Activity on the Interstates

[trentbob]

What percentage of the NYC/Philly economy was manufacturing at your startpoint in time, and what is it now? This isn’t 1983.

Thr trucks still have CBs, and there can be a fair amount of chatter from your location N to the 287 Loop, but as every driver from the rest of America hates your locals, many if not most radios are turned off.

Hauling crap from container ships is bottom-of-the-barrel truck driving. That’s describes most of what’s there.

Long distance truck driving from the NE USA disappeared with that manufacturing.

To your area and out to middle Long Island the loads for daily/weekly service moved to eastern PA long ago. WaWa and Dollar Store crap. All the chains, as independent businesses got driven out.

The traffic you miss shifted out to IH-81 the better part of a decade ago. Comes in/out IH-80 & IH-78. IH-95 is a ghost road you take away container runs and chain store delivery.

The long runs (from the Midwest and elsewhere) deliver to Allentown, etc., to Regional Distribution Centers. From there it’s placed aboard private fleet vans and run to their stores in the metro.

This is the pattern in the rest of the country. Suffice it to say no one in trucking can afford the traffic congestion of major metros. Things get delivered to the outskirts and day cab/ short vans take it from there, in main.

All loads are palletized. Fast load & unload. Very much of a 53’ might be one single product category.

The independent or contracted owner/operator family men making those eastern PA to Garden City, NY runs a few days a week —and a similar destination the others — are just keeping a local larder stocked. 48-hours worth. They know every foot of the very mile. Can look out the window to tell you the time.

Same is true for private fleet. Too many workplace rules and time-constraints so as to be home every night to be on-air much.

Sure ain’t got the time of day for Joisy.

What percentage of the metro population lives on welfare, crime, Social Security, Disability, or other transfer payments (pension; stocks, etc)? Like Florida . . you’re screwed the hammer comes down. Service Industry ain’t a substitute for manufacturing. Fast Food Frank feeding Forklift Fred ain’t an economy.

The big trucks bypass NYC & Philly. New England gets served from up near Albany, NY.
Otherwise it’s by sea can.

Produce is about the only exception given high speed scheduled runs to a few points close-in. Those guys get paid beans and don’t speak English anyway.

Other “food” is by ingredient-mixing far, far away and trucked in as above. Meat is processed from far away. Dairy is brought in from hundreds of miles away.

Your favorite pasta? I carried 19-tons of it from Texas to Harrisburg, packaged and palletized to a general RDC. From there it went out in little box trucks or to the chain warehouses.

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You couldn't be more correct LOL. We have a lot of industrial parks in this area and there is a lot of 18 wheelers, I'm north of Philly right near the Pennsylvania Turnpike bridge that crosses the Delaware River and then becomes New Jersey Turnpike. Lots of truck stops. This was one of the noisiest areas for channel 19 and most guys used another Channel.

Even the lot lizards had Portables

Living right near the Pennsylvania Turnpike I do here once in awhile a small Caravan come and go for a few minutes.

And yes I think a lot of guys turned their radios off when they were in this area. Although it is as quiet as a church now we did have one psychotic who kept the incoherent gibberish, sound effects, music, whistles and profanity pretty much day and night but he disappeared about six, seven years ago.

The Philly area at one time was a huge manufacturing area of course but now all of those buildings are all gutted out and abandon. Some have been repurposed as condos in what they call gentrified areas but I wouldn't live there. We even have breweries popping up in some of the old industrial buildings. Especially Brewerytown.

 

[slowmover]

I still see very few trucks with CB antennas. And I see some trucks with a Fiberglass Antenna looks factory mounted. I am not sure if that's a CB or a FM/AM radio antenna. But if it's CB I would not want it factory mounted. I would want my own 2 antennas installed on the mirror's like a CB antenna should be. If those are CB Antennas I bet the SWR is high.

Every company-spec truck comes pre-wired for CB and features generally two antennas on mirror arms or the cab itself. SWR is almost always close (below 2.0). Plug in and go. Problem is that it’s noisy and needs serious work to get right.

The one you’ll see “without” antennas is the most common tractor: Freightliner Cascadia. Has a HIRSCHMANN “Thin Film Antenna” molded into body just above the windshield. Think copper wire in shrink-wrap and you’ve got it. The Two-Mile Miracle (it gets that far).

