MeddleMan
Member
Not much has changed in the shipping industry. Drivers are still needed to man the Big Company trucks to move cheap freight safely and quickly. These drivers are the modern trainers of the industry. Long hours are worked and many are still gone far from home weeks to months at a time. Time from families and the paces they work for are missed and looked forward to at the end of a few long, yet little rewards for the runs made. These long, difficult and sometimes nerve-racking trips are eased by little simplicities like entertaining one's self.
Some of us out here have found ways to help that. Some buy Sirius Satellite Radio to bring in the news of the day that the otherwise conventional broadcast stations would do. Seems that the AM/FM receivers are replaced, even with a CD player built in, by Sirius or plug in MP3 players.
Personally, even though those mentioned has replaced the CB Radio, as I often observe the faster drivers have replaced them (can't talk to those guys, even if you need to) I still find a good tool to have in the Big Car is that Citizen Band. Call it what you will, But it is still needed on the interstate and in the yards. It is a key, functional tool used to communicate amongst workers in they truck industry. We communicate with each other, the Guard Shacks at Shippers and Receivers, sometimes the Bears when we need them, the traffic offices at the warehouses and ports, not to mention some of the CPW's, if there is no PA, the local CB shops and the mobile sales/repair guy, even the Chaplains in their Chapel at a Choke and Puke, and of course the common public. It isn't just a resource for the truck driver, but for everyone. Not all of us use more power than we need. Some of us understand the importance of the given rules. Some of us just don't compete with the "contesters" out there. We work for a living and that's just another tool.
What I am getting to is just that. The big companies out there are personally cracking down on their company guys and gals that run "illegal radios." Mod your rig in the cab, they find out in a Safety Lane, and have it yanked. As mentioned before, I don't need a high power radio to communicate.
Now the real situation. I am a Ham. Yes, there are a few groans out there, but hear me out, please. I am sure the companies are concerned about the seemingly clashing high power radios and ECU's and other important EOBR's and such. I understand. Even some of the circuitry cannot handle more than five or ten amps. I heard a story just the other day that, a driver pull a certain amount of amps on a particular circuit and, the TRUCK tattled on him! I could only presume he lost his job. We are watched very closely by our employers. The EOBR's are designed to report a lot, but power drainage might be a bit much. Not to mention how poorly some of the systems are designed.
I am not sure exactly why I had a truck reassigned to someone else a similar situation. As a ham, I bring along some equipment while on the job. I use a Dual Band radio to talk to other hams (a rarity) and listen out of band. I am not interested in police activity. What I listen for is GMRS/FRS users. Legal or not is not my concern. I listen to the warehouses so I know why it takes so long for them to complete my load. Sometime those kids are just horsing around on the radio, like some of their truck-driving counterparts. Sometimes I may run across a construction zone on a back road where there are Flaggets controlling traffic. A good tool to have again is the Dual Bander, and I keep a set of bubble packers to talk back, or even thank them for handling the traffic flow. Then finally, there are the other traveling neighbors that are out there. You and your families. Nice talking to you!
I got off on a tangent. I used to use an Alinco DX-70 for HF and to monitor SW. I think someone got cocky and stated that I was running an illegal radio. Sure, two extra antennas mounted on the mirror mounts look special. Ham Sticks, not Monkey Made. And the large haet sink on the back looks incriminating. That radio is no larger than the Cobra 29 LTD stacked on top. Anyway, no one mentioned other than a gear problem, and the time that it took to repair it was the real reason why they pulled me from a Volvo and assigned me to a Freightliner Cascadia. I have that problem figured out, too.
I have finally worked around the known SWR problems in the Cascadia, which finally brings us to my next problem. I fear that since, I have simply rerouted with a seperate piece of coax I purchased (After crushing the one that came with a locking plier antenna clamp) using a factory installed antenna to a custom rod replacement post/bolt on the driver's side mirror. Like a lot of other drivers, a high power antenna is used there, avoiding the rats nest the Hispanic installers built. Understandably, these items are removed by the company to reduce damage caused to ECU's or EOBR's on a company vehicle. My system is not high powered. I have had installed an Echo Board. To me that is a cool sound, and some enjoy it. The black K40 Mic is a nice add on, and the talk back ext. speaker helps me understand a little what is going thru the radio before it gets out. (not debatable) I get mostly good reports. I do well with SWR now. Seems to be important. Yet, all may be removed because it looks suspicious.
