Do Truckers Still Use CB Radios?

Despite the rise of smartphones, satellite communication, and modern two-way radios, CB (Citizens Band) radios remain a relevant part of trucking culture. CB radio can trace its roots back to 1958 when the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) established the Citizens Radio Service, but it didn’t really take off until the 1970s. This was an age before mobile phones, so CB radios weren’t just a gimmick; they helped truckers stay safe on the road by sharing weather news, traffic information, and other possible dangers. Although this plays a large part in cementing their popularity in the trucking community, films like “Convoy” and “Smokey and the Bandit” played a massive role in introducing CB radio into popular culture.

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The years and technology have rolled on, and the emergence of the internet and Instant Messaging saw the popularity of CB radio fade — at least from a general public viewpoint — with phrases like “Breaker, breaker 1-9” and “good buddy” seemingly confined to the dustbin of history. Yet, the story is different in the trucker community, where the CB radio remains commonplace, with some 54% of truckers using it daily. This is also reflected in the sales of CB radios, with the market expected to grow by 3.4% from 2024 to 2033. So why is CB radio still so popular despite living in an interconnected age and alternatives like General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)?

CB radio has proven itself to be a stubborn technology. Despite living in an age of instant communication, it remains an important method of communication for truckers, even when comparing CB radios to more portable walkie-talkies. Another of its potential replacements in truck cabins is GMRS, a radio service that uses channels between 462 MHz and 467 MHz and is designed to allow two-way communication over short distances using mobile radios and repeater systems. An upgrade to the service in 2017 also added functions like GPS location and text messaging. 

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GMRS offers better range than CB radio, with transmitting power limits ranging from 0.5 Watts to 50 Watts in the case of mobile, repeater, and base stations. For comparison, CB radio is restricted to four Watts, but this can be upped to 12 Watts for Single Side Band (SSB) radios. (A typical CB radio uses two “sideband” signals to carry a voice; SSB only uses one.) GMRS also uses Frequency Modulation (FM) as compared to CB radio, which uses Amplitude Modulation (AM). The use of FM makes the signal less prone to static. The result is clearer audio with GMRS radios. Despite GMRS seeming to offer significant advantages over CB radio, it has still not been widely embraced by the trucking community. 

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There are several reasons why CB radios are still the go-to radio choice for truckers. One key reason is licensing — unlike CB radios, GMRS requires an FCC license that costs $35 for 10 years and applies to an entire family but not businesses or organizations. While the expense is negligible, the extra step can be enough to dissuade truckers already overburdened with long hours and uncomfortable conditions. 

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If this was the only hurdle, then GMRS would possibly be the ideal candidate to usurp CB radio. But it also faces historical challenges. CB radios have been the traditional standard communication method for truckers for decades. CB channels like “Channel 19” are well-established and are a universally understood method of communicating highway updates or other important information between drivers. 

While GMRS offers clearer audio and greater power, it isn’t as effective in built-up areas or terrain obstructions, as it generally requires line-of-sight or repeater stations to perform at its maximum. There are definite advantages to GMSR, but traditional CB radios like the Cobra 29LX AM professional continue to keep truckers connected, and the airwaves will continue to ring with terms like “10-4, good buddy” for the foreseeable future on CB channels. 

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