Are CB Radio's Standard?
Topic 12417 | Page 1
Charlie Mac asks:
Forgive my nooby ignorance. Was wondering if company trucks come stock equipped with CB's or if they are all aftermarket installations?
If so, how do slip-seat drivers roll with their radios? Do most trucks have cigarette lighter ports for powering portable radios (or charging cell phones on trucks with no APU's)?
Cheers.
I have yet to see a company truck equipped with a stock CB, doesn't mean they don't exist though. CBs are like a Chef's Knife Set,...they stay with the driver same as the knives stay with the Chef.
Most of the newer trucks (at least in Swift's fleet) are equipped with a mounting plate and a Velcro strap designed for portable CB installation. It also includes DC power lead/ground and antenna cable hook-up. The only issue is you are at the mercy of the antenna configuration purchased with the truck, some have decent range (external mounted antennas at the rear or sides of the tractor) or not so good range (internal mounted antenna).
I slip-seat in three different Swift tractors equipped with the portable CB mount and have no problem carrying my radio from one truck to the other.
APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
APU's:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
My company does. Not sure about others
Which company are you with? What radios are equipped or is it a variety?
Great info G-town. Do you have a lighter adapter in your tractors? I have an old portable 40 channel with a magnetic antenna, but it's powered via a lighter socket.
Great info G-town. Do you have a lighter adapter in your tractors? I have an old portable 40 channel with a magnetic antenna, but it's powered via a lighter socket.
There are several DC sockets that you could use. I power a phone charger, Sirrius radio receiver, and a secondary GPS...plenty of DC outlets available in the drivers area. You can always buy a charging station with multiple DC and HDMI sockets if you need more.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Found this cobra brand @ Wally World for around $40.00 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cobra-Electronics-19-Dx-Iv-40-channel-Compact-Cb-Radio/10603634
Do all CB's perform pretty much the same +/- the antenna or should one focus their attention towards certain aspects of a CB radio aside from antenna hookups?
Do truckers even use CB's like the days of yore this day in age or has the technology surpassed the need? I can't help but to think if your broke down in the middle of BFE and without cell service it would come in handy...but I admittedly know next to zilch so all comments are welcome/appreciated.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Found this cobra brand @ Wally World for around $40.00 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cobra-Electronics-19-Dx-Iv-40-channel-Compact-Cb-Radio/10603634
Do all CB's perform pretty much the same +/- the antenna or should one focus their attention towards certain aspects of a CB radio aside from antenna hookups?
Do truckers even use CB's like the days of yore this day in age or has the technology surpassed the need? I can't help but to think if your broke down in the middle of BFE and without cell service it would come in handy...but I admittedly know next to zilch so all comments are welcome/appreciated.
You answered your own question. I am in the middle of BFE frequently with weak cellular service, I have a CB in the event of emergencies, and to warn other drivers of accidents, weather, traffic backups, construction, etc. I listen for the same warnings.
CB's have a useful purpose beyond the chatter, and are still very relevant.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
I would get at least a cobra 29 the cobra 18 and 19 are junk, also your distance will come from a really good antenna setup most stock radios will reach about 4 to 6 miles with a well tuned antenna setup . That begin said you can also go to CB shops and get some high power CBs and antennas and can really reach out I have mine hot boxed and can push out well over 100 road miles. Remember though to if you wish to spend the money on a good setup that it doesn't come cheap I would start small with a good cobra some fire sticks and a FireWire coaxe cable and that will get you there pretty good.
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Forgive my nooby ignorance. Was wondering if company trucks come stock equipped with CB's or if they are all aftermarket installations?
If so, how do slip-seat drivers roll with their radios? Do most trucks have cigarette lighter ports for powering portable radios (or charging cell phones on trucks with no APU's)?
Cheers.
APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
APU's:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.