I used to drive tractor trailer for 11 years with a few regional companies. As best as I recall, I had a CB in the truck from day 1. Some warehouses required it for check-in, dock door assignments, direction to pick or drop trailers at spot X, etc. All purchases for running the CB and all other expenses out of pocket pertaining to driving the truck were income tax deductions with the tax preparer I used. Sirius/XM, cell phone and service bills were included.
OK so on the topic of CB being distracting, was it banned while driving in Mass, what CB calls were or weren't supposed to be, and whatever else was thrown into the grinder:
CB or any transceiver use can be distracting, but I'd camp with it's likely not an enforceable offense. I also agree cell phone use, texting and calling both, seem to be more distracting than me grabbing the hanging mic and say "hey flatbed, come on over". But there is still a level of distraction in any action that is not directly related to driving control. Steering and pedal input, moving the shifter, monitoring all the mirrors, scanning ahead for traffic and trouble, gauge monitoring, and being fully aware of 360 degrees of my surroundings took almost all the attention I had. But as I became accustomed to monitoring all that, I was able to add in more CB use while doing all those other things and listening to XM. I was taught that as a professional truck driver, all things not pertaining to control and safe operation of the truck, trailer, and protection of the freight, myself, and all others around me, were secondary actions and were put on hold if the primary actions were being hindered.
10-4 Signed, Blacksheep