Peterbilt 579
Kenworth 680
Freightliner Cascadia
International ProStar
Volvo 760

The big fleets keep these 2-4 years on lease and they’re sold to next owner at 3-400,00 miles when some warranty still applies to major components.

Getting good radio performance is a helluva job. Composite bodies are a real “ground plane” challenge from 20-years ago when cabs were metal and still featured West Coast mirrors.

There are MANY men who’d like a good radio, but are stymied by bad trucks and rules about making changes.

.

 

[slowmover]

You couldn't be more correct LOL. We have a lot of industrial parks in this area and there is a lot of 18 wheelers, I'm north of Philly right near the Pennsylvania Turnpike bridge that crosses the Delaware River and then becomes New Jersey Turnpike. Lots of truck stops. This was one of the noisiest areas for channel 19 and most guys used another Channel.

Even the lot lizards had Portables

Living right near the Pennsylvania Turnpike I do here once in awhile a small Caravan come and go for a few minutes.

And yes I think a lot of guys turned their radios off when they were in this area. Although it is as quiet as a church now we did have one psychotic who kept the incoherent gibberish, sound effects, music, whistles and profanity pretty much day and night but he disappeared about six, seven years ago.

The Philly area at one time was a huge manufacturing area of course but now all of those buildings are all gutted out and abandon. Some have been repurposed as condos in what they call gentrified areas but I wouldn't live there. We even have breweries popping up in some of the old industrial buildings. Especially Brewerytown.

The Petro at Bordentown was long a favorite of mine. Leaving aside East Coast unique problems, that Blue Beacon truck wash at about 1300 wasn’t too crowded (the reefers had their washouts earlier) and I could park and partake of their great buffet (prime rib $25 on Friday a few years back) after a shower. Then settle in to do a 34-hr HOS re-set.

Some of the radio ****-talk was funny, some wasn’t. No reason to leave it on over the next day + ten. (In, say, Clovis, NM I might never turn it off).

NE USA has better food at truck-accessible places than all the rest of the country, generally. Same menu, but someone in the kitchen gives a damn.

Away from the major cities — and especially in New England — the locals are a hoot. I turn on the Texan drawl and crank it to an Eight. Ask them to speak English and repeat that last, please.

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[trentbob]

I am very very familiar with that Bordentown area and the truck stop and restaurant you are talking about. Also good diners in that route 206, Route 130 area. That area is a very short hop across the Delaware River from where I live.

Economically that area has changed, like a lot of other places... that is basically a suburb of Trenton, the capital of New Jersey where I worked for decades. Trenton has become basically a closed up useless wasteland similar to parts of Philadelphia.

In busier, noisier days of CB radio that Bordentown area combined with the Bristol area in PA where I live made for a very high noise level on Channel 19 for decades.

 

[TailGator911]

My favorite truck that I drove for Crete Carrier was the Oldtimer Special, the Freightliner Classic. The last 7 yrs at Crete Carrier I drove the Freightliner Century Class and Crete did have strict policies about making changes in the truck that required drilling and screws, anything deemed permanent or cosmetic. I improvised using Velcro and 2-sided mounting tape. I fashioned a laptop stand from plexiglass, 1-inch lead pipe and a flange mounted to the floor of the cab. I did use screws, but when I went in for service or inspections or changed into another truck, etc, I would remove the flange stand and replace the rubber mats on the floor. The screw holes were never noticed. My antennas, a 2m Larsen, CB Firestik, and an all-band vertical (I forget the name) were on mirror mounts that were easily and quickly removed, and I used a scanner rubber duck bnc window clip on the passenger window. I played a lot of radio out there, had me some fun. I was not only well-informed but I was easily entertained hah

Yup, been to that Petro many a time. Their buffets were the best of all truckstop chains, IMO. Can't find a better salad bar than Petros.

 

[WX4JCW]

I still see very few trucks with CB antennas. And I see some trucks with a Fiberglass Antenna looks factory mounted. I am not sure if that's a CB or a FM/AM radio antenna. But if it's CB I would not want it factory mounted. I would want my own 2 antennas installed on the mirror's like a CB antenna should be. If those are CB Antennas I bet the SWR is high.

