5 Reasons a CB Radio is Lifesaving

October 12, 2022

A popular item, commonly misused, yet still very important for truck driving – a CB radio. The benefits of having a CB far outweigh the cost and camaraderie that takes place through the channels. It is a lifesaving tool that has helped many drivers get out of a dangerous situation.

1. Accident or stopped traffic ahead

It is always helpful to know when you will be coming up to a traffic jam or accident. Having a CB radio can help alert you of more than just accidents. Other drivers may inform you that there is a lane switch, an active construction zone, hazards on the road, or emergency personnel along the road. It will also be helpful for you to alert others when you come across something.

2. Hazardous weather/road conditions ahead

Weather reports are important to follow when you are a truck driver. Oftentimes, you may be alerted through a CB radio about hazardous weather. A CB radio can help inform you of road conditions that a weather report can’t. Drivers ahead of you may warn of ice on the road, white-out conditions, heavy rain, or a quick storm that is headed toward you. It can be helpful to know whether to keep going on the same route or take another route and park it for a few hours.

A CB radio is not reliant on cell towers, electricity, or local media. It is a great source of communication in the event of a disaster.

3. Detoured from your planned route

It happens. You will have to be re-routed or take a detour at some point during your long-haul career. Your truck may not be able to fit on some of the roads the detour takes. A CB radio is a useful tool to communicate with other drivers when this happens. They may be able to help you figure out what roads to take to get you back on your route.

4. Issue with truck or load that the driver cannot see

Let’s face it. You can see the back of your trailer, but you can’t always see when a tire goes flat, straps come loose, or your backlights are not working. It is very beneficial to have another driver behind you and be your eyes from the back. When you come across another driver that has an issue with their load, you will be able to alert them too.

5. Need assistance in an area with no cellular service

The thought of being broken down in an area without cell service is not thrilling. But, if you are ever broken down in a remote area a CB radio will be able to help. In order to get good communication in an area with no service, it is important to have a good antenna. Having a good antenna will extend your talk range so you are able to communicate with others farther away. There is a designated emergency channel on each CB radio. Channel 9 is the universal CB emergency channel. It is monitored by local law enforcement to assure safety in remote areas. A CB radio could help you alert other drivers and call assistance.

Stay alert and keep yourself aware of what is ahead of you. Continue to keep the roadways safe for all drivers. We would love to hear how a CB radio has saved you on the road.

Join the discussion and share with us below in the comments!

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Tom Hector

November 2, 2022

The problem today is that people don’t use the CB radio anymore back in the day that was our only way of communication having it turned on can save you a lot of problems if the drivers would only use it to communicate again.
Wilfredo Torres Sr

November 2, 2022

CB it's a good tool to have,because it can help us to avoid some circumstances on the road like a heavy traffic because of an accident, road detours, flood roads and others
Paul Collins

November 18, 2022

I grew up in this field. Drivers always had radio and could get help at anytime, then they were cheaper better built then today's radios. I have a cobra 29 classic peaked n tuned. I have had it for 5 yrs now. I now have to spend serious money to find out if I need to replace the astestic mic or the coax on my radio. I am receiving but can't get out.
Robert "outlaw preacher" Kimball

November 18, 2022

My cb has saved me many times
Angelo Alford

November 18, 2022

I agree
Dave Koschney

November 18, 2022

Don't carry one anymore. Tired of the trash talking
John A

November 18, 2022

In the late 1980s I was heading home in a thanksgiving eve snowstorm, visibility was poor and no lanes on the parkway were visible- at that time more vehicles had CB radios still, and a few of us connected and navigated the group of cars we were a part of safely through the next 1-2 hours of white knuckle driving! We met at a McDonald’s at the end of the route to put the faces with the ‘handles’!
Leonard W Giddens Jr

November 18, 2022

The CB radio has been around the Trucking Industry for a long time. Back in the 50's when I started some truckers had ham radios in their trucks. When you saw a truck with a steel whip antenna, most likely the driver had one. The CB Radio took off back in 73 with limited channels. We first used 10 and 9 was emergency. 9 was the emergency channel all over but the west coast used another channel, you had to search for them. The CB saved my life on a number of occasions even after I got my first truck phone because you could only use the dorn thing if you were within 35 miles of a tower. I had to get help on a couple of times when I was sick and could not drive, could not get behind the wheel. May have saved a few lives by getting a base station to get help for some others. The base stations were very important bec ause many times no one around you responded but a base could pull you in. In a disaster, you might want to have an old CB around.
J R

