Do Truckers still use CB radios?

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SnooChipmunks6620@reddit

Yup. I'm in BC and drivers going on FSR are required to have a functioning CB set in the cab. Many that are in the construction or road work have them too, helps them to talk with other machine operators for loading.

FYI, Earl James Jones used a CB and drove around calling out with his Vader voice. He stopped after he found out that it scared the crap out of the drivers!

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RabbitFabs@reddit

Audio...... AUUUDDIIOOOOOO.... AUDIOAUDIOAUDIO...AUUUUDIOOOOOOOOO...

if you know, you know

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Damn-MissedMy-Turn91@reddit

Me and my buddies still run with our radios on. Always on the lookout for drivers to run with and just shoot the shit with. Sometimes I do randomly respond to whoever is yelling at another driver and pretend it's me they are yelling at.

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AdventurousLawyer646@reddit

Been there!!! Done that!!! Miss that!!!

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flowermaneurope@reddit

I have mine on every day. I’ll make random comments about stuff going on but not many people ever respond. I’ll key up and let someone know they are clear to get over in front of me, but again, not many people will say anything back. I’m still going to run with it on everyday.

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AdventurousLawyer646@reddit

When I was otr kept mine on also. It's more useful than people think. Practically pays for itself.

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit

I keep mine on 19 and squelched up, if someone needs to reach me they can.

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vito9999@reddit

Dating myself here. "Has anybody sceen my girlfriend?" Or maybe "Roxanne."

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ExpedientDemise@reddit

Not much. I hear an occasional conversation. Sometimes it helps in a traffic jam. With a speed limit 65 to 80 mph and many trucks governed to 65 you don't need to listen for speed traps. An app on your phone or GPS tells if the weigh station is closed.

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DrSideShowbob@reddit

Yip

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Honch777@reddit

I only use mine if I come across accident traffic or heading in to severe weather, otherwise most people just want to let me know their panty status.

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spacemanpilot@reddit (OP)

Aw man, wish it was still as lively as it used to be! Smokey and the Bandit really sold me on the idea of everyone just chatting away on the road. The weather and accident alerts still sound super useful though, maybe that’s reason enough to grab one for my road trip this summer!

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Honch777@reddit

Yeah unfortunately it's just a different era. If you leave it on all the time, mostly you'll hear all sorts of stupid banter that'll make your brain hurt, people leaving their mic on with music blaring or spamming CB sound effects. Not to say there isn't some times you find good people to converse with but it's rare.

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geardownson@reddit

I remember being young and trolling with truckers on my buddies cb in his Cadillac and just talking shit until one trucker said he was looking for me and gave a very creepy indication of where I was and I stopped playing on the CB after that

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Jamo3306@reddit

That was a good movie.

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DoubleDoinky@reddit

Candy cane? Anybody know a Candy Cane?

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Jamo3306@reddit

It was a fun movie. Inspite of being trashy.

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Snookfilet@reddit

You still hear it from time to time. Especially off of the busy interstates. I was in SE Kentucky a couple of weeks ago and got in with a group of trucks. Seemed like some of them knew each other and I listened in for about an hour while they talked about everything from their families to opioid addiction in the area.

I never said a word.

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1Stack_Mack@reddit

whispers I ain't got no panties on

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AutoModerator@reddit

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Jamo3306@reddit

Good bot.

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1Stack_Mack@reddit

whispers I still ain't got no panties on

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pax_omnibus1@reddit

😂

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Tmace2121@reddit

I run oversize requiring an escort everyday so I always have a nice radio setup in my truck and always keep it on. There’s a good amount of chatter if you come to a backup people are usually asking what’s going on and traffic coming the other way will say what they see. I also call out any stalled vehicles, wrecks, idiots standing on the white line looking at their flat tire, etc so any other oversize can hear me and have time to work over to the left lane. I really think it’s a safety hazard companies aren’t putting them in trucks anymore. For example last week I was running and we came to an accident with left lane closed and 2 rotators and some cops blocking the lane to get a truck out of the median right around a blind curve. Me and all the other drivers with radios were talking and knew to get over meanwhile Durka durka was in the left lane flying up there and ended up hitting a car trying to merge over because none of us drivers would let him over. Hopefully he learned a lesson but sucks for the 4 wheeler he hit. If you’re traveling getting a radio setup wouldn’t be a bad idea and could provide some entertainment maybe you even spot a side box door open or a flat trailer tire and can help a driver out by letting them know.

