countless $$$$$ in tickets and damages due to trimming it with the volume up and the squelch to the right to be quiet. If something really important is happening, and they are close enough to break my squelch, it has almost always been useful information.

As far as the rebel trousers and radio Rambo's go, just wait till they shut up, then say something to get them going again, what does it matter? You will be out of their range in 3 minutes anyway, no matter how much power they run.

 

The old CB argument. Next will be the old lunch counter argument.

Your and my situations are different. Trip planning is important to every driver, but even more so to say , a hazmat driver, or munitions, high value, or a heavyhauler. We can't miss. You're running down the road with a big load and the road is blocked up ahead with a couple jack knifed rigs. We can't cut through the woods and go around it. So if there's a 6 mile backup and the evening curfew is upon us, the earlier we know, the sooner we can make Plan B. "Hmmm, 6 mile back up and 45 minutes til curfew. Doesn't look like we will make Uncle Roy's Saloon. Better stop and Big Mama's Place." Funny thing is, we will find the rest of the gang at Big Mama's.

You hear me say all the time, 'whenever you play, bring your A Game.' What's involved in bringing the A Game?
1.) Keeping up with the DOT regs...especially if you're pulling hazmat or open deck.
2.) Doing your homework (proper trip planning) every day.
3.) Self discipline. Sleep when you're supposed to sleep and drive when you're supposed to drive.
4.) A good name.your name is the most valuable thing you have. Do what you say you would do. If you tell them that you will deliver Tuesday at 0800, be there at Tuesday at 0800.
5.) Bring your gear. The tools for the job. Ever see what happens on a jobsite when a driver shows up and doesn't have a hardhat? Every single day, I will have someone call out to me on the CB. Especially in the 2 lane. They don't say anything stupid, they tell me about road conditions ahead. Yeah, we could get by without the old road atlas and the CB, but then, we would be just like everyone else. The funny thing about tools is you want to have them available when you need them. Doesn't mean you have to carry that tool with you and hold religious ceremonies with it.

"Well Six, everything I use is metric. 3/8 drive. Got rid of all my box wrenches, and standards, hand inch drive."

Interesting. Ever have a phone break? Ever see the Blue Screen of Death on a laptop? Ever have your GPS lose satellite signal? Ever have a Qualcomm freeze up? I have. The original post wasn't on living by the CB instead of the smartphone, but having one in the truck. But of course, everyone gets bent out of shape. Perhaps it's a sign of that communication thing that you said that people don't learn anymore.

Speaking of old technology, the oldest tech out there has always been and still is the ROAD SIGN. Think that USA driver who was trying to do the U on the 2lane had a GPS and a smartphone? Sure he did. Think that girl that dropped that 6 ton bridge with a 40 ton truck had access to satellite images? You betcha! Too bad they missed that ancient tech. HERE's YOUR SIGN.

Every one of those permitted loads, placarded, flagged and bannered, could possibly be our last load, end our careers...fines so big you have to put the house up for collateral. For you and me, the A Game isn't optional. So we have to keep every tool at our disposal.

Had a hand holler at me, "Why do you have 2 radios stacked up on your dash?"

1 steerman. 2 pole car/ spotter(s)/ police escort.

"10-4. Didn't think about that.

When I run down the bigroad, I will have my pilot cars on one channel, but I monitor the highway channel with the other. If there is a problem someone will tell you, so I run one of them on the highway channel all the time.

"But Six, what about all that noise and nonsense?"

Oh, that's what the squelch and volume knobs and Black Sabbath and Jethro Tull are for. Should I discard a tool just because someone else doesn't use it the correct way?