November 18, 2022

More times than I can count. In fact I think many of these truck pile up crashes are because no one talks to each other. I always knew the weather 20 miles away. Today someone from CA is driving in a snowstorm in PA and listening to a satellite radio station... in CA. When I truck CB is always on. But I drove once from Fargo North Dakota to Madison Wisconsin. Never heard one person come back to me on the CB.
Ashley Reedy

November 18, 2022

My CB radio has saved me before in many conditions sometimes we have bad weather such as a snowstorm headed in the direction that we need to haul the load to and other times there is no cellular service and I need to use my CB radio to know where I am headed.
Joe fischer

November 18, 2022

Ooolord I wouldn't drive my truck or my pickup without one, I can't count the number of times it has saved me from a tragic accident or something like you have posted, when I see the bad winter wrecks and they keep piling up bc nobody knows what is happenin in front of them, it is sad and heartbreaking the damage and death that is bc of no one tellin anything about it sad sad way truckin has become and so much more I could say ,they should teach about it in truckin school, imo it should be added in the pre trip 2 make sure it works.
Bob

November 18, 2022

Yes I am a commercial driver and it has helped me a lot road work construction Etc
Doug

November 18, 2022

Broke down, radiod to drivers, go to the next truck stop.Tell them what I needed, service truck came (1hr)got me going. Always have had a CB
John

November 18, 2022

Helps keep me awake😎
mousekiller

November 18, 2022

The CB radio was the life line to staying safe on the highways.
How ever in the last 15 years or so that has changed. Yes the CB radio has saved my butt . It has alerted me to people tossing bricks off an overpass several times over the years especially near Halloween and thanksgiving . Pumpkins usually but can still kill a person if it hit the windshield. It has alerted me to road closures due to accidents and it if asked, gave drivers the work around and we did not have to be in the multi hour back up. Most important is the weather alerts the CB gave out with out asking ,usually. Hey west bound you have black ice at MM231 and 3 semi's in the ditch. West bound highway is blocked. shut it down.
We usually had enough notice to alter our route or just shut down in a safe place and give the road crews time to clear the ice and snow off the road. Again another potential incident avoided.
In my many years behind the wheel the CB radio was the best tool to have in a truck. It gave weather reports, traffic alerts , drivers requesting help and the CB had a sense of humor. That humor usually got drivers through the dark lonely nights safely. The CB seem to know new jokes, how to remedy a fuel or engine problem and it could offer help in a repair. The CB was an all purpose tool depending on how you used it. It was used to educate, helped us to stay awake at night, learn something or on occasion pick a fight with some numbskull. You know you were getting close to a Truck stop due to the chattering on the air. LIke the , " I aint got no panties on" We knew would get someone going.
The CB was the best way to communicate with not just truck drivers but many civilians had base stations too. Many Police and Highway patrol also had CB's in the patrol cars.
There are many instances of a trucker calling on channel 9 and a base station answering . asked to call for help at MM such n such and what happened.
Life long friendships were started on the CB radio . Remember Monfort of Colorado? The Monfort lane ( left lane ) Need I say more ? I know the young new to truck driving today have no clue.
The CB was the communication tool long before the cell phone came on the scene. The CB was used to not just shoot the bull. The CB had many uses. Safety being the first on the list.
I thank those of you that still use a CB and used one years ago.
Randell Meyers

November 18, 2022

C.B. has helped me many times thru the years, from bad weather to accidents.
Walter John Allard SR

November 18, 2022

Saved me a lot of times once when my truck brock down in Navida in the middle of no where.
jude

November 18, 2022

i have ben useing cb raidos since the early 70s i have them in both of my cars and motorcycle i wont't travel anywhere with out one
Al faris

November 18, 2022

I like to say many times glad still have cb going trips work
Alex Cheilik

November 19, 2022

Used to be the norm , now only used in ports or if u and another driver from you're company riding together
Joseph S Stevenson

