• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

Do truckers still use CB Radios?

WX4JCW

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 26, 2006
Messages
3,403
Location
Stow, Ohio
True Story, Wife and I who run team were sitting in the Vince Lombardi Service Plaza NJTP, listening to Channel 19, now you know the stereotype of people from NY/NJ, so my wife who is Dutch made a comment something to the effect of I wonder how long it will be before someone calls someone else a D-Bag, well not more than 10 minutes later a guy comes on and here we go.

Driver #1. Break 1 9 what does the GW look like today
Driver #2. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT LOOKS LIKE, IT LOOKS LIKE A F'NG BRIDGE YOU MORON!
and so Driver #1 and #2 decide to discuss each other in flattering ways and their wives and mother and then it came "D-Bag" got thrown around
we almost fell out of the truck laughing
 

slowmover

Temporarily Banned
Timeout for bad behavior
Joined
Aug 4, 2020
Messages
1,853
Location
Fort Worth
True Story, Wife and I who run team were sitting in the Vince Lombardi Service Plaza NJTP, listening to Channel 19, now you know the stereotype of people from NY/NJ, so my wife who is Dutch made a comment something to the effect of I wonder how long it will be before someone calls someone else a D-Bag, well not more than 10 minutes later a guy comes on and here we go.

Driver #1. Break 1 9 what does the GW look like today
Driver #2. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT LOOKS LIKE, IT LOOKS LIKE A F'NG BRIDGE YOU MORON!
and so Driver #1 and #2 decide to discuss each other in flattering ways and their wives and mother and then it came "D-Bag" got thrown around
we almost fell out of the truck laughing


NJ drivers are a subspecies generally “hated” by drivers from elsewhere on being subjected to their presence on-air.

Thankfully, it’s none too hard to yank their chain and listen to them go apoplectic.

There can be jerks everywhere, but the New Jersey Turnpike is a lesson in perceiving how never to appear to others. In other places and times the jerks are leavened out. Not so in Nu Joisy.

Ran IH-40 & 30 from Knoxville, TN yesterday straight west to near Texarkana, AR. Over 600-miles. I doubt there was more than a mile or three without AM-19 chatter (better the vehicle systems, the more that this is a guarantee).

Wall-to-wall big trucks outnumbering private vehicles.

Experience in determining near from far, “constant” versus “receding” (why it’s occurring), and audio quality sufficient to note vocal details is, IMO, the hallmark of a very good mobile system for decision-making.

A constantly-updated checklist of conditions.

In Little Rock, a 5-mile backup on eastbound elevated IH-440 Bypass from IH-30 to IH-40 right at dusk meant not simply a day-changing delay, but (this is missed) being trapped with no exit.

You plan to Get Home you’ll NEED the far-in-advance info to do something about it.

Comms not owned by you (satellite or internet-based) isn’t of sufficient reliability.

.
 
Last edited:

GrayJeep

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Messages
967
Location
N. Colo.
I was driving across Wyoming on I-80 a month ago. I normally run a scanner but I have CB channels programmed into a bank so if anyone transmitted I might hear it. Generally there's nothing going on HOWEVER when I came to the polished ice on the road from the first snowstorm of the season Ch 19 came alive. Some new truckers were driving really slowly (as they should) and other truckers were shouting at them that if they were so scared they should get off the road. The newby then said he'd see the old guy in the ditch further down the road (which was the likely outcome. There were many, many semis slid into the median. I was driving 20 mph in 4WD in my Jeep and feeling none too in control)
 

WX4JCW

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 26, 2006
Messages
3,403
Location
Stow, Ohio
we stay out over thanksgiving, and take 2 weeks off for Christmas to New Years, we actually got offered a bonus to stay out one time over Christmas, and we did and got headed to Denver, and a blizzard forced us to stay in Colby Kansas on Christmas, absolutely 0 food options, Christmas dinner was microwave ham and cheese sandwiches, we will never do that again
 

xilix

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Messages
143
Location
Pasadena, CA
I drive down Interstate 5 in Northern California to the central coast several times a year. Sometimes to pass the time I will look at trucks to see how many have CB antennas. I would guess around 50 to 60%. Now how many have a CB radio hooked up to them would be anyone's guess.
I don't know if it's still the case, but CB Ch 15 was always used on I-5 from Northern Cal thru to LA.
 

