Trucking Queries From An Outsider

Hello, all

I'm trying to conduct some research on the trucking industry for a fictional story I'm writing and gathering information wherever I can find it. This seemed like a proper outlet to collect some intel. If the following queries come off as asinine, I apologize, but I really have a small understanding of this industry and would appreciate any knowledge someone could impart.

Anyways, I'm real curious as to how dispatchers most commonly communicate with drivers while they are on the road. I was reading about these Qualcomm devices installed in rigs and wanted to know if most dispatchers today use those to communicate or rather, do most of them reach out with cell phones and walkie talkies? Do CB radios ever come into play in these communications at all or are those predominantly used for conversations between truck drivers?

Also, do QC devices come standard in most rigs these days?

And finally, do truck drivers get annoyed when people drive past and make gestures for them to blow their horn? I used to do that a bunch when I was a little kid and I've always wondered what people's opinions on that is.

Again, pardon my ignorance of these subject areas, but I'm really curious to know so I don't botch this project I'm working on. Thanks in advance to anyone who supplies me with the answers I seek. All the best.

Welcome aboard Chris!

Qualcomm is pretty much industry standard. Qualcomm is the best known manufacturer of these type of communication systems so that's what everyone calls them. Kinda like "Frisbee". But that's how the overwhelming majority of trucks communicate with the offices - satellite communications. Sometimes you will have phone conversations with dispatch, but not very often. Never on a CB.

And most drivers enjoy blowing the horn when the kids ask but you have to be careful about where and when you do it. You'll scare the heck out of someone in front of you if they're just cruising along quietly minding their own business and suddenly you're blasting your horn like you're about to run em over. So we can't always blow the horn. But I don't think very many drivers would be annoyed by that. Most of us grew up doing the same thing ourselves as kids and it brings back great memories.

Brett aced it!

Let me add, there's nothing in trucking that makes me smile more than a school bus of children all excitedly gesturing at me to honk my air horn. I don't know if that sound weird. But it brings back so many great memories for me. After hours of driving, we all need something to cheer us up.

Its just awesome how I was in their exact position. I remember being in 5th grade and going on a field trip somewhere and on the way back me and a group of my friends all threw ourselves at the window to gesture to the trucker beside us to honk his air horn. And the entire time I remember thinking to myself about how big and huge that thing is and how I wish I can drive one someday. When the trucker blew his air horn we would all cheer loudly.

And here I am. Its a great memory to have.

I will say though, that you need to be careful where you do it. One time I was delivering to a facility and I was driving by houses on my left hand side. A group of kids at the corner of the residential neighborhood all stood up and gestured for me to blow my air horn. But I had houses on my left and houses on my right. It wasn't the time to do it.

The neighbors could complain. We don't need more people hating us and more roads being converted to nontruck routes because truckers kept disturbing the peace.

I felt bad for not blowing my air horn, but it was the right thing to do. Sorry kids.