Why my CB radio is on all the time, and why yours should be, too

Good choices!

 

My new truck has that problem. This week I picked up a Wilson antenna and I'll be installing it this weekend.
The CB has saved me a few times.

 

You guys are lucky. You at least get CB traffic.

Aside from rolling by a truck stop and hearing the odd conversation, I only ever talk to empty airways (i.e. asking a driver if he is okay on the side of the road, or swerving between lanes) or drivers from my company if they are nearby.

I must have been a truck driver in a previous life. I long for a two-stick transmission, all-mechanical motor, jakes through straight pipes and CB-traffic where you can barely get a word in edge-wise without a "breaker one-nine".

 

Because those of us who are professionals want the steering wheelholder, no CB, texting idiots off the road?

 

Couldn't pay me enough to listen that garbage again.

 

It's OK, those of us who know how too, and when too, don't miss you new guys one #### bit.

 

"How 'bout that southbound bullwagon"

"Yeah, come on"

"I'm in this W9 ahead of ya. Gonna be making a right up here at the 33 junction. Come on around so I don't hold you up. I'll throw the jakes at it if I need to"

"I sure appreciate it, hand"

"Any time, brother."

This happened last night. And happens all the time. If he hadn't had a radio on, I'd have had to make him stop while I made my turn on a hill, and I knew he was loaded as well. It wouldn't have been the end of the world, but it sure makes life easier when I can talk to the driver behind me and let him know what's about to happen. Get him around me a couple miles before my turn and it relieves a lot of stress, for both of us.

Just one example. But my radio is always on, and gets used all the time. We gotta watch out for each other out here. We are not selfish children. We are truckers.

Fortunately, in my neck of the woods, about 80% of trucks have their ears on. There's the occasional freight hauler that rolls thru with no radio, trying to keep up with "traffic" by constantly looking at his phone and keeping multiple apps updated while driving in these hills. That's the guy I worry about.

This is farm and oilfield country. Trucks break down and lots of these 2-lanes have no shoulder to pull off on. You crest a hill and there's a 1-ton sitting in your lane with a blowout on his hay trailer and traffic coming at ya. Tough spot to be in. Sure would have been nice if I could have known ahead of time.

 

The "no CB" idiots wouldn't hear the warning about the police, would they?

 

I'd rather sit in a backup the one time in 9000 a cb would save me the trouble versus listening to every billy bigrigger with their amped up radios trying to assuage their loneliness. Google maps can keep you abreast of most developments with a very quick response. Not to mention google maps isn't going to troll you, nor go on a racist diatribe. The cb is dying, and it's a good thing.