Where do I turn? I just wonder how I will entertain myself, or communicate with the world, outside of the cellphone, or via the internet.
Some of us out here have found ways to help that. Some buy Sirius Satellite Radio to bring in the news of the day that the otherwise conventional broadcast stations would do. Seems that the AM/FM receivers are replaced, even with a CD player built in, by Sirius or plug in MP3 players.
Personally, even though those mentioned has replaced the CB Radio, as I often observe the faster drivers have replaced them (can't talk to those guys, even if you need to) I still find a good tool to have in the Big Car is that Citizen Band. Call it what you will, But it is still needed on the interstate and in the yards. It is a key, functional tool used to communicate amongst workers in they truck industry. We communicate with each other, the Guard Shacks at Shippers and Receivers, sometimes the Bears when we need them, the traffic offices at the warehouses and ports, not to mention some of the CPW's, if there is no PA, the local CB shops and the mobile sales/repair guy, even the Chaplains in their Chapel at a Choke and Puke, and of course the common public. It isn't just a resource for the truck driver, but for everyone. Not all of us use more power than we need. Some of us understand the importance of the given rules. Some of us just don't compete with the "contesters" out there. We work for a living and that's just another tool.
What I am getting to is just that. The big companies out there are personally cracking down on their company guys and gals that run "illegal radios." Mod your rig in the cab, they find out in a Safety Lane, and have it yanked. As mentioned before, I don't need a high power radio to communicate.
Now the real situation. I am a Ham. Yes, there are a few groans out there, but hear me out, please. I am sure the companies are concerned about the seemingly clashing high power radios and ECU's and other important EOBR's and such. I understand. Even some of the circuitry cannot handle more than five or ten amps. I heard a story just the other day that, a driver pull a certain amount of amps on a particular circuit and, the TRUCK tattled on him! I could only presume he lost his job. We are watched very closely by our employers. The EOBR's are designed to report a lot, but power drainage might be a bit much. Not to mention how poorly some of the systems are designed.
I am not sure exactly why I had a truck reassigned to someone else a similar situation. As a ham, I bring along some equipment while on the job. I use a Dual Band radio to talk to other hams (a rarity) and listen out of band. I am not interested in police activity. What I listen for is GMRS/FRS users. Legal or not is not my concern. I listen to the warehouses so I know why it takes so long for them to complete my load. Sometime those kids are just horsing around on the radio, like some of their truck-driving counterparts. Sometimes I may run across a construction zone on a back road where there are Flaggets controlling traffic. A good tool to have again is the Dual Bander, and I keep a set of bubble packers to talk back, or even thank them for handling the traffic flow. Then finally, there are the other traveling neighbors that are out there. You and your families. Nice talking to you!
I got off on a tangent. I used to use an Alinco DX-70 for HF and to monitor SW. I think someone got cocky and stated that I was running an illegal radio. Sure, two extra antennas mounted on the mirror mounts look special. Ham Sticks, not Monkey Made. And the large haet sink on the back looks incriminating. That radio is no larger than the Cobra 29 LTD stacked on top. Anyway, no one mentioned other than a gear problem, and the time that it took to repair it was the real reason why they pulled me from a Volvo and assigned me to a Freightliner Cascadia. I have that problem figured out, too.
I have finally worked around the known SWR problems in the Cascadia, which finally brings us to my next problem. I fear that since, I have simply rerouted with a seperate piece of coax I purchased (After crushing the one that came with a locking plier antenna clamp) using a factory installed antenna to a custom rod replacement post/bolt on the driver's side mirror. Like a lot of other drivers, a high power antenna is used there, avoiding the rats nest the Hispanic installers built. Understandably, these items are removed by the company to reduce damage caused to ECU's or EOBR's on a company vehicle. My system is not high powered. I have had installed an Echo Board. To me that is a cool sound, and some enjoy it. The black K40 Mic is a nice add on, and the talk back ext. speaker helps me understand a little what is going thru the radio before it gets out. (not debatable) I get mostly good reports. I do well with SWR now. Seems to be important. Yet, all may be removed because it looks suspicious.
Where do I turn? I just wonder how I will entertain myself, or communicate with the world, outside of the cellphone, or via the internet.