November 19, 2022

Yes when I was informed on my CB radio that there was an accident ahead and traffic was stopped that pretty much told me to slow down and get prepared to stop
Anthony Wiggins

November 19, 2022

All the reasons listed above are true but the reason that truck driver don’t run radio these days is all the name calling on the road with your new trucking condition I drive for a well known company with the speed govern to 65 mph yesterday leaving Chicago on Highway 41 south ran up on stop traffic because of wrecks and reasons being ice on highway not one trucker said nothing. another case later on in the trip I ran up on two schools buses with several cars behind them so it let me know that it was a field trip for the student so I started around and like always some trucker had to say something about a slow truck in the left lane so my thing is how we teach respect for all motorists my C B radio is my tool that should be needed by all trucker someone should in every truck stop in America advertise why a CB is needed (with respect for other)
Rakkobas Luccoo

November 19, 2022

Yes I am 100% believe in it
Larry ternent

November 19, 2022

Yes cbs are more helpfull than people thinktelling other drivers whats going in is better than texting anyday real driver use cbs no cellphone like most of these wana bees thT out here today
Jeffrey Berry

November 20, 2022

I've ran a radio since 1984
I couldn't even count the times it's been priceless
lee brantley

November 20, 2022

Years ago got caught in a snow storm my truck shut down by the time i got help i had frost bite
Douglas Howard

November 20, 2022

CB IMPORTANT EQUIPMENT! Wish drivers would learn how to use them right
Joel Bessler

November 20, 2022

40 yrs, midnite flyer, 4 million miles, no wrecks!. Keep your ears on....10-4!
mark

November 20, 2022

yes, it helped me from getting hit by a big rig when my rear axle froze up in my jeep waggoneer
Donovan Volk

November 20, 2022

I have called fire rescue on my CB for a family that had a van catch on fire near Willows,Ca. . I also called a tow truck for a dump truck that broken a axle because it had a modified cb in my pickup at the time .
Sno Ball

November 20, 2022

I am of Old School ..Days when the Cb Radio, was a Tool,A mean of Location,and to alert others of dangers,or in need of Help. Today's Truckers today have no Idea of the usefulness of the CB Radio, unless Driver is from the days past..due to GPS and Cell Phones
Larry Barnes

November 20, 2022

Road conditions, but don't have a cb now. Can't afford to buy one
Ken Snead

November 20, 2022

Yes and you can actually talk to another human being, when your on the road for a month. My cb has saved me many times, over my forty-years of driving.
Sparky

November 20, 2022

I wouldn’t want to go anywhere without it. In 10 years it’s saved me so much time from accidents to emergency road closures to warning of bad lights and tires on my truck and others
Elvis kaiser

November 21, 2022

1982 was traveling home from NY to Missouri to visit family. Was suppose to get gas in wickliffe, KY, the two gas stations were closed after midnite. Drove on the levy roads crossed the two old bridges over the Ohio & Mississippi riversAbout three miles later middle of no where on US hwy 60/62 levy road ran out of gas. Cold, had two small toddler’s with us. I turned the Johnson Cb to channels 9, and called out. Couple try's later a kid answered. He was home alone somewhere. We asked him to place a collect long distance call to our families. The kid said ill get in trouble if i do that! My wife convinced him
His parents wouldn’t mind. He made the call. He radioed back your family Is on the way! We thanked the kid, and waited. Family showed up with gas, and we got home. We were a military family. Thanks to the cb radio we got the help we needed. After my Military career, I became a trucker for the last 26 years. Have always run a CB radio, always will.
Ross Tovey

November 21, 2022

I'm A firm believer every truck should have a CB and have it turned on. I know the idiots are hard to tune out sometimes but the benefits by far outweigh the drawbacks
Lyman Bernard

November 29, 2022

My CB is always on and it has saved me from unseen consequences such as
1). surprise white conditions
2). Blocked roadways
3). Detours
4). Issues with a truck that the driver is unable to see.
Just so many things that need attention and it should be a requirement to have a working CB in all trucks. 30 years of driving experience with 3.5 + million safe miles