kk9h

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 4, 2006
Messages
65
Location
Northfield, IL
I live in the Chicago area. A month ago I drove to Atlanta for a wedding and last weekend I drove to northern Virginia for a family funeral service. On each trip I decided to take my CB to listen on the way. I have a President McKinley and a Larsen NMO27 mag-mount placed on the roof of our SUV. I would have to say that truckers absolutely still use CB radios and twice they made a huge difference in our avoiding serious problems ahead. On our way to Atlanta, a truck had caught fire at the bottom of the mountain on I-24 heading from Monteagle, TN toward Chattanooga. All east bound lanes were closed and we found out about it soon enough to exit on Rte. 41 and drive around it probably saving us a couple hours of sitting on the roadway. The second event occurred on our way home from VA. A car had just run into a very large deer on a state highway north of Columbus, OH. It apparently happened as a car was passing a truck and was witnessed by the truck’s driver. He then put out a call on his CB warning people of the severely damaged, stopped car in the left lane and to get into the right lane. I realized that this had happened only a about a mile ahead of us and sure enough, there was the severely damaged car with a dead deer lying right behind it on the road. Apparently the deer had rolled over the hood and top of the car. It looked totalled, but fortunately the car’s owner looked OK standing next to it using his cell phone. I could see that traffic was really beginning to line up behind it too so I was really glad to know to get into the right lane when I did. So, yes, truckers do still use their CB radios and I’m sure glad that they do.
 

slowmover

Temporarily Banned
Timeout for bad behavior
Joined
Aug 4, 2020
Messages
1,853
Location
Fort Worth
I live in the Chicago area. A month ago I drove to Atlanta for a wedding and last weekend I drove to northern Virginia for a family funeral service. On each trip I decided to take my CB to listen on the way. I have a President McKinley and a Larsen NMO27 mag-mount placed on the roof of our SUV. I would have to say that truckers absolutely still use CB radios and twice they made a huge difference in our avoiding serious problems ahead. On our way to Atlanta, a truck had caught fire at the bottom of the mountain on I-24 heading from Monteagle, TN toward Chattanooga. All east bound lanes were closed and we found out about it soon enough to exit on Rte. 41 and drive around it probably saving us a couple hours of sitting on the roadway. The second event occurred on our way home from VA. A car had just run into a very large deer on a state highway north of Columbus, OH. It apparently happened as a car was passing a truck and was witnessed by the truck’s driver. He then put out a call on his CB warning people of the severely damaged, stopped car in the left lane and to get into the right lane. I realized that this had happened only a about a mile ahead of us and sure enough, there was the severely damaged car with a dead deer lying right behind it on the road. Apparently the deer had rolled over the hood and top of the car. It looked totalled, but fortunately the car’s owner looked OK standing next to it using his cell phone. I could see that traffic was really beginning to line up behind it too so I was really glad to know to get into the right lane when I did. So, yes, truckers do still use their CB radios and I’m sure glad that they do.

When I’m tiring of the on-air stoopid some days I’ll take a page from the pilot cars (something we all used to do) and note “potential problems”.

Order:

1). Highway
2). Direction of travel
3). Mile Marker

4). Briefest description

Ex: “I-20 westbound you got two vehicles on the shoulder at mile marker 137; people out walking around.”

Note underscore as that’s indicative of far higher risk.


Some stupid is funny and tolerable. But someone taking seriously stopped vehicles (could be trash, exploded tire, etc) tends to sober up “stupid” that’s gone on too long.

You may or may not get responses. Or, will ask to repeat (use same order & info); maybe just some thanks.

If it’s too quiet, note mile marker and ask for radio check, “Hey, is this radio getting out okay? I’m passing the 133. Do I need to adjust some of the controls?”

The combo of reports and air check can get the ball rolling to crowd out “stoopid” and bring in everyone else.

Not recommending it be used all the time, but on occasion. A matter of good timing.

The reports in the above post are pretty much daily on long trips.
.
 

slowmover

Temporarily Banned
Timeout for bad behavior
Joined
Aug 4, 2020
Messages
1,853
Location
Fort Worth
https://youtu.be/O696CYVDzSk


— Stoplight at 1:45 is at a required exit into a parking area for trucks just over the top of the grade eastbound. Check load securement and brake adjustment.

