Why own and USE a cb?

I haven't had a working CB for a few months after I swore I would never roll a single mile without one. Can't say I've missed much considering it's silent most of the time anyways. You can pretty much drive from Siskiyou Pass to Ehrenberg without ever hearing anyone and just about everywhere else. There were a few times I would have liked to have had it: the truck driving through Columbus with one of his trailer doors open and swinging around but he probably didn't even have a CB anyways; the times stopped in traffic wondering which lane to be in, etc. I have about 15,000 TA points now so I'll be getting one sooner or later.

 

I used to get tired of listening to the endless dribble coming over the radio waves, not sure why if they were travelling in tandem they didn't run on a different channel. Sure its great when you can get some feed back on road conditions but more often than not I'd find the CB a hindrance rather than a help.

 

Didn't use to have those big pileups when we all ran one years ago. But, the new modern truck drivers are better than we use to be I guess......just can't seem to figure out how to stay out of those multi-vehicle pileups! (and I've used waze and all the rest.) Even if nobody leaves one on, they come alive when something happens, but if your's is off, you lose!

 

When I started with Werner (8 years ago - not there anymore) - 25,000 mile truck - unequipped with a CB.
The company doesn't spring for that expense anymore. Like I'd said earlier, I hardly even see a whip on most trucks.... Driver has to foot that expense. Then it's a matter of necessity: want or need?.... Most don't want, need nor have the capacity to be interested in nor afford.

 

Never rely on a radio even for those reasons unless a pileup has occured well in advance, rather following at the correct distance works much better, as was proven when we were travelling in a convoy down the I - 80 just west of Truckee, on the way to Sacramento, I was lead truck and what saved us was not the radio but the fact that I was traveling at a good speed and not to close, there were three separate incidents on the freeway that afternoon, those that were not so fortunate where the ones driving too fast and too close for the road conditions as it was wet and slippery in late May. Not saying the radio is of no value it would be fine provided all the clowns would get off and just let us actually listen to important information like a road incident.

 

I think it is a must if you want to keep your driving record clean. And they are tax deductible for work purposes. I understand most of the modern trucks can't hear or xmit much further than a mile, or less, but that is enough to get slowed down and stop. Doesn't do much good to turn on one after you hung up in the traffic jam, or just ran over and killed a few folks. I wouldn't run without one. You need all the advantage you can get to keep your self out of trouble out there, a CB is a pretty cheap investment if it only saves you one time in your whole career. Considering that one time might cost you your career. Below is my "retirement" rig. And yes, I do have a radio in it.

 

A CB is tax deductible! I've never seen the time I had enough tax write-offs come tax time.

 

Now that's what I call retirement. The Duke boys would be proud of you jumping that little car up on the back of your truck ..ha. To top it off, now all you need to do is mount your old 7 foot skip shooter on the roof of that car, you would probably get out pretty far.

 

Well put, there is something to be said for that.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

The absolute sheer driving force of our national economy - without truck drivers, our entire national economy would come to an absolute standstill - if not outright be dead.

Over the mountains, through the woods, into the valleys, coast to coast, from sea to shining sea - truck drivers can and do go anywhere and everywhere, every day, every night, all year round.