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biophazer242@reddit

I saw this post and immediately had memories come back to me. Back in the early 80s when I was very young the family would spend time at a cabin in PA that was close to the turnpike. We had a cb radio set up that would pick up all the chatter on the pike and late at night grandpa would turn it on low and everyone would fall asleep to the trucker talk.

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Alternative-Past-889@reddit

Watch the movie Joy Ride before you try this 😂

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1Stack_Mack@reddit

Smokey and the Bandit and BJ and the Bear is all you need to know. Congrats! You're a trucker now

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jacopoliss@reddit

“Just remember what ol' Jack Burton does when the earthquakes and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake. Yeah, Jack Burton just looks that big ol' storm right in the eye and says "Give me your best shot, I can take it”

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1Stack_Mack@reddit

A Big Trouble In Little China reference is always relevant!

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Acrobatic_Ocelot_461@reddit

Don't forget Movin' on.

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Jamo3306@reddit

I keep a CB, but I don't use it much. I call the silo, or the scale operator. I keep it on but turned cway down. There's not much to hear, just some distant radio heads skipping their signal off the sky, and some guy practicing his latest racist rant.

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Icy-Efficiency4105@reddit

Still use them, but not likely to catch a whole lot of fun conversations. They're usually quiet or clogged with asshats on base stations talking about popsicles. Helpful for traffic updates and cop locations though still most times.

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iCall_itWhoopieTbh@reddit

fuck the popsicle guy. haven’t heard him in a few weeks

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Icy-Efficiency4105@reddit

I recently switched companies and on the new truck I can't hear anything that isn't within about 100ft and don't think I'm pushing out more than 10' smfh trying to get truck over to the CB shop at the petro in Knoxville see if he can do anything (without pissing off the company too much)

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Then-Bet8731@reddit

If you have to spend money, I wouldn’t waste it. If you have an old one in the closet collecting dust, throw it in the car. Mines always on, and lots of guys monitor it.

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Appropriate_Gur_6642@reddit

At Schneider, I don’t we’re allowed to have them.

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Montreal4life@reddit

Some trucks will 99% have them. My last job was dump truck/snow plow you couldn’t do the job without the radio since you need it to communicate with quaries, loaders, other plows etc

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TheIzzyRock@reddit

I have mine on all the time and it’s quiet most of the time. Most trucks I see don’t have one.

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Shallow-Thought@reddit

Yes, some still use CB. It’s just old school social media. Plenty of racism, sexism, and general dumb-shittery.

But on occasion, you can find someone helpful. Lane closures for accidents/road work. Cops running radar, OD loads helping each other with passing, etc. Maybe an OD talking to their escorts, but they tend to choose a channel other than 19.

Even more rarely, you can find good conversation. Just shooting the breeze with someone else on the road.

If you’ve got the money to burn for a decent little hand held, go for it. Ch 19 tends to be the common channel. Ch 9 is supposed to be reserved for emergencies. Just use headphones if there’s young kids in the car.

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truckdrvr01@reddit

They used to be essential when I was hauling logs in the Pacific Northwest. We would call out milage markers going upstream or downstream so we did not run into each other. Also needed them at the mills when unloading. Imagine it still works the same way.

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_GRUMPY_@reddit

If my wheels are moving then my radio is on.

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Significant-Use-5136@reddit

only time anything ever comes up on mine is near truckstops and it’s always some guy looking for some other guy for a date or a lot lizard or the chrome shop or the truck stop ninjas that are gonna whip everybody’s asses. other than that. Pretty damn quiet I typically turn it off unless I get off into bad weather or bad traffic where I could check ahead on which lanes are open.

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Jojothereader@reddit

If you got the expendable income buy one and see what you get. I think I paid 30 bucks off Amazon years ago

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CheekyStoat@reddit

99% of what I hear is racist trash or truckers whinging about something or another. I leave mine off unless I wanna hear about upcoming traffic.

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CheesE4Every1@reddit

*somethin somethin "I ain't got no panties ohn" then racist whining

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Alarming_Star_6549@reddit

I use it heavy traffic areas and slow downs. But go for it!

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Prune-These@reddit

I only use mine when I have to use pilot cars.

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bakyt189@reddit

It all depends on where you are driving through. On south and east coast are usually quiet. On the midwest you hear it pretty often. Especially in Iowa, NE, MO, IN, OH. West coast is quiet too.

You can ask on CB just mention that you are talking from regular car. Its make me crazy when someone on CB but no trucks around. Not every truck with antennas actually has a CB radio. CB usually has old trucks or with open deck trailer. Good luck!

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