-
Two lanes to exit with a light to stagger truck spacing.

Where the truck recommended speed is 35-mph one chooses a gear where “top” speed is just barely above that posted limit.

— The driver uses brakes sparingly as he approaches 5-mph below that limit to drop “cruise” speed back to 25-30/mph.

Those with engine (compression) brakes choose the best “amount” based on grade and load. (This is accessory — not primary — to service brakes).

— Those who run faster than the limit screw up the highway for everyone else. In the event of a problem, crashes occur. On a mountain downgrade, expect fatalities.

In a car — upslope or downslope — no more than a 15-mph variance to the heavy traffic.

LOOK AHEAD, and try to ascertain what others will need.

As with all highway problems, it only takes once. A big truck loses brakes he’ll be up over 100-mph in a flash . . . those up ahead in cars won’t have a prayer.

A truck aflame is likeliest due to overheated brakes cooking the bearings (locking) and the tires catching fire. (Too heavy a load, failure to exercise prudence; disregard for human life).

— It’s a rather bad moment for mechanical problems to surface.

Watch your mirrors. Manage idiots around you. They desire death.

.
 
Last edited:

merlin

Active Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2003
Messages
2,380
Location
DN32su
I15 just north the Idaho POE, once in a blue moon I hear a couple truckers.
Maybe 20 local CBers I never hear a peep out of.
With solar cycle 25 getting strong, there should be more skip, so that should encourage 11 meters.
All my 11 meter stuff has long since gone to 10 meters.
 

KC3ECJ

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2015
Messages
506
I work at a warehouse that gets many trucks.
It's mostly small companies and owner operators that use CB.

If it is a big company truck, it's usually just the drivers that have been driving a very long time that have a CB.

Also new immigrant truck drivers usually don't have CBs even if CB is a relatively popular hobby from their home county.
I don't know if it is language shyness or it's that CB isn't associated with trucking from where they are from.
 

Duckford

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2021
Messages
75
Two weeks ago we had a blizzard in ND. Skywave was good that day. Called out on Channel 19 for a road report before I tried driving to town, and some guy from Tamp Bay Florida responded to tell me there was no snow in Florida. That was helpful.....
 

Doug59

Newbie
Joined
May 29, 2020
Messages
2
Location
Dillon sc
I never hear any trucker chit-chat on Ch19, even with two different types of scanners monitoring. As a kid in the 70's, CB radios were cool!
I just started back this week in cb radios.
The last time I had one was over 20 years ago.i live about 2 miles from the inter state and a truck stop it is quite no one talking. I live near the sc and nc border near I 95 so traffic all the time. Never thought check 19 would be so quite
 

slowmover

Temporarily Banned
Timeout for bad behavior
Joined
Aug 4, 2020
Messages
1,853
Location
Fort Worth
Channel 19 is active in most areas in Texas; however, the more concentrated activity seems to be on interstates. IH 35 in Central Texas is a rather busy. I rarely hear any traffic from four-wheelers.


Agreed that it’s disappointingly rare to have a four-wheeler join in on AM-19. Trucking is an invisible world in plain sight.

It can be hard to interpret the tension (the lingo) if your jobs or career haven’t had an element of danger: be there on time or else!

Takes a few years
to have become good at truck driving. That weeds out a lot of folks. The crazies and the ex-cons are therefore in higher proportion. “Well, hell, I can always go back to truck driving”.

OTOH, someone spends time listening he’ll ken to the flow after awhile. I’ve tried to sort out some of this in other posts

Learn how to start a conversation with strangers. Get over the hump.

.
 

KC3ECJ

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2015
Messages
506
Agreed that it’s disappointingly rare to have a four-wheeler join in on AM-19. Trucking is an invisible world in plain sight.

It can be hard to interpret the tension (the lingo) if your jobs or career haven’t had an element of danger: be there on time or else!

Takes a few years
to have become good at it. That weeds out a lot of folks. The crazies and the ex-cons are therefore in higher proportion. “Well, hell, I can always go back to truck driving”.

OTOH, someone spends time listening he’ll ken to the flow after awhile. Learn how to start a conversation with strangers. Get over the hump.

.


Some truckers get angry if "four-wheelers" join in.
 
Top