Ever wonder how some truck drivers just know what is going on out on the roads? How they just seem to know where the accidents and police are located? Thanks to CB radios, these truckers keep their finger on the pulse of all the action on the roads. They are channeling that information via the airwaves - via CB radios of course!
CB radios, also known as Citizen's Band radios, are the most reliable form of communication for these truckers. They maintain contact with their trucking company via CB radio. They get the latest trucking news via the airwaves. Sometimes, if truckers are on long hauls, they get lonesome for some conversation. CB radios keep those truck drivers in touch with the world. Depending on the area you drive, truckers might use different channels on the CB radio. The most common channel for chatter about trucking is Channel 19. A trucking company may keep in touch with their trucks out on the road via a special channel, but the Channel 19 is most commonly used between the truckers themselves.
If you are new driver for a trucking company, it might be a good idea to just listen to the conversations for awhile. You will notice that there are a lot of codes like "10-43" or "10-200." These two particular CB codes that truckers use stand for reporting a traffic problem or requesting police at a certain location. There are quite a few of these codes and it could take a while to figure them all out. So unless you greenhorn truckers enjoy major razzing by the more seasoned truck drivers, it will pay off to learn the ins and outs of this CB language before adding your two cents in.
CB radios are a handy tool, not only for the trucking company trying to stay in touch with their drivers, but also for those truckers who just need to fill in that quiet time on the roads. Important trucking news is often relayed via the airwaves as well as potential road hazards and even calls of help from other lost truckers (of course, those are the newbies!). A trucker belongs to an exclusive group - a group that provides a valuable service all over the country. Without CB radios to communicate, their world inside that truck cab would be a silent one.