Factory is Crap

 

[WX4JCW]

My favorite truck that I drove for Crete Carrier was the Oldtimer Special, the Freightliner Classic. The last 7 yrs at Crete Carrier I drove the Freightliner Century Class and Crete did have strict policies about making changes in the truck that required drilling and screws, anything deemed permanent or cosmetic. I improvised using Velcro and 2-sided mounting tape. I fashioned a laptop stand from plexiglass, 1-inch lead pipe and a flange mounted to the floor of the cab. I did use screws, but when I went in for service or inspections or changed into another truck, etc, I would remove the flange stand and replace the rubber mats on the floor. The screw holes were never noticed. My antennas, a 2m Larsen, CB Firestik, and an all-band vertical (I forget the name) were on mirror mounts that were easily and quickly removed, and I used a scanner rubber duck bnc window clip on the passenger window. I played a lot of radio out there, had me some fun. I was not only well-informed but I was easily entertained hah

Yup, been to that Petro many a time. Their buffets were the best of all truckstop chains, IMO. Can't find a better salad bar than Petros.

Alas no more salad bars looks like, I used to drive for Crete then moved to Shaffer

 

[TailGator911]

Lived in Florida, so Deland was my home terminal for years. Then, moved to Ohio and home terminal was Columbus. Crete was a good company. I liked the rotating dispatch system they had...sometimes lol

 

[press1280]

Same in the WV/VA/MD/PA I-81 corridor.

I’m only 10 mins off 81. I hear some traffic, but certainly not what it was when I was originally messing around with radios back in the late 80s and early 90s in NOVA. Back then my buddies would have to move channels a lot to find one that was relatively clear. It seems the opposite now where I seem to only be able to find people on a select few channels.
Side note-I’ve been hearing a lot of Spanish on channel 9. Not sure if this is local traffic near me or what.

 

[slowmover]

My favorite truck that I drove for Crete Carrier was the Oldtimer Special, the Freightliner Classic. The last 7 yrs at Crete Carrier I drove the Freightliner Century Class and Crete did have strict policies about making changes in the truck that required drilling and screws, anything deemed permanent or cosmetic. I improvised using Velcro and 2-sided mounting tape. I fashioned a laptop stand from plexiglass, 1-inch lead pipe and a flange mounted to the floor of the cab. I did use screws, but when I went in for service or inspections or changed into another truck, etc, I would remove the flange stand and replace the rubber mats on the floor. The screw holes were never noticed. My antennas, a 2m Larsen, CB Firestik, and an all-band vertical (I forget the name) were on mirror mounts that were easily and quickly removed, and I used a scanner rubber duck bnc window clip on the passenger window. I played a lot of radio out there, had me some fun. I was not only well-informed but I was easily entertained hah

Yup, been to that Petro many a time. Their buffets were the best of all truckstop chains, IMO. Can't find a better salad bar than Petros.

That’s been my approach. Company could give a rats ass truck was stolen, totaled or torched. Act sensibly & carefully.

 

[n6hgg]

Still very active in Humboldt County, Ca. It is required by general consensus in logging operations to use them on the fairly risky dirt logging roads in our mountains for self regulated one way traffic control. You can't see around the sharp corners and sometimes the drop over the side can be several hundred feet or more. Not good for two18-wheelers, the downhill one fully loaded at 40 tons, to meet head on in that setting. Each road network has It's dedicated cb channel with a sign stating what channel to use. They can be heard up in the mountains from Hwy 101 during logging season. Even some of the marijuana growers who can be using some of the same roads will have theirs on to avoid being crushed by a fully log-loaded big rig.

The over-the-road truckers here locally still jabber a lot, sometimes 3 or 4 channels will be going.

But then when I leave the area for a less isolated region, it goes pretty silent.

 

[trentbob]

I’m only 10 mins off 81. I hear some traffic, but certainly not what it was when I was originally messing around with radios back in the late 80s and early 90s in NOVA. Back then my buddies would have to move channels a lot to find one that was relatively clear. It seems the opposite now where I seem to only be able to find people on a select few channels.
Side note-I’ve been hearing a lot of Spanish on channel 9. Not sure if this is local traffic near me or what.

Yes, I-81 was always a busy area just like mine, my daughter went to East Stroudsburg University and used to drive her up there about 18 years ago and I've always enjoyed vacationing in Tioga County Pennsylvania. People have no idea what kind of area that is, it's Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon right on the border of New York, the most rural area of New York, more bears, Bobcats, deer, (and I live in Bucks County LOL), coons and snakes than there are people. Cell phone service is very sketchy. I can see CB radio being popular still, makes every bit of sense. A lot of those areas don't have Ambulance Service, they use Choppers.

It's obvious that CB radio is geographical and dependent on local environment.

As far as the Spanish-speaking individuals, I have no doubt they are definitely locals and why not? Probably not paying much attention to what channel is used, I guess Channel 9 is still the most quiet.

 

[TailGator911]

It's obvious that CB radio is geographical and dependent on local environment.

You said it all right there, Bob. A very good observation.

My Pastor and I had a discussion once about CB radio and he said to me - ' Mark my words, CB radio will make a big comeback here real soon. Everybody will need one when cell phone signal disappears' - scary thought. He's always making comments and suggestions about the power grid going down and what we will have to do when it does. But, one of these days CB radio being the primary way for people to communicate? Seems improbable and impossible, but then so did a pandemic, right?

 

[trentbob]

You said it all right there, Bob. A very good observation.

My Pastor and I had a discussion once about CB radio and he said to me - ' Mark my words, CB radio will make a big comeback here real soon. Everybody will need one when cell phone signal disappears' - scary thought. He's always making comments and suggestions about the power grid going down and what we will have to do when it does. But, one of these days CB radio being the primary way for people to communicate? Seems improbable and impossible, but then so did a pandemic, right?

Oh geez JD, I find censorship to be offencive and unamerican so I will keep my mouth shut here and say no more.

Your pastor is a smart man. Respect what he says, I know you do.

 

[slowmover]

Family cars (all) with CB plus a decent base at homes. That doesn’t seem like a tall order, does it?

Yeah, there’s a learning curve. But plenty of hands ought to make it go more quickly.

Then, encouraging neighbors by inviting them over and demonstrating a pre-arranged drive-up by your son at some nice distance saying he’s on his way in. Past a landmark all know.

The Koffee Krew at 0700, daily.

I went past an upstate NY Erie Canal town last year where locals in trucks were checking in with a lady at home they obviously knew well.

.

 

[WX4JCW]

Lived in Florida, so Deland was my home terminal for years. Then, moved to Ohio and home terminal was Columbus. Crete was a good company. I liked the rotating dispatch system they had...sometimes lol

I was there starting in 2003 when I left OCFR my good friend Georgia Speedman was out of Tifton and ran regional

 

[FLA727]

I just made the drive from St Pete, FL to N.E. Ohio and must say that CH 19 had steady traffic; some was rather funny and some was bickering. The craziest was in Southern Ohio. Picture for a second the 2 nut jobs in the pickup truck from a scene in the Movie Christmas Vacation. There was 1 trucker who was just insane in his driving and talk. One trucker asked where he was buying his crack from. The nut job was just hammer down get the F out of my way.

While in West Virginia, I was getting great skip and was listening to a conversation from a local guy in St Pete with another guy in North Carolina.

I turned of the car radio. There was plenty of CB traffic to be informative in construction zones, keep my attention and entertain me the entire trip.

 

[NC1]

I am in NC by the VA border and there is a bit of construction on I-77 that can back up for miles. Channel 19 is fairly active on a daily basis with chit chat about how long the lineup is, where can they go around it, which lane do they have to get into, etc. but every once in a while there's a couple jokers that make light of the situation by talking about the people in the vehicles next to them at the moment. I usually keep the CB on a low volume with the squelch set just a bit above the noise so I can hear when the conversation starts.

 

[FLA727]

I am in NC by the VA border and there is a bit of construction on I-77 that can back up for miles. Channel 19 is fairly active on a daily basis with chit chat about how long the lineup is, where can they go around it, which lane do they have to get into, etc. but every once in a while there's a couple jokers that make light of the situation by talking about the people in the vehicles next to them at the moment. I usually keep the CB on a low volume with the squelch set just a bit above the noise so I can hear when the conversation starts.

Yeah,that "construction" on I77 was a 1.5 delay and all they were doing was patching about a 6ft section of the edge of the road! I was expecting to see some hugh project. However they were making "boobie" reports as they were looking down at some other vehicles 😄

 

[imonitorit]

I agree CB channel 19 is still alive and serves a purpose.
I tried the scanner, but unless you have a new digital one with GPS that updates as you travel or one with close call...your really lost. It was too time consuming to program the old type scanner